3 comments/ 11198 views/ 3 favorites Treacherous Devotion Ch. 01 By: classymissm Julia Dirus's heart pounded in her chest and her breathing became shallow as she propelled herself forward and away from her pursuer. She pushed her bare feet against the soil of the forest floor and pumped her arms in front of her, hoping to gain speed. The man behind her was so fast, and he always seemed one step ahead of her, figuring out exactly where she planned to head in her attempts to outmaneuver him. Through her peripheral vision she could see her dark surroundings whizz by. The dense forest was always a little ominous, but at night it was truly chilling. If it wasn't for the bright moon above her, she would have had a hard time making her way over the root-infested ground. Dodging a tree that loomed ahead of her, she veered to the left and took the opportunity to glance back and see where he was. The man who had been chasing her was nowhere to be seen. Julia stopped and stood silently, relying on her ears to pinpoint his location. The forest was dead quiet, with only the occasional cricket chirp breaking the blanket of silence. After a few moments she could hear a soft, low-pitched growl from behind her. Without taking the time to think about it, she took off at a dead sprint in the opposite direction and threw herself into the transformation from her human form to wolf. Her pursuer obviously felt that all beats were off on this chase and so she wasn't about to play by the rules either. She may not be very big in her wolf form, but she was fast. At her fastest she could get up to forty miles per hour. So if he wanted to turn this lupine, so be it. She felt her spine bend, her legs and arms shorten. Her face elongated, her chestnut-colored hair retracted and her whole body began to grow a whitish-grey coat. She had transformed so many times in her life, that she barely even heard the pops of her joints and bones as they broke and reformed. From start to finish the transformation took about fifteen seconds, but that was more than enough time for him to gain ground on her. His growling could be heard more distinctly. He was getting closer. The second she felt four paws hit the ground instead of two feet she took off like a bullet, heading for the nearby stream that ran through the property. If she could just reach the river, he'd have to stop chasing her. Her strides were long and ate up distance. The river bank was on the other side of a large, tree-enclosed clearing, and she would be at her most vulnerable as she crossed it. Without trees to block her from him, he would easily be able to make out her white coat against the green grass. Upon entering the clearing she pushed herself even faster. She could feel her muscles contract and relax with each stride, and she pushed into the feeling, forcing them to work harder, push her farther. The cool night air was whipping through her coat and she felt revitalized. She loved the feeling of the wind. She let her thoughts wander to the glorious feeling of the run, but that small relaxation cost her. For when she was halfway across the clearing, a large grey wolf with a black stripe running down its back came barreling down on her from behind and to the left. By the time she noticed him, he was too close to hide from and was already leaping in the air to take her down to the ground. Their bodies hit the earth with a muffled thud and the large male grabbed the scruff of her neck between his teeth, forcing her to admit defeat. She whimpered in acknowledgement of the loss and shook herself free of him. She rose to her feet and quickly squared off against him, her upper lip rising to expose her sharp teeth. He let out a short bark that sounded amused and then annoying her to no end he stepped forward, lovingly licked her muzzle and then pressed the side of his head against hers. She stepped back from him, not ready to show affection yet, and was met by his beautiful blue eyes, which were alight with mischief. Normal wolves all had amber eyes, but lycanthropes retained the color they had as humans. His were a deep sapphire. She padded around in a circle a few times and then plopped down with a huff, beginning the transformation back to her human form. He quickly settled in next to her and transformed as well. "You cheated, Connor! I demand a second chance. We never said our lupine forms were allowed or I would have used mine to begin with!" she complained after she was able to speak again. She lay on her side completely naked, having left her sundress and sandals at the entrance of the forest where they started their favorite game of naked chase. Her objective was to get to the river before Connor reached her. So far she had only been able to evade him twice. Not that she usually complained; being caught could be so much fun when clothing wasn't involved. But tonight, they had made a bet on this little game, and Julia hated to lose. Her upper body was turned towards his, and she playfully scowled at him, crinkling her eyebrows. "I don't think so." Connor argued, grinning and dragging her to rest against his expansive muscular chest. "All is fair in love and war, and we never explicitly said that transforming was against the rules. In fact, I think given the nature of our bet it makes perfect sense." Julia made a noise that sounded like "pft" and then stuck her tongue out at him. "You may have caught me, but I'm not going through with it. I refuse to be mated to such an underhanded scoundrel," she said in jest, hitting him playfully on his shoulder and making him laugh. In actuality she would have mated Connor even if he hadn't caught her. Her irritation came from the fact that they were both really competitive, which was one of the reasons they fit so well together. Now she had to start the mating ritual tonight instead of waiting until they could complete the whole thing like she wanted to. She knew she wanted to be with him forever and was thrilled by the thought of spending the rest of her life as his mate. But mating for a lycanthrope required the couple to go through a ritual in both their human and wolf forms, and neither Connor nor Julia had the time to do both before they had to get back to their respective packs. Only completing half of the ceremony would leave them in a weird limbo state. They would be "bonded" to one another but not officially mated. They would feel a pull towards one another and wouldn't be able to mate with anyone else, but they'd still lack the ability to reproduce, communicate telepathically or sense emotions. "Are you upset that you won't have a lavish ceremony like your sisters did?" Connor asked while pressing his nose into Julia's hair and breathing in her scent. He also began to gently stroke her back with his finger tips, lightly caressing her and causing goose bumps to form on her skin. She shivered and burrowed in closer to him. "Not really. Deena and Cilia have always been the ones big on getting attention. I'm content with simple. I just want to make sure my father doesn't kill you once we do this. With luck he will just disown me and not attack the entire Wulfric pack." "It's still hard for me to believe that you came from that family. How did you turn out so..." He stumbled in his question, trying to think of the right wording. "...decent?" Julia softly giggled but then stopped and started to lightly smooth her fingers over the muscles in his chest as she thought about her response. "I don't know. I just never agreed with them on the whole 'lycanthropes are superior to humans' thing. I've never felt the need to have power or wealth to make me happy. I guess 'cause I saw what it did to my mom. When my father started to make his push for territory and allied himself with the human-hating Signatus pack, she just lost her sparkle. She became a dulled version of herself and I never could get past that. I'm almost glad she isn't around to see how they have torn away from the Alliance and the other packs. The Dirus and Wulfric packs used to be friends." After hearing her explain, Connor reached a hand up to caress the side of her face and placed kisses along her forehead. "God, I wish you had been born into my pack or any pack still in the Alliance. The Rufus or Laniger packs would surely have let you mate me. It would have made this so much easier. You could have worn a beautiful dress and had a fantastic party instead of lying naked in the grass for your mating ceremony." Julia could tell that Connor was bothered by the fact he couldn't give her the mating experience that the children of alpha males should have, but she truly didn't care about such things. Julia pushed herself up from the ground with her hand and forced Conner flat on his back by pressing on his shoulder. She then positioned herself across his broad chest and propped herself up by placing her hands above his head. Her breasts pressed against him and her wavy brown hair formed a curtain around their faces. "I like being naked in the grass with you, Connor. And come on, the stars are out, the moon is bright and the air is warm. I couldn't ask for a better mating ceremony than this." She leaned in to gently kiss him, emphasizing that she meant it. "I also wish I was a Wulfric or a Rufus or a Laniger but for different reasons. I don't care that I don't get a fancy party. I care that I don't get to howl my love for you from the hilltops. I want to scream it so loudly that no one would ever doubt my devotion to you. But you're gonna be my father's new number one target as it is." A lustful rumbling started to form in Connor's chest and Julia could feel the vibrations from it. He was exited by her words and was getting anxious to get started. "Just run away with me, Julia. Tonight. I can keep you safe. I'm more that capable of protecting you from anything your father could dish out. There's an Alliance building a few miles south of here that our allied packs use as a store house and basis of combat stuff. I doubt you'd be able to make it as far into Wulfric territory as the alpha mansion without being captured, but you should be able to make it there. Plus, if we kept you there he wouldn't be able to find you, the Dirus pack hasn't located it yet. It would be safe, and once we were fully mated there'd be nothing he could do about it." Julia lowered her head into the crook of his neck to think about what he just offered. She'd be saying goodbye to everything she'd ever known, not that that was necessarily a bad thing. But her father was going to flip. She hadn't yet thought about how she was going to get out from under his control. Technically she should be able to leave anytime she wanted to. At twenty-five she had been an adult for years, but when you are the daughter of an alpha, your life in not always your own. Her father had been trying to convince her for the past year to mate with Darian Signatus, the alpha of the Signatus pack. Together Darian and her father had formed an alliance of their own called Derrator. It was their goal to take over all the lycanthrope territories in this state and gain enough strength to turn against the humans. She wanted nothing to do with that plan. She hated the things her father was doing, and feared that he would turn all his forces against the Wulfric pack once she betrayed him for Connor. She inhaled deeply and then slowly let it out. It would be so easy for her to say yes to Connor. She desperately wanted to. "I can't do it," she said, her voice slightly muffled against his neck. She felt him tense under her and lifted her head to quickly add, "At least not tonight. There are things I need to get from the manor house. Things of my mom's. I don't want to leave them; they're all I have left of her. But can I meet you there tomorrow?" Hope and excitement flared across Connor's face, and then his deep chest rumblings started up again. Connor's eyes darkened with lust, and he rolled their bodies so that he was looking down at her. He grabbed the back of her neck with his hand, pulling her up so that her lips met his. Their kisses began as gentle massages but quickly transformed into heated, open-mouthed battles for mutual possession. Their