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I DO KNOT
SHYLA COLT
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise
circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without
a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Editing:
C.S.
Cover By: Shyla Colt
©Text Copyright 2022 Shyla Colt
 Contents

Blurb

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

About the Author

Connect With Me
 Blurb

Obey, serve, and procreate.

The three sacred duties of the blessed Omegas born into our pack. In our cloistered community,
marriage is an inevitable fate orchestrated by our leaders. I was prepared to fulfill my obligation until
I learned the truth— and ran. Desperate, I stumbled into the small town, seeking amnesty with the
ancient pack.
I discovered two unyielding alphas ready to protect me at all costs. Orion and Lev claim I’m their
mate, a phrase I’ve never heard of. How can I believe strangers after a lifetime of lies? With my old
community in hot pursuit and my body awakening, I’m forced to make choices I never imagined I’d be
capable of.
 Chapter 1

Brook
Run. I stifle the internal voice screaming at me and step into the pool of white material waiting.
The Michaels can’t afford any more black marks on their reputation. Not after my older sister, Moss,
was excommunicated from the Fellowship of the Moon.
For centuries, my family has been in good standing with the Alpha. Some consider us blessed by
the gods of the moon. One rebellious, defiant act from my sister Moss has placed us under heavy
speculation.
When I was chosen to join the yearly mass wedding, it was the perfect chance for redemption. I
quell the insistent voice inside me, stomping out the selfish thoughts of freedom like sparks that
threaten to become a wildfire.
The crescent moon on my shoulder blade tingles. The mark of our people feels more like a brand
than a badge of honor. The tingling increases and I wince, feeling punished for my doubt-filled
musings.
This is the way we’ve always done things. Every couple paired today is divinely chosen. Our
unions are blessed and handpicked by the Alpha and his wife through the gifts bestowed upon them.
I can’t let nerves get in the way of my duty. From the moment I presented as an Omega at fifteen,
I’ve been prepared for this moment. It’s all a lie. The bitter voice echoing in my mind sounds like my
older sister Moss.
Punished for questioning the traditions of our people, she fought for our freedoms until the end.
Shame fills me. I turned my back on her like the rest of my family.
Ignoring her emails and phone calls has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The pack’s
treatment of Moss has left me with more questions than answers. I used to find peace and solace in
our simple way and clearly defined rules.
The elders have always seemed kind and wise. But I can’t unsee the other side they showed with
their harsh words, unforgiving nature, and bullying.
At nineteen, they’d still tossed Moss out into the world we avoid because of its wickedness to
fend for herself. They claimed she chose her fate and used her as an example.
Her ex-communication is likened to the boogie man who will come for you if you step too far off
the path. I ball my hands into fists, pushing away the doubts piling up in my head and threatening to
bury me like a snow avalanche.
 My mother slowly pulls the dress up my body, gathering the fabric together. The white gown bells
out around me. She zips me in, and I’m strapped for the main event.
The crystals sparkle under the light like diamonds, and the fitted sweetheart top flatters my figure.
I’m beautiful, but my reflection doesn’t move me. My mother meets my gaze in the mirror. I force a
fake smile.
“It’s a blessing you were chosen so early. Some omegas wait until they’re twenty-five. You were
chosen at twenty.” Excited, she kisses my cheek.
“You will restore our family’s honor.” She pats my cheek. She reaches into the pocket of her
pastel blue dress and pulls out a tiny round gold pill box with a raised red rose in the center.
“It’s time to take our daily devotion.”
She pops the lid on the gilded gold item and takes out the small white pill with a half-crescent
moon. I open my mouth, and she places it on my tongue. I let the chalky pill dissolve. The last thing
we needed was complications from my omega status today.
I should feel honored, but all I can taste is bile as I choke down the excess saliva and will myself
not to be ill and shame us. A mark of displeasure from the gods weighs heavily on its recipient.
I have no idea who’ll wait for me at the end of the altar, and my trust has been so badly broken I
question who the elders will place me with.
“Some women must wait until they’re twenty-five, yet here you are at just twenty.”
Her words are a noose around my neck, tightening and blocking my airways. I inhale deeply,
trying to get more oxygen without being obvious.
“It’s okay to be nervous, Brook. That’s natural. I felt the same way on my pairing day, and look at
how happy your father and I have been.”
Because you wait on him hand and foot and never question anything he says. Is that my future?
“Brook. Are you listening to me?” My mother’s voice is stern.
“Yes. I’m sorry. There’s a lot on my mind right now.”
“Of course, there is honey.” She places her hands on my bare shoulders. “You’re moving on to
your new life. There’ll be no more living with mom and Dad and your brother, Canyon. It’s a scary
time. But there are things to be excited about too.”
The desperation in the hazel eyes, identical to my own, rips at my soul. I’m not sure if she’s trying
to convince herself or me.
I inherited her heart-shaped face and button nose. But my green eyes and blondish brown hair are
all my father. Resentment bubbles up in my belly like carbonation in seltzer water.
My hair tumbles around my shoulders, wavy and dotted with tiny pearls. I look pretty, but it’s all
empty, like window dressing on a vacant storefront.
Knock. Knock.
“Are you ready?” Dad asks.
“Come on in David.”
The door swings open, and my father steps in with Canyon trailing behind them. Dressed in crisp
white button-ups with nice ties and black slacks, they step inside and shut the door.
I place a hand on my churning stomach. This is the last time I’ll see my family until after the
month-long bonding period. I don’t want to sleep with a stranger, let alone be trapped with him for a
month. But where would I go? To Moss.
“I can’t believe my daughter is being honored by Alpha.” My father holds out his arms, and I step
into them to accept his hug. “You will continue to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a Michaels.”
“Yes, Sir,” I whisper, reading the threat in the depths of his green eyes. The wedding ceremony
has been their goal for me since I first presented at fifteen. It’s the main contribution of Omegas in the
Fellowship of the Moon.
“We know you’ll make us proud, as you always have.” My mother adds, refereeing like she’s
always done.
“We’ll give you a few minutes with your brother, and then we’ll return to say our final goodbyes.”
He squeezes my upper arm and leaves, wrapping an arm around my mother’s waist.
Canyon watches them go. The door closes behind them, and he grabs my hand. “You have to leave
right now.”
“What?”
“I can’t watch your life be ruined. Not my sister.”
“Can. What’s happening?” I shake my head confused.
“If you knew the things I did.” He shudders. “Everything we’ve been told is a farce.”
“What?” He pulls me toward the door, opening it to peer outside for our parents.
“I’ve arranged for a distraction. When all hell breaks loose, I want you to run for it. I have your
car parked out front. The keys are under the mat. Use the code to get in.”
“Canyon, this is insane.”
“No. Staying here a second longer would be. You trust me?”
“Yes. With my life.”
“Run and don’t look back. Go to *town. Find Moss, and start a new life.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll join you when I can.”
Pop. Pop. Pop. I jump.
“They’re just fireworks.” Canyon shoves me. “Go.”
Stumbling slightly, I began forcing my way through the rush of people moving to investigate the
sound. Tossed to the left and right like a salmon swimming upstream, I grip my skirts tightly, liberally
using elbows.
The boney points of my arms meet soft bodies, earning grunts and groans as I keep my head down.
I move through the crowds like a ghost amid the turmoil, undetected and silent. Boxed on all sides by
woods, the community center is the largest building in our town. *town name is protected from the
rest of the world that would destroy us if they knew of our existence.
The thought of going out into the chaos has me rethinking my plan. The fear and certainty in
Canyon’s eyes keep me moving forward. I take a sharp left down a small hallway, escaping out a side
exit. Panting, I gulp down fresh air and hike my dress higher. Running toward the front of the building
barefoot, I pray to the goddess of the moon to keep my path clear.
I spot the silver SUV and breathe a sigh of relief. Stopping in front of it, I quickly enter the four-
digit code and open the door. Climbing inside, I shove the rest of my skirt around me and bend over to
fumble with the rug. My hand grazes the cool metal of the keys.
Pulling them out, I hold them up triumphantly and jam them into the tumbler. Turning over the
engine, I shift the car into drive and pull away from the curb. A buzz begins under my skin.
Apprehension falls over me like a shadow. I clutch the wheel, forcing the intrusive thoughts to the
back of my head.
I can’t go back. Whatever lies before me is less of a risk than what lies behind. Gritting my teeth,
I push down the accelerator. Leaning forward, I take in air through my mouth as the air in the car
grows thin. As the distance between me and the others grows, my breathing is more labored.
Why did I think I could do this on my own? Everything has been planned and sanctioned. This is
my first chance at going it alone, and I’m crumbling like a stale graham cracker. Sharp disappointment
brings tears to my eyes.
An acute ache in my chest has me pumping the brakes. No. What am I doing? I struggle with the
urge to return to the familiar.
How can I even think of going back? Setting my jaw, I ignore my discomfort and motor ahead.
Shaking like I’m in the middle of an ice bath, I steer the car along the curvy roads through the woods.
Tall trees blot out the sun, and my eyes play tricks on me. I see shadows moving through the trees out
of the corners of my eyes.
The hairs on my neck stand on end, and I feel as though I’m being watched. Shrinking down in the
seat, I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead. A figure darts before me, and I jerk my car to the right.
Tires squeal. I struggle to control the car. What the hell was that?
Unnatural darkness sweeps over the road. A sense of urgency strikes. Damn the speed limit.
Slamming my foot on the pedal, I dart forward, desperate to escape whatever’s stalking me. Like
lightbulbs exploding, the light around me dims.
Cold settles into my bones, and my body grows stiff. A lone howl sounds to the left. They know
I’m gone. How? Answering howls come from random places around the car. I’m surrounded. Unsure
what to do, I continue to drive. Would the punishment be less if I turned myself in now? I slow the car
as my brain works overtime.
No. A powerful feminine voice fills my head, piercing the anxiety clouding everything. I wince.
Keep going. The command is impossible to ignore. I press forward. Pain bursts throughout my
body as I reach the outskirts of pack land. I swerve as my muscles lock up. Slamming on the brakes, I
steer the vehicle to the side of the road. I throw the car into park, and the tattoo on my back begins to
burn. Screaming, I arch as the searing sensation strips me of all rational thought.
Becoming is painful. But it will grant you the freedom you’ve long been denied. The voice
holds power and conviction. I peel my eyes open and see a glowing figure hovering above me. I gasp.
The blonde figure is nothing like the goddess we’ve been taught to worship, but her sister. The
jealous, evil being who sought to destroy everything we built.
“Your powers have been bound, but I will set them free.” Her words don’t make sense.
“No. please.” I shake my head as she moves forward. Her cool hand presses against my forehead.
The mental fog is ripped away as my body is plunged into iciness. The cold burn replaces the fire,
and I inhale as I’m submerged in darkness.
The light slowly pierces the absence of light, and I watch as two girls, one fair and one dark, race
along a well-worn path between trees. Clad in fur dresses with crude leather boots and belts around
the middle, they’re wild children of the hunt.
My skin prickles from the powerful aura they exude. Their legs lengthen as they run, and their
bodies go from thin and shapeless to curvy. The competition becomes fiercer. They bump into each
other, trying to get the edge. The brunette throws an elbow that plows into her sister’s side. She
stumbles and clutches the injured area.
The love I originally sensed begins to wane. Replaced by something cold and evil. The dark-
haired girl stops and turns; her bright yellow eyes pierce mine. She sees me. Frozen to the spot, I hold
my breath, afraid to move. Her thin red lips pull back to show her sharp teeth. Pointing her finger at
me, the brunette throws her head back and howls.
I cover my ears with my palms as my eardrums pulse, ready to explode. Dropping to my knees, I
scream.
Silence settles over me, and I open my eyes to find the vision faded. Slumped over in the car set,
I’m unsure how much time has passed. The pain in my body is gone. Blinking, I sit up and gape at the
glowing green square carved into the space in the middle of the road.
Why did they have wards to keep us inside? I shiver as something cold slithers its way up my
fine. Things are wrong and off.
Go forth, daughter of the moon; I will hold them off. It’s the voice of the woman who’d come to
me before. The blonde. How can I believe her to be evil when she’s saved me? Maybe she’s leading
you astray.
I’ve turned my back on the ways of my people, and I know I will suffer for it. Two wolves war in
my head, and I’m unsure which one to feed. I need to sort through what I saw, but I don’t want to
marry a stranger today.
Decision made, I drive forward, through the barrier into the unknown. The moment I cross,
everything changes. The world outside is brighter and lighter. The weight on my shoulders has been
temporarily lifted.
“Oh.” The vivid colors of flowers in bloom in the grass surrounding me are stunning.
Why was Moon Creek so different? I glance behind me and find the road has disappeared. The
path I’m looking at now differs from the one I traveled to get there.
I knew we hid our land from other people, but this is different. I see a shimmer in the sunlight,
revealing the hidden entrance. I feel the pull toward it, but not as strongly. Rolling down the window,
I marvel at the light we’re never afforded living so deeply in the dense forest.
I begin to formulate a plan. I’m clad in a wedding dress with no money to my name. A full tank
will only get me so far. I scan the car’s interior and flip open the compartment of the center console.
A thick wad of cash wrapped in a rubber band makes me gasp.
Canyon thought of everything. How long had he been planning this? What had he uncovered that
led him to do this? Who were the two women I saw in my vision?
If the golden goddess is our enemy, why did she help me? Have I fallen into her clutches so
willingly? I lick my dry lips.
The only person I know is Moss. And her welcome is questionable. I bailed on the one person
who’d always been there for me the second she stepped out of line. How can I expect anything but
contempt from her? There’s no room for pride. She’s my only hope. I need to go to Wolf Canyon.
I’ve traced the path a million times on a map. I know the way. A tingling in the base of my spine
urges me to hasten my travel. The wolves will be after me soon. You don’t walk away from the
Fellowship of the Moon.

