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2,747,205	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747206}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759			VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE	http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	https://www.facebook.com/100075636465951/	131	1969-12-31 18:00	Visit Instagram Profile	instagram.com	CAROUSEL		http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/482254043_982638473499879_2349358535430925519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jPFyL7ZSxoIQ7kNvgG5jLSw&_nc_oc=AdiNBXZ5OdVPNVYp3G7Bt9Z2g8BHlTrWrd9XTLrvstP-rXHnQEq4Xnm1Zgk24h4OZxIKSaEctjO6FxJ1rHOQ5Xbm&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=Ag2DB4VZfy_2EiKOdDvDC9D&oh=00_AYDJQQ_z3-fbvGjMnLRBWNSTklqeWOWfvnFdYpKMmn4PJw&oe=67CBAFC0	PERSON_PROFILE	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,210	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747206}'	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759			VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE	http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	https://www.facebook.com/100075636465951/	131	1969-12-31 18:00	Visit Instagram Profile	instagram.com	CAROUSEL		http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/482254043_982638473499879_2349358535430925519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jPFyL7ZSxoIQ7kNvgG5jLSw&_nc_oc=AdiNBXZ5OdVPNVYp3G7Bt9Z2g8BHlTrWrd9XTLrvstP-rXHnQEq4Xnm1Zgk24h4OZxIKSaEctjO6FxJ1rHOQ5Xbm&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=Ag2DB4VZfy_2EiKOdDvDC9D&oh=00_AYDJQQ_z3-fbvGjMnLRBWNSTklqeWOWfvnFdYpKMmn4PJw&oe=67CBAFC0	PERSON_PROFILE	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,211	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747206}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759			VIEW_INSTAGRAM_PROFILE	http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	https://www.facebook.com/100075636465951/	131	1969-12-31 18:00	Visit Instagram Profile	instagram.com	CAROUSEL		http://instagram.com/energymatterschiropractic	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/482254043_982638473499879_2349358535430925519_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=jPFyL7ZSxoIQ7kNvgG5jLSw&_nc_oc=AdiNBXZ5OdVPNVYp3G7Bt9Z2g8BHlTrWrd9XTLrvstP-rXHnQEq4Xnm1Zgk24h4OZxIKSaEctjO6FxJ1rHOQ5Xbm&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=Ag2DB4VZfy_2EiKOdDvDC9D&oh=00_AYDJQQ_z3-fbvGjMnLRBWNSTklqeWOWfvnFdYpKMmn4PJw&oe=67CBAFC0	PERSON_PROFILE	Energy Matters Chiropractic Care	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,221	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747383}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759		Watch more exciting content now! ️🤩	WATCH_MORE	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s	DramaBox- movies&drama	https://www.facebook.com/DramaBoxMoviesDrama/	9,339,610	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	play.google.com	VIDEO		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storymatrix.drama	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481280812_1013839453922540_4570842991776835884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xQztQ4xH-UQQ7kNvgG75Btx&_nc_oc=AdicNJdhI1VXdI0FFSwM4-wrdExqFQG0jk-8mQqC_9F2Pf_iqu1IDmsUy-mvK444c7M2lLyVn_Pp62Xm8YqlwUf7&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=Ag2DB4VZfy_2EiKOdDvDC9D&oh=00_AYB6JerNAuRndtyQIYu908SE_hQXijO2P_pM_ET2NJqIug&oe=67CBA015	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- movies&drama	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,233	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747304}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	His triplets were coming home. After 10 years of searching, 10 years of obsessing over little dead end clues, he finally had them back. "Hello I'm miss Jessie Moore, is this Rafael Romano." "Well Mr Romano I'm from social services in Ohio and I'm calling regarding Alexander, James and Skye" Rafael's permenant glare darkened "dont you dare" he was cut off though "I'm sorry sir but they were brought in a few days ago, a DNA test was done and it matches yours, would you like to take custody" "I swear if you're messing with me" Rafael practically growled. ____________ The siblings were given the all clear from the doctors, they had no life threatening injuries just severely bruised with extensive scars. A week past and once the police visited and took statements from the boys since Skye wasn't willing to talk to them, a social worker came in. "So your DNA was run through the system and we found some family in New York" she said excitedly. Alexander wasn't happy about this. "We are okay on our own" he spoke with no emotion. "You're still a minor kid" the police officer said. "Will they know about this abuse sir" James asked. "Yes" the officer said. "Please can you not tell them, we would like to be the ones to inform them, we don't trust easily and we want to make sure they are nice to us before we tell them our secrets, sir" James said quietly, hoping to get his way by showing emotion. "We don't have a choice I'm afraid, besides what are we suppose to say when they ask where you have been" the officer said sadly. "Please don't tell them, sir" Skye whispered with so much emotion it made the police officer a little emotional "they will want to know where you were" he said "Tell them were were in the foster system and their was a car accident so we ended up in the hospital " Alexander said. The police officer looked at the social worker who didn't know what to say. This was totally against protocol but the children were so afraid and especially Skye that they couldn't help agree. "I only mentioned to their father that they ended up in hospital. I thought it would be best to explain what had happened in person, it could work " the social worker said to the officer. "He will no doubt want hospital records though " the officer said still in doubt. "Not necessarily, by the time he wants them I'm sure they will be comfortable enough to have told them the truth. They have just been discharged so he won't have to sign any papers" "We could get into trouble " "Maybe but he said he would come pick them up as soon as possible " "Fine. We will not disclose this information but it would be wise to tell him when you feel ready too" the officer finally agreed. After that they were taken to the social workers office to wait for the arrival of their father. They had been given fresh clothes and allowed to shower at the hospital so they almost looked like normal kids. They even had their hair cut, it had been nerve wracking but it needed doing. The bruises on their face had almost dissapeared, the social worker had said she would tell him that they got it from the car accident. Earlier Rafael had been in the middle of torturing some fool who thought he could steal from them, when his phone rang. He cursed as he looked at the unknown caller. Usually he wouldn't anwser especially when he was torturing someone but this time he did. He wiped the blood splatter from his face with a towel and headed out of the room to take the call. "Hello who is this" he asked. "Hello I'm miss Jessie Moore, is this Rafael Romano" "Yes. What do you want" Rafael asked harshly, he wasn't happy that a woman he had never heard of was calling him. "Well Mr Romano I'm from social services in Ohio and I'm calling regarding Alexander, James and Skye" Rafael's permenant glare darkened "dont you dare" he was cut off though "I'm sorry sir but they were brought in a few days ago, a DNA test was done and it matches yours, would you like to take custody" "I swear if you're messing with me" Rafael practically growled. "No sir, they are currently in the hospital but should be out in a day or so" "Why are my children in a hospital" Rafael asked. "It would be best to speak in person. Would you like to take them in" "Yes. Send over the details and I will be there as soon as I can" he said then proceeded to give the social worker his personal email. That evening Rafael went home in a somewhat good mood. His triplets were coming home. After 10 years of searching, 10 years of obsessing over little dead end clues, he would finally have them back. Lorenzo was telling off Marco and Nico when Rafael entered the house. "What is going on" Rafael demanded. "These little shits decided it was a good idea to take my car out. It's scratched all the way along the side now...it will be coming out of your allowance" he explained, telling the two boys the last thing. "That was very reckless of you both. You will both loose driving privileges for a week" Rafael said knowing Lorenzo would fully handle it as it had been his car. Rafael couldn't care less about the car at this moment. "Lorenzo with me, you can deal with them later" Rafael said glaring at his sons. Lorenzo nodded also glaring at his brothers as he followed his father up to his office. "What is it father " Lorenzo asked once inside the office. "I had a phone call of a social worker today" he said taking a seat at his desk. He began turning on the computer to access his emails. "Did the boys joyride get them in trouble with the police involving social services " Lorenzo asked. "No, they found the triplets" Lorenzo was speechless when he heard this. He remembered everything about them, he had been 13 when they were born and 17 when they were taken. "Are you sure this is real" Lorenzo asked knowing the amount of people they had punished for telling them thought found the triplets or trying to pass themselves off as one. "A DNA test confirmed it. I'm flying out later on" "Very well. Would you like some company" Lorenzo asked. "Yes, I'll be getting Leo to make them some rooms up" "Okay where are they now" "Ohio I'll have their location exact when I get up the details. Go inform our pilot that