tongues dueled for space and their lips roughly pushed against each other. Soon their hands joined in on the fray. She clutched his shoulder with one hand, while the other tangled itself in his dark hair. Meanwhile, his right hand grabbed her naked breast, using his thumb to play with her hardened nipple. Julia could feel his substantial erection pressing against her, and she echoed his arousal in the liquid heat that was pooling between her thighs. His hand journeyed down her side to the rounded globe of her ass, and he used her hips as leverage to pull her core closer to him. He ground himself against her. Julia let out a deep moan and then tore herself away from his mouth. "So is that a yes? Can we meet there tomorrow?" "If you're not there I will hunt you down and drag your little ass there myself." He squeezed her ass, accentuating his point. Leaning down, Connor proceeded to nibble on her earlobe and place kisses along the side of her neck. "Mmm, good to know," she said. She could feel herself becoming agonizingly aroused. His tortuous kisses were causing her blood to heat beneath her skin. She needed him to touch her soon or she'd go crazy. Flexing her hips in a circular pattern, she rubbed herself against him. Short of breath, she asked him, "So how do I find this place?" She felt Connor grin against her and continue to press his lips along her collarbone. "Well," he said in between kisses. "It can be tricky to find if you're not told in detail how to get there. It's camouflaged well. If you start here at the clearing, you need to cross the river, and then head south." Connor continued his oral exploration, heading in the direction of the valley between her breasts. "Now this is very important. As you continue south, a hill with a large compound on its crest can be seen. That's a Dirus combat camp; you'll have to be careful not to be spotted." His hand reached up to engulf her breast, and he pinched the pink tip. Kissing around the curve of her plump mound he continued his directions, "Stay close to the side of the hill, and they'll be less likely to see you. They're expecting to see a pack of us attack from the east. They'll be looking for distance approaches; so the closer to the hill, the better." He suddenly sucked one nipple inside his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. With his hand he massaged her other breast, causing her to moan and squirm beneath him. Her hands latched onto the back of his head, holding him against her. "W-where do I go next?" Julia asked. He released her nipple and she removed her hands to let him explore further. "From there you'll have to travel over a large expanse of cleared land. There aren't many trees so you will have to use buildings to hide yourself. They are all Wulfric properties so you won't need to worry as much about being caught." Connor used his hands to stroke up and down her sides, all the while using his tongue to taste her taut stomach. He continued, nipping lightly at the skin above the apex of her thighs. Julia could feel the muscles of her abdomen twitch as he gently bit her, it sent tingles through to her womb and made her whimper in need. "You'll be very close once you see the tree line form again. The building is camouflaged in a ravine a few yards in; you'll have to climb down. It's built into the walls of the valley. Look for a large oak tree that was split down the middle by lightning. It's directly below that." Julia could barely pay attention to his directions, but once she knew he was done, she pushed on his shoulders to get him to go lower. She needed to feel his mouth against her; she was desperate for it. She let out a moan of ecstasy when she finally felt him lick her slit from bottom to top. Her back arched and he placed a hand on her stomach to try to hold her still. With the other hand he pushed back her folds, exposing more of her to him. A growl of his own emanated for deep within his chest right before he dipped his head and ravished her with his mouth. He rapidly flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue and would intermittently stop and suck the small button into his mouth. She bucked against him and had to place her hands on his shoulders for support. "Don't stop. Oh god, don't stop Connor." When he brought his fingers into the action, Julia knew she wouldn't last long. He pushed two fingers inside her wet sheath and then pumped his arm back and forth, all while still maintaining his attention on her clit. Tension was quickly building inside of her, and the muscles of her legs began to shake. Her hips rolled beneath her. He thrust his fingers into her faster, and with one long draw against her clit, pleasure crashed into her body and she broke apart in climax. While she came back down from her peak, Connor rested his head against her stomach, nuzzling her with his face. "God, I love you, Julia," he said. "I love you too, Connor," she replied. "I've never been this happy." Julia used her hands to push through his long hair, caressing the base of his neck and then fanning them out onto his shoulders. She passed her hands over the muscles in his back, using her fingertips to massage them. She felt the vibrations of his moan more than she heard it, but that was enough to get her back into a frisky mood. She curled herself forward and off the ground, cradling his head against her. He looked up into her eyes and she said, "Roll over baby." Pure lust seemed to sweep across his face as he pulled her in for a scorching kiss. He maintained their connection and maneuvered so that he was on his back. She ground her lips against his and clutched his face with her hands. When she pulled away, she gazed down at him, her eyes filled with affection and desire. Without a word, Julia shimmied down his legs to rest between his thighs. She could feel his hard cock pushing against her body as she moved, and she longed to feel its length within her. But first, she had to take care of her part of the mating ritual. The bite of a lover was one of the most pleasurable sensations a lycanthrope could feel, and it was her duty to bite him first and initiate their mating, though she wanted to have a little fun with him before she did. She grasped him with her hand and began to stroke his member up and down, circling her wrist when she reached the bulbous head and then plunging back down the shaft. Connor let out a long moan. Encouraged, Julia lowered her head and licked him from base to tip. She then placed heated kisses around the head before taking the entire thing inside her mouth. His hips began to involuntarily arc to meet her as she bobbed up and down on his cock. Her hands continued to caress the exposed portion of his shaft and she delved down to fondle his balls. Julia could feel his hands moving through her hair, trying to move the long locks so he could see her ministrations. "Baby that feels incredible, but you have to stop or I'll finish right here." Julia sucked him a few moments more and then pulled of his cock with an audible pop. She sat upright on her knees and caressed his lower abdomen, letting him regain control over is arousal. "You ready?" she asked him after his breathing eased. "God, yes. Do it, baby. Mark me." Julia didn't hesitate to dip her head back down and kiss along the inside of his thigh. The scent of male musk and fresh grass enveloped her and she used her tongue to taste his skin. She knew she would never get enough of this male, and she locked her eyes with his and she elongated her canines and scraped them against his thigh. "Fuck, I love you," he said, as she plunged her teeth into his flesh. His hips spasmed beneath her, an obvious sign of the pleasure that was coursing through him from her bite. She could feel a deep connection with him starting to form; it was euphoric. The connection was weak, but she knew by the end of the night it would be much stronger. When both rituals were complete, she'd be able to communicate with him through thought and share in his emotions. Feeling his essence start to course within her veins sent shockwaves of pleasure through her system. Her core began to pulse with arousal and she eagerly anticipated the relief she would feel when she impaled herself on his thick shaft. Treacherous Devotion Ch. 01 Releasing him, she wasted no time moving up his body and straddling his hips. Their eyes met, blue to brown, both sets filled with emotion and darkened with lust. Connor placed his hands on her hips and steadied her and she reached between them to guide his cock to the entrance of her pussy. Feeling him enter her sent a burst of pleasure through her abdomen. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened, releasing a heavy sigh. He stretched her, filled her, and with each inch her pleasure was compounded. Soon she couldn't help but lift up on her knees and bounce up and down on his hard shaft. Connor thrust his hips upward to meet her, and the sound of their bodies smacking together and their moans of ecstasy soon filled the clearing. "Yes, Connor, fuck me. Fuck me harder!" she demanded. Connor immediately obeyed her, increasing the speed and depth of his thrusts. "You're so good. Oh god, yes!" Julia could feel another orgasm building inside of her and when he reached between their bodies and rubbed her clit with his thumb, she came, yelling his name and coating him with her feminine honey. Her vaginal walls clamped down on his dick, massaging him. He growled in response and pulled out of her. Quickly he positioned her on all fours beneath him, and plunged back into her from behind, holding on to her hips and pulling her onto his cock. She let out grunts of pleasure with each hard thrust, and pushed back against him, wanting to feel him deeper within her. Connor grabbed her breasts with his hands and used them as leverage to pump into her harder. His hips began to jerk, and he increased his strokes. He was close. She felt Connor draped himself across her back, and move her hair away from her shoulder. He rested his forehead against her shoulder blade and continued to hammer himself into her. "Fuck. Oh fuck yeah." She heard him say, right before he bit deeply into the space where her neck met her shoulder. She felt a delectable fire spread from the area and pleasure shot through her, pushing her over the edge once more and causing her to climax. She knew the bite would leave a scar; it was supposed to. On the heels of her orgasm, she felt him spasm within her and heard him moan deeply. With a rush, he came inside of her, thrusting into her a few more times before pulling out and letting go of her neck. They collapsed on the ground together, and he quickly rolled over, cradling her against him. They sat there in silence for some time, staring into the star-filled heavens above them and trying to catch their breath. Julia could feel a new awareness within her. It was the knowledge that she was where she belonged, in the arms of the man she loved. She knew she had made the right decision when she agreed to be his mate, and couldn't wait to finish the second portion of their ceremony. If Connor was this ravenous when he was in his human form, she shivered with anticipation over what he could do to her as a wolf. "Are you sure you have to go back tonight?" he asked. "I don't know if I can bring myself to leave you." Julia turned her head to press light kisses along his chest; she didn't want to leave him either. "I have to. I want to get my mother's things, and this way we can be prepared. I can pack appropriate clothing too. For some reason I don't think a daisy sundress is the best outfit for sneaking around through the woods." Connor chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I had no idea I'd feel this way. The fact that you are now bonded to me makes me feel invincible . Like I could take on the world and nothing could harm me." She turned to look into his bright blue eyes, and smiled at the sight of her content, handsome lover. "I feel the same way. Like with you by my side I could conquer anything. But I swear to god Connor, if you get yourself killed because of it I will be seriously pissed and never speak to you again." She felt