Lev
“This feels like a wild goose chase,” I grumble. “We’ve been on the road for two hours, and
neither of us knows what the hell we’re actually looking for.”
My brother, Orion, snorts. He has my mother’s sense of adventure and belief in fate, along with
her dark green eyes and sandy brown hair.
“Sure we do Lev. We’re here to pick up Moss’s sister.”
“Yeah, in a sea of purple in a gown of white? Could it have been vaguer?” I scoff. “I wasn’t
aware that quests were back in fashion.” When the Alpha tells you to do something, you obey. I’m a
good soldier, but I’m not into the mystical aspect that’s become common in the pack since the Lunar
Goddess decided to remind us she’s more than a legend.
Orion laughs. “That’s actually pretty damn specific.”
I growl. “You know what I mean.”
“With the pack members we lost during the attempted coup, we can use every new addition that
comes our way. We’re lucky if this is a sign of what’s to come.”
“Funny. I don’t feel that way.” I frown. I’d had my life planned out. Mates were few and far in-
between among us. So, I focused all my attention on the family business. I’d expanded my knowledge
with schooling and opened a second garage. Dad had handed over the power to make decisions, and
I’d put Coxon on the map.
“What’s really going on? I think this break from the auto shops is exactly what you need. Life is
more than work and business.” The worry in his voice makes me uncomfortable.
“You don’t need to worry about me, little brother. I’ve got things handled.”
“I know when Dad got elected to join the council, you were forced into the role of man of the
house. I wish I could’ve helped you more back then—.”
“Hey. You were seventeen. Your job was to focus on your schooling.”
“You were only twenty-one,” he counters.
“Yeah. I was an adult with a degree and experience helping Dad at the shop. I did what I needed
to. I don’t get accolades for that.”
“Why not?” Orion challenges.
I glance over at him, seeing his strong jaw set stubbornly. His thick brows are dipped down, and
he’s studying me like he can see through my flesh into my soul.
“Because that’s what family does.”
“They also call each other out. You’re completely closed off from the possibility of life being
different than we grew up expecting it to be.”
“Careful, your psychology degree is showing.”
“Don’t do that. I’m not diagnosing you. I’m opening up a healthy dialogue.”
“How about we stick to road trips and shooting the breeze?”
Orion sighs. “Sure.” The disappointment in his rich baritone cuts like a knife. Four years older,
I’ve always felt responsible for his upbringing. Partially due to our parent’s message about being an
example playing like a record stuck on repeat.
“Look. I’m not opposed, okay?” I exhale. “I’m just cautious. You start expecting too much, and
you’ll be crushed when you don’t get it. We’ve had a lot of change in a short amount of time. I like to
stay grounded where I can.” Orion’s always been more sensitive. It worked to our benefit, with the
younger cubs learning to shift and finding their designations. It’s a lot of emotions, hormones, and
dueling personalities.
Our wolves are both a part of us and not. It’s a tricky relationship to maneuver.
“I want to see you happy, and I know you’re not.”
“Who is?” I shrug.
“Mom and Dad.”
“They lucked out. Not everyone gets happy ever after Orion. Sometimes the best we can settle
with is content. That’s what I’ve hedged all my bets on. “
He grunts. The frustration is audible.
“You got something else you want to say?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. The Lunar goddess has been talking to me.”
“What?” I swerve and quickly correct myself, returning to my side of the double yellow lines.
“The hell. You don’t just spring that on someone.”
“The battle among ourselves was the first, but not the last.”
“And you’re just telling me this now?”
“I had to be sure of the message and that they were more than just dreams.”
“Shit. Did you tell the Alpha?”
His silence is deafening.
“Orion. This could be seen as treason.” Driving one-handed, I rake my fingers through my dark
brown hair.
“She said I’d known when it was time to share.”
“And you didn’t think when he gave us this mission was time?”
“No,” he answers firmly.
“Lunar Goddess, save us from your feelings, Orion.” I roll my shoulders, trying to ease the
tension in my body.
“I know you don’t understand, but you will.”
“Why does that sound more like a threat than a reassurance?” I snap.
“Because you like being in control, and this is out of your hands,” Orion all but sing songs.
“Don’t sound so smug about it, jerk.”
“I’m just delivering the message, asshole. Don’t take it out on me.”
“What do you know?” I ask despite my misgivings.
“Things are going to continue to change at a rapid rate—.”
“About my involvement.”
“You were meant for way more than you give yourself credit for, Lev. She needs both of us.”
“Both of us to what?”
He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m still figuring that out.”
“Enlightening, Orion.”
“She wants to come to you, but you weren’t ready.”
I’m not now.
“Tell her to bring it.” I feign indifference.
Turn off at the next exit. The voice in my head sends chills down my spine and demands
obedience. I inhale sharply and put on the turn signal, working my way across two lanes. The energy
in the car shifts. The air thickens, and the scent of pine and snow fills the cab. Power prickles over
my skin. It feels like the air before a shift.
“You feel her?” Orion whispers.
“Yes.” I glance at him and see my eyes in the window’s reflection. They’re glowing a luminous
blue. I check my wolf, pulling my magic back inside where it belongs. Guided by something bigger
than myself, I follow the commands in my head.
A fundamental change is coming in my life, and I’m not ready. The dreams I’d suppressed and run
from in my youth are coming back to bite me in the ass.
“I’ve had them too,” I say quietly as we leave the populated city behind and move into rural
spaces.
“The dreams?” Orion asks.
“When I was younger. The dreams were terrifying. Dreams of battles and darkness threatening to
swallow Wolf Canyon whole. Our parents thought they were night terrors. I never corrected them.”
“I remember that,” Orion shifts in his seat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was always afraid sharing it would somehow bring them to life. I thought the coupe might’ve
been the event I’d tapped into.” I trail off. The sense of an impending storm continues to hover in the
distance.
“You know our father’s site has the line. He always said you had grandmother’s eyes. Maybe
that’s not the only thing you received.”
“I’d settle for Dad’s skill with his hands,” I mumble.
We don’t always get what we want in this life. The amusement in the heavily accented female
voice is startling.
“Did you hear that?” I ask
“No, but I believe you did.” Orion’s easy acceptance amazes me. I’m ready to check myself into a
psych ward. “We turn into wolves, Lev. Is a goddess interacting with her creations really a stretch?
We’ve gotten so detached from our roots that we’ve forgotten what it is to be shifters. We’re not
humans—.”
Thwack. A tiny form explodes in blood and black feathers.
“The hell?” I stare at the crow remains splattered across the windshield. A cloud drifts over the
sun, casting us into shadow, and I watch as a black storm cloud reveals itself to be a flock of birds.
The wrongness twists my guts into knots. I steer the car off-road as my hackles rise.
“We have to get out of the car.” My voice is already deeper as my vocal cords shift. Malevolent
and dark, the energy speeding toward us means to harm. This form is stronger than a normal human,
but we must take a defensive stance. Slamming the car into park. I rush outside and bolt for the
woods, shedding my clothes as I strain to hear anyone that might be present in the woods.
The stench of rotten meat and sour milk. I gag. Bones crack, and my body contorts as I let go,
allowing the wolf to surge to the forefront. Orion loops beside me, a tawny-colored wolf with a white
belly just a tad smaller than my muscular frame. Pitch black with a white chest, we contrast.
A flash of white stands out ahead. I turn to Orion, and he snuffles. He saw the white wolf too. The
urge to follow is too intense to deny. I run forward, taking the lead as my paws strike the forest
ground. A sweet, pure scent overpowers the smell of decay.
Traveling through the forest, we chase the white wolf who continues to stay ahead of us. The
feeling of danger retreats as we move deeper into the forest. The rhythmic movements and rightness
that always come with running in the forest as a wolf remove all previous concerns. My heart
lightens, and I realize it’s been months since I ran like this. Orion barks, and I return the sound,
sharing the joy.
We cross through a clearing, and everything changes. Shadows drape over trees and land where
they shouldn’t be. The sour smell of something gone bad returns full force. Slowing, I examine the
area as I take cover in a brush. The white wolf turns and yips, running towards us and back to her
spot. She wants us to follow. Unable to ignore her desperations, I follow once more. We break out of
the forest across a road. A floral odor hits me, and then I see the sea of lavender swaying in the wind.
The plants’ fragrant perfume wars with that of decay. A woman in a wedding gown flees toward
the center, away from men in black suits. One grabs her upper arm and yanks. Jerking back, she
throws her weight to the side, breaking his hold. She drops into the purple flowers, and a nasty growl
climbs out of my throat.
Barking, I leap through the stalks, landing in front of her. Lowering, I snarl at the men who jump
back. They smell like a wolf, but not. Lowering my body, I snap my teeth at them. Running to the left
and right, they try to box me in. Orion joins me, barking and snarling. Together, we force the men to
back up
“Those aren’t normal wolves.” One cries.
 “Why are they here? Who did she call?”
The woman has risen to her feet and continues to run.
“I don’t know, but we can’t win this.”
“I’m not going back without her.” The tow-haired man shouts.
He reaches inside his jacket, and I strike, sinking my teeth into his hand. I shake my head back and
forth, shredding his flesh and biting down on the bone. I rip a chunk of flesh from him as I send him
flying. His cohort turns and runs, and Orion chases him, ripping the seat of his pants as he draws
blood.
Watching the man retreat, I keep an eye on the man on the ground. A weak growl leaves his throat,
and his body convulses. I back up, watching his pitiful attempt to shift. Bones break and reform, and
he yells in pain. The sound becomes a strangled cry as fur sprouts from his skin, leaving him in a
twisted, half-human, half-wolf shape.
The form happens when people are gravelly injured or young and learning. That this man is like
this makes no sense.
Take him. I sent the thought to Orion, who bobs his head. Moving forward, he clamps his teeth
into the half-wolf’s shoulder and begins to pull him. Bounding over to the woman at the edge of the
field, I block her with my body. Her scent is slightly familiar. Like Moss, she smells floral and sweet
like honey, but her aroma holds the spicy hint of cloves. I yip.
Her hazel-colored eyes widen. She’s a shade darker than Moss, but her hair is much lighter and
lacks the coarse full-bodied curls. Tensing, she licks her full lips, and my nose twitches. She has the
same wolf but not scent clinging to her. What did the pack do to its members?
“I’m sorry. Please just let me go. I don’t know what my pack is paying you to bring me back, but I
have money.” She reaches into a hidden pocket with shaking hands and pulls out a thick roll of cash.
“It’s all yours.”
I try to communicate with her, but her wolf is down deep. Has she ever even changed? Resigned,
I shift into a human form. Her jaw drops, and she jumps back.
“Brook Michaels?”
“I. Yes.”
“Moss sent us to meet you.”
The relief flooding her tiger’s eye-colored gaze is beautiful to witness. Beautiful? What the hell.
“We have to go. Something is off here.”
“I ran away from my wedding.”
“I gathered that.”
“How did she know I was coming? Oh my god. You’re starkers.” She glances away, and I laugh.
“We’re wolves. This is just as natural as our wolf shape.”
“Not to me,” she whispers.
I huff a laugh. “Sorry about that, cub. I couldn’t reach your wolf to explain.”
“My wolf?” She asks.
“I don’t have time to educate you, cub. We need to go before they call in reinforcements.” I nod
my head back across the road. “Or the cops show up.”
“H-how do I know you are who you claim to be.”
“I don’t exactly have an I.D. on me.” I gesture down, and she nods as color stains her cheeks.
“Right. Okay.” She inhales. “I’ll follow you.”
“That’ll make things a lot easier. But I need them to be faster too.”
“What?” stepping forward, I heft her over my shoulders.
 “Put me down.” her tiny fists beat at my back. Laughing, I take off into the woods, trailing Orion,
who’s taken his human form and tossed the passed-out wolfman over his shoulder. We have more
questions than answers, and I know we haven’t seen the last of the Fellowship.
 Chapter 2