we will be going to Ohio and send in your brothers" Lorenzo nodded and left. Not long after there was a knock and once Rafael said enter, the others walked in. "What's up father " Leo asked, being summoned was never a good thing especially since he had been summoned to the office with his idiot brothers. "The triplets have been found and I will be going to collect them soon. Yes it is them, a DNA test has been done and I've just received a copy of the results through an email" Rafael announced. "Why do they have to come back. It's been 10 years, send them to an orphanage" Marco snapped. Rafael was furious. He was about to speak his mind when Leo spoke "how dare you, we ought to send you to an orphanage simply for your lack of respect. I suggest you apologize for your comment. Right now" he said, his tone was calm but it had an undertone which promised nothing good. "I'm waiting Marco. I suggest an apology before you really do cause me to loose my temper " Rafael spoke. "Ugh fine I'm sorry" Marco said not wanting to anger his father. "I wonder what their favourite colours are. God I've got so much to do, I wonder if the mall is still open" Leonardo said voicing his thoughts. "What are you talking about Leo" Nico asked. "Their rooms of course, I need to get them ready" he paused and turned to his dad "I can do that right? Whilst you go get them" "Yes but hold off on customising them to much, they can do that themselves" he said. "got it" "Can I help" Nico said happy that his brothers and sister were coming back. He didn't remember much but he missed them. Rafael and Lorenzo walked into the social workers office. The only knowledge they had was that they had been in the hospital. They couldn't help but enjoy how everyone ran away in fear or stopped talking as they went down the corridors. They finally reached a reception. "I'm here for my kids" Rafael said to the receptionist. She gulped when she saw Rafael and Lorenzo. "Name?" She asked. "Rafael Romano" Rafael said. She typed away for a second and then nodded. "I have notified their Social worker of your arrival. She will be here shortly, can I get you anything whilst you wait" "We are fine" Rafael said. It only took a few minutes for Jessie Moore to come down. She gulped when she saw the men and she worried for the children. This probably wasn't the best option for them but they were family. "Good afternoon Mr Romano we spoke on the phone, I'm Jessie Moore, the children's social worker" she introduced herself. "You said they were in hospital, what happened" "They are okay Mr Romano, it was a car accident but the hospital released them and so if you follow me we can go meet them. I do have to warn you though that they are very nervous " Jessie proceeded to lead them to her office. She walked in first, she had told them before she left to get them that their father was here. "It seems your brother is here too. Anyway kids meet your father and brother" she told the kids and allowed Rafael and Lorenzo to enter. Alexander and James were sat with Skye in the middle of them, they both were extremely protective now they were meeting now people. Lorenzo analysed his siblings, an emotional expression on his face. Alexander saw what he was doing and did the same back. It took Lorenzo a little by suprised. Where did his carefree bubbley siblings go? "Hello children, I'm Rafael your father " Rafael introduced. It was still blunt but he managed to not sound so angry. "And you are?" Alexander asked looking at Lorenzo. "Lorenzo, your eldest brother" Lorenzo said with no emotion. "You have all grown up so much, can you introduce yourselves" Rafael asked, still being rather blunt but Lorenzo was a little suprised as this was considered 'kind' for his father. James looked at Alexander who glared at the two men. "What kind of father doesn't know his own children's names" Alexander finally said. Lorenzo wasn't happy with the disrespect but said nothing because the social worker was still in the room. "I do know your names, judging by your attitude, you are the eldest, Alexander, which makes you James. And you Skye" he said turning to each sibling as he said their names. Lorenzo was silently happy Alexander had been put in his place. "Why don't we get started on the paperwork. Of course I am aware you live in New York so this case will be transferred over and a house meeting will be scheduled in the next month or so. It's nothing to worry about, we just need to check on the kids for their own welfare" Jessie explain. "Very well" Rafael said. Jessie smiled and grabbed the paper work from her desk drawer. Rafael was busy looking through it and signing it, with Jessie explaining stuff that he wasn't paying attention to his children. Lorenzo and Alexander were still glaring at each other. Lorenzo finally had enough and sat down besides Alexander. He whispered lowly "I suggest you cut out the nonsense. We don't accept this behaviour, it's rude and disrespectful" he warned. Alexander gulped. He automatically went into protective mode and turned his body to face Lorenzo meaning his body was also sheilding his siblings. "I suggest you bare that in mind. The only reason I am going to look past this is because the social worker is here, next time I won't be so nice" he continued before getting up like nothing had happened. "Right we are all set. Thank you for contacting me" Rafael said as he and Jessie said goodbye. He then turned to his kids "lets go" Rafael was a little taken back again when he watched, Alexander made sure he had hold of his siblings hands as they followed him out. He presumed it was out of instinct to protect James and Skye from them, they were practically strangers to the siblings. The car ride was silent. James was lost in thought whilst, Skye laid her head on Alexander's shoulder as he stroked her hair. "You can sleep if you're tired Skye" Rafael said looking in the mirror as he checked on his kids, he noticed Skye looking extremely tired. Skye didn't know how to anwser so she looked up at Alexander in hopes he would do it. "She will sleep when she's ready" Rafael nodded "very well, I suppose it is best for her to stay awake another half hour whilst we get to the plane" he said. Lorenzo looked up from his phone and looked back at the siblings. Skye in particular looked terrible, she looked as though she would pass out any second. His focus then solely went to James who was looking out the window lost in thought. And then to Alexander, the boy was clearly very protective and got a bit too defensive at times. It was annoying really. Alexander and James were quick to note their family was rich when they finally boarded the plane but Skye seemed to out of it to acknowledge how rich they were. Despite being in the hospital she had only slept a little due to passing out from exhaustion. That was 5 days ago. She would pretend to sleep at night so they didn't sedate her. "She needs sleep" Lorenzo stated as he watched how Alexander and James helped her to her seat. Without them she would probably have collapsed. On the way to her seat, Skye tripped and due to how malnorished Alexander was he wasn't able to stay standing when she fell into him. Knocking them both over. Lorenzo smirked when he saw. James automatically tried to help but Lorenzo simply rolled his eyes and walked back over. Rafael had purposely not gone over, instead he had nudged Lorenzo to go because he saw Lorenzo wasn't pleased with them. He wanted to get Lorenzo talking to them. "Clearly you are all too incompetent to even find a seat. You two go sit" he said the last part to the two boys. They refused without Skye but he sent them a deadly glare "now" he ordered. Skye nodded at them to go, not wanting them to get hurt because of her. They reluctantly took the closest seat, both ready to get up again if he did something to her. Lorenzo felt them staring at him but ignored it and helped Skye up "as soon as we get in the air you're going to go have a nap" he told her as she stumbled. She shook her head fast. She couldn't sleep, especially on a plane with two strangers. There was no where to run. Nowhere to hide. "It's non negotiable, you can't even walk you're that tired" She tried to walk to prove him wrong but she was too tired and everything went dizzy. She almost fell again. Lorenzo sighed and picked her up. Alexander was quick to react, but before he could say or do anything, Lorenzo had placed her back down, this time in the seat next to Alexander. "When did you last sleep" Rafael asked. Skye looked to Alexander. "Skye isn't a fan of hospitals so it's effected her sleeping whilst we have been there " Alexander calmly said so they couldn't see it was a lie. "Well that's understandable but Skye you need to try get a bit of sleep" Rafael said looking at his only daughter with concern. Something Lorenzo had only seen a few times. Alexander and James were worried about Skye, her sleeping habits were bad. "She's going to try" Alexander said looking at her in concern. "Very well" Once in the air and the seatbelt sign went off, Lorenzo got up and walked back to them. "What are you doing" Alexander asked instantly. Lorenzo rolled his eyes "we all just agreed she needs sleep. Come on Skye" he said. "No" Alexander said as Skye nervously undid her seatbelt. "Excuse me?" Lorenzo said not liking Alexander's behaviour. "I said no. You're not taking her from me" he said with panic. He couldn't let her get hurt. Lorenzo rolled his eyes and picked up Skye. She normally would have freaked out but at this point she couldn't concentrate and wasn't fully aware. She was exhausted and sitting down on the chair was probably the most comfiest thing she had sat on before and so it drained her further. Alexander and James jumped up and followed Lorenzo."give her back " Alexander said. "Let her go. Let her go Please just let her go" he