him laugh, and he leaned down to kiss her lips. "Fair enough." The couple stayed entangled together in the grass for another hour, before admitting that they needed to head back to their packs. They quickly washed each other in the nearby stream, and then started their trek back. They walked slowly to where Connor had parked his truck, holding hands and reveling in the joy of finally bonding together. "I hope you aren't too sore for tomorrow. You know I can't help what my wolf does when I'm in that form. I doubt he'll want to be gentle." Julia felt a spark of anticipation pass through her at his comment. "Don't worry, baby. I'm used to your wild and rough ways. I wouldn't ask for our mating to be any other way." She smirked up at him, and then a thought crossed her mind. "Who else will be there? Will they know who I am?" Connor furrowed his brow and softly growled, obviously not liking the idea of another male being anywhere near Julia until she was officially his mate. "The place is a combat station, so others will be there. I'll asked Quinn and Garrick to come to make sure you aren't harmed. But my quarters will be secluded; we should have plenty of privacy." Julia nodded her understanding. She'd never met Quinn or Garrick, but Connor has talked about his best friend and his younger brother often. Too soon the edge of the nature reserve came into view. The nature reserve was an area of enclosed land centered in the middle of the pack territories that the human government had asked the lycanthropes to relinquish. This way humans in the area could enjoy nature hikes and outdoor sports without the possibility of running into a hostile lycanthrope. It also work out well for the Were community since it kept the humans out of their hair. Julia had started sneaking into the reserve when she was young, simply trying to get away from the realities of life with her father and the pressures of being the child of an alpha. She had first met Connor here four months ago when they crossed each other's paths on a nature trail. Apparently, he liked to get away from his life as well. Lycanthropes weren't supposed to be there, so they were both a little surprised to see another one of their kind, but their attraction and chemistry was instantly electric. It didn't take long for them to realize they were probably destined mates. Many lycanthropes mated for political reasons, but according to lore every lycanthrope had a destined mate, and finding that mate was like finding a part of your soul you never knew was lost. She had questioned that myth until she met Connor, and then she knew it was a hundred percent true. That day Connor had turned around and began to walk with her. They talked for hours and had continued to meet whenever possible. The only reason they had waited so long to officially mate was due to the hostilities between their packs. They loved each other, and had from very early on, but being on the brink of war with your father was not an enjoyable prospect. They had put it off until they just couldn't stand to be apart any longer. When Connor and Julia reached the entrance of the reserve, they retrieved their clothes from his truck and quickly dressed. They would have to part ways here, Julia heading southwest toward the Dirus manor house and Connor going southeast to the Wulfric mansion. Connor wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her shapely body with his large, muscular one. She rested her head against the top of his chest and clung to him, circling her arms under his shoulders. Thinking about leaving him, made tears rise from the corners of her almond-shaped eyes, and her body started to slightly shake. Separating so quickly after bonding was never done. Mates would spend days together, completing the entire ritual and reaffirming their connection. It would be painful to be without one another, and she was beginning to doubt her decision to not leave with him tonight. Connor placed his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her head so she looked at him. "Tomorrow morning. Eight-thirty. I'll already be there, and they'll be expecting you." He then kissed her fiercely, holding onto the back of her head. When he finally released her, tears had begun to fall down her cheeks. He clutched her to his chest one more time, and then stepped away from her. "Go, baby. If you don't go now I don't know if I'll be able to let you. I'm already fighting my wolf on this. He's chomping at the bit to take you and make you his." Julia nodded, her wolf was fighting against her, too. She felt like they were two incredibly strong magnets trying to be pulled apart. "I love you so very much," she said, and then turned towards her pack and set off at a dead sprint. Treacherous Devotion Ch. 02 Julia reached the Dirus manor house at three in the morning, and thanked her lucky stars that she had remember to stick her entrance card in her shoe before taking off through the woods with Connor. All visitors to the compound had to enter through the front gate, but residents, with proper ID, could enter through an automated gate in the back. She quickly passed through the entrance and then made her way across the spacious backyard. She could see two couples in the hot tub that sat adjacent to the large pool. The lights in the water cast an eerie neon blue aura around the area, and she could hear the laughter from the occupants. The skinny brunette with the chin length hair was her sister Deena, who was currently sitting on her husband's lap. The other couple she didn't recognize, but that was not unusual, Julia never really ran with her sisters' crowd of friends. She'd have to keep to the edge of the backyard for as long as possible as she made her way to the west side of the house. Her room was located on the third floor, but luckily the siding of the house was easily climbable. She had struck a deal with her maid, Elda, to leave her window ajar so she could climb through it. Elda had been a godsend for the past couple months, helping her avoid the detection of her father and making up excuses for her random disappearances and late night adventures. Tonight, Julia was supposed to be honing her night-time hunting skills. Julia scaled the wall quickly, pushed her window up, and climbed through it, grateful that the group in the backyard had been too distracted to pick up on her presence. She didn't know why, but for the first time since she started her affair with Connor she had been incredibly nervous coming home. Probably because there was now bodily evidence that spoke of her guilt. There was no mistaking the bite on her shoulder as anything else but the claiming of a mate. Feeling the plush carpet of her spacious bedroom beneath her allowed her to start relaxing. Passing by her bed, Julia felt the desire to just fall into it and pass out, but on her way here she had decided not to wait until morning to leave. Connor had said to meet him at eight-thirty but there was no way she could wait that long. She'd make her way back to the nature reserve and get a few hours of rest there. She would then slowly make her way to the meeting place. There was no point in staying here any longer; there was nothing here for her. Julia flicked on the lamp onto of her nightstand and then knelt down by the side of her bed to pull a large chest out from under it. A layer of dust had settled along the top of the carved, wooden chest, and she coughed as she opened it. A hodgepodge collection of her mother's things could be found inside. She wouldn't be able to take most of the things inside of it --a beautiful white dress her mother had worn during her mating ceremony or her extensive jewelry collection- but she wanted to at least look at them once more. The only thing she did take out of the chest was a map. Her mother had loved geography and travel and had an extensive collection of maps and information about various locations. Grabbing a map of the five main lycanthrope territories in this state, she tossed it on the bed and then closed the chest. The other things she refused to leave without were sitting on her nightstand: her mother's over-stuffed leather-bound journal and a framed picture of the two of them joyously lying in the grass, surrounded by daisies. Her mother had written about many things in her journal: stories and rantings about daily life, her joys and fears, and her concern with the direction her father's pack was heading. Amelia Arctos's father had been the alpha before Bronson Dirus mated with her. It had been the largest and most prosperous pack for over half a century. At least that was before Bronson took over and wasted pack resources on his plans for expansion. Bronson had once been a great mate to Amelia, but over time the corruption of power took its toll. Amelia could be seen constantly jotting down things into the pages of her notebook, and Julia had found it and kept it the day she learned of her mother's death. Reading the entries made Julia feel like she could still hear her mother's voice, like she hadn't lost her completely. For now she took the picture out of its frame and placed it in between the pages of the journal. She found a small bag she could place her things in, and then set about choosing the clothing she'd wear. Stopping by her vanity, she ran her hands over the bottles of perfume, make-up compacts and keep-sake figurines that she'd be leaving behind. Her eyes settled on a silver necklace that had a star cradled into the curve of a crescent moon. It hung from the corner of the mirror, and upon seeing it her hand instantly went to her chest, Julia suddenly realizing that she hadn't been wearing it. The necklace had been a gift from Connor for their first month anniversary. He had cheesily claimed that she was the light of his life, shining like the sun in the day and penetrating the darkness of his nights like the moon. She had giggled and told him he was silly, but she had worn it every day since. In the excitement of seeing him, she must have forgotten to put it on. Remedying that, she picked up the necklace and clasped it around her neck. When she finished packing and changing into the clothes she was going to wear, she took stock of what she was bringing and what she was leaving behind. As the alpha's daughter, she had everything under the sun. She was giving up thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes, shoes, purses and accessories to take a pair of black pants, a camouflage top, hiking boots, and a jacket. She wasn't exactly going to be stylish, but they would offer her the best freedom of movement. Julia heard hurried footsteps carrying someone down the hall to her room, and she turned her head toward the noise. The footsteps had belonged to her maid, Elda, who quickly entered the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Elda was a short middle-aged woman, who had once had her own romantic love affair, and was therefore highly sympathetic to Julia's current situation. Elda's dark red hair was beginning to grey, but she was still beautiful to Julia. "Oh Miss Julia, he is truly upset tonight," Elda whispered obviously upset. She hurried to Julia's side and grasped her by the arms. "You're father noticed your absence from the manor house again. He had invited Mr. Signatos over and had expected you to agree to the match. He was furious when he discovered you missing and demanded to know where you had gone." Julia's heart sank into the pit of her stomach. "He didn't believe our story and swore that he would get to the bottom of it. If anyone sees you, they are to take you directly to see him. He has been in his office all night, waiting for you to return." Julia suddenly felt as if tension had dropped down like a blanket, engulfing the entire house. She couldn't wait a moment longer; she had to get out of there. "I'm leaving right now. I just wanted to grab some things and change." Julia set her hands on her beloved maid's shoulders. "I'm not coming back this time, Elda. I'm mating with Connor. I want you to know how much I appreciate what you have done for us. And know that I am truly happier than I ever thought I could be." Tears began to form in