Brook
I can’t keep my eyes off the stunning men driving in the front seat. They’d trussed up the man and
stuffed him in the trunk. I didn’t have the nerve to ask them why they had a rope or a number of the
other things I saw in the trunk. I bite my lips as I take in the sharp cheekbones of the broody brunette
with hair so dark it’s almost black, and piercing crystal-blue eyes. His pointed nose and thin pale
pink lips lend to the edgy vibes I’m picking up from him.
His pack mate is softer. With his soulful large dark green eyes, thick lashes, broad forehead, and
strong jawline, he excused a warmth I want to get closer to. They’re completely different from the
boys I’d grown up with. These are men. Powerful men. Thinking about the fluidity with which they
shifted shapes has me pressing my thighs together. Only the blessed and favored can manage that.
“Your brain is booting up so loudly I can hear it from here, cub. I’m sure you have questions.” Lev
glances at me in the rearview mirror, and I freeze, caught in the laser beams he calls eyes.
I frown. “I’m not a cub. I’ll be twenty in a few months.”
“Wow, double digits, brother. Cub’s all grown up.”
“Be nice Lev,” Orion chastises.
“You’re siblings.” I scoot forward. Dangling on the edge of my seat. “Your family must be highly
blessed.”
“Blessed?” Lev arches a thick brow.
“What do you mean, Brook?” Orion asks. I love the gentle timber of his deep voice; he’s
powerful, yet not harsh.
“You change so easily. It was like magic.” The brothers cast a confused glance at each other.
“What’s she talking about?” Lev asks.
“We don’t understand what you mean?”
“Changing is difficult, painful, and something only the ones chosen by the Lunar Goddess herself
can do,” I explain slowly.
“According to who?” Lev scowls.
“The sacred texts and the Elders.”
Their confused expression reflects my own.
“No. Everyone should be able to do that,” Lev says.
I flinch at the mistreatment of the sacred act of transformation. As if everyone could do it.
“Blasphemy.”
“Facts,” Lev replies.
I shake my head. “No.” Why would the elders deny us our birthright? There has to be a
misunderstanding.
“Do your people have a hard time shifting? It can start to happen when the bloodlines get too
diluted or too closely related.” Orion sounds like he’s trying to tame a willful colt.
“How could you possibly know that?” I whisper. They’re doing exactly what the elders said the
outside world would do, change the narrative.
“Science,” Lev replies sarcastically.
“That’s not an answer.” I brace myself for more lies.
“We’ve been gathering data about the decline sweeping through our people for a while now.”
Orion nudges his brother with his elbow. “We can show you once we reach town if you’d like. It’s a
matter of public knowledge in our libraries.”
His words continue to punch holes in the core structure of our belief system.
“All of you can shift like you two did earlier?” What would it be like to be that touch with our
other half?
“The majority, yes, but there are always some who have other issues,” Lev adds. I can hear the
pride in his voice. It’s different from how I feel about my pack. There’s a sense of duty and loyalty,
but not this warmth. Maybe it’s because they’re siblings.
“Have you had difficulty shifting.” Orion’s dark green gaze pins me to the spot.
“Oh, Omegas, don’t shift,” I laugh.
“What?” They ask in unison.
“Right?” I whisper.
“No. Listen, I don’t know what they’ve been telling you, but you need to stop drinking their kool-
aid. Whatever issues you have going on, they’re causing them.” Lev wrinkles his nose. “I smell it on
you.”
I cross my arms over my chest and sniff. I’ve been running, but I don’t detect body odor. At least, I
can’t detect it. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You smell funny. Like one of us, but not. And I’m going to figure out why.”
“I don’t understand.” I shake my head. Their punching holes in the very foundation I stand on.
“I’m sure Moss will be able to explain things much better than my bulldozing brother.”
“What? Cubby needs to know the truth. The sooner, the better. It’s a good thing you ran while you
had the chance.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“One thing you should learn about me, Cub. I’m always right.” Lev winks, and I can’t keep the
smile from curving up my lips. The man is unlike anyone I’ve ever met.
“Lev means to say he believes he’s always right, even when he isn’t.” Orion leans on the console
and turns to face me. His plump dark pink lips part, revealing straight white teeth. I giggle.
“Hey. Don’t forget who’s older because there’s a pretty girl in the back,” Lev says.
“Omegas are the cornerstone for us, Brook. We wait all year to meet our mate.”
“Mate? Oh. You mean the one you’re paired with?”
“Paired?” Orion shakes his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“The one your elders chose for you via the Lunar Goddess.”
“When you meet your mate, you’ll know because your soul recognizes its other half. It’s part
biological, part spiritual,” Orion whispers reverently.
 This is the kind of connection I crave.
“Your soul knows?” I tilt my head and bask in the sunlight streaming through the window. “That
sounds incredible. I’ve never heard of a mate.”
A growl rumbles in Lev’s throat, but instead of fear, I feel something move low in my belly. He’s
not angry at me, but for me. It’s a new experience. Is this what it’d be like to be cherished? To be
someone’s mate?
“Something is very wrong at the Fellowship. You’re not going back there, Cub. You’re stuck with
Wolf *name now.” He meets my gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Yes Lev.”
“Good girl.” He nods his approval, and I nearly melt in my seat. My panties grow wet, and I shift
in my seat.
Orion clears his throat. “We’re here to help you any way we can Brook. I know this must be
overwhelming –.”
“It’s not though.”
Orion pauses, tilting his head in question.
“It’s a relief. I’ve questioned things for some time and hoped there was a different way. That life
could be more.” Leaning forward, I place my hands on their forearms. “Thank you for proving it
could be.” Muffled electricity travels through me. Heat flows through my body, pooling at my core. I
snatch my hands away, embarrassed by my visceral response to the two men.
The smell of salt and lemon blended with oranges and bergamot increases. I want to bury my nose
in the crook of their necks and breathe deeply. This is reverse Stockholm syndrome. They saved me,
and now I’m latching on to them.
Orion inhales and peers at me through low-lidded eyes. The spark of desire makes my pulse
speed. Clearing his throat, he blinks, and the spark is hidden away. I immediately want to bring it
back.
“I like nothing better than corrupting an innocent flower such as yourself, Cub.”
“He’s kidding,” Orion adds.
“Am I?” Lev wiggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help but giggle. It’s laugh or cry, and I’ve shed
enough tears over the past few years to last a lifetime. “Our girl likes it.”
Our girl. I wish they could see me as more than the silly girl they’d rescued and fed common
knowledge. I’ve left our land behind, and I still don’t belong. Slouching in my seat, I feel my spirits
plunge. Will I always be on the outskirts looking in, wondering?
“We lost you for a second there. Where’d you go?” Orion asks.
“In my head. It’s a crowded space at the moment.”
“Better than an empty one,” Lev mutters.
I snicker. “I suppose that’s true.”
“You had no control over what you were taught before now. We’re going to get you up to speed
with things, and what you do with what you learn will be entirely up to you,” Orion assures me.
“Finders keepers, cub. You won’t be slipping away on us. Will you?”
“No.” his voice and tone do funny things to me.
“You’re a little diamond in the rough; I can sense it. They tried to dull you and hide your shine, but
it’s still there, winking in the sunlight. You’ll have to be brave enough to take what you want. Do you
think you can do that, Cub?”
His rich voice is a caress I want more of.
“Yes.”
 “Good. Chin up when we arrive, and if anyone gives you a hard time, you get Orion or me. We’ll
sort them out.”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Nice girls deserve nice things, cub. You’re going to be packed now. We take care of our own.”
Is that all? Disappointment yanks me from my arousing thoughts about the man in the driver’s seat
and his fit brother. Crossing the line unleashed something inside of me I’m not sure how to put back.
There’s a new awareness and a sense of free will that I’d never experienced behind the wards.
There’s a reason for that. Anger simmers in my belly. I can’t believe how much the pack kept from
us. A few hours of conversation has only revealed the tip of the iceberg. My heart aches for all the
omegas left behind, ignorant of the lives they could be having.
“We can’t let them get away with this,” I whisper.
“Believe me Cub, we won’t.” Lev’s eyes flash like lightning.
“The Lunar Goddess brought us together for a reason.” Orion’s voice is like thunder, full of
righteousness and wrath. Together, they’re a storm I want to get lost in while I ride out its wildness.
The magic washes over me. Needles and pins drag over my skin as a light breeze passes over me as
we cross into their land.
I hold my breath as it weighs my worth. The intensity increases. I suck in a breath as the pins and
needles dig deep, raking over my body like invisible claws. I suck in my breath as the crescent moon
on my shoulder begins to itch. Reaching over my shoulder, I scratch, and the burning begins.
I hiss and squirm on the leather seats.
“Brook?” Their voices sound far away.
“What the hell is going on, Orion?”
“I don’t know.”
My vision darkens and narrows. Muscles tensing, I’m jerked like a marionette. The world around
me drifts away.
“Take this, Brookie.” I hear my sister’s voice and feel a soothing cool touch. “Please. Open your
mouth.”
I try to relax as she pries my lips open. Strong hands grip my jaw.
“There’s my cub.” Lev’s hands bring me a brief reprieve. Liquid coats my tongue, and a warm
hand massages my throat to help me swallow. The fire begins to recede. The hands leave me, and the
waves of unending cramps start again.
“Put your hands back on her.” The torture ends.
“What’s going on?” Moss asks, confused.
“I don’t know,” Lev growls. “But we’re not leaving. If she needs us to sit beside her all night,
that’s what we’re doing.” In a sea of chaos, the weight of Orion and Lev’s hands keep me from getting
lost in the dark abyss trying to bind me tight.
Stuck in the in-between, I see a forest. I feel the carpet beneath my feet. The wind blows through
my hair as I race beneath the bright white orb that hangs high in the sky. The wild scent of trees, moss,
and plants fills my lung. Here there are no limitations or mundane worries. I push myself, running
faster, my legs pumping higher and my arms swinging. I leap over a log and come down on four legs
instead of two.
Orion
“Anyone want to tell us what the hell that was?” I whisper harshly as Brook settles into sleep.
Sighing, Moss rubs her forehead. “Accelerated Detox.”
“What?” Lev lifts his head from the bed beside Brook’s bed. We’d managed to get her from the
car to a bed in Moss’s guestroom.
“The Fellowship drugs their followers. It makes them more pliable and inhibits their ability to
shift. It’s enough to let the best,” She uses quotes. “Of the Omegas powers leak through while
blocking the rest.”
“What the fuck?” I snarl.
“If they didn’t, they could never get away with the pairings, which is really selling these poor
girls off to the highest bidders. The marriages aren’t sanctioned by the Lunar Goddess. I’m pretty sure
they know nothing about her.” Moss’s jaw ticks, and her dark eyes are filled with anger. Rage twists
her face into something kin to an avenging warrior.
“They make us small, so they can control us. From the moment we present, we’re groomed to
obey. They tell us we have to procreate and serve our families. That’s where our worth lies.”
“That’s disgusting,” I whisper, horrified.
“And we eat it up. You don’t question the elders because they have a direct line to the Lunar
Goddess. They use her to keep us in line.” Her fists ball at her sides.
“How are they getting away with this?” Lev asks.
“Isolation, brain-washing, and quickly kicking out any rabble-rousers. When I started to question,
they tried to force me back into line with shunning, hard labor and attempted reprogramming. They
tried to drill the rules into my head, guilt me with subtle threats to my family.” She looks at the
window, seeing something we can’t. “When none of that worked, I was tossed out like trash in the
middle of snow storm with nothing more than a bag of clothing, enough money to last a month, and a
warning not to come back.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you Moss. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt.”
“Don t shrink me, Orion. I don’t need it. I made my peace and rebuilt a life worth living. She
needs you.” She jerks her chin toward Brook.
“My sister is a people pleaser. She thrived on rules and history. For her to leave was huge. But
she would’ve shriveled up and died with the man they wanted her to marry. Clay Richmond is a
selfish bastard who had three wives before her. They’ve all died tragically. We couldn’t let that
happen to her.”
“We.” I tense, thinking of some other wolf pining over the woman I’d come to feel protective
over.
“My brother, Canyon. He knew the truth. The males of substantial standing always do.” Moss
shakes her head.
“Barbaric,” Lev sneers.
“What can we do for her?” I ask.
Moss shakes her head. “She’s my sister. This is my job.”
“And yet she seizes every time we leave her for too long,” Lev replies dryly.
Moss scowls. “I don’t know why that’s happening.” She moves to the bed, bends down, and
kisses Brook’s forehead. “But we’ll get it fixed.
Lev’s hackles bristle. He sits up straight and stares Moss down. She shrinks under the intensity of
his gaze. The musky lemon and salt scent of his hormones blooms heavily. Is he marking his
territory? Moss huffs.
 “I’m her sister. I’ll protect her.” Moss holds her ground, refusing to back down. The rumble in
Lev’s chest speaks volumes.
Knock. Knock.
I clear my throat. “That should be the healer now. I’m sure she’ll clear everything up.”
“You should get that.” Lev barks. The Alpha command in his voice prompts Moss to move away
from the bed and out of the room.
Leaning over the bed, I study his dilating gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
He rolls his neck, and I watch the muscles in his body twitch as the wolf rolls under the surface.
“Why is your wolf so close right now?”
“Why isn’t yours?” Lev snaps. Moving in, he nuzzles Brook’s neck, inhaling deeply. “It’s
changing.”
“What?”
“Her scent. The not wolf is almost gone.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t I?”
“I’m not so sure,” he says cryptically.
“Huh?”
“Smell. Push past the medicinal scent.”
“I don’t think we should take liberties like this, Lev.”
“Humor me.”
Sighing, I lean down. I’m struck stupid by Lily of the Valley and vetiver. It’s intoxicating. My
mouth waters and I inhale another whiff. Unable to resist, I bury my nose in the crook of her neck.
Closing my eyes, I feel my entire body attune to the curvy woman lying between my older brother and
me. Where she belongs.
The stray thought is alarming. Sitting up, I jerk away, rocking the chair back on two legs. I want to
bathe in her scent and mingle it with my own. Shit. I look at Lev. “Is she?”
“Yeah.” Lev nods.
Dahlia approaches with a warm smile. Her shoulder-length black hair is streaked with gray, but
the golden-brown skin on her round face is still smooth despite being sixty-five.
“I see our new guest is sleeping.”
“I gave her the detox like you said, but things went wrong.” Moss paces back and forth in front of
the doorway.
Dahlia hums. “Boys, can you give us room?”
“No.”
Dahlia tilts her head. “Lev. What’s going on?”
“We’re not going to cause her pain when we can prevent it,” I add.
“Explain.” Dahlia’s dark brown eyes are sharp, and she nods as she takes in our recollections of
the day.
“Her body’s been suppressed for too long. Her wolf wants out, and her body is trying to
recalibrate itself to where it should’ve been years ago.”
“What does that have to do with them?” Moss asks.
Dahlia smiles. “I think we all know what’s happening here.”
“No. Brook knows nothing about mates or heat. You have to stop this.” Moss pleads
I snarl at Moss. Lev stands, eyes flickering amber.
“That would do more harm than good.” Dahlia shakes her head. “This needs to happen.”
“She’s supposed to have a choice.” Moss blinks. Tears roll down her cheeks. The distress is sour,
and I wrinkle my nose.
“You will not keep me from my mate.” Lev’s voice is guttural, and the rumbling in his chest
carries a warning.
“No one is going to take Brook from you,” Dahlia glances from Lev to me. “Either of you.”
“Damn straight,” I agree. My wolf has caught the scent of his intended, and the human is fading
into the background.
“I won’t sit here and let you violate her.” Moss shakes her head. “You’re supposed to be better
than the Fellowship.”
A deep bark explodes from Lev’s mouth.
“Moss. There are things you may know but not understand fully. This is fate and nature coming
together beautifully. They’d sooner bite their own hand off than hurt her. She couldn’t be in a safer
place. But I don’t think in her sister’s home is the place you’d prefer to formalize your union.”
“No,” Lev and I say in unison.
“That’s it, then?” Moss croaks.
“They’re her mates.” Dahlia places a hand on Moss’s shoulder.
“And she gets no say.”
“We’re not monsters. We won’t claim Brook until she understands,” I assure her. Skin prickling, I
tug on the neck of my black t-shirt as my core temperature spikes.
Brooks whimpers, and my wolf shifts restlessly.
“We need to go back to the house,” I say gruffly. Voice scratchy and dry.
“Not until she can consent to leave.” Moss crosses her arms over her chest.
“You want proof of our connection?” Lev smirks. “Fine.” He palms the side of Brook's face,
rubbing his thumb over her plump lips. “Cub. Can you open your eyes for me?”
She moans. “Lev?”
“That’s right, Cub. I need to see those pretty hazel gems of yours.”
She groans. “Hot.”
“I know. Me and Orion are going to make you feel better. “
“Ori.” The nickname on her lips is a catalyst for the arousal engorging the rapidly growing
problem in my pants.
Lev snickers. “Yeah. Ori.”
“Kay.”
“First. I need you to sit up if you can and open your eyes. Some people would like to say hello.
She releases a puff of air, and her eyes lids flutter open.
“Welcome back, Cub.” Lev holds her left, and I hold her right. Together we pull her into a sitting
position.
“M-moss.” Her almond-shaped eyes widen in surprise and her lips spread into a wide grin.
“Hi, baby sister.” Moss rushes forward and pushes her hair back from her face. I choke down the
warning growl. She’s tainting my mate's smell with her own.
“Why do I feel like this?”
“The Fellowship has kept us drugged. You’re pushing out the toxins, and your body wants to play
catch up.” Moss darts a worried gaze. “Your wolf wants out.”
“’l’ll shift?” The wonder makes me want to burn down her old pack’s dwelling for denying her
this basic right.
“Maybe not today, but soon.” Moss bows her head. “And Lev and Orion will help you.” She takes
a shaky breath. “If you want.”
 “Yes.” She nods, and my heart swells.
“I told you before you were ours. But I didn’t know how right I’d be.” She turns to face Lev.
“You’re our mate.” I skim the backs of my fingers down the side of her face. “Your body is going
to crave certain things only we can give.”
Brook whimpers. The sweet smell of her arousal hits my nostrils. Lev groans.
“Do you want that, little cub?” Lev purrs.
“Please.” She whispers.
“Tell your sister.”
She turns to Moss. “I want it.” The slight whine sends a jolt of pleasure straight to my cock. I fist
my hands to keep from putting on an indecent show.
“There. You heard her.” Lev scoops her up into his arms. I follow, watching his back. I sniff the
air, searching for rival alphas. An unclaimed omega in heat can drive a good wolf to do insane things.
Moving quickly, we return to the car. I climb into the back, and Lev places her in my arms before
moving around to drive.
“What’s happening, Ori?”
“You’re going into heat, pretty eyes.”
“What’s that?” She squirms, and I groan as I run my hand up and down her arm feeling the heat of
her skin.
“She’s burning up, Lev.”
“I’ll drive fast,” he calls over his shoulder.
“Ori.” Blinking up at me with trust-filled eyes. “What’s going to happen?”
“We’re going to give you what you need, Little Cub. Isn’t that right?” Lev asks from his front seat.
“Do you want me to show you?”
She nods. I press my lips to hers, and my wolf howls at the connection. Her mouth yields beneath
mine, and I tempt her, adding pressure to each light peck to coax her lips apart. Slipping my tongue
into the space, I groan as I drown in the flavor of sweetness and Brook. Her tongue glides along mine,
and I fist her thick hair, tugging slightly. I swallow her moan, and she wraps her arms around my neck,
deepening our kiss. I suck her tongue, and she groans, pressing her chest to mine.
The car stops, and Lev appears at the door opening it.
“My turn, Cub.” Turning her face to him, he traces her swollen lips. Flicking at her entrance, he
invites her tongue out to play. They lash at each other, teasing in an intimate dance that intensifies her
sweet aroma. She rocks her hips against me, and my dick twitches, straining against my jeans.
Lev pulls away, framing her throat with his hand. “Time to take this inside.”
“Yes.” Her breathless response makes us both groan.
 Chapter 3

