Cherished: True Mates Book 5 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) by Olivia Arran
Authors: Olivia Arran
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claws, shredding through his shirt, digging into his skin. “You will release her from the bond!”
“No. I won’t. Not now, not ever,” he snarled.
I dug my claws in harder, my heart thundering in my ears. He was going to pay for his crimes. The trial before the Council wasn’t certain. It wasn’t a sure thing. Anything could happen. He could get away with—
“ I surrender to the Council. ”
No! A roar tore from my throat, my hand twisting in his chest, digging deeper. He couldn’t surrender, not before I had to chance to make him release her!
Arms pulled at me, wrenching me back. I swiped out blindly, cutting and tearing. Power pressed down on me, suffocating me, my rage choking me until I was drowning, lost in a sea of red.
My knees buckled, pain shooting through them as they hit the floor, and all I could see was Bert laughing at me.
Then his eyes flicked to the side.
My limbs felt like they were wading through molasses. Thousands of knives carved into my skin as I threw myself at him, taking him down as he sprinted for the exit.
Claws ripped at my sides, tearing through my shirt and shredding skin, as he snarled and tried to buck me off him.
Rearing back I plowed my fist into his jaw, and the only thought running through my mind was that of driving it through him to connect with the floor beneath.
He went slack beneath me, his claws falling from my ribs, his mouth lolling open in a grotesque smile of fangs and teeth.
“Fucking hell, Oliver,” James muttered, giving me a hand up.
I stiffened, remembering the power that had crushed me, pinning me to the ground.
“It took both Gregg and me to get you off him and hold you! Next time, could you try and rein it in?” he muttered, before bumping me on the shoulder in an offhand manner. “I get why you’re pissed, but—”
“Do you?” I growled. “Do you really? I seem to recall when it was Kara, and Eric was all over her, you didn’t hold back—”
“Watch it! This is different,” he growled, his back stiffening and eyes flashing.
I squared up to him, leaning forward, beyond pissed. “Yes, it is, because he has already abused my mate!”
“And you nearly abused your power and your place in the pack.” The words were a low rumble, a not-so-subtle reminder of exactly what my place was.
“My place in the pack can be remedied,” I snarled back, curling my hands into fists.
“James! Oliver! Back off!” Gregg ordered, his power beating at me.
I held James’ gaze, refusing to be the one to back down.
I’d had enough. It had been a really long day, my head was still spinning, and they just kept pressing! “Will you fucking quit it with the power games?”
“I will quit when you stand down. Both of you!” Gregg replied sharply.
“My true mate has been abused for years, has been made to bear this maniac’s son, has been mated without her consent, and you wonder why I have a fucking problem?” Adrenaline pumped through me, the tingle of the shift threatening.
“It’s shit, but get it together. You’re no good to her like this, or to the pack,” James ground out, his eyes flashing from silver to brown and back again.
“Get it together? I don’t even know where to begin! I don’t know what to do with this rage that’s consuming me, eating at me! What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“Get used to it; it’s called emotion. You have someone you care about now. Someone who is beyond your control, who is going to keep you awake at night worrying because you can’t stop things from hurting them, and it’ll fucking kill you, if you let it.” James sighed, his eyes settling back to brown, his frame relaxing. “And it gets worse, I should know. Kara’s pregnant.”
Some of the anger dissipated in the face of the good news. That explained why James was so quick to rile, but didn’t give me much hope for my future. “Congratulations?” I offered, unsure of what to say given the glower on his face.
“Thanks. I’m
“No. I won’t. Not now, not ever,” he snarled.
I dug my claws in harder, my heart thundering in my ears. He was going to pay for his crimes. The trial before the Council wasn’t certain. It wasn’t a sure thing. Anything could happen. He could get away with—
“ I surrender to the Council. ”
No! A roar tore from my throat, my hand twisting in his chest, digging deeper. He couldn’t surrender, not before I had to chance to make him release her!
Arms pulled at me, wrenching me back. I swiped out blindly, cutting and tearing. Power pressed down on me, suffocating me, my rage choking me until I was drowning, lost in a sea of red.
My knees buckled, pain shooting through them as they hit the floor, and all I could see was Bert laughing at me.
Then his eyes flicked to the side.
My limbs felt like they were wading through molasses. Thousands of knives carved into my skin as I threw myself at him, taking him down as he sprinted for the exit.
Claws ripped at my sides, tearing through my shirt and shredding skin, as he snarled and tried to buck me off him.
Rearing back I plowed my fist into his jaw, and the only thought running through my mind was that of driving it through him to connect with the floor beneath.
He went slack beneath me, his claws falling from my ribs, his mouth lolling open in a grotesque smile of fangs and teeth.
“Fucking hell, Oliver,” James muttered, giving me a hand up.
I stiffened, remembering the power that had crushed me, pinning me to the ground.
“It took both Gregg and me to get you off him and hold you! Next time, could you try and rein it in?” he muttered, before bumping me on the shoulder in an offhand manner. “I get why you’re pissed, but—”
“Do you?” I growled. “Do you really? I seem to recall when it was Kara, and Eric was all over her, you didn’t hold back—”
“Watch it! This is different,” he growled, his back stiffening and eyes flashing.
I squared up to him, leaning forward, beyond pissed. “Yes, it is, because he has already abused my mate!”
“And you nearly abused your power and your place in the pack.” The words were a low rumble, a not-so-subtle reminder of exactly what my place was.
“My place in the pack can be remedied,” I snarled back, curling my hands into fists.
“James! Oliver! Back off!” Gregg ordered, his power beating at me.
I held James’ gaze, refusing to be the one to back down.
I’d had enough. It had been a really long day, my head was still spinning, and they just kept pressing! “Will you fucking quit it with the power games?”
“I will quit when you stand down. Both of you!” Gregg replied sharply.
“My true mate has been abused for years, has been made to bear this maniac’s son, has been mated without her consent, and you wonder why I have a fucking problem?” Adrenaline pumped through me, the tingle of the shift threatening.
“It’s shit, but get it together. You’re no good to her like this, or to the pack,” James ground out, his eyes flashing from silver to brown and back again.
“Get it together? I don’t even know where to begin! I don’t know what to do with this rage that’s consuming me, eating at me! What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“Get used to it; it’s called emotion. You have someone you care about now. Someone who is beyond your control, who is going to keep you awake at night worrying because you can’t stop things from hurting them, and it’ll fucking kill you, if you let it.” James sighed, his eyes settling back to brown, his frame relaxing. “And it gets worse, I should know. Kara’s pregnant.”
Some of the anger dissipated in the face of the good news. That explained why James was so quick to rile, but didn’t give me much hope for my future. “Congratulations?” I offered, unsure of what to say given the glower on his face.
“Thanks. I’m
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