Elda's eyes, and she hugged Julia fiercely. "You don't understand. He told his guards to alert him when you arrived. That is how I knew you were back. I heard them talking about going to your father. They were hesitant to do so because they weren't sure if they really saw you on camera. They were going to check the gate entrance records." "Shit," Julia said in response. This was not good. She'd have to run, and if they took her ID code away, the gate wouldn't open for her. She'd be trapped inside the compound. "Elda, Elda listen to me. I'm going to climb out the window again and make a run for it. If I'm caught I need you to take a message to Connor, could you do that for me?" At Elda's nod Julia set out trying to find a pen and paper to write a message of reassurance to Connor. She may not be able to meet him tomorrow, but she sure as hell was going to get to him somehow. Once done, she sealed the message and quickly related to Elda how to get to the Alliance facility. "Ok, now hurry back to your room. They can't know you saw me. I am so going to miss you." The bag Julia had packed was one that could be worn as a small backpack. With so little in it, it would be hard to see under her jacket. So Julia, quickly swung the bag around her shoulders, put on her jacket and then climbed out the window. Her father's office was at the opposite end of the large compound. It would take a minute or so to get to him once they were assured of her presence, and then he'd have to navigate the intricacies of the multiple-winged house. At best that gave her ten minutes from her original spotting, but how long ago was that? She debated transforming into her wolf to gain speed, but rejected the idea when she realized she'd need to hold on to her bag. She kept close to the house, inching along the wall and peering around the corner. Her sister was still in the hot tub with her friends, and it would take a great deal of speed and stealth to make it to the tree line without being seen. Julia inhaled deeply and then took off as fast as she could run. They must have been really drunk or completely oblivious to miss her, but miss her they did because they didn't call out to her. She backtracked the way she had originally come, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the gate of the compound come into view. She was actually going to get away from here undetected. She slowed, wanting to make sure that no one was standing guard by the gate, and when she saw that it was clear, she reached and passed her ID card over the sensor. The tiny lights atop the black sensor box went from blinking red to green. But as she reached to open the gate, a large, gloved hand pushed against the metal frame, stopping her. There beside her was a guard she hadn't spotted. He must have been hiding in the tree line. Down below her she could see her sister talking to another guard, and pointing in her direction. Fucking bitch, Julia thought. "I'm sorry Miss Dirus, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me. Your father would like to speak with you in his office." ******* Her father's office paid homage to everything masculine. The doors and windows were framed with black edges, and he had a matching black desk that was large enough for a grown man to lie down on from head to foot. Animal heads were mounted on the forest green walls and above the fireplace, and every piece of furniture was leather. Julia was currently standing on a very expensive green rug in front of her father's desk. Bruce, the security guard, was at her back, making sure she didn't flee. Her father was refilling his scotch from the recessed bar on her right, and had yet to speak a word to her. "We found her at the back gate, sir. You were right. She did try to leave again," Bruce informed his alpha. Bronson Dirus was large male, all alphas were. He had slicked-back brown hair and looked to be about forty-five, although he was really much older. In his eyes was a fierceness that made him both respected and feared by the rest of his pack. Those same eyes were narrowed on the security guard as Bronson turned to address him. "Of course I was right! Did you think I could be outsmarted by a twenty-five-year-old girl? A girl who turned out to be nothing but a pathetic whore who would spread her legs for any filth that walks the earth?" Julia's jaw dropped, not only had her father just horribly insulted her, but she thought she had covered her bases better than that. Her father stomped towards her, and backhanded her across the face. "That's right daughter. I know you've been with some mangy Wulfric bastard. Did you think I wouldn't be able to smell him on you? You reek of him. You're a walking testimony of your own disgusting behavior. Do you have some excuse for this despicable lack of respect for your Dirus name?" Julia wasn't quite sure how to answer him. The truth was that she didn't respect her Dirus name; she hated it actually. Her choices now were to either play his game and beg for forgiveness or to stand up to him and let the chips fall as they may. "I love him," Julia said, rubbing her stingy cheek and staring down at the carpet. "I'm sorry, you what?" her father asked. "Answer me!" he demanded after Julia remained silent. "I said, I love him! We are bonded and I intend to take him as my full mate." Julia met her father's stare, feeling slightly more empowered. She was sick of sneaking around. Her relationship with her father had long been over. There was no reason to pretend she was loyal to him any longer. Angered beyond anything Julia had ever seen, Bronson's face filled with a bright crimson color, and his entire body began to shake. "You goddamn treacherous bitch!" he hit her again across the face, this time hard enough to split her lip and knock her to the floor. "You've bonded with him have you? You let a filthy Wulfric dog fuck you? You are nothing but a stupid, stupid whore. I have given you everything you could ever ask for and this is how you repay me?" Bronson began to pace back and forth, fuming with anger. Staring down at her he asked, "What's the bastard's name?" Julia had not expected this level of violence to come out of her own father. She knew he would be angry, and that he would attempt to keep her from leaving, but she never anticipated him actually hurting her. "Don't make me repeat myself Julia." The wild, unhinged fire she could make out from behind his eyes was the only reason she felt she needed to answer him. She had no idea what her father might do to her. "C-Connor. His name is Connor Wulfric." Upon hearing her answer, Bronson let out a yell of unadulterated hated. "The alpha's fucking son! You bound yourself to the son of my greatest enemy. He's the presumed successor to the alpha rank! Do you know what you have done?" Julia had no response for him. So she just lowered her eyes and waited. "You were supposed to be the wife of Darian Signatus. A mating between the two of you would have ensured the union of our two packs. Your children would have grown to be the future alphas and leaders of our combined territory; together we would annihilate the pathetic Alliance. Their tolerance of the humans has left them weak, and you have now joined them." Bronson reached down and grabbed Julia by the hair, causing her to cry out. He pulled her up so that he could speak in her ear. "I will not tolerate such weakness," he spat, "especially not from you." Throwing her back down to the floor he turned to Bruce, "You may show Darian in now." The man who entered, was just as menacing-looking as her father. He had long blonde hair that did nothing to soften the sharp lines and angles of his face. He moved with a grace that seemed unnatural, his calm demeanor announcing to everyone that he was a man used to getting what he wanted. "She reeks of Wulfric, Bronson. What was the point in delaying my departure if this is the reward I am offered. You can't honestly expect me to mate her now?" A quick flash of worry crossed Bronson's face, but then it was gone, replaced by a mixture of resolve and disgust. "No, you cannot mate with her now. She has bonded with a Wulfric, but that doesn't mean she lacks usefulness. I hear you have a new training facility that needs servants. I would be much obliged if you would take her off my hands." Julia rose to her feet, not about to let her father give her away without fighting against it. "You cannot just sell me! I refuse to work for him! I'd fight him the entire time." This time it was Darian who slapped her; she was really getting sick of that. "Oh, you say that now, my pet," Darian calmly stated, "but we have our ways of insuring you cooperate." Darian then turned his attention back to Bronson. "You're lucky, old man, that I am in fact in need of servants for my men. They have become restless and would love to have a new playtoy. Plus, it is in my own interest to keep the bitch away from the Wulfric pack. Without her, the male won't be able to breed, and one less Wulfric is one small victory for me." Darian chuckled at the look of disgust and fear that past over Julia's face. "But you'll have to remember that it is I who am doing the favor here. I will expect compensation in the future." "Of course, my friend. The smell of Wulfric blood in my house nauseates me; I would be very grateful if you'd take her. You have but to ask, and I will grant you anything you wish." Bronson then firmly shook Darian's hand, sealing their business deal. Darian paced around Julia, circling her, taking in her appearance and inspecting his newest acquisition. "She is a beauty Bronson. I would have been proud to have her stand by my side, to share in my glory. Perhaps there is one small consolation though. In a few months, when the stench of her bonded weakens, she can warm my bed for me." Darian drug his hand down the side of her cheek in apparent appreciation for the softness he felt. "Tsk, it's such a waste." He trailed his hand down the side of her neck and to the exposed skin above her scoop neckline. He could feel the necklace beneath the fabric and used two fingers to pull it out and into view. "Do you recognize this symbol Bronson? I do believe it is the symbol the Wulfric pack uses to show affection." He snapped the necklace from around her neck, causing a thin red welt to appear. Then he hit her hard in the temple, causing her to crumple to the floor, unconscious. Tossing the necklace to Bronson, he readied to take his leave. "Have her taken to my car. I leave in five minutes," Darian said to Bruce, unfazed by what he'd just done. He walked towards the door, but before leaving the room he turned to Bronson, "What are we to do about the male she mated?" "He is not just any male," Bronson answered, leaning against the desk and toying with the silver necklace. "He is Randolph Wulfric's son, and I will see that he is taken care of. If on your way out you could ask Hanes to send for a maid named Elda Brighton I would greatly appreciate it." Darian nodded, satisfied with his friend's ability to handle the matter. He then turned towards the entrance of the manor. He had been kept waiting all night to find out that the woman he was supposed to mate had already given herself to another. He did not like to have things taken away from him, and he was going to make sure she learned that very soon. ****** Connor hadn't even bothered returning to the Wulfric mansion the night before. He had called Quinn and Garrick to ask them to meet him at the Alliance combat facility this morning, saying he had someone important he wanted to introduce them to. Though curious, they hadn't asked too many questions and had agreed to be there. He couldn't sleep, and when he got into the bed in the small room he claimed when he was here, all he did was toss and turn. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Julia beautifully naked between his thighs, claiming him as hers. He had been perpetually aroused all night and even his multiple self-help sessions didn't seem to be making a difference. His entire body was filled with a sense of anxiety, like he had to be somewhere else. He knew that his place was by Julia's side, but he wasn't so stupid as to rush off into Dirus territory without a plan or backup. Luckily for him, he only had to make it through a few more hours of this torture and Julia would once again be in his arms. When sunlight began to pierce through the slats covering his window, Connor decided he had feigned sleep for long enough. He sat up, and swung his feet to the floor. Involuntarily his hand rose to the center of his chest, rubbing at the dull ache that had formed there a few hours ago. Julia needed to hurry up and get here. If he had to wait another day, he wasn't sure he could keep himself from going after her. Treacherous Devotion Ch. 02 Connor threw on a wife-beater and his jeans, and then slowly made his way to the kitchen. This facility was currently being used as the launching point for the combat offensives against the Dirus and Signatus packs, who had lately taken to calling their movement Derrotar, or vanquish. He passed a few guys he knew from consulting on tactics and intelligence meetings, before reaching the empty, industrial-sized kitchen. He figured eating a good breakfast may help with the queasiness he was feeling, and set about frying bacon and scrambling eggs. "I hope you're making enough for three, Connor. We're famished and I do believe it was you who made us run all the way up here." Connor turned his head from the skillet full of bacon and saw Quinn and Garrick enter the kitchen. Quinn had always reminded Connor of a GI Joe. He had short dirty blonde hair and smoky blue eyes, but it was his raw fierceness that had always made Connor glad that Quinn was on his side. Garrick was five years younger than Connor, and the family resemblance was obvious. They both had dark brown hair, though Garrick's was shorter, and their rugged good looks had always kept them in high-demand with the ladies of the pack. However, Garrick was built slightly more compact than Connor, allowing him to cultivate speed and amazingly fast reflexes in his fighting. "I didn't expect you guys here so early. But I'm glad for the company." Connor smacked both men on the back and popped a piece of bacon into his mouth. He then headed to the refrigerator to get more food to prepare for them. "You guys look tired. I made some coffee if you want it." "Well, we may look tired but you look like someone beat the shit out you, bro," Garrick said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Who is this person you're so worked up over? I've never seen you like this." The corners of Quinn's mouth began to curl as he lifted his head to sniff the strange scent that filled the air around Connor. A few seconds later he let out a bellow of laughter. "You sly son-of-a-bitch. You bonded didn't you? What pack's she from? She's not a Wulfric that's for damn sure. She smells like flowers and clean rain." Connor's lip lifted in a snarl, but then he regained his composure, turning his attention to the eggs he was preparing. "Her name is Julia, and we bonded last night. She's the reason I wanted you guys here. She's meeting me in a few hours and the other guys can't attack her. I might need you to help me keep them away from her." Garrick furrowed his brow as he took a seat at the bar of the large island in the middle of the room. "Why would she need protection? That doesn't make any sense," Garrick stated. "It makes perfect sense if she is the daughter of Bronson Dirus. These guys have been trained to attack anything that smells even remotely like a Dirus pack member on our soil, and even though I told Jenkins to expect her, that doesn't mean everyone hear is going to like it." Quinn was obviously stunned by the revelation his friend just told him and sat down next to Garrick. Pinching the bridge of his nose he said, "Tell me you did not fuck one of the Dirus sluts. Those two older sisters opened their legs for almost anyone before their father forced them to mate his generals, and I've heard a few rumors about the younger one." Before Quinn knew what was happening he was pulled from his chair and slammed against the wall, an enraged Connor grasping him by the neck and staring at him. "Don't you ever speak of Julia like that again," Connor said through clenched teeth. "She is nothing like her sisters. Do you hear me? Nothing." Connor gave him a hard shove and then walked away. "Dude man, I'm sorry," Quinn said rubbing his neck. "I was just surprised is all. I mean we never hear about this girl and then she turns out to be Julia Dirus. That's not like you." "Seriously Connor, when did this all happen anyway?" Garrick asked. Connor was still a little worked up, but was trying to calm himself. "We met four months ago," he answered. "And we've been meeting each other as much as possible ever since. You remember six weeks ago when I called in sick for the weekly meeting with dad and the elders? I was really celebrating Julia's birthday with her. We spent the entire day together." "Look man, you obviously really care about this girl. I'm sorry I was a jackass." Quinn said. "It's alright man, but if you call her a slut again I won't hesitate to fuck you up." Quinn laughed and nodded his understanding. The trio sat around talking, Connor answering questions about Julia and Quinn and Garrick updating him on the latest skirmish with the Derrotar. At eight o'clock, Jenkins, the head of facility security, entered the kitchen. "Connor, there's a woman out front asking to speak with you..." Before Jenkins could finish his sentence Connor jumped out of his chair and sprinted out of the room. The others quickly followed behind, with Jenkins continually trying to get Connor's attention. "Man, I look like shit. I wanted to look nice for her when she got here," Connor said, breathing into his hand to check his breath. Connor began to pick up speed as he snaked through the halls of the facility and burst into the entry way, expecting to find Julia. However, the only person in the foyer was a petite, red-head who looked to be as old as his mother. Connor looked around frantically thinking that maybe Julia was in the recessed wings, but she was nowhere to be found. When Jenkins appeared through the doorway, he slowed his pace to a stop and introduced the woman. "Connor, I was trying to tell you. This is Elda Brighton. She's here on Julia's behalf." Connor nodded in Jenkins's direction, thanking him for the information and then walked towards Elda. Julia had talked about her maid before; she had said the woman had been helping her escape the Dirus compound unnoticed. Anxiety stared to pool in the pit of his stomach. There couldn't be a positive reason the woman was here in Julia's place. The woman appeared tired and her eyes had puffiness to them as if she had been crying, but his curiosity over that was forgotten when he also saw the star and moon necklace that was resting in the woman's hand. "Where did you get that?" he asked her, pointing to her hand. That was the necklace he had given Julia, and he had never seen her without it, except perhaps last night. He hadn't noticed at the time, but now he was curious as to why it wasn't around Julia's neck. "Julia asked me to return it to you. She also gave me a note." Elda handed the items to him and then stepped back, clutching her hands together in front of her. Return it? He didn't like the sound of that at all. His stress level was beginning to rise and his heart felt like a weighted stone in his chest. "Why is Julia not here?" he inquired, fear washing over him. "Why did she send a messenger instead of coming herself? Did something happen?" "The notes should explain everything, sir. If you have no further questions for me I'd like to be on my way." He could tell she was nervous, and anxious to leave. She kept looking around, as if she expected to be attacked at any minute. With a wave of his hand he dismissed her and then tore into the note. Connor, I never expected this to go this far. When I told my father I had met you, he demanded that I keep up appearances to find out information. I never anticipated that I'd grow to care about you. It's hard for me to admit this, but I'm not the woman you think I am. My loyalties lie first and foremost with my father and the pack. My actions with you were a sacrifice in the larger plan of furthering the Dirus territory. I'm sorry I had to deceive you, it pained me towards the end, and all I wanted to do was stop lying to you and confess the truth. Now that we have the information we sought, I am being re-stationed elsewhere. You really are a great guy, and I'm sorry it came down to this. -Julia Connor's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. What information? This didn't feel right. His Julia would never do this to him. She loved him! Connor's head was reeling. The pain in his chest grew and he felt like he was going to vomit. This couldn't possibly be true. Something must have happened, and he walked toward the hallway he had just run down, prepared to take action to find her. But before he got past the doorway, he heard the alarm bells sounding an attack on the compound. Loud barks and growls could be heard echoing through the valley that the base was located in. By the sounds of it, there were a lot of them out there. Suddenly, Gage, one of the combat generals came rushing into the area. "Connor, our security cameras have shown a large number of Derrotar wolves surrounding the compound. We have an estimation of at least seventy-five, sir." Julia was the only non-Alliance member who knew the location of this facility. If they were being attacked now it was because she sold them out. She'd obviously told her maid how to get here, who else would she have told? He glared down at the necklace in his hand. No wonder she hadn't worn it last night. The symbol was a sign of affection and love in his pack, stating that the recipient gave light to the giver's world. She couldn't bring herself to feel the chain around her neck as she let him bite into her. She had merely sacrificed herself. How wrong he had been about her. She was more devious than her entire family. Her attack wasn't external. It wasn't even mental; it was emotional. Not only did she patiently wait to find out some small shred of information that would help the Derrator cause, but she sacrificed her own reproductive ability just to ensure that he couldn't father another alpha male. What a deceitful bitch. Stuffing the note and necklace in his pocket, he turned to looks at Garrick and Quinn, who had been standing in silence along the perimeter of the foyer. He silently indicated for them to follow him. "How many men do we have stationed here right now?" Connor asked Gage, while leading the other men down the hallway and to the main strategy room. "Twenty-five. This place is dependent on concealment; it was never designed to be defended against this large of an attack." They were outnumbered at least three to one. Connor knew what that meant. With only twenty-five men and themselves, this base didn't stand a chance. Their only hope for surviving this was to run, and he never ran. Treacherous Devotion Ch. 03 I know this took forever to get posted. I went through many rounds of writer's block and multiple drafts before I was satisfied with this one. Thanks so much to all of you who e-mailed me. I really do appreciate it and it gets me motivated to work. Thanks for reading! * Two Months Ago Glorious sunshine rained down upon Julia as she lay back on a large checkered blanket, staring at the fluffy clouds that traveled across the sky over the clearing. This was her favorite thing to do when she had time off from the administrative work she helped her pack with. Nothing made her long for the outdoors more than sitting in her tiny office/closet pouring over order forms for chicken breasts and light bulbs. How she got stuck doing the ordering and shipping for the pack she didn't really know, but it wasn't her main concern right now. Because today was Friday, and Friday meant only having to work until noon. Regularly it also meant she could sneak away from the pack's estate and do whatever she felt like for six or eight hours. So from the time she got off of work until now, she had spent her afternoon lounging on the