Lev tightens his hold, restricting my air intake, and my panties flood.
“Such a good little Cub. You want to make your mates happy, don’t you?”
I nod, surprised to find I want to do exactly what he’s suggesting. My entire life, I’ve been told
what to do and how to do it. This time I’m choosing to surrender to the men who makes my heart race
and my body ache. I press my ass against the bulge beneath me.
Ori growls. “Careful, pretty eyes. I’m not sure if you’re ready for what we want to give you.”
“I am,” I promise as my breasts grow heavy. The scrape of my nipples against the soft material of
my bra is torment. I need more to silence the desperate desire inside me, obliterating all my
apprehension and misgivings. There’s no room for hesitation, embarrassment, or awkwardness in the
face of the mind-numbing want. It bows my back and spreads my legs.
“I can smell you from here. So needy for us.” Lev hums.
“Why do I feel this way?” I whimper as a pulse starts in my core and spreads through the entire
length of my body.
“This is heat. The only thing that’ll satisfy you is a nice, hard cock.” Lev flicks at my lips, and Ori
latches onto the side of my neck. His hot mouth sucks at my flesh. His teeth slide against my pulse
point, and I buck against him.
“Please. Bite me.”
Lev clicks his tongue. “No matter how much you beg, we won’t claim you until you understand
what it means.”
Claim. We need Alpha to claim us.
“Please, Alpha.”
“Shit. I can see the wolf,” Lev groans. He pulls back, and Ori turns me to face him.
“What pretty amber eyes you have, she-wolf.” Ori nips at my lip.
The high-pitched whine that leaves my throat startles me. I jerk away.
“Don’t be afraid of who you were always meant to be.” Lev slides his hand down from my throat
to my breast. “Can you feel her there? The wolf long hidden from you? She wants to be free. Before
we’re done with you, we’ll break her out of her cage.”
I can feel the wolf stirring inside me, fighting up from somewhere long buried in response to his
word. Her joy is my own. I yip, and the men, my men, chuckle.
“We’ll have so much fun teaching you everything you need to know.” Ori sinks his teeth into my
neck, and I purr. The rumble in my chest is foreign, but it feels good, right.
“But first, we need to peel you out of this wrapper.” Stepping back, Lev grabs my hand and helps
me out of the car.
“We’ll burn it later. This is your past.” Orion rips the back of my dress. The cool air feels good
on my bare flesh. Ripping my hands away from Lev, I tear at the dress's bodice, irritating my skin.
The boning digs into my flesh.
“We’ve got you.” Lev pushes my hands away, grabs the bodice, and pulls, yanking it down the
middle. The air kisses my flesh, and I quickly step away from the offending gown, kicking at the white
swaths of fabric.
Ori hits his knees and presses his face to my stomach. Inhaling, he licks a hot path up my belly.
“What a beautiful mate we have, O.” Lev cups my breasts, tweaking my turgid peaks with his
thumbs. I thrust them forward, and he chuckles.
“Not the country mouse I anticipated, are you?”
“No.” Here my sass won’t be punished. I lick my lips.
“Good.” He pinches and tugs my nipples, and I cry out.
Orion groans. “Do that again. It made her even wetter.” Orion kisses my belly and moves lower. I
tense. These men are nothing like the boys I escaped the pressure and monotony of life with. I want to
know what it’s like to be properly loved by men who are made for me.
I part my legs. “So eager.” Lev sucks my left breast into his mouth, and I cry out. I bury my fingers
in his silken hair and shiver as Ori cups my center and places bites on my belly.
“I love the feel of your teeth on my skin.” I purr.
Lev nips at my breast, and pleasure explodes in my body.
“More, please.”
Ori pushes my sodden G-string to the side and strokes down my soaked cleft.
“She’s soaked. How long have you been like this, pretty eyes?” Ori growls.
“S-since the car.”
I twitch as the pulses grow more powerful.
“Give her what she needs, O,” Lev commands.
“You want us to fill you up?” Need Alphas claims. Time to make pups. The she-wolf’s making
her displeasure at being muzzles known.