was frantic by now. Rafael was quick to jump in "boys it's okay, you can go with him, he's only putting her in the bed. We have a bed for long night journeys. He's only going to put her there so she can sleep easier" he spoke, concerned at how they freaked out. Again he played it off as a stranger taking away their baby sister. James nodded but Alexander was quick to follow Lorenzo. He watched him carefully as he placed her down on the bed. By this point she had passed out as he had been carrying her. "You are protective I get it but don't you dare yell at me like that again " Lorenzo warned and left. Alexander let his walls falls, a tear ran down his face. Everything was a mess. "It's going to be okay isn't it" James whispered after entering the room. "I don't know. How could we let her reach the point of exhaustion" he said angry with himself that he hadn't taken care of her proper. "She's sleeping now though Alex" James replied. "Yes but I doubt we will be on the plane for long. We need her to sleep more" He replied. "Are we in trouble for how we just acted" James asked, he was scared to go back out. Alex thought for a minute."I don't know, why don't you take a nap too" he said fully planning on taking whatever punishment they give before they could get angry with James. "But what about you" James asked. "I'm fine" Alex replied. James usually would say no but he was tired and didn't want his sister waking up alone so he agreed. Alex waited until James was asleep which didn't take long, before quietly leaving. He rather stay and watch his siblings but he needed to get the punishment over with before they woke. Whilst all this was going on, Rafael and Lorenzo had been discussing what had just happened. Rafael had scolded Lorenzo for walking off without talking to Alexander. "I will not have him speak to me like that" Lorenzo said. "Well next time calmly explain where you're taking her. He's obviously very protective of his siblings, it's admirable really. You need to remember, they have no idea who we are, we are just strangers to them" "Fine" Alexander entered and took a seat. "Where's James" Rafael asked. "Taking a nap too" "That's good, maybe you should have a little nap as well" Rafael replied. Alexander looked at his father, suprised he hadn't lashed out yet but then it hit him. Rafael obviously wanted him to fall asleep so he could punish his brother and sister for how he acted. Not a chance would he let that happen. "Okay how about you ask us some questions. It's obvious you don't trust us which makes sense since you don't remember us so ask away" "Why do we not live with you" Alexander asked. It had been on his mind since he had been told they had a family Lorenzo and Rafael shared a look. Rafael didn't seem to be replying so Lorenzo anwsered "you were kidnapped when you were 4, from a birthday party one of your friends was having " Alex nodded. It made sense. Those people who had them were criminals, they had connections. But why kidnap three 4 year olds. It didn't make sense. "You say you're the eldest, how many of you is there" Alex asked. "Three more brothers, Leo, Marco and Nico" Lorenzo replied. Alexander managed to keep his emotionless expression up, inside he was freaking out though. Living with 5 other men. Would they make him do dope runs? Would they threaten James and Skye? They looked even more stronger than the men who hurt them, how bad would their hits hurt. What will they have him do? How bad will the punishments be? He was already making a plan to keep his siblings safe in his head. He wouldn't let them get hurt like that. He had been failing as a brother recently. He should have just said thank you for the bread and that man wouldn't have touched Skye like that. He would need to be extra careful, Lorenzo kept warning him about disrespect, just like they had done. He would need to try harder not to be disrespectful. And then a new worry, Skye would freak out. James would probably hide it but he'd be a mess too. He knew he couldn't leave them alone with 5 others in the house. "Do James and Skye speak" Rafael said finally snapping out from reliving the awful nightmare, the day his triplets were taken from him. "They do but they are shy" Alex half lied. Sure they were shy but they had been beaten to the point where they feared to speak. "So I presume this means you will be speaking for them" Rafael asked. "Most likely. I want to apologize for the disrespect I've shown you both so far. I'm just very protective of them and you guys dont seem like the warm and friendly type" Alex said getting in a small insult. "It's understandable and I will give you time to get used to us but then any disrespect will not be taken lightly but we will give you a few days to settle in" "A few days?" Alex asked suspicious of why they were given time."yes a few days. did you expect me to summon you to my office after we have eaten dinner to give you all the rules, perhaps about how you can only talk to us and no socialising with kids your age" Rafael said with sarcasm so heavy even Alex could tell he was being sarcastic. Alex didn't even expect dinner though so that confused hin. Alex realized he probably meant after he (Rafael) had finished eating. Of course he wasn't going to feed James, Skye or his self. He made a mental note that when given food to say thank you and be greatful. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. "Well you could give me the rules now, saves screwing up" Alex needed to know the rules or he would overthink every little thing however he knew they would add more rules just to have them break it so they can punish them. " Respect. We all, especially Lorenzo and I, expect you to respect us. That means no back talk, no insults, no cheek. In return we will treat you with just as much respect. Secondly we appreciate you are teenagers wanting to try new things but you are 14, no alcohol, dopes or smoking" Flashbacks of what they made him do were brought back at the mention of dopes. Maybe they wouldn't use him to deliver dopes if they were telling him no dopes. Or maybe they just don't want him getting high when he's suppose to be selling it. "Apparently you were home schooled, however the new school year starts in two weeks so we will be getting you enrolled there. I expect you to put in effort, if you do poorly its not the end of the world, we will get you a tutor, any slacking off though is no accepted, you will respect your teachers and peers." Alexander slowly nodded. They had never been to school. When they were younger they were taught basic things, they were able to catch on quick. But Alexander worried about his siblings, he not only had to protect them from their family but now a whole school. "That brings me on to my next rule, you befriend whoever you want just no relationships just yet, you are too young at the moment" Alexander nodded shuddering at the thought. He knew what guys were like, he would need to keep a careful watch on Skye. "And finally if we ask you to do something, you will do it" Rafael finished. He hadn't meant this in such a bad way but Alexander took it as a bad way. "What happens if we break the rules" Rafael knew Alex would probably have a hard time being respectful. "we will talk about it and why you broke the rule before we give out punishments. I have a feeling you will struggle to be respectful out of protectiveness for James and Skye which I will accept but if you don't have a valid reason that's when it becomes a problem" Alex nodded. He would try his best and would make sure his siblings knew. "I'm a busy man so most likely Lorenzo will deal with the punishments" Rafael said. Lorenzo looked up from his laptop. He had took to doing some work whilst they talked. He smirked when he heard the sentance "if you would like an example, Marco and Nico stole my car and got it scratched, they have now had their cars taken from them and they will be working at the garage in town for a month" Lorenzo said. Alexander didn't think that seemed too harsh. Maybe they wouldn't beat them up as punishment. What if the garage wasn't a car garage but a torture place they called a garage. Yes he was an overthinker. "Anyway we will give you a few day, go wake your siblings up we are landing" Rafael said ending the conversation.	LEARN_MORE	https://a.letsreadnovel.com/ad/bGV0c3JlYWQvNDQzNzk	ForFun-120	https://www.facebook.com/61554751622817/	201	1969-12-31 18:00	Learn more	a.letsreadnovel.com	VIDEO		https://a.letsreadnovel.com/ad/bGV0c3JlYWQvNDQzNzkwLzIwMjUwMjI4MTYxOTAxL3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}}	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481218736_1579487345886441_1691066952373037789_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KOeOEK0ki38Q7kNvgH_Slmp&_nc_oc=Adiyv_RiPogWakfLrsxxJauIDbhyLtQapMEFPd0sj1l4guN9Y2EE2mrYKNw8Yej6PlkvyLXtodQxN2PzSqxkwmfL&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=ACGQOmvbEdMMJ2C-RA7b1Mw&oh=00_AYBbmwyh-22ocDkH09IXDNADSmO_rcAM646mf3GlERoByg&oe=67CB8CF6	PERSON_PROFILE	ForFun-120	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,227	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747383}'	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759			WATCH_MORE	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s	DramaBox- movies&drama	https://www.facebook.com/DramaBoxMoviesDrama/	9,339,610	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	play.google.com	VIDEO		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storymatrix.drama	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481179644_616375274597702_1150443409164390985_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vry4OmBX3uEQ7kNvgG54X8f&_nc_oc=Adg0pF-VZPOpw5xX65DVKG_8OgpQ2EuIx6bCAszZdytiNEdf24urgCHWSeQqzsECufgY3nuV2D0ovMdDnL00jSPC&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=Ag2DB4VZfy_2EiKOdDvDC9D&oh=00_AYAF_5zuV2JKuIcS3bdpjmWgQZd2b71YbhnlfrtOBRJ_lA&oe=67CBA09E	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- movies&drama	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,239	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747268}'	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Mine." The dangerous and menacing voice demanded in front of everyone in the room. "You are mistaken. Her father has already promised her hand to me in marriage. Once she turns 18 we will be marked and mated." Mason announced proudly and another menacing growl erupted from that man's throat. "You are not touching my mate." He growled out through gritted teeth. "He's your mate." Bella whispered. "Who are you?" I asked. "Tyler Lowe. Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack." He announced. And my mouth almost dropped open. __________ I was covered in black and blue bruises and fresh cuts from that beating. But also bruises under the new bruises that were yet to heal. I was malnourished and didn't heal as fast as werewolves. But I was used to it. Ever since my mother died when I was 6 my father has been getting progressively worse until it finally got to this kind of abuse. Which was the worst kind. Where I could barely walk or even look at myself in the mirror. I had a quick shower because the water stung my skin too much and I washed my length snow blonde hair and I came out of the bathroom and walked into my wardrobe. I got dressed into a pair of black tights, a loose fitting shirt and a hoodie over the top. It was pretty much my signature look. When I was putting my books in my bag my bedroom door slammed open and I jumped almost to the ceiling because it scared me so badly. Dad was standing there and I was surprised that he was actually able to stand. "Hurry up. The pack breakfast is starting." He demanded still slurring his words. How was he going to explain that to the pack elders? This was going to be interesting. But I really didn't care. I grabbed my bag and went downstairs and we left our side of the packhouse and walked through long corridors together and when I couldn't keep up with dad's pace he grabbed my arm and dragged me along which only hurt my ribs even more. "Quit your complaining. What is the matter with you?" He snarled at me. I wasn't surprised that he didn't remember. He was too drunk to remember. But when we got to the main part of the pack house he made sure that his clothes were neat and his balding gray hair and goatee weren't disheveled and we walked into the large dining room where a lot of important pack members had breakfast every morning. Including the Alpha, his daughter Bella, the pack elders and other influential people around the pack. Like the doctor ect. There were several tables set out and a buffet where you could eat all you wanted. And I was practically drooling at the food as dad approached it and he piled one plate up with heaps of food and then gave me the second plate with only toast and a pancake on it. I found Bella sitting at a table by herself next to the window. She was the Alpha's second born and only daughter. And my best friend. We're the same age and we've known each other since we were in diapers. "I see you've brought the hoodie out again." Bella whispers as I try to sit down without drawing any attention to myself at how much pain I was in. We all know what it means when we see the hoodie - It's for covering the bruises. "I didn't realize that I ever put it away." I say. "Well, I'm glad that I don't have to wear mine today." She commented. "Yeah. Your dad has eased off of you. Is there a reason why?" I asked curiously and a little jealous. "Yep. Because my brother is coming home today." She beamed at me. And a huge smile spread across my face as well. "You're kidding. Ethan is finally coming home." I say. And she nods her head. I could tell that she was trying everything to hide her excitement. "I can't believe that. That's fantastic." I said. I noticed Bella looking around at the room but she didn't say anything. So I glanced around as well and when I did everyone quickly stopped looking at me. Dad tried to hide his evil side. But he wasn't fooling anyone. When he got drunk, he would always start fights with people and become unbearable. And he was getting drunk a lot more lately. People had an idea of what was going on in our apartment. But no one was willing to go up against the Beta. Because they all knew that the Alpha would be there to support him and they would be kicked out of the pack. Or worse. A lot of pack members lived in fear of our Alpha and Beta. It was a horrible way to live. But if they tried to leave then the Alpha would send warriors after them to kill them. He's done it more than once. The warriors were ordered to kill entire families that were fleeing. Which included children. That's what made this pack the strongest on the East Coast. Because no one was game enough to leave so it was a huge pack and all the warriors trained relentlessly. The only problem was that girls weren't allowed to train. We basically lived in the stone ages. The Alpha believed that she-wolves are only here to find their mates and produce pups for their mates to keep the pack going strong. It was barbaric and insulting. But he was the Alpha. His word was law. "How long do we need to stay here to be respectful? I hate everyone staring at me." I whisper to Bella. "Just a couple more minutes. Then we can leave for school." She whispers back. I then saw the head warrior Mason walk in with his two sidekicks Levi and Lockie trailing behind him and Mason's eyes set straight on me. They got themselves some food and then invited themselves to join me and Bella. Mason sat right next to me and moved his chair over so he could be closer to me, but I squirmed away from him as much as possible. He was big and good looking but he was a horrible person. And I knew that from first hand experience. He was the one that they always called to track down those families that ran away. And I know that he personally killed a child of those fleeing families. I wanted nothing to do with him. "I have exciting news for you Tessa." Mason says, looking at me. "And what is that?" I asked, exhaling while drinking a little coffee. "I have you're fathers blessing." He said slowly. And my head snapped towards him. "What?" I almost shouted and a few people looked our way before they went back to what they were talking about. And Mason was smirking at me. "As soon as you turn 18, I am taking you as my mate." He says. "And what about my true mate? My goddess given mate? What about him? He's out there somewhere." I say. "Who cares. He'll find someone else. Or he'll just wither and die after you reject him. I really don't care. But you will be mine. That's all I've wanted for years." He says lightly while playing with my hair. And I look at Bella pleading with my eyes. "Yeah. We have to get to school now. It was good seeing you Mason." Bella says standing up and I stood up as well. They stayed sitting at the table as us two grabbed our bags and left the dining hall as quickly as we could and we didn't even stop to say goodbye to anyone. Least of all our fathers. But we weren't that lucky. "You two will be home straight after school. We're having a party here tonight with a lot of visiting Alpha's." The Alpha shouted across the room. We both stopped and nodded to him before leaving the house. "I can't believe that your father promised you to that sack of prick." Bella yelled as we were walking down the road. "I can. My father knows his own kind." I say. "I am so sorry Tess. What are you going to do?" Bella asked sympathetically. "I don't know. But I'll figure something out. Even if I have to run away before it can happen. I will definitely do that." I declare. "Well, tell me before you do. I'm coming with you." She says. "Sounds like a plan." I say. And then a black BMW stopped right in our walkway and we stopped before we hit the car and we both stepped back not knowing what to expect right now. Then a 6 foot 4 man with short brown hair and cleanly shaved with muscles that looked like they were going to rip his shirt off his body got out of the driver's seat and smiled at both of us. "What? Don't I even get a hug?" He asked. "Ethan." Bella yelled, jumping into his arms. And the other door opened to reveal an equally big man with dirty blonde hair and a little facial hair got out of the passenger seat. That was Ethan's best friend Wyatt. When Bella finally let Ethan go he walked over to me and hugged me and I winced a little in pain but tried to hide it and then I hugged Wyatt. And I had to do the same thing. "Are you hurt?" Ethan asked. "Yeah. It was stupid. Rough housing with a couple of the warriors and this is what happened. I should know better." I lied through my teeth. "Girls aren't allowed to train. Why are you rough housing with warriors?" Wyatt asked. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time." I shrugged. " Come on Bells, we're gonna be late." I say. "We'll see you tonight." Bella says hugging Ethan again and we start walking off down the road again. But when I looked to the side I could see Ethan and Wyatt leaning against the side of their car watching us and talking about something. I was afraid that they didn't believe my rough housing with the warrior's excuse. "Bella. What would Ethan do if he found out about my dad?" I asked nervously. "You know Ethan as well as I do. What do you think he would do to your dad?" Bella responded confidently. "Just wait until he finds out that your dad gave you away to Mason. Ethan has always hated Mason. I don't think that mating will go through if Ethan is here. That's a good thing." Bella says. "Yeah. I'll take your word for it." I say skeptically. My father always had his way of getting his own way. No matter what it was. If he wanted me to mark and mate with Mason, then it was pretty much as good as done. When we got to school we walked inside and we went to Bella's locker first and then mine. Everyone obviously knew who we were but they kept their distance from us. Both of our fathers were known for being crazy. And no one wanted to mess with the Alpha or Beta's daughters. So we only had each other at school. Which was fine with us. The further we stayed away from people, the least likely they were to find out about what was actually happening in our house. When we got to our first class we sat at the back of the classroom as usual and I pulled out my notebook and pen and started scribbling on the page in front of me. When our geography teacher arrived and started the class I just sat there with my head on my hand scribbling in my book and barely paying attention. When I was 6 years old I woke up in the morning to my 26-year-old mother and my 48-year-old father screaming at each other in our old house. The one that we had before we moved to the packhouse. I stayed in bed for ages because I couldn't find the courage to get out of bed and go out there to see what was going on. I could hear things smashing and my mother screaming at my father. I then heard the slap that he gave my mother while yelling at her. And that's when I got out of bed. I opened my door and slowly crept down the hallway and stood at the kitchen doorway and my mother was on the floor holding her face and dad was standing over her. She saw me standing there and scrambled to her feet. "It's alright sweetie. I'm alright. Hey, why don't you go and get dressed and then you can go outside and play with Bella. How does that sound?" My mother asked, crouching down to my level. But I just shook my head and looked at my father before I turned back to my room and I closed the door. I started getting dressed but their fight wasn't over. I could still hear them screaming at each other and I was shaking while I was buttoning up my shirt. But I managed to get dressed and I walked back to the kitchen. My father was storming out the backdoor from what I could see and my mother was holding a rag to her bloody nose. "Why does daddy get so angry all the time?" I asked. "I don't know sweetie. He just does. Hey, are you all ready? I think Bella is alright outside. I saw her playing in the playground earlier. Why don't you go and find her while I clean up this mess and all the broken glass." Mummy says to me. "Okay mummy." I say. And I hugged her before I walked outside and Bella was still at the playground. I got on the swing next to her and she looked at me and then back to the house. "I could hear your daddy screaming from here." Bella says. But I just nod my head. She knew that meant that I didn't want to talk about it. " Do you wanna go and annoy Ethan. He's with his friends." She says. And I smile at that and shake my head. So we jumped off the swings and went running to find Ethan so we could annoy him. Something that we loved to do all the time. And it always cheered us up. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Bella nudging me so I looked at her and she pointed down at the picture that I was absent mindedly drawing. It was a big snarling wolf attacking a woman and child. I quickly changed the page and started paying attention to the class that we were in. Try to get my mind to concentrate on what needs to be done at school. The day went by pretty quickly and before we knew it, it was time to head home. But we always took our time before going home. We slowly went to our lockers to get our things and then we headed outside but we saw that same black BMW sitting out the front waiting for us. "Ethan. What are you doing here?" Bella asked. "I'm giving you guys a lift home." He responded with a beaming smile. "It's alright. We can walk. It's not that far." I say. "Too bad. Get in." Ethan ordered. So we got in his car and he actually took us into town instead of taking us home. "The Alpha told us to get home straight after school because of that party tonight." I told Ethan. "Don't worry. Dad and the Beta know that you girls are with me. I told them before I picked you guys up. Don't worry. You won't get in trouble." Ethan assured us. Ethan took us to an ice cream store downtown and took us inside. "You do know that we're not 10 years old anymore, right?" I asked Ethan. "I know. But I thought we could all sit down and talk." He says. "A coffee shop would have been better." I say sitting down. The other two got ice cream but I didn't order anything. "So Tessa, how are the ribs going?" Ethan asked. "Pretty good. I think they're just bruised. They'll be back to normal soon." I say. "Yeah. Thank goddess for werewolf healing." Ethan says. And I just smile at him. "So Bells, how has dad been since I left? Has he gotten any worse?" Ethan asked. "About the same, I guess." Bella says eating a bit of her ice cream and then she side eyed me. But unfortunately, Ethan managed to see us. But he didn't say anything about it. I had a really bad feeling that he only brought us here to fish for information. He was asking too many questions and I didn't really like it. So I kept quiet for most of that ice cream adventure and Bella and Ethan just kept talking like always. Like they were just talking about old times. When we got back to the packhouse Ethan said that he needed to go run some errands for his dad before the party so Bella and I went inside. Both of our dad's were sitting in the living room waiting for us and we knew that couldn't be good. "We are having people here in a few hours and you two have been out galavanting with Ethan." The Alpha says. "He picked us up from school. What did you want us to do? If we didn't go with him then he knew that something would have been up." I defended us while Bella sank back a little. She was never able to stand up against them. "Well, now you two have a lot of work to do, don't you. There's cooking that needs to be done and all the bedrooms in the packhouse need to be ready in case anyone decides to stay over." My father says. "I'll go and help Bella with the rooms and then I will get started in the kitchen." I say. "There's not enough time. Bella can clean the bedrooms. That means scrub the bathrooms, change the sheets, vacuum, everything. In every bedroom in this packhouse. And Tessa, you need to get started on appetizers, then the first course, then the second course, then the main course and then dessert." The Alpha ordered. "Yes sir." I say. I looked at Bella and we had to head in separate directions. I went to the kitchen and there was no one there. Hardly any omega's worked at the packhouse because the Alpha and dad made us two girls do everything. It was a wonder that we were even allowed to go to school most of the time. But I grabbed some ingredients out and I started making the main course because it would take hours to cook and then I got started on several different appetizers to give the guests some variety. While I was in the kitchen my father walked in and he lingered behind me and I could feel my whole body tense up but he stood behind me watching me. He didn't even try to move any closer to me. He was just intimidating me. That's all it was to him. A game. He thought it was funny. By the time everything was ready the omega's arrived because they had to serve the food and I went up the backstairs to our apartment and I went straight to my bedroom. I had a shower and I couldn't even bear to look at myself in the mirror this time, so I just had a quick shower and I got out and went to the wardrobe. I got dressed into a floor length gown with a white strapless bodice with a light pink floral lace over the top that also went over my shoulders to make the straps and black the skirt of it was plain black and black strappy high heels. I then brushed my length snow blonde hair and I put on a silver and diamond bracelet and matching earrings. But I kept my neck out, except for my hair hanging down. And then I started to walk downstairs. I made it to the main area of the house and I stopped at Bella's room just as she was coming out and she was looking a little nervous about this party. "Alright. Just relax and greet a few people. There's nothing to worry about. Once we do that then us two can sit at one of the tables in the ballroom and everyone else can do whatever it is that they do." I told her. "Alright. You know I hate these parties. Getting all dressed up. It's like our father's are putting us on display." She says. "That's exactly what they're doing. And they know it too. Come on, before they get pissed at us for being too long." I say hooking my arm around hers and we started walking down the hall. We walked down the staircase and off to the right was the living room but all the furniture had been cleared out of it and the rooms adjacent to it so people would walk around freely and talk and have a good time. And the main ballroom was set up for dancing while the dining room had been lined with four very long tables that could easily seat a couple hundred people. Walking to the living room was really nerve wracking but I made sure that I held my head high and people did look at us. "It's only because we are the hottest ones here. Just remember that." I whispered to Bella as I felt her tense up. And we continued walking into the room. Alpha's from other packs would come over and introduce themselves and of course we needed to be on our best behavior and represent the pack well and we were nice and polite to everyone and we would have light conversations with people. I noticed that there were older Alpha's with their teenage sons who were obviously learning the ropes to becoming Alpha's themselves and there were others in their 20's and 30's that were there with friends or even their Beta's. I wasn't sure. We had been at the