ground beside a thirty-foot waterfall in the nature reserve. She had always loved the mist that hovered around the small lake; it was brisk and refreshing. Plus the constant rumbling due to the cascading water soothed her in a way that helped clear her head when she was making tough choices. Like after her mom died and she made the decision to stay at home instead of going to college like her sisters or the few days after she met Connor and had to make the choice to betray her father by seeing him again. Today she was contemplating pushing that betrayal even further. Over the past couple hours she had come to the conclusion that she was going to sleep with Connor, and she was going to do it today. They'd been seeing each other intensely for about two months. As often as they could manage they'd sneak off to be together, usually meeting up at the nature reserve because it was neutral territory. It only took them a day to start kissing each other, and only five to start intimately touching each other. But Connor was well aware of Julia's virginal status and was cautious to push her any further. So Julia knew that it would be up to her to get things started. Unfortunately, her sisters cast a shadow over sex after they lost their virginities in high school. They went on and on about how awkward it was and how they had been sore for days after. They bitched about it constantly, saying that the three minutes it lasted wasn't worth three days of soreness. Cilia had even told her that at first the guy couldn't fit, and they had to keep trying over a span of days before they managed to do the deed. Soon after, he'd dumped her and moved on to another girl who didn't have her 'difficulties'. Her sisters had done a solid job of freaking her out enough to get her to overlook the sexual aspect of her life all together, and she'd happily ignored it until Connor came along. Now thoughts of sex with Connor consumed her and made her warm and tingly all over. She couldn't get her mind off of it, and the more she thought about it, the greater her yearning for him became. She had called Connor from her cell phone, and he was on his way to the nature reserve. He had just finished a meeting with his father, and was going to change into more comfortable clothes before driving over to meet her. Julia was excited, anxious, elated, and nervous to the point of being sick all at the same time. Every snap of a twig or rustling of a bush made her jump in anticipation. It had been thirty minutes since she called him, and she felt the weighted angst of every passing minute. She contemplated calling him again, to make sure he was on his way, but every time she grabbed her cell phone she'd throw it back into her purse before punching in his number. She'd never lost her cool like this before. She was the level headed one in their relationship, always managing to hide how deep her feelings for Connor truly went. He knew she loved and cared for him, but he had no idea that just being around him made her giddy to the point of euphoria or that when he kissed her time seemed to stop. He was truly mate-worthy material. If she had to choose one male to have babies with, share her thoughts and emotions with, it was going to be him. Even more, she was starting to think he might be her destined mate, the one 'true love' that each lycanthrope apparently had someone in the world. She used to read about destined mates in the books given to her as a child, but she had always brushed that off as make believe like the Disney stories for human children. Apparently they were real, and she had one. In the stories, the joining of destined mates was a powerful thing, and the pair actually shared a vital part of their soul with one another. While normal mates would be uncomfortable if separated before they could finish both mating ceremonies, destined mates could actually die if kept apart for too long after the initial bonding steps. It's like they gave away their hearts and then had to wait for a transplant. Julia had already given her whole heart to Connor, and she was pretty sure he was more than willing to give her his in return. That was why she was determined to be with him. It was more than just a sexual lust for his deliciously sculpted body; it was a driving need that screamed in her mind and pulled at her core to make him hers. Even the wolf within her craved a sexual connection with Connor. It was like her inner beast recognized his, and wanted it just as much as she wanted the man. She almost felt like howling when she thought of their naked bodies grinding against each other. Julia was already getting herself work up over the thought of them being together. She needed to relax. A breeze blew through the small clearing and rustled her hair, tickling her bare shoulders exposed by the green halter top she was wearing. The cool, flowing air did a lot to calm her. Right now she wasn't acting like a graceful wolf, but a puppy impatiently waiting for her owner to come home. If she let her feelings get the best of her, she'd most likely pounce on Connor the moment she sensed him and lick all over his face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on the feel of the warm earth supporting her body. She inhaled slowly and held it for a few seconds before exhaling, willing her other half to calm as well. She repeated that over and over until all other sounds dropped away but the steady rhythm of her breath and the beating of her heart. Her pulse started to slow, and her muscles started to loosen. Tension drained from her body and she allowed herself to just drift in a state of semi-consciousness. She could have stayed like that for hours, but she was startled out of her wits by a dark muzzle bumping against her face and a loud bark piercing through her eardrum. Julia's eye's snapped open and met the stare of Connor in wolf form. Her wolf gave a jolt of recognition, and urged her to change forms so it could join him. His intense blue eyes at first were filled with concern, but that soon faded into relief and happiness. Julia felt like she had been shaken from a deep sleep, but quickly sat up and stroked his coat, thrilled to be able to touch him after hours of waiting. He wagged his tail and tried to lick her hand, causing her to smile. After a few moments though, Julia was ready to greet Connor as a man. "Change, so I can punish you properly for scaring the shit out of me," Julia jokingly reprimanded. Connor responded with a high-pitched whine and then sat back on his muscular haunches. Soon where the black wolf once sat, was a dark-haired man, a very naked man, who leaned over and unhesitatingly kissed Julia's lips. His mouth were sensuously soft, and the way he alternated pressures with such gentle passion, made Julia melt into him and press her hand against the side of his face to hold him close to her. She could taste the flavor of the Altoid he must have chewed on his way there. It made her smile against his lips to know he'd been thinking about this moment too. All too soon, Connor pulled back and dragged her closer to him so they sat side by side. "You had me worried, Jules. I called you fifteen minutes ago to make sure you were still here and then again five minutes ago when I arrived, and I still couldn't reach you. I knew you wouldn't have left without telling me, so I changed and ran here from my truck. When I saw you in the grass just lying there…what were you doing anyway?" Connor put his arm around her and snuggled her closer into his side. Julia blushed as she thought of the truthful answer. I was trying to keep myself from stripping you naked and licking you from head to foot before you could say hello. "I was meditating. It's so peaceful out here. It seemed like a good thing to do while I waited for you. Plus, my phone's on vibrate. That must be why I didn't hear your call." Connor accepted her answer, and pushed them both back so that they were lying down on her blanket. "It is peaceful out here. It could easily put me to sleep if I didn't have such a beautiful girl here to keep me stimulated." Julia grinned and then turned so that she was on her side, facing his outstretched body. "I keep you stimulated, huh," Julia asked, running her hand down his clothed chest. "Well the feeling is mutual. You seem to be able to stimulate me even when you're not with me." Connor cocked one eyebrow. "Really? Are you sure all you did this afternoon was mediate. I don't judge you know." Julia playfully smacked his chest and scoffed at his insinuation that she's been getting off to the thought of him, but it didn't escape her attention that she'd come very close to doing just that. Before responding to him, Julia leaned down and kissed his neck, and then trailed kisses up to his ear. There, she lightly nibbled on the lobe before breathlessly whispering, "Why waste time imaging making love to you, when I can feel the real thing?" Connor instantly stiffened and pulled back so that he could look Julia squarely in the face. "Are you saying what I think you saying? I'm mean I want to; don't get me wrong. God, do I want to, but…Are you sure?" Julia didn't hesitate to answer him. "I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I want to be with you Connor." Connor's face filled a heated lust before he pulled her down into a scorching kiss and rolled her onto her back. He deepened the kiss, caressing her tongue with his own. Julia eagerly returned the favor, loving the taste of him. As things became more heated she threaded her fingers through his hair and wrapped one leg around his. She wanted to feel every inch of him. She loved the heat that radiated off of him, and yearned to feel how hot he'd be when she got him out of his clothes. She broke away to start the process of stripping him, but Connor grasped her hands, stopping her. She felt how hard he was breathing, and knew his heart must have been racing as fast as hers was. "Julia, if we do this, I plan on mating you. I won't claim you tonight because I want to be gentle with you, but you've got to know how much I want you. We'll work this thing with our families out. I'd fight a war for you, baby. Just tell me you'll be mine." Connor's vulnerability was clearly evident as he waited for her response. Julia snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. "I couldn't image loving someone more than I love you. I want you more than I thought possible, and being your mate would be a dream come true. " Julia made sure to let him know she was serious and then said, "Now shut up and take off your clothes before I rip them off with my teeth." Connor smiled and then laughed when she bared her teeth at him, showing her willingness to go through with her threat. He pulled back from her, resting his weight on his knees. Then he peeled off his black t-shirt to reveal the sexiest torso Julia had ever seen. This wasn't the first time Julia had seen him shirtless, but it might as well have been based on the enthusiasm in her response to it. He was perfect. His tanned skin was pulled taut over ripples of muscle, while a collection of brown hairs was scattered over his abdomen. They were sparsely numbered near his pecs and then coalesced into a dark trail that disappeared beneath his jeans. Wordlessly Julia sat up, and pressed her lips against his stomach. She lightly feathered kisses against his hard abs and let her hands revel in the feel of his skin beneath them. She continued to caress and kiss him until she felt him touch her as well. His strong hands roamed over the side of her shirt and then moved higher across her exposed back to the small bow that held the top of her halter up. Resting her chin against him, she looked up into his eyes as he pulled the string, untying the bow. She slowly sat back, and pulled the top up and off. His face was filled with approval as he saw that she wore no bra underneath her shirt. Connor stared at her bared chest, and passed his hands over her breasts, causing her nipples to instantly harden. "I'll never get tired of looking at you, Julia. It shouldn't be legal for you to look this good." The timid Julia who had been wary of sex was starting to morph into a sex