“YES. PLEASE. PLEASE.” I rock my hips toward him as my core weeps. He pushes a finger inside,
and I clamp down on him, shuddering as everything in me clenches.
“So tight.” Pulling out, he pushes back in, and my eyes roll into the back of my head. I grind
against him, chasing a high as I try to douse the fire building in my body.
“Harder.” He adds another finger and adjusts his angle. Long, thick fingers hit the spot I can’t
reach. “Right there. Yes.” Sweat drips off my body, and the she-wolf inside me demands more.
“More.” Slick flows like a waterfall, and he adds a third finger, stretching me to my limits.
Tingles wash over my body, and I tremble as I fall over the edge, screaming. The release soothes the
pain threading through my body. Lev releases my breast with a pop, and I slump forward, supported
by the two men who’ve turned my life on its head.
“This is a short reprieve, Cub. We’re going to bring you inside and get you more comfortable.”
I watch, dazed, limp, floating on a sea of bliss, as Ori sucks his fingers into his mouth.
 “Delicious.”
“I’ll get my taste straight from the source,” Lev promises darkly.
“For now, catch your breath and reserve your strength,” Ori runs his fingers through my hair, and I
close my eyes, leaning into his touch. Only they can quiet my body's response to the relentless siren
call sounding inside my head.
Need Alphas’ claim. Time to make pups. The wolf is temporarily satiated, but I know we’re
nowhere near done as the pain hovers in the wings. She’s making her displeasure at being muzzled
known.
Inside, assaulted by their co-mingled scent, the peace is ripped away. A new wave of lust slams
into me.
“We’re going to take good care of you.” Lev tosses me on the couch and kneels before me,
spreading my legs wide with his massive hands. He caresses me through the panties, rendered useless
by the slick escaping from my entrance. He snaps the elastic, throws it behind him, pulls me to the
edge, and buries his face between my thighs as he places my legs over his shoulders.
Slurping up my nectar, he plunges his tongue deep and circles my walls. I flex around him, eager
to be filled. The thick muscles expand, plumbing impossible depths, and I scream as he flicks the
spongy spot inside me with his tongue. He’s using his shifting skills in a way I never saw possible.
“Don’t stop.” Tugging at his hair, I try to match his strokes. I tilt my head back as I ride his face.
He moans into my folds, and an orgasm explodes from me, stealing my voice as I release a silent
scream.
The haze retreats, but the pulsing continues intermittently.
“It’s not stopping.” I turn to Lev.
“We need to coat your insides for that, Cub.” He licks his lips.
“Please, Lev. I need it.”
“We know you do pretty eyes. But we need you to drink water first.” Ori holds a bottle to my lips,
and I suck the cool water down. Taking the bottle, I gulp the refreshing liquid and watch as Ori and
Lev strip down, revealing washboard abs, lean frames, and Adonis belts. I want to explore with my
tongue.
Lev strokes his cock, eight inches long and thick with a broad dark purple head weeping pearly
liquid; it twitches in his hand. Ori’s slightly longer but slimmer, with a deep red mushroom-shaped
head and a vein running down the right side. My mouth waters.
“Open up, Cub. We have something for you.” His eyes flicker amber, and he purrs.
“Stick out your tongue, pretty girl.”
Obeying, I hold out my tongue, mesmerized by their quick strokes as they walk toward me, cocks
bobbing.
“Look at how hungry she is for us.” Ori groans as his hand glides up and down his length, twisting
at the end, he swipes his dripping slit, gathering his come, and I press my thighs together as the heat
builds. Rubbing my thighs together, I whine in my throat.
Lev groans. Sweat dots his brow and the muscles on his stomach jerk. The veins in his forearms
stand out. A low growl escapes his lips, and he moves forward. His hot stream coats my tongue, and
his hand moves furiously as he empties his load.
I swallow the salted musk.
“I have another helping, pretty eyes.” His gaze bores into mine. Green fire, full of adoration and
possessiveness, hold me captive as he shoots into my open mouth. Every drop eases the raging
inferno threatening to consume me. I swallow, breathing hard.
 Ori pushes two fingers into my mouth, stroking my tongue as I suckle them.
“You back, Cub?” Lev asks hoarsely.
I nod.
“I’m not sure how long we have, but we need to keep you hydrated and fed. O will get you into
the tub, and I’ll bring you some food.”
I frown at the thought of food.
“Alpha’s orders.” The bass-heavy command has me moving onto my feet. I thread my fingers with
Ori’s, and the world tilts. I sway, and he catches me around the waist.
“Easy.”
“Something’s wrong.” Shadows creep up the walls. The lights dim, and the smell of rot and ruin
fill the room. The floor beneath us trembles. Ori pulls me close, anchoring my body. Pain explodes in
my head. I clamp my jaw to keep from screaming as images flood my brain. Clay Richmond peers
over a fire directly at me. Surrounding my men in black robes, he drips his blood in a stone bowl. His
lips stretch back.
“You belong to me. You were promised with blood. There’s nowhere you can run where I won’t
find you.”
“No,” I whisper.
He laughs. “Silly Omega. Stop this nonsense and come home. I won’t punish you too badly.” His
eyes flicker to yellow, and his voice distorts.
I shake my head, too afraid to talk back.
“If not for me. For your brother.” The robed men part, and Canyon is brought forward. His face is
black and blue, swollen, nearly past recognition. Bound at the wrists, his head lolls forward onto his
chest.
“Don’t hurt him.”
“A life for a life, Brook. The choice is up to you. Meet us in the sacred caves by midnight.” He
smiles. “Or I’ll assume you forfeit your brother’s life in lieu of your freedom.”
“You can’t!”
Thrust from the vision, I’m flung into total darkness.