party for about 20 minutes mingling when a familiar scent filled my nose and strong arms wrapped around my waist and I knew immediately that it was Mason. "Take note of the people that you like in this room sweetie. We can invite them to our wedding." Mason hissed in my ear while smelling the crook of my neck. I tried to unravel his arms from around my stomach because I was now in a lot of pain with the broken ribs but he wasn't letting go for anything. I didn't have the strength to get him to let go. All of a sudden there was a growl that ripped through the room and the band stopped playing and I heard something smash. Like it was a wooden chair or something. Everyone looked in that direction and there was a man standing there that I had never noticed before. He would have been in his early 20's, brown hair to his shoulders, a brown goatee, 6-foot 6 at least and very defined muscles that were now tense as his intense gaze was staring directly at me and Mason. But I didn't know who he was. I was frozen in the spot and this man was just staring at us with pure hatred in his eyes. But then I realized that the hatred was for Mason. Not me. "Mine." He demanded. "Mine." The dangerous and menacing voice demanded in front of everyone in the room. All the Alpha's from nearby packs and even ones that have traveled long distances to be here. Mason finally loosened his grip around me and I noticed the woman standing next to that stranger with a horrified look on her face. She tried to grab his arm but he shook her off and marked towards Mason and me. I very subtly pushed Bella to the side away from where this man was coming for us. Just in case anything happened, she could be ready to duck and cover. "You are mistaken. Her father has already promised her hand to me in marriage. Once she turns 18 we will be marked and mated." Mason announced proudly and another menacing growl erupted from that man's throat. "You are not touching my mate." He growled out through gritted teeth. "He's your mate." Bella whispered. "Who are you?" I asked. "Tyler Lowe. Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack." He announced. And my mouth almost dropped open. They were a large pack. They were known for their strength. They were not to be messed with. I knew of their pack, but I had never met their Alpha and didn't know what his name was. "She is not your mate. She has been promised to me." Mason gritted out. This was going to get out of hand. Really quickly. But another man stood in and placed his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "My name is Cade. I am Tyler's Beta. And I'm sure you know young man that it is against werewolf rules and nature to come between a wolf and his mate. Especially that of an Alpha wolf." Cade educated Mason. "I know the laws. And I don't care. Her father promised her to me. And she will be mine." Mason insisted and Cade had to hold Tyler back after that.	LEARN_MORE	https://b.chaptersapps.com/ad/L0NoYXB0ZXJzLyR7bGlu	Hut001	https://www.facebook.com/61550056771112/	195	1969-12-31 18:00	Learn more	b.chaptersapps.com	VIDEO		https://b.chaptersapps.com/ad/L0NoYXB0ZXJzLyR7bGlua0lkfS8xNzQwMzc1NTYxODEzL3BhZ2V3YmFqcQ==?adid={{ad.id}}	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/480692936_2129764767456711_1478881927939310060_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fv1oMPhGDcsQ7kNvgFmcMgR&_nc_oc=Adj2aNJqqI9cUbVLH2Gj_O4M2FZ00cZMKXDiKudIacS4glRiUUxPpazervZa95TuEsfV4Mqqrcy_doV_t1VrIL_P&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=ACGQOmvbEdMMJ2C-RA7b1Mw&oh=00_AYAh4UgqlFJ7r49-shmAImzqEQ9jOmyh_etMXIkJOFGA2Q&oe=67CB9721	PERSON_PROFILE	Hut001	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,384	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747383}'	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	Proceed to the Next Video!	Aidan Stein, the Eternal Lord Sovereign of the magnificent Eternity Palace, temporarily loses his memory and intelligence due to his 60-year cycle. He lives alone in Vertania until he encounters Jade Yule, who saves his life and becomes his wife. Years later, Jack Foley, an aristocrat of Vertania, develops an interest in Jade. He sends his men after Aidan, inadvertently triggering the resurgence of his memories and power.	WATCH_MORE	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s	DramaBox- movies&drama	https://www.facebook.com/DramaBoxMoviesDrama/	9,339,614	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	play.google.com	VIDEO		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storymatrix.drama	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481955009_1678196669571590_3068053088673598988_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7VRRrsHe-SUQ7kNvgHe44Zi&_nc_oc=AdgxKjqnbRhjqROA54lk0TXSZEaEokAeEX4crbFSb3N2pkW48r0rXnW6XWGERkP5VZj1hpSEMUEcGDdeDwQMQB0Y&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=AWdFuBZBgWbkxOcbt_M9kf9&oh=00_AYDv9ba8ZE5sLUK896PmKXFyBO-jfVGwtvDctwhEHdw69g&oe=67CBB4BA	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- movies&drama	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,385	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747383}'	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	Proceed to the Next Video!	Aidan Stein, the Eternal Lord Sovereign of the magnificent Eternity Palace, temporarily loses his memory and intelligence due to his 60-year cycle. He lives alone in Vertania until he encounters Jade Yule, who saves his life and becomes his wife. Years later, Jack Foley, an aristocrat of Vertania, develops an interest in Jade. He sends his men after Aidan, inadvertently triggering the resurgence of his memories and power.	WATCH_MORE	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s	DramaBox- movies&drama	https://www.facebook.com/DramaBoxMoviesDrama/	9,339,614	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	play.google.com	VIDEO		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storymatrix.drama	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481266560_1961804274342286_7418742237480296989_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9Be57Dbgx2YQ7kNvgG5o0hX&_nc_oc=AdicoTUyP7e2-eJzqQNLOQe-_Y_591-41TwTLy2exLaTCZZT1TwAjDOj5KXhClrGVl1XeuewpOFqSMARk1TSKuBS&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=AWdFuBZBgWbkxOcbt_M9kf9&oh=00_AYC7r4e5U8t74W9m2LB3ZHuwEPjHAQ_589LluGfLR1Iwng&oe=67CBA864	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- movies&drama	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,254	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747268}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Mine." The dangerous and menacing voice demanded in front of everyone in the room. "You are mistaken. Her father has already promised her hand to me in marriage. Once she turns 18 we will be marked and mated." Mason announced proudly and another menacing growl erupted from that man's throat. "You are not touching my mate." He growled out through gritted teeth. "He's your mate." Bella whispered. "Who are you?" I asked. "Tyler Lowe. Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack." He announced. And my mouth almost dropped open. __________ I was covered in black and blue bruises and fresh cuts from that beating. But also bruises under the new bruises that were yet to heal. I was malnourished and didn't heal as fast as werewolves. But I was used to it. Ever since my mother died when I was 6 my father has been getting progressively worse until it finally got to this kind of abuse. Which was the worst kind. Where I could barely walk or even look at myself in the mirror. I had a quick shower because the water stung my skin too much and I washed my length snow blonde hair and I came out of the bathroom and walked into my wardrobe. I got dressed into a pair of black tights, a loose fitting shirt and a hoodie over the top. It was pretty much my signature look. When I was putting my books in my bag my bedroom door slammed open and I jumped almost to the ceiling because it scared me so badly. Dad was standing there and I was surprised that he was actually able to stand. "Hurry up. The pack breakfast is starting." He demanded still slurring his words. How was he going to explain that to the pack elders? This was going to be interesting. But I really didn't care. I grabbed my bag and went downstairs and we left our side of the packhouse and walked through long corridors together and when I couldn't keep up with dad's pace he grabbed my arm and dragged me along which only hurt my ribs even more. "Quit your complaining. What is the matter with you?" He snarled at me. I wasn't surprised that he didn't remember. He was too drunk to remember. But when we got to the main part of the pack house he made sure that his clothes were neat and his balding gray hair and goatee weren't disheveled and we walked into the large dining room where a lot of important pack members had breakfast every morning. Including the Alpha, his daughter Bella, the pack elders and other influential people around the pack. Like the doctor ect. There were several tables set out and a buffet where you could eat all you wanted. And I was practically drooling at the food as dad approached it and he piled one plate up with heaps of food and then gave me the second plate with only toast and a pancake on it. I found Bella sitting at a table by herself next to the window. She was the Alpha's second born and only daughter. And my best friend. We're the same age and we've known each other since we were in diapers. "I see you've brought the hoodie out again." Bella whispers as I try to sit down without drawing any attention to myself at how much pain I was in. We all know what it means when we see the hoodie - It's for covering the bruises. "I didn't realize that I ever put it away." I say. "Well, I'm glad that I don't have to wear mine today." She commented. "Yeah. Your