kitten, who wanted nothing more than to please the man in front of her. Julia leaned back on her hands and pushed her breasts out toward him. "Well we can't let a crime go unpunished, now can we?" Julia widened her eyes and batted her lashes, feigning innocence. "I hope my punishment's not too harsh." Julia let out a sound between a scream and a giggle when Connor suddenly growled, grasped her thighs and tugged her so she fell onto her back. "I'm sure I can think of something that will have you begging for mercy." He followed her down and latched himself onto her left nipple, all the while a contented rumbling vibrating out of him. If he was a were-cat of some kind Julia would have sworn he was purring. Julia moaned as pleasure bombarded her. She placed one arm across his broad shoulders, and the fingers of her other hand slipped through his silky brown hair. She clung to him, encouraging him to continue. If this was her punishment, she planned on being bad as often as possible. "God that feels amazing, baby. You've always been so good at that." Connor released her nipple and then broke into a grin. "Ready to try something new," he asked while moving his hand to the button of her jeans. "I'm dying to taste you." Julia tensed at his suggestion. She'd only let him use his hands there before. Could she really let him do that? Was she ready for it? Connor readily picked up on her angst and tried his best to ease her fears. "Don't worry. I promise you I'll enjoy every second of it. You can trust me, and if I freak you out just hit me or something and I'll stop." Julia couldn't help be feel her anxiety ease a little. This was Connor. And he was right, she could trust him. She was pleased when he leaned down to kiss her. He knew her so well after such a short amount of time. Using his wonderful kisses was the perfect thing to make her disregard the fingers that were pulling down the zipper of her jeans and pushing underneath the elastic of her panties. What they found was a sculpted mound of curls that lead to a pink slit that was quickly misting over like it was the lake behind them. Connor groaned when he felt her dampness and delved deeper so that he could push his finger into her. He gathered more of her juices and spread them around her clit, eliciting coos of enjoyment from her. "Fuck, Jules. You feel so good." With his free hand he began to pull her pants and underwear off. The task proved difficult to complete one-handed so Julia helped him out by lifting her hips and shimmying out of the garments. Connor showed his gratitude by moving down her body and replacing his hand with his mouth. The moment his tongue found her clit, her hips bucked upwards. "Yes. Oh my yes." Julia's exclamations egged Connor on who gently held her in place while he surrounded her bud with his mouth and sucked on it. She had never experienced such a sensation in all her life. It was like lightening raced through her entire body. She felt electrified, and had no intention of asking him to stop. In fact she might hit him if he did. Julia's back started to arch, and her moans were reduced to a repetitious 'Oh my God' as Connor continued to swirl and suck her clit. When he pushed his fingers back into her and started to thrust, she lost it. With a wave-like bodily spasm, she came, hard. "Fuck, Connor. I'll never doubt again. That was incredible," Julia manage to voice once she could speak again. Smiling like the Cheshire cat, Connor replied, "That's just the beginning baby. There's so much more I want to show you." Connor then turned his attention to getting just as naked as she was. It didn't take long for him to free himself from the confines of his pants and boxers, and Julia's heart started to pound in her chest as the sight of his magnificent erection came into view. She had seen him during their earlier rounds of experimentation, but knowing that his cock was going to be inside her at any moment made her appreciate it in a whole new way. He was so big, so thick, that she feared she might be just like her sister Cilia. How embarrassing would it be if he didn't fit inside her? She knew he would be kind about it, but would he be disappointed in her. She knew she would be upset. It was now a personal challenge to take all of him, and she refused to fail. Without further hesitation, Julia reached out and began to stroke his long shaft. Connor fell down onto his knees after having stood to remove his clothes and edged closer to her. She marveled at the warmth, the weight, the texture of his cock, and hearing his pleasured sighs as she held him in her hands made her even hotter than she already was. It empowered her, strengthened her, and her need for him was overpowering. "I want you Connor. Please, I don't think I can wait much longer." Julia rose to her knees as well, and clasped his face between her hands. She looked straight into his eyes as she said, "I love you so much. I want this. I've waited for this, and experiencing it with you is more than I could have imagined." As she captured his lips with her own, Connor ran his hand over her cheek, caressing her temples with his thumb. "God, I love you too, Julia. I promise to be as gentle as I can, but my wolf is going nuts here. He's begging me to take you hard and fast. It's like holding back a charging bull, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you." It was obvious that Connor really was worried about causing her pain, and that was the last thing Julia wanted him to be thinking about. She wanted him to feel and experience this fully, without distractions. "I'm old enough to know that this will hurt. But I don't care, because I also know that it won't always be this way. So let's hurry up and get it over with." Julia moved so she was lying flat on the blanket, and stretched her arms out for him to come to her. He took a moment to just look at her, as if memorizing the image of her reaching for him, then maneuvered himself between her open thighs. He placed his weight on one hand by her right shoulder, and then, brushed the tips of his fingers on his free hand down her abs and toward her awaiting pussy. Goosebumps broke out across her naked flesh and she squirmed beneath him, attempting to coax him closer to her dripping core. He seemed to hear her unspoken request and delved his fingers down into her slick folds. Using his middle finger he gently pushed into her. He curled the length of it until he found that sponging bit of tissue that had her throwing her head back in bliss. Connor began pumping his arm, pushing in and out or her. Over time he added more fingers. To Julia, even they felt large and filling. As he pushed himself into her deeper, faster, with his fingers, she started to feel that familiar rise to completion. But she didn't want to, not until he was inside her. Treacherous Devotion Ch. 03 "Now, Connor. Do it now." Julia reached down and pulled his hand from her, and then ran her fingers down to his thick cock. "Come to me, baby." Connor needed no further coercion and helped her guide him toward her awaiting entrance. After lining himself up, he leaned down and passionately kissed her. Julia knew he was trying to distract her, but this time it wasn't going to work. As she threw her arms over his shoulders, she felt every movement he made. The wide head of his cock began its attempt to push its way into her virgin hole. Julia winced as it stretched her. Connor did his best to inch his way in, and the process was slow going. He'd press forward slightly, and then allow her to acclimate before backing off and repeating. But it still hurt. It still felt like her vagina was facing a siege, and Connor held the battering ram. With only a couple inches inside of her, Julia was starting to get discouraged. She refused to be like her sister. This was her and Connor after all. This was supposed to be perfect. A single tear fell from her eye, running down into her curly hair. "I'll stop. I know I'm hurting you, but I refuse to make you cry, Julia. I couldn't stand it," Connor said, after noticing the wet trail from her eye. "We can try again later. We'll work up to it." Connor's perfect response only caused her to cry harder. There he was, being all kind and understanding. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she was not giving up on this. "No, we're doing this. I can take it. Just…just do it. All the way, okay. Don't stop." It was obvious for the sweat on his brow and the tension he carried in his arms that Connor was using all his strength to keep from plunging himself inside her like his wolf demanded. To be given free rein to do so caused him is grunt and groan at the same time. "Julia…" She stop him by placing a finger against his mouth, knowing that he was about to say no. "Connor, please. We both want this. You can't tell me you don't. Just let me hold on to you, and I'll be fine." Connor took a large breath and then pressed himself even closer to her so that she could snake her arms under his and grasp his shoulders. "I love you Julia." He tucked his head into the nape of her neck, pulled his hips back slightly, and then plunged his entire length inside her. Pain. That's all Julia could register for many seconds before her cloudy brain began to comprehend that she was screaming. She instantly stopped. She knew that probably freaked Connor out, and she was proven right when she looked into his eyes. "I'm alright, Connor. Just give me a second to get used to you." He nodded, but seemed to still hold judgment on whether or not he believed her. "Do you know how big you are? Like seriously, you're huge. I can feel every inch of you inside me. It's amazing." The only response she got from his was a groan because her inner walls were contracting around him, as if investigating this new intruder. "God you're tight, Jules. You're like a vice. I really warm, really soft, really fucking awesome vice." Julia laughed, which not only sent vibrations through her body, but caused her pelvis to move against him. This time the both moaned, and Julia was pleasantly surprised. While she had been expecting another round of searing pain, what she felt was actually…nice. She experimented with rolling her hips, which caused Connor to tense up, "Christ, Julia you have no idea what you're doing to me. I'm not going to be able to hold still much longer if you keep doing that." Julia passed her hands down his back and then firmly took hold of his toned ass before speaking. "I don't want you to hold still. I want you to fuck me." Connor's eyes narrowed on her to be sure he heard correctly and then all hell broke loose. It took Connor all of one second to start thrusting hard and deep inside of her. It was fantastic. He filled her so completely, and every inch he touched felt like it was on fire. She was overcome with pleasure. Connor tugged on her hips, causing her to move closer to him and lifted her legs into the air. Her swung them up on his shoulders and then doubled the ferocity with which he pistoned into her. Moans, groans and all kinds of pleasurable noises filled the air around them, along with the mingled scent of sweat and sex. It was the most intoxicating smell. It was all natural, all them. Julia's entire body started to shake, but Connor's firm grasp on her thighs held her in place as he continued his relentless thrusting. It was almost too much for her system to handle. The bombardment of sensation had alerted every nerve in her body. One hand involuntarily fisted and pulled into her chest, while the other pushed through her own hair. She was overloading, she was dying, she was…she was coming harder than she'd ever come in her entire life. She was sure no other woman had ever come as hard as she was. It was like every cell in her body was having their own orgasm. Her completion quickly triggered Connor's, who growled fiercely as he pumped his seed inside of her. A few more quick jerks of his pelvis, and Connor was satiated. He collapsed down on his forearms, and brushed sweaty locks of hair off of Julia's forehead. "That… that was fucking insane," he said while trying to catch his breath. Julia had to agree. "Aren't you glad we didn't stop?" Julia was