Lev
Brook slumps over in a dead faint. O holds her body to his, keeping her aloft.
“Brook.” He calls. Striding forward, I tap her cheek. She’s cold to the touch, the exact opposite of
what she should be with her heat upon her.
“What’s going on?” O asks.
“I’m not sure.” I cup her face. An invisible force tosses me across the room. I hit the wall and
slam down onto the floor. I glance up to see O pinned to the ceiling and Brook levitating. A red
crescent moon appears on her forehead.
Shadows creep up the wall. The lights flicker, and the stench of decay fills the space. Brook’s
head snaps up, and her eyes turn black.
“Did you really think you could take what was mine?” The deep voice doesn’t belong coming out
of my mate’s sensual mouth.
“She’s found her mates. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
 She chuckles. The insidious noise sickens me. I struggle to break the hold the force has on me.
The wolf inside me claws at my chest, anxious to get out.
“It won’t matter once we’re bonded by blood. We have ways around those biological responses.
We don’t have to be savages just because we’re animals.”
I stare at Brook, helpless and trapped inside her own body, and will her she-wolf to wake.
Snarling, I gnash my teeth, feeling the fangs extend as my bones vibrate.
Fight them, Cub. You haven’t come this far to let them win.
I feel her faint, but there on the edge of my mind.
Claim her, O.
O’s brow dips. I can’t move.
I’m making an opening. Take it.
“Omega. Wake up.” I put the power of an Alpha behind the command.
Her body jerks, and we all fall to the floor as her eyes return to their normal hazel shade.
Groaning, she pushes up with her arms, and I move to her right as O lines up with her left.
“Forgive us.” Lunging forward, I sink my teeth into her neck, and O does the same on her left.
Hissing, she comes off the floor as her blood flows into my mouth. I swallow the honeyed, metallic
nectar down.
I pull back, meet her amber gaze, and freeze.
“There you are, Cub.”
“Alpha protects?”
“Yes, Omega. They’re not getting their hands on you again.”
She flinches, and I growl. Orion’s low rumble accompanies my own at her distress.
“They’re strong. Wrong. They pervert our magic and our ways.” She yelps. “You must stop them.”
“How?”
“Cut off their source.” Her voice is strangled as she struggles to remain in control.
“Where do they draw their power?” O whispers.
“Darkside of the moon.” Her eyes bleed to black once more.
“She’ll be the one to suffer for this.” The masculine voice whispers. The room is plunged into
darkness, and the smell of burnt fur and rotten eggs gags me. Her scream turns into a yelp. A yelp?
Coughing, I move toward her as the light returns. Crouched on her haunches, a beautiful golden-brown
wolf with amber eyes peers at me quizzically.
“You’re beautiful, Omega,” I whisper.
“Look at our mate,” O says huskily.
Approaching her slowly, I sit in front of her.
“Is she okay?”
“I’m not sure. Changing so abruptly could’ve damaged Brook’s mind.”
She bares her teeth, and I freeze. Did we find her, only to lose her to insanity?
Dancing back on her hind legs, she backs into a corner.
“It’s us, Pretty-eyes. You know we’d never hurt you.”
Rearing up on her hind legs, she growls. The rejection stings. Her eyes flash black, and I know the
Fellowship hasn’t released its hold.
“Omega, be still,” I command.
Whining, she lowers her snout, pawing at her nose. Blood wells up in the gashes.
“No. Don’t hurt yourself.”
A nasty wet cough curls her body inward. I step forward only to dance back. Hacking, she spits
out a black tar-like substance. The splatters gather together, forming a black pool that bubbles up.
Raising it becomes a tiny person. It takes off, and I jump out of the way, afraid of what will happen if
it touches me.
The imp circles around and races toward Brook. O swings the wooden table like a bat and sends
the creature flying across the room. Thwack. It slams into the wall and slides down like a stain. On
the floor, the ooze streaks forward like black snakes. Splitting into two, it heads for my brother and
me.
“Catch.” O tosses me one of the glass containers filled with candy. Sending the cinnamon candy
flying, I stand, letting the streak come toward me. I hit a knee and slam the glass down at the last
minute.
It slams into the glass, moving back to the other side, frantic as it tries to escape.
“O?”
“I got it on my end.”
I glance behind me and find my she-wolf panting on her side.
“Can you hear me, Omega?”
She lifts her head.
“She’s back in control,” O muses.
Her amber eyes hold fear and panic. “We’re going to walk you through this.”
She barks. I shake my head, unable to understand her. Frustration flickers in her gaze.
“Talk to me in your mind.”
She whines.
“You can do it, pretty eyes. You’ve been brave all day. Don’t stop now.”
Brook turns slightly to hold his gaze. “I know this form feels odd, but it’s the one you were always
meant to hold. Breath. Don’t fight the wolf. She’s a part of you.”
The fear retreats, and she lowers her head.
Lev?
That’s our Cub. I want you to relax and remember we’re here to take care of you.
“O. Call in the pack. We’ve got something better than a shifter caught in a half-state this time.” O’s
howl pierces the room along with his distress signal to the pack through our familial link. I hear the
answering howls, and the snake violently strikes the glass.
“Leaving so soon? Why not wait and meet the company.”
The front door splinters as enforcers enter the house.
I feel the presence of the larger-than-life man moving into our space. Eyes glowing and teeth
barred, they shift, padding forward on four as our Alpha, Danner, stalks in. His bright green gaze
glows with fury. His nose twitches as he stalks toward me.
What is this? He nods his massive head toward the glass.
Something from The Fellowship.
A voice whispers into my ear. It’s the source.
“It’s the source of their power.”
Danner shifts. “She told me she had plans for you.” He nods toward the opposite side of the room.
“The three of you. The Lunar goddess has lit the spark in all of us. Gifts that have become legends are
returning.” He lifts his hand, and a white glow surrounds his large palm. His thick brows come
together. The aura of power around him goes nuclear.
“Only light can combat darkness. It must be exposed and obliterated.” His voice has taken on an
odd cadence. I see something more than a man or wolf peering out from the windows of his soul.
 “Remove the glass, Lev.”
I hesitate.
“Now,” Alpha commands.
I lift the bowl. A golden light surrounds the dark tendril. It crumbles into itself like ash, leaving
behind a bright red stain.
“The price they pay for this power is blood. Bound to the will of the dark goddess, they keep their
people under their thumb. It’s a crime when we teeter on the edge of extinction to repress and lead our
brothers and sisters astray. We stand tonight and let her know we won’t stand for it.”
“Who’s her?” O asks.
“The Moon Goddess. The Lunar Goddesses’ sister.”
Brook’s feminine yelp turns to a garbled scream as her vocal cords shift.
“They’re going to kill my brother.” She wobbles like a newborn lamb as she tries to stand.
“Stop Omega. Your body needs time to recover.” O Pulls her to his side.
“Please. Don’t let Canyon pay the price for my freedom.”
“We take care of our own here, Omega. No one will be left to die,” Danner promises. “Gather our
men. We’ll—.”
“Midnight. H- he gave me until midnight.”
“I don’t care what he said. You’re not going.” I bark. “Even now, you’re struggling against going
into a full-blown heat. We all smell it.”
She flinches.
Brook lifts her head, definitely. “You have to take me. You’ll never find the cave otherwise or get
past the wards.”
“Little Cub. You chose now to grow a spine?” I ask sarcastically.
She lifts her head, jutting out her chin. “Family is everything.”
“She’s right. She’ll have to take the hormone inhibitor.”
“That's not safe for her,” O protests.
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take,” Brook’s pain-laced voice is full of determination and defiance.
I want to put her over my knee and spank her into submission. My fingers twitch with the desire to
reign her in. But her eyes sparkle with a fire I have no desire to extinguish.
“We need her, Lev,” Danner’s voice booms.
I put a chokehold on my inner wolf and give a curt nod.
Danner turns his attention to Brook. “We have a very short time to set a plan in motion. We need to
know everything you can tell us about The Fellowship.”
 Chapter 4

I walk toward the yawning cavern of the cave, wondering If this will be the last thing I ever do. For a
moment, I tasted freedom. I risked everything and discovered a truth I’d been too afraid to believe. If
I lost my life tonight, it’d be in service of bringing change. I won’t turn my back on innocent people
caught up in the lies we’d been brought up to believe. I want to offer them a chance.
Keep your mind on the plan. Lev scolds me.
Don’t forget we’re just behind you. O’s rich voice smooths Lev’s rough edges. Together, the men
are a dream I didn’t know I had. Mates. The living embodiment of home. A collection of soul pieces
that meld seamlessly. Denying someone this gift is criminal. Hooking my thumbs under the straps of
my book bag, I carefully pick my way over the rocky ground. I struggle against the self-preservation
demanding I turn around and flee as I see the shadowy world for what it is.
A heaviness has nothing to do with living at the center of a forest that sits over the land. Dank and
Damp, the air is stale. Placing one foot in front of another, I slip past the entrance and enter the sacred
space. Lit torches line the wall. Symbols carved and lined with blood glimmer with the odd darkness
I choked up earlier. I turn my head away, afraid it’ll jump from the cave walls and try to latch onto
me.
I smell the decomposition and feel the oily magic. It’s different from what I experienced at Wolf
Canyon. Natural, uplifting, and restorative, it felt like returning home after years of wandering in a
desert among enemies. Warmth and abundance highlighted our back. I shiver as the cold tries to slip
through my lightweight t-shirt.
I hear the movement before he appears. Clay Richmond is too perfect. His golden wheat-colored
hair falls artfully around his broad forehead, stopping shy of tumbling into his eyes. His dark blue
eyes are fringed with long lashes, and his angular face and roman nose give him a regal appearance.
“I didn’t think you were going to come.”
I stop, already closer to him than I wanted to be.
“Where’s my brother.”
Clay chuckles darkly. “You don’t get to call the shots here.” He strides forward. “You’ve cost me
a lot of money. Your little flight of fancy turned me into the laughing stock of The Fellowship.”
“Stop.”
Ignoring my protest, he uses his speed to appear before me. His overly warm hand grips my jaw
tight. He squeezes hard, and I squeak, fighting against the urge to scream. I can’t call for help until we
reach the heart of the cavern.
“I’m going to pay you back for that humiliation tenfold, Brook Michaels.” I feel the bone crack.
My cry is muffled by the misaligned jaw.
“This should help you learn your place. You should be seen, not heard.” He shoves me back
against the cave.
“Did you let them sample what’s mine?”
I shake my head as his eyes flood with black. With our superior vision, I can see him clearly.
Despite his polished appearance, there’s strain around his eyes and mouth. Not everything is going
according to his plan.
He inhales and gags. “You smell like them.” His hand strikes my cheek, knocking me to my knees.
“You would’ve been my wife. Cherished and a part of prominent society. Now you’re ruined.” He
kicks my side. A rib cracks under his onslaught. I curl into a ball, breathing through the pain.
“Get up, whore.” Gripping my hair, he yanks me to my feet. Scalp screaming, I stumble beside
him as my mate's rage fills our connection. He can’t know how much I’ve changed. I have to play this
role.
“You’re going to be my dirty little secret.” His arousal is bitter and nauseating. “Maybe this will
be better. I’ll have a wife and a toy to do with as I please.”
I turn away from his excited gaze. He tightens his grip on my hair. I turn back to look at him.
“Tonight, you’ll learn to listen.”
“Isn’t that, right?” He drawls, forcing my head down and back up. “Looks like you remember your
roots after all.” Reaching the end of the long path, we begin our descent downhill. I can hear the
chanting from her. A large fire crackles and roars ahead. The temperature drops the further we go
underground, and the sense of magic heightens. I feel like I’m walking through oil as the slimy
sensation settles over my skin like a film. I fight to keep my breathing even and deep.
I don’t want to go any closer to the flickering fire we can now see in the distance. I drag my feet,
and Richmond forces me to continue forward.
“The Goddess always gets what she’s promised.”
Bugs walk over my brain, blurring my thoughts and vision. This isn’t how things were supposed
to happen. The chanting grows louder.
“We offer you this sacrifice to increase your strength.”
“No.”
A heavyweight comes down on the back of my head. I lurch forward, and the world spins. In a
stupor, I lay face down in the dirt. Fabric rustles, and something wet and warm drips on my back. The
chorus of voices rises. I’m rolled over, and my right arm is wrenched to the side. The tip of a sharp
item digs into my flesh. I choke on my skin, unable to scream with my jaw dislocated.
Omega. Focus. Lev’s command is sharp.
“The ward, omega. Break it.” Ori insists.
Their command overrides the pain. I lengthen my nails, drawing blood, and place my trembling
hand on the ground. Digging my fingers into the ground, I chase the rune and feel the slight opening in
the boundary. Moments later, the crack is ripped wide, and my bond is flooded with strength and light
to combat the cloying darkness that has me surrounded. The She-wolf surges forward, and I let her
take control.
This time, I feel my bones snap and reform in the passenger seat of my body. Fur bursts forward,
and my vision sharpens as cries of dismay and the acidic fragrance of fear rise up around me. On all
fours, I scan the circle around the fire. Richmond stands fifteen feet away with a twisted blade raised
above his head.
“Protect us, Goddess,” Richmond screams. He brings the knife down toward Canyon, and I spring
into action. Pushing off with my hind legs, I knock him to the ground. My teeth sink into his neck, and I
bite down, tasting the metallic geyser that begins to flow. The pulse in his neck slows to nothing. I
bound over to stand guard in front of Canyon. He protected me, and now I’m returning the favor.
Elders flee further into the caverns. The ground beneath our feet rumbles. I shift on my paws
uneasily. Dust belches and stones fall, blocking our pursuit. I rest my head on Canyon’s, monitoring
his shallow breathing as my mates appear from the chaos.
“We have to go. The cave isn’t stable.” Lev hefts Canyon over his shoulder, and Orion and I
follow close on his heels, dodging fallen rocks.
We spring out of the cave and continue to run the way we came as a storm breaks above us.
Lighting flashes, illuminating the trees where dark creatures peer back. This isn’t over. Lighting
strikes the ground, splitting a tree in half and causing a chain reaction. The sparks create a blaze that
races down toward the cave.
The darkness shrinks back, and we continue our retreat. Regrouping on the other side of the wards
in our teams, we wait for our Alpha Danner to speak.
“Our rescue mission may have succeeded, but the war is just beginning. Today we saw our enemy
in action. We witnessed what they were capable of. We won’t underestimate them, nor will we
continue to ignore them as long as they stay on their side of the state. Tonight, we’ll take care of our
wounded. Tomorrow, we’ll be reconvening.”
We pile into a black SUV, and Lev places Canyon onto my lap. I cling to him, marveling at how
my life took a three-sixty.
“Our healers will take care of this,” Orion reaches between the seat to place his hand over my
own, resting on my brother’s chest. The compassion in his dark green eyes sets a low pulse off in my
belly, reminding me of other things we’ve left unfished. His eyes dilate, and Lev groans.
“After we see to your brother, we have unfinished business to handle, Cub.”