dad has eased off of you. Is there a reason why?" I asked curiously and a little jealous. "Yep. Because my brother is coming home today." She beamed at me. And a huge smile spread across my face as well. "You're kidding. Ethan is finally coming home." I say. And she nods her head. I could tell that she was trying everything to hide her excitement. "I can't believe that. That's fantastic." I said. I noticed Bella looking around at the room but she didn't say anything. So I glanced around as well and when I did everyone quickly stopped looking at me. Dad tried to hide his evil side. But he wasn't fooling anyone. When he got drunk, he would always start fights with people and become unbearable. And he was getting drunk a lot more lately. People had an idea of what was going on in our apartment. But no one was willing to go up against the Beta. Because they all knew that the Alpha would be there to support him and they would be kicked out of the pack. Or worse. A lot of pack members lived in fear of our Alpha and Beta. It was a horrible way to live. But if they tried to leave then the Alpha would send warriors after them to kill them. He's done it more than once. The warriors were ordered to kill entire families that were fleeing. Which included children. That's what made this pack the strongest on the East Coast. Because no one was game enough to leave so it was a huge pack and all the warriors trained relentlessly. The only problem was that girls weren't allowed to train. We basically lived in the stone ages. The Alpha believed that she-wolves are only here to find their mates and produce pups for their mates to keep the pack going strong. It was barbaric and insulting. But he was the Alpha. His word was law. "How long do we need to stay here to be respectful? I hate everyone staring at me." I whisper to Bella. "Just a couple more minutes. Then we can leave for school." She whispers back. I then saw the head warrior Mason walk in with his two sidekicks Levi and Lockie trailing behind him and Mason's eyes set straight on me. They got themselves some food and then invited themselves to join me and Bella. Mason sat right next to me and moved his chair over so he could be closer to me, but I squirmed away from him as much as possible. He was big and good looking but he was a horrible person. And I knew that from first hand experience. He was the one that they always called to track down those families that ran away. And I know that he personally killed a child of those fleeing families. I wanted nothing to do with him. "I have exciting news for you Tessa." Mason says, looking at me. "And what is that?" I asked, exhaling while drinking a little coffee. "I have you're fathers blessing." He said slowly. And my head snapped towards him. "What?" I almost shouted and a few people looked our way before they went back to what they were talking about. And Mason was smirking at me. "As soon as you turn 18, I am taking you as my mate." He says. "And what about my true mate? My goddess given mate? What about him? He's out there somewhere." I say. "Who cares. He'll find someone else. Or he'll just wither and die after you reject him. I really don't care. But you will be mine. That's all I've wanted for years." He says lightly while playing with my hair. And I look at Bella pleading with my eyes. "Yeah. We have to get to school now. It was good seeing you Mason." Bella says standing up and I stood up as well. They stayed sitting at the table as us two grabbed our bags and left the dining hall as quickly as we could and we didn't even stop to say goodbye to anyone. Least of all our fathers. But we weren't that lucky. "You two will be home straight after school. We're having a party here tonight with a lot of visiting Alpha's." The Alpha shouted across the room. We both stopped and nodded to him before leaving the house. "I can't believe that your father promised you to that sack of prick." Bella yelled as we were walking down the road. "I can. My father knows his own kind." I say. "I am so sorry Tess. What are you going to do?" Bella asked sympathetically. "I don't know. But I'll figure something out. Even if I have to run away before it can happen. I will definitely do that." I declare. "Well, tell me before you do. I'm coming with you." She says. "Sounds like a plan." I say. And then a black BMW stopped right in our walkway and we stopped before we hit the car and we both stepped back not knowing what to expect right now. Then a 6 foot 4 man with short brown hair and cleanly shaved with muscles that looked like they were going to rip his shirt off his body got out of the driver's seat and smiled at both of us. "What? Don't I even get a hug?" He asked. "Ethan." Bella yelled, jumping into his arms. And the other door opened to reveal an equally big man with dirty blonde hair and a little facial hair got out of the passenger seat. That was Ethan's best friend Wyatt. When Bella finally let Ethan go he walked over to me and hugged me and I winced a little in pain but tried to hide it and then I hugged Wyatt. And I had to do the same thing. "Are you hurt?" Ethan asked. "Yeah. It was stupid. Rough housing with a couple of the warriors and this is what happened. I should know better." I lied through my teeth. "Girls aren't allowed to train. Why are you rough housing with warriors?" Wyatt asked. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time." I shrugged. " Come on Bells, we're gonna be late." I say. "We'll see you tonight." Bella says hugging Ethan again and we start walking off down the road again. But when I looked to the side I could see Ethan and Wyatt leaning against the side of their car watching us and talking about something. I was afraid that they didn't believe my rough housing with the warrior's excuse. "Bella. What would Ethan do if he found out about my dad?" I asked nervously. "You know Ethan as well as I do. What do you think he would do to your dad?" Bella responded confidently. "Just wait until he finds out that your dad gave you away to Mason. Ethan has always hated Mason. I don't think that mating will go through if Ethan is here. That's a good thing." Bella says. "Yeah. I'll take your word for it." I say skeptically. My father always had his way of getting his own way. No matter what it was. If he wanted me to mark and mate with Mason, then it was pretty much as good as done. When we got to school we walked inside and we went to Bella's locker first and then mine. Everyone obviously knew who we were but they kept their distance from us. Both of our fathers were known for being crazy. And no one wanted to mess with the Alpha or Beta's daughters. So we only had each other at school. Which was fine with us. The further we stayed away from people, the least likely they were to find out about what was actually happening in our house. When we got to our first class we sat at the back of the classroom as usual and I pulled out my notebook and pen and started scribbling on the page in front of me. When our geography teacher arrived and started the class I just sat there with my head on my hand scribbling in my book and barely paying attention. When I was 6 years old I woke up in the morning to my 26-year-old mother and my 48-year-old father screaming at each other in our old house. The one that we had before we moved to the packhouse. I stayed in bed for ages because I couldn't find the courage to get out of bed and go out there to see what was going on. I could hear things smashing and my mother screaming at my father. I then heard the slap that he gave my mother while yelling at her. And that's when I got out of bed. I opened my door and slowly crept down the hallway and stood at the kitchen doorway and my mother was on the floor holding her face and dad was standing over her. She saw me standing there and scrambled to her feet. "It's alright sweetie. I'm alright. Hey, why don't you go and get dressed and then you can go outside and play with Bella. How does that sound?" My mother asked, crouching down to my level. But I just shook my head and looked at my father before I turned back to my room and I closed the door. I started getting dressed but their fight wasn't over. I could still hear them screaming at each other and I was shaking while I was buttoning up my shirt. But I managed to get dressed and I walked back to the kitchen. My father was storming out the backdoor from what I could see and my mother was holding a rag to her bloody nose. "Why does daddy get so angry all the time?" I asked. "I don't know sweetie. He just does. Hey, are you all ready? I think Bella is alright outside. I saw her playing in the playground earlier. Why don't you go and find her while I clean up this mess and all the broken glass." Mummy says to me. "Okay mummy." I say. And I hugged her before I walked outside and Bella was still at the playground. I got on the swing next to her and she looked at me and then back to the house. "I could hear your daddy screaming from here." Bella says. But I just nod my head. She knew that meant that I didn't want to talk about it. " Do you wanna go and annoy Ethan. He's with his friends." She says. And I smile at that and shake my head. So we jumped off the swings and went running to find Ethan so we could annoy him. Something that we loved to do all the time. And it always cheered us up. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Bella nudging me so I looked at her and she pointed down at the picture that I was absent mindedly drawing. It was a big snarling wolf attacking a woman and child. I quickly changed the page and started paying attention to the class that we were in. Try to get my mind to concentrate on what needs to be done at school. The day went by pretty quickly and before we knew it, it was time to head home. But we always took our time before going home. We slowly went to our lockers to get our things and then we headed outside but we saw that same black BMW sitting out the front waiting for us. "Ethan. What are you doing here?" Bella asked. "I'm giving you guys a lift home." He responded with a beaming smile. "It's alright. We can walk. It's not that far." I say. "Too bad. Get in." Ethan ordered. So we got in his car and he actually took us into town instead of taking us home. "The Alpha told us to get home straight after school because of that party tonight." I told Ethan. "Don't worry. Dad and the Beta know that you girls are with me. I told them before I picked you guys up. Don't worry. You won't get in trouble." Ethan assured us. Ethan took us to an ice cream store downtown and took us inside. "You do know that we're not 10 years old anymore, right?" I asked Ethan. "I know. But I thought we could all sit down and talk." He says. "A coffee shop would have been better." I say sitting down. The other two got ice cream but I didn't order anything. "So Tessa, how are the ribs going?" Ethan asked. "Pretty good. I think they're just bruised. They'll be back to normal soon." I say. "Yeah. Thank goddess for werewolf healing." Ethan says. And I just smile at him. "So Bells, how has dad been since I left? Has he gotten any worse?" Ethan asked. "About the same, I guess." Bella says eating a bit of her ice cream and then she side eyed me. But unfortunately, Ethan managed to see us. But he didn't say anything about it. I had a really bad feeling that he only brought us here to fish for information. He was asking too many questions and I didn't really like it. So I kept quiet for most of that ice cream adventure and Bella and Ethan just kept talking like always. Like they were just talking about old times. When we got back to the packhouse Ethan said that he needed to go run some errands for his dad before the party so Bella and I went inside. Both of our dad's were sitting in the living room waiting for us and we knew that couldn't be good. "We are having people here in a few hours and you two have been out galavanting with Ethan." The Alpha says. "He picked us up from school. What did you want us to do? If we didn't go with him then he knew that something would have been up." I defended us while Bella sank back a little. She was never able to stand up against them. "Well, now you two have a lot of work to do, don't you. There's cooking that needs to be done and all the bedrooms in the packhouse need to be ready in case anyone decides to stay over." My father says. "I'll go and help Bella with the rooms and then I will get started in the kitchen." I say. "There's not enough time. Bella can clean the bedrooms. That means scrub the bathrooms, change the sheets, vacuum, everything. In every bedroom in this packhouse. And Tessa, you need to get started on appetizers, then the first course, then the second course, then the main course and then dessert." The Alpha ordered. "Yes sir." I say. I looked at Bella and we had to head in separate directions. I went to the kitchen and there was no one there. Hardly any omega's worked at the packhouse because the Alpha and dad made us two girls do everything. It was a wonder that we were even allowed to go to school most of the time. But I grabbed some ingredients out and I started making the main course because it would take hours to cook and then I got started on several different appetizers to give the guests some variety. While I was in the kitchen my father walked in and he lingered behind me and I could feel my whole body tense up but he stood behind me watching me. He didn't even try to move any closer to me. He was just intimidating me. That's all it was to him. A game. He thought it was funny. By the time everything was ready the omega's arrived because they had to serve the food and I went up the backstairs to our apartment and I went straight to my bedroom. I had a shower and I couldn't even bear to look at myself in the mirror this time, so I just had a quick shower and I got out and went to the wardrobe. I got dressed into a floor length gown with a white strapless bodice with a light pink floral lace over the top that also went over my shoulders to make the straps and black the skirt of it was plain black and black strappy high heels. I then brushed my length snow blonde hair and I put on a silver and diamond bracelet and matching earrings. But I kept my neck out, except for my hair hanging down. And then I started to walk downstairs. I made it to the main area of the house and I stopped at Bella's room just as she was coming out and she was looking a little nervous about this party. "Alright. Just relax and greet a few people. There's nothing to worry about. Once we do that then us two can sit at one of the tables in the ballroom and everyone else can do whatever it is that they do." I told her. "Alright. You know I hate these parties. Getting all dressed up. It's like our father's are putting us on display." She says. "That's exactly what they're doing. And they know it too. Come on, before they get pissed at us for being too long." I say hooking my arm around hers and we started walking down the hall. We walked down the staircase and off to the right was the living room but all the furniture had been cleared out of it and the rooms adjacent to it so people would walk around freely and talk and have a good time. And the main ballroom was set up for dancing while the dining room had been lined with four very long tables that could easily seat a couple hundred people. Walking to the living room was really nerve wracking but I made sure that I held my head high and people did look at us. "It's only because we are the hottest ones here. Just remember that." I whispered to Bella as I felt her tense up. And we continued walking into the room. Alpha's from other packs would come over and introduce themselves and of course we needed to be on our best behavior and represent the pack well and we were nice and polite to everyone and we would have light conversations with people. I noticed that there were older Alpha's with their teenage sons who were obviously learning the ropes to becoming Alpha's themselves and there were others in their 20's and 30's that were there with friends or even their Beta's. I wasn't sure. We had been at the party for about 20 minutes mingling when a familiar scent filled my nose and strong arms wrapped around my waist and I knew immediately that it was Mason. "Take note of the people that you like in this room sweetie. We can invite them to our wedding." Mason hissed in my ear while smelling the crook of my neck. I tried to unravel his arms from around my stomach because I was now in a lot of pain with the broken ribs but he wasn't letting go for anything. I didn't have the strength to get him to let go. All of a sudden there was a growl that ripped through the room and the band stopped playing and I heard something smash. Like it was a wooden chair or something. Everyone looked in that direction and there was a man standing there that I had never noticed before. He would have been in his early 20's, brown hair to his shoulders, a brown goatee, 6-foot 6 at least and very defined muscles that were now tense as his intense gaze was staring directly at me and Mason. But I didn't know who he was. I was frozen in the spot and this man was just staring at us with pure hatred in his eyes. But then I realized that the hatred was for Mason. Not me. "Mine." He demanded. "Mine." The dangerous and menacing voice demanded in front of everyone in the room. All the Alpha's from nearby packs and even ones that have traveled long distances to be here. Mason finally loosened his grip around me and I noticed the woman standing next to that stranger with a horrified look on her face. She tried to grab his arm but he shook her off and marked towards Mason and me. I very subtly pushed Bella to the side away from where this man was coming for us. Just in case anything happened, she could be ready to duck and cover. "You are mistaken. Her father has already promised her hand to me in marriage. Once she turns 18 we will be marked and mated." Mason announced proudly and another menacing growl erupted from that man's throat. "You are not touching my mate." He growled out through gritted teeth. "He's your mate." Bella whispered. "Who are you?" I asked. "Tyler Lowe. Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack." He announced. And my mouth almost dropped open. They were a large pack. They were known for their strength. They were not to be messed with. I knew of their pack, but I had never met their Alpha and didn't know what his name was. "She is not your mate. She has been promised to me." Mason gritted out. This was going to get out of hand. Really quickly. But another man stood in and placed his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "My name is Cade. I am Tyler's Beta. And I'm sure you know young man that it is against werewolf rules and nature to come between a wolf and his mate. Especially that of an Alpha wolf." Cade educated Mason. "I know the laws. And I don't care. Her father promised her to me. And she will be mine." Mason insisted and Cade had to hold Tyler back after that.	LEARN_MORE	https://b.chaptersapps.com/ad/L0NoYXB0ZXJzLyR7bGlu	Hut001	https://www.facebook.com/61550056771112/	195	1969-12-31 18:00	Learn more	b.chaptersapps.com	VIDEO		https://b.chaptersapps.com/ad/L0NoYXB0ZXJzLyR7bGlua0lkfS8xNzQwMzc1NTYxODEzL3BhZ2V3YmFqcQ==?adid={{ad.id}}	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481221648_1312533933132310_3135480120942436205_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TfIYLu7qlLsQ7kNvgHP5MW7&_nc_oc=AdiW_p1kWejuNxHdIJUHZ0keKXzjt8MBNiZaIPQ-D5XG6tZaQqGizPmWuwBFgpRmn-KYd03FuAOoX5BElBCAiWIG&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=AhgAUIE0q4_ey4ZHkh7DOyv&oh=00_AYBPEGNEwjVLL38CF8EUJr8t