trying to joke with him but concern quickly filled his eyes. "Oh god, how are you feeling? Once we started it was like I completely forgot about anything else. All I knew was that if I stopped I'd die." "I'm fine Connor. I won't be riding a bike for a few days, but what just happened was well worth a few aches. Like I said, we just had to get past it. Like ripping off a Band-Aid." Connor frowned. "Did you just compare us having sex for the first time to ripping off a Band-Aid?" If Julia's words didn't assure Connor that she was going to be fine, her giggles did. Her laughter brought to both of their attentions that he was still nestled inside of her, so Connor quickly slipped out and positioned them so that she was cradled into his side. He then grabbed the edge of the blanket and swung it over them both. "Well now that we've 'ripped the band-aid', I plan on doing that as often as possible. I'll give you half a day to get over the trauma, then I except full access." After seeing his smirk and confirming he was kidding, Julia slapped him in the chest, and then snuggled back down into his embrace before admitting, "I guess that's fair, since I plan on making you my slave until you can't get it up anymore." He chuckled, and pulled her closer. "I am at your service, my lady." Connor then kissed on her on the forehead, and they both feel into a blissful doze. ~~~~~~~~~ Present Day Julia awoke groggily from the deepest sleep she'd ever had, and instantly wanted to go back. She'd dreamed of the night she first slept with Connor. To her, that night was when her life truly began. From then on each meeting was a passion-filled event that had her questioning whether this was really her life. Was she truly this lucky, to have found an incredibly attractive man, who loved her just as much as she loved him and could fuck like a wild stallion. As her body started to catch up with her awakened mind she instantly knew something was off. The smell. It was wrong, all wrong. Whatever room she was in, it wasn't on Dirus property. The room smelled like overgrown mold and dirt. It was also dank and cold, and all she had covering her was a scratching wool blanket that wasn't long enough to cover her toes. She pulled her feet up and curled into a ball. That's when she felt her lack of clothing. At most she could only have been wearing panties and camisole. She went to reach across herself to flip the blanket back but her hand was snapped back by handcuffs that were secured to a length of chain. She was allowed limited movement, but nothing past arm's length. Shocked, Julia's eyes snapped open and took in her surroundings. She was in a small grey room. A cot like the one she was lying on was pushed up against the opposite wall and was covered with a pile of blankets. Beside it were a small white table and a wooden chest. "What the hell," Julia asked out loud. "What is this?" She quickly sat up, and tugged as hard as she could on the chains that were hooked into the wall behind her. They wouldn't budge. Suddenly, it all came back to her. Last night she had mated with Connor, they belonged to each other now. But her evil, vindictive father had given her to the foulest man Julia could think of. Darian Signatus. He was a power hungry bastard, who wanted to use her to amuse his troops. Troops he planned on using to overtake the area, and announce the lycanthrope presence to humans. "They have cameras in here ya know. If they know you're awake they won't wait 'til a decent hour to come get you. I'd shut up and go back to sleep if I were you." Julia jumped at the sound of the voice, and it took her a few moments to realize that it was coming from beneath the piles of blankets on the other cot. "Who are you? Where am I," Julia asked. An obviously annoyed female voice replied, "My name is Jadyn, and you are in hell. Now go back to sleep." Silence followed. "Are you handcuffed to your bed as well," Julia inquired. "Oh for crying out loud. No, I'm not. The locked door is sufficient enough to keep me in here. You are handcuffed cuz you were thrashing around when they brought you in here. Now, please if they know we're awake we'll have to start working, and I'd rather not wash uniforms quite yet. "Wash uniforms?" That wasn't what she thought her work was going to entail. She'd do laundry until the cows came home if it meant she wasn't raped. With an audible sigh the girl turned over and sat up in bed. Jadyn was rail thin, but she showed signs of once having been quite athletic. Her blonde hair was cropped short, and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with defiance. "You'll be on floor cleaning and food prep. I've been 'promoted' since you're here now." Julia was shocked, in a good way. That was not what she had been led to believe she would be doing with her time here. "Wh-What about. You know? I was told…" Julia couldn't seem to find the phrase she was looking for. How did one usually go about asking if she was going to be used as a sex slave by hundreds of men? "You mean sex," Jadyn asked. "You'll do that too. But only when the troops do well. Luckily for us they have a lousy haul this time. They can't change into their hybrid fighting form worth shit. They suck at tactical maneuvers, and if you ask one to use a compass, he'll stick it up his ass. I'd say you have at least a couple months before the generals will reward a trainee with sex. And all the upper level guys were just moved out on some mission southeast of here. Something about some secret Alliance locale that they found out about yesterday" The ease that Julia had felt over the knowledge that her vagina was her own for at least a few more weeks, was immediately replaced by angst. Unless there were a lot of secret Alliance locales around, Jadyn could've been talking about where she was supposed to meet up with Connor. But how did they find out? An ache like horrendous heartburn filled her chest at the thought of him hurt. She fell back on her cot, and pressed her hand to her chest. "When did they leave? Do you know," Julia asked. "Real early this morning, around three or four. You'd think they'd learn to be quite in the halls, but the jackasses just can't seem to keep from bragging about how many Alliance guys they're gonna kill. " The pain in Julia's chest worsened, and she felt faint. She needed fresh air. She'd needed to get out of here. She needed Connor. Here she was stuck in a Signatus cell, while Connor was most likely fighting for his life. She couldn't stand not knowing if he was going to be ok. "Are you all right? You look pale. I know that being held prisoner is hard to get used to. It takes some time. You just have to show them that you aren't afraid of them. Especially with the newbies, they think they're hotshit. But the generals will skin them alive if they touch you before they're given permission. So don't let them try to intimidate you." "It's not that," Julia replied. "I-" Julia tried to say it was that she wasn't feeling well, but a searing pain ripped through her heart stalling her every thought. She was certain it was a heart attack. Heartburn couldn't hurt this much. Another wave of horrendous suffering hit her, and then blessedly, she passed out. ~~~~~~ "Explain to me what happened today, son? Why do I have three dead fighters and fifty fewer acres of territory?" Randolph Wulfric was upset. An outsider would not have been able to pick up on the subtle change in the tenor of his voice or see how he battled for control over the rate of his breathing. They would however, realize that his pacing and massaging of his temples were signs of agitation. Connor was well aware of his father's moods, and this was one of the only times he'd ever come close to losing his cool. His father ruled their pack with a just but firm hand, and in Connor's adult life, he'd never seen him have to assert his authority over anyone. It was just a given. "We were ambushed at the Burrow. A little after nine this morning the compound was surrounded by Derrator wolves. We were outnumbered three to one, but luckily we weren't out skilled. The Dirus and Signatus packs seemed to be less worried about having good fighters than having a lot of them. We were able to divide the original fighters into multiple groups and push them into defensive positions. We took them out in less than an hour. Unfortunately, the Derrators had a second string and we made the decision to retreat rather than lose more men." After relaying this morning's events to his father Connor stood silently waiting for his reply, his hands clasped behind his back. "That's what the report said that I read this afternoon. But what I want to know is one, how they knew the location of the Burrow, and two, why you were there in the first place. You are no longer a soldier Connor. We had that discussion two months ago. I pulled you from the ranks because I'm ready to retire. Your mother insists on staying with her sister, and frankly I want to join her. After losing Jaydn like that Aunt Nora has been particularly fragile, and I'm sick of sleeping in an empty bed. But I can't leave the pack until I know you can handle this burden on your own." Randolph motioned for his son to sit in the chair in front of his report-covered desk. Connor accepted the offer, and thought about how best to phrase this. "I was betrayed by someone I thought I could trust with my life. I made a mistake and it'll never happen again. This person reported back to the Dirus pack what I had confided…" Before Connor could go on, his father cut him off with a wave of his hand. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the young lady you've been running off to see every other day does it? Because if you tell me you told some stupid girl about top secret pack intelligence I will castrate you myself." Connor bowed his head in shame, resting his forearms on his thighs. He reply was barely a whisper. "I thought she was more than just some stupid girl. I thought…" Connor lifted his head to look up at his father. "Well, I guess she still is my mate, at least halfway. The stench of battle covered the scent up a little, but I'm sure you've noticed that I smell different. I smell like her. And at eight o'clock this morning I was the happiest man on earth." Randolph nodded his understanding, and leaned back in his tall leather chair. "So what happened? You mated this girl last night, and then somewhere over the next six hours she betrayed you?" Connor fished the cruel letter out of his back pocket and pushed it towards his father. Randolph quickly unfolded it. After taking a brief minute to read it, he placed it back onto his desk. "Hmmm, I see. I take it she did not give you this letter herself?" "No, a maid, an Elda Brighton, came on her behalf." Randolph was quiet for a moment, contemplating something. "I think there is more to this than meets the eye. I cannot yet be sure if your Julia is guilty or not, but I assure you I plan to find out." The heavy weight that had been sitting around his heart all day constricted. "She is not my Julia. Not anymore." "Nonsense. You bonded with the girl. One of you will have to die before that's broken." Just then an impatient knocking came from the large double doors of Randolph's office. "Come in, but make it quick." Randolph commanded. A young male gamma entered the room and hurried across it to stand in front of his alpha. He bowed sharply to both Randolph and Connor before making his report. "I'm sorry to interrupt you sirs, but there has been a development. They've found her sir, your niece, Jadyn. She has been located at a Signatus training camp in the northwest corner of their territory. That's why it took us six months to find her. We didn't even know that compound existed." Both Connor and Randolph jumped to their feet as they learned the whereabouts of the family member they thought to be dead. Adrenaline pumped through Connor, making him temporarily forget about his own woes. His father moved from behind his desk with determined purpose, speaking as he headed for the door. "We'll finish this conversation later," he directed to his son. To the gamma he said, "Gather the pack. We're going to get her."