SCRUBBED CLEAN AND healed by my body's new metabolism, I pad on bare feet down the hall.
My thoughts drift to Canyon, who’s under surveillance in a special room in their infirmary. Unlike me,
he’s still got the drugs they use flowing through his veins. In his shape, giving him anything to purge
right now would be reckless. His body and spirit have both been weakened by what he’d endured,
and they’re not sure what his reactions will be.
I wrinkle my nose, remembering the acrid scent I now detect coming off him. The not-wolf scent
is unsettling. Part of me worries in a few days, we’ll discover more has been done to him than we
thought. I’ll never forget the feeling of that inky ichor inside me, forcing my compliance and clouding
my mind. Shuddering, I step back. I won’t get lost in the black hole of what-ifs.
“Rest, and heal, brother,” I whisper. Closing the door on my thoughts of anything other than my
mates, I stalk my prey. My she-wolf yips in excitement. She likes this game. Earlier, the Fellowship
stole something from me I intend to get back. I follow the internal pull that guides me to the den,
where Ori and Lev sit on the black leather couch, sipping on tumblers of dark brown liquid.
“How you feeling little Cub?” Lev drawls smoothly as his shredded eyes take me in. The man’s
calm demeanor is deceptive. He doesn’t miss a damn thing.
 “Angry.”
Ori flashes him a concerned look and rises, walking toward me. “What happened?” He takes my
hand between his large mitts, easing the ache slowly returning.
“The Fellowship crashed our bonding.” I moan as my nipples become more sensitive. “I want to
remedy that.”
“I can smell your need from here,” Lev growls.
Ori brings my hands to his lips, tracing each digit with his tongue, laving the sensitive skin
between my fingers with his hot tongue. I shiver. Who knew hands could be an erroneous zone? Heat
pools in my belly, and I watch as his green eyes become blown.
“Are you ready to play, Cub?” Lev whispers. I hold his molten blue gaze as he strides toward me.
“Please,” I whimper.
Lev glides his knuckles down my face, and I turn into the caress. Their touch is a balm to my
flesh.
“It’s coming on full force, isn’t it?” Lev skims my face with his lips. I nod, moaning.
“We’re going to eat you alive, Cub,” Lev promises.
Ori nips the skin on my wrist, kissing his way up my body to my neck. His tongue strokes across
the mating mark, and my panties flood with slickness as I tremble. Ori groans. “I need to taste you.”
Ori moves behind me, yanking the sleep shirt over my head, and they moan.
“No panties?”
“I- I don’t have any,” I pant.
“Fuck.” Ori sinks to his knees and spreads my legs wider. Inhaling, he caresses my cleft with his
roman nose, nudging the swollen bundle of nerves begging for attention. Lev captures my throaty cry
with his mouth. His tongue plunges deep as Ori circles my clit with the tip of his tongue. Tiny bumps
break out over my skin as lust ratchets higher.
I cant my hips, seeking more, and Ori chuckles into my pussy. His plush lips wrap around my clit,
and I buck. Lev’s hand wraps around my neck, grounding me as he nips at my lips. My walls flex,
clamping down on nothing.
Ori releases me, sitting back on his heels as he spreads my legs wider. “Her greedy cunt is
begging to be filled, Lev. Look.”
Lev peers down and groans. “So wet for us already, Cub?”
“Yes.” I’m past caring about being coy. “Please. I need.”
“We know,” Lev assures me. Reaching down, he strums my clit with his calloused fingers. I spear
Ori’s hair, holding on tight to stay on my feet. Ori eases two fingers into my tight heat, and I clamp
down on them, rolling my hips.
“That’s it, pretty eyes. Show me how bad you want it,” Ori urges. Stimulated from inside and out,
I ride the wave of passion that slams into me, chanting their names like a prayer as my body tries to
suck Ori’s entire hand in.
Clothes fly as they strip down and take me into a room with soft blue walls and a king-sized bed
covered in black silk sheets. The scent of lemon and salt is thick in the air. Lev’s room. Tossed onto
the soft surface, I watch as they reveal their muscular frames. Licking my lips as they stroke their
lengths, I arch my back, crying out as the need continues to pulse, intensifying instead of easing.
“We’ve pushed it off for too long,” Ori whispers.
“Shh. Relax, Cub. We have what you need.” Lev climbs onto the bed, nipping my thigh as he
moves up against the headboard. “Come here.” He pulls my back to his chest. The skin-to-skin contact
brings relief.
 Ori kneels between my legs, skirting his hand up my thighs. His thumb swipes up my cleft. “Do
you know about wolves, Brook? When we mate, things are different.” He circles my throbbing clit.
“We have an extra addition to our cocks.” Climbing between my legs, he coats his dick in my juices,
stroking between my folds and tapping my clit with his bulbous head. I moan.
“It’s called a knot.” Ori continues his movement. Lev pinches my nipples, tugging lightly as he
bites my neck. “It will stretch you, but you’re built to take it. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Please just. I need you inside me.”
Ori groans.
“You heard her, O, don’t be a tease. That’s not what you need, is it, Cub? You need him to fuck
you, knot your tight little pussy, and fill you with his seed, don’t you?”
The she-wolf inside of me howls her approval.
“Yes. That’s what I need,” I rasp. Fisting Lev’s hair, I pull his face to me and latch onto his smug
mouth. The flavor of lemon fills my mouth as our tongues glide together.
Ori nudges my entrance with his fat head, and I whimper as he pushes in slowly. My walls clutch
at him as he works himself deeper and Lev moves his kisses down my face.
“Look how well you’re taking him, Cub,” Lev whispers into my ear, kissing the side of my mouth
as I watch our bodies join.
Ori pulls out and slams back in, and something primal takes over. My legs wrap around his hips,
and my fingers dig into his back as our hips slam together. His thick cock hits all the aching places
Lev’s mouth and hands continue to tease.
“He stretches your pretty little pussy out so good.” Ori’s buried so deep I swear I can feel him in
my throat. The slap of our bodies and Lev’s whispered praise is a perfect symphony.
“You’re so tight, pretty eyes.” Ori grunts. “We’re going to reshape this hole just for us.”
I flex around him, and his eyes turn amber.
“Do it.” He drives deeper, and I choke on my screams. He presses the place inside me that sends
me into convulsions. Vision whitening, I’m pushed to the edge. He expands, and I feel my walls
stretch and burn slightly as he gets impossibly big.
“That’s it. Take his knot.” Lev reaches down, massaging my clit. “You can do it, baby. He’s
almost in.” I gush again, and the pressure passes as Ori slips all the way in.
Ori growls. Hot spurts coat my insides, silencing the relentless waves of heat and want. I press
my lips to the space between his shoulder and neck and sink my fangs in. His blood flows onto my
tongue, spiced oranges and copper. Swallowing, my eyes slam shut as I’m flooded and sated. I go
limp, breathing deeply, grateful for the peace.
“We’ll stay like this until it goes down,” Ori pants.
I try to speak, but only a muffled whimper comes out. Tears roll down my eyes as the intense
emotions steamroll me.
“Are you hurt?” Lev rumbles.
I shake my head.
“It’s okay, pretty eyes. We feel that completion, too,” Ori whispers. His lips graze his bite, and I
shiver. Content for the moment, I relax into Lev and let sleep pull me under.
I wake empty and hot. Moaning, I shift in the bed, rubbing my slick thighs together in need.
“It’s hitting again, Lev,” Ori whispers.
“Look at me, Cub.” Cupping my chin, Lev raises my head.
“So damn beautiful when you look at me like you want to eat me alive. On your hands and knees,
beautiful. I want to show you how wolves fuck.” Lev flips me over, and I rock back and forth,
searching for relief.
“Look at you, dripping for us.” he slides his fingers through my slippery folds and slaps my ass.
The sharp pain feels good. I groan, pushing back into him. He gathers my slick as he teases my clit. I
fist the sheets as I press my thighs together. He slaps my left cheek twice and then my right.
“Part those legs. The only relief you’ll be getting now is from me,” he snarls. Shoving my legs
wider, he lines up with my core and thrusts in. Screaming, I arch my back as he bottoms out, pounding
my pussy relentlessly.
“Yes.” I choke on my approval.
Gripping my hips, he pistons in me. I throw my weight back as his hips slam against me. Like him,
the sex is rough but addicting and fulfilling. My walls quiver around his thick length. The she-wolf
purrs, and the sound rumbles in my chest.
“Like that, Cub?” He presses a hand to my belly and moves us into a semi-sitting position, letting
him go even deeper. Wailing as he taps my cervix, I throw my head back and rake my nails down his
neck.
“This is our pussy now, Brook,” Ori growls from beside us. “Let us hear you say it.”
“Yours,” I moan. Two more vicious strokes, and I’m launched into bliss. Lev pulls out, and I
whimper.
“Shh. I’ve got you.” Moving me onto my back, he drives home again, stoking the fire that never
fully goes out.
“I want to see those eyes when I fill you,” he says gravelly. “You ready to take my knot.” He
pushes in, stretching me. I breathe through the pinch. Then, he’s inside, hooked into me, filling me to
bursting. Darting forward, I sink my teeth into his neck. Growling, he explodes, and my eyes roll into
the back of my head as I suck down his lemon, salt, and metallic flavor. Releasing him, I quake as a
powerful sense of wholeness locks into place.
I feel them both now. Their emotions swirl within me, and their wolves run with my own. We’re a
family. This is what it means to have mates. Ori kisses my forehead as the intense internal
temperature recedes.
“I’m going to get you something to drink and eat. We have to keep your strength up.” His kindness
is nearly my undoing. I’m not used to having my needs met.
“You’ll never face anything alone again, Cub,” Lev whispers.
“You’re the center of our world now, Brook. I know this is all new, but that's the most important
thing to understand.” Ori cups my face. “This is new for all of us, but we’ll figure it out.” I can feel
the sincerity through the bond.
For the first time in my life, I have a true pack. Emotions unlike any I’ve ever felt swirl up inside
me and spill out. This is more than a human understanding of love; it’s an eternal rightness. They’re
the pieces of my soul I’ve been missing.
“I’ve been looking for you my entire life,” I croak.
“I didn’t realize you were what was missing in my life,” Lev whispers, kissing his mark on my
neck. “I’d given up on finding love, yet here we are. I love you, Cub.”
Ori bends down and nuzzles my neck. “I love you. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you’re
happy, Brook.”
“We both will,” Lev agrees.
“I love you too.” Saying the words is a relief. It’s the only way to quantify my emotions toward
the two wolves forever bound to me.
Regardless of what lies ahead, we’ll weather each storm together. The future is full of possibility
and hope, all because I had the guts to say I don’t. We’ll free the others from enslavement –.
Lev pinches my nipple, drawing me back into the madness of heat. “Plot plans to save the world
later, Cub. This is our time.”
“Water first,” Ori cautions as he sprints from the room. Life will never be lonely or boring again.
 About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Shyla Colt is a chaos wrangler, chronic crafter, and imaginary friend collector. The mom of two and a wife
road trips with her weird brood when she’s not taking on a new hobby or bingeing on spooky podcasts and documentaries. She writes
strong women with sass, plenty of nerdy tendencies, and the intriguing intense males who love them.
 Connect With Me

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Another random document with
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Fig. 54.—Bentwood Shaft
Attachment

Fig. 56.—Safety Hook

Fig. 55.—Carved Screw Shaft
 Fig. 57.—Proportions of Camm Air-Screw

The accompanying illustrations (see page 43) show the method

of making bentwood and screws. Fig. 51 is a view of a finished pair
of propellers. To the left of this illustration is given the method of
setting out the blank in terms of pitch and diameter relations. The
maximum blade width should be located one-third of the radius from
the screw tip, and should be about one-eighth the diameter. This
latter, in turn, should be two-thirds of the pitch. Inversely, therefore,
the pitch should be one and a half timed the diameter. With twin-
screw machines this may be extended to twice the diameter, or even
more, but should never exceed three times the diameter.
Fig. 52 is a view of the Camm type of bentwood screw, which has
a high thrust to power ratio. Birch should be used for bentwood
screws, as this bends easily and yet has a tenacity which is lacking
in other woods. Ash or hickory may be used as an alternative, but
neither of these is as satisfactory as birch. Before bending, the
blanks should be filled with gold size to keep the blade as rigid as
possible, and prevent it from going back or flattening out after
bending.
Fig. 53 shows the Twining type of screw, which has long, narrow
tapering blades and fine pitch. Under test this has given extremely
satisfactory results, and can be recommended.
Fig. 54 shows the method of attaching spindles to bentwood
screws, a strap of tin being wrapped round the blank centre to which
the shaft is soldered. Care should be taken to ensure that the shaft is
quite central sectionally and diametrically.
 A method of securing carved screw shafts is shown by Fig. 55,
and is self-explanatory. When the elastic skein is in tension it has a
tendency to pull the hooks out straight, so releasing the skein, with
sometimes painful consequences to the hand. The safety hook
shown by Fig. 56 has a brass-tube collar which slides over the end.
All the hooks should be covered with valve tubing, to prevent the
elastic cutting through.
Fig. 57 gives the proportions of the Camm bentwood blank, and
will require no explanation beyond the fact that it is bent along the
dotted lines.
 CHAPTER VI
Practical Construction:
Planes
There is little difference of opinion regarding the construction of
the planes of a model aeroplane, and the methods of making can be
classified under three headings—cane, wood, and wire.
There are advocates for each form of construction, and it is
difficult to state definitely which is the best practice, each having
equally good results. The wire plane, especially when steel wire of
the music or piano variety is used, is much stronger, offers less
resistance to the air, and has a neater appearance than the others,
but it is slightly the heavier. A wooden plane can also be made
extremely neat and light, although it is a little weak. Birch is the best
wood to use for this purpose, as it is extremely tough and not too
heavy. Where cane is used for the frame, pinning and gluing is out of
the question, hence binding and gluing must be resorted to. A plane
so made is very strong and flexible, and will withstand a great
amount of rough usage. It is, however, not neat in appearance and
hardly to be recommended, although many prizes have been won by
models possessing such planes.
Yet another form which can be considered good practice consists
of a combination of umbrella ribbing and piano wire. This gives a
very rigid and almost unbreakable plane, but its weight for small
machines is prohibitive. It should chiefly be used for power-driven
machines, power in this instance meaning any form of motive power
other than elastic.
 Fig. 58.—Wooden Planes
The Wooden Plane.—In constructing wooden planes it is usual
to adopt the method shown by Fig. 58. The spars are set out to their
correct positions but left overlapping, so that the pinning operation
does not split the ends out. The pins should be driven through to
secure the frame to bench, so that it remains true until the glue has
set. Whereupon it may be prised up with a pocket-knife, and the pins
clinched over as shown in the joint analysis A. The centre rib should
be trimmed up as shown at B, to provide a means of attachment of
the completed plane to the fuselage or body of the machine. Two
spars are sufficient for models up to 36-in. span, but over that three
spars should be used, as in the part plan (Fig. 59), or two spars
spaced closer together, as in Fig. 60, may be used, with a thread
trailing edge. This gives a neat appearance to the finished plane and
greater rigidity.
Fig. 59.—Three Spar Plane

Fig. 60.—Two Spar Plane

Fig. 61.—Cane Plane

 Fig. 62.—Umbrella Ribbing Plane
The Cane Plane.—Another form of construction that is very light
is that shown by Fig. 61. Here a length of thin cane is bent to the
form of the outline, the ribs being bent to align with the leading and
trailing edges. Gluing and binding is used here. Such a plane can be
made light, but it always has an appearance anything but neat. It
cannot be advocated for machines over 30 in. in span.
The Umbrella-ribbing Plane.—Umbrella ribbing can be utilised,
in conjunction with piano wire, for plane construction as shown by
Fig. 62. The channel of the ribbing should be thoroughly cleaned
with emery cloth, so that the leading ends of the ribs can be soldered
therein. Three spars should be used for spans over 30 in.
For the planes of model flying machines steel wire offers
exceptional advantages, as it is practically unbreakable and can be
bent to any desired shape. Another advantage is that it offers a
minimum resistance when travelling in the air. To the uninitiated, the
making of steel-wire planes is a difficult undertaking; but if the
following instructions are carefully carried out the planes will prove
very satisfactory.
First procure a piece of wood about ½ in. thick and slightly larger
than the plane to be made, and draw on it a plan of the plane as
shown in Fig. 63. For example, it will be assumed that a plane 30 in.
span and 5 in. wide, having four ribs, is to be made. For planes
approximately this size, No. 17 s.w.g. steel wire is employed. Before
beginning the work the wire should be straightened as much as
possible. Then lay the wire over the plan, beginning at A (Fig. 63)
and passing round to B. As the wire is bent to the shape of the plan,
it must be fastened down to the board by means of small staples.
Then cut four pieces of wire for the ribs C, D, E, and F, allowing ½ in.
each end for turning at right angles as in Fig. 63.
 Fig. 63

Fig. 64
Figs. 63 and 64.—Making Wire Planes
The framework is now ready for soldering together. It is essential
that the wire and soldering bit must be perfectly clean. Apply a little
killed spirits of salt to the parts to be soldered, and then place a
piece of solder in position and touch with the hot soldering bit. Care
must be taken to see that the wires lie close together.
When the plane is soldered together remove all the staples and
clean up all the joints with a file. The joints must now be bound round
tightly with fine iron wire, which must be perfectly clean. The plane
must now be fastened to the board again, and all joints soldered
again. When the soldering is completed the plane is once more
removed from the board, straightened, the dihedral angle given, and
the ribs bent to the desired camber. If the soldering has been
carefully accomplished there is no fear of the joints giving way.

Fig. 65.—Swept-Back Wing

For covering planes it is far better to purchase a waterproof silk
especially manufactured for the purpose than to attempt to use
ordinary silk. The silk varies in weight from 1 oz. to 1½ oz. per
square yard. When cutting the silk about ½ in. must be allowed for
turning over for fastening. At the curved ends of the plane slits about
½ in. apart must be cut in the edge of the silk, as shown in Fig. 64.
Apply a thin coating of glue to the silk (use seccotine) to be turned
back, and allow sufficient time for the glue to get tacky. Then stick
over the plane, beginning at A (Fig. 64) and finishing at B. Allow time
for the glue to set, then fasten the opposite end in the same manner.
Care must be taken to stretch the silk tightly, so that it is free from
wrinkles. Then fasten first one side of the plane and lastly the other.
Another method of covering steel-wire planes is to lace the silk to
the framework. The silk must be cut about ¼ in. larger than the
framework, and the edges hemmed with a sewing machine. The silk
cover when hemmed should be slightly smaller than the framework.
First sew the silk roughly in position, and then carefully sew it,
beginning at one end, following with the other end, and lastly the
sides. The stitches should first be passed through the silk, and then
round the wire at intervals of about ¼ in.
 Fig. 65 is the plan of a swept-back wire plane. The plan should
be drawn full-size on a board by means of squares, the contour of
the plane being contiguous in relation to the squares as that in the
illustration and the method outlined above followed. The ribs should
also be fitted up to the outline, being bound and soldered to the
piano-wire frame. For machines above 30-in. span a third
strengthening spar should be fixed in the position of the dotted line to
obtain rigidity. Two central ribs should be fitted to provide a spar-
attachment. The tips require to be set at a slight negative angle as at
C.
 CHAPTER VII
Simple Twin-Screw Monoplane
The accompanying illustrations show as simple a type of model
aeroplane as it is well possible to make, excluding the now obsolete
single-stick hand-launched 1—1—P1. It is thus a suitable model for
beginners, flights of well over a quarter of a mile being easily
obtainable.
The main spar (see Fig. 66) is cut from straight-grained birch, to
the dimensions given, each end of it being tapered down to ³/₁₆ in.
square. The propeller bar is of silver spruce, ⅜ in. by ⅛ in. in cross-
section. The end of the main spar is slotted to receive the propeller
bar, this latter being pinned and glued into position. The propeller bar
support is similarly slotted to take the bar, a pin being driven through
the two and clinched over on the under-side. Fig. 67 clearly shows
both joints. At 6 in. from one end the main spar is mortised to receive
two tenons which are cut on the ends of the bar supports. These
tenons should be so cut that they butt to one another in the centre of
the mortise. An idea of the shape of the tenon will be gathered from
Fig. 68, a view of the joint assembled being given.
Fig. 66
 Fig. 67

Fig. 68

Fig. 69
Fig. 70

Figs. 66 to 70.—Details of Simple Monoplane

 Two brass propeller bearings will now be required. They should
be cut from No. 20 gauge brass, a hole being drilled in each to allow
the No. 18 gauge propeller shafts to rotate freely. Each bearing is
bound on with three-cord carpet thread, a portion of each being left
overhanging the bar to provide clearance for the revolution of the
shaft. These projections should be bent at an angle of 90° to the
skeins of rubber, so that the bearing faces present true surfaces for
the screws to revolve on. Details of the bearings are given by Fig.
69. Two hooks bent from one continuous length of wire are bound to
the nose of the machine, to embrace the skeins of rubber. All
bindings on the machine should be smeared with weak glue.
In Fig. 70 details are given of the spar bracing outrigger. The
binding, for the sake of clearness, is omitted. A piece of wire (hard-
drawn brass is suited to the purpose) is passed through the spar, a
portion being bent to align with each side of this. It is then bent
outwards, the ends being pulled round a piece of No. 20 gauge wire
secured in the vice, to form eyes, through which the bracing passes.
The outrigger arm is 2 in. long, the cranked portion of it being bound
to the spar. The bracing is attached to small No. 20 s.w.g. hooks
bound to each end of the spar at the points shown. Care should be
taken to apply equal tension on each wire, or the spar will become
warped.
The elevator is built from No. 18 s.w.g. piano wire. All joints are
bound with fine wire and soldered. The centre rib continues over the
leading edge, being bent downwards and backwards as at A (Fig.
66). This projection fits into a hole drilled in the nose of the model;
and, being bent at an angle, the trailing edge binds on the spar with
sufficient friction to retain it in place, but yet permitting it to swivel
should it strike any object when flying.
 Fig. 71.—Plane Fastening

Fig. 73.—Elevation of Main Plane

Fig. 74.—Finished Screws
 Fig. 72.—Detail of Plane Bracing

The main planes are built from birch ¼ in. by ¹/₁₆ in. in cross
section, the trailing spar being bent in a jet of steam, so that its ends
sweep forward, as shown in the plan view. The ribs are pinned and
glued to the spars, the pins being clinched on the under-side. The
centre rib is left overhanging the spars, as shown in Fig. 71, to
enable the tin straps (lapped and soldered together as at A) to slide
over them and secure the wing to the spar. A section of the joint is
given by B. By removing these straps it is thus possible to alter the
disposition of the main surface, when it is desired to adjust the
elevation of the complete model. Fig. 71 is a perspective view of the
centre rib, the strap being shown black. To move the main plane
each clip is forced off the extensions of the centre rib and thus
releases the wing. Each clip is cut from tinfoil to the dimensions
given at A (Fig. 71), being bent to a rectangular shape, and soldered
up. B is a section of the joint. Fig. 72 indicates the method of
attaching the diagonal wing bracing, which imparts a dihedral angle
of 1½ in. to the plane. A 1½-in. dihedral means that each wing tip is
1½ in. above the level of the spar. An elevation of the main plane is
given by Fig. 73.
Two propellers, of right-handed and left-handed pitch (for the
reason, see p. 36), must be bent from birchwood 12 in. dia. × 1½ in.
wide, by ¹/₁₆ in. thick; a finished view of the two screws is given by
Fig. 74. For more comprehensive details of air-screw construction
see chapters IV and V.
Fig. 75.—Plan of Model
 Fig. 76.—Outrigger Details

Fig. 77.—View of Elevator

Figs. 75 to 77.—Another Simple Monoplane Design

Some details are also given of a similar design, the difference
being that the former machine is built for distance, whilst the latter (
see Fig. 75) is built for duration. The main spar is of spruce ⅜ in. × ¼
in. in cross-section and of the length shown in Fig. 75. The main
plane, as with the previous machine dealt with, is adjusted by means
of the tin clips and extending centre-rib; a plan of the outrigger is
also given in Fig. 76. The main plane has a dihedral angle of 1½ in.
A is a side elevation of the elevator, showing its angle of incidence in
relation to the spar, and Fig. 77 a perspective sketch of the elevator.
An idea of a model of this type flying can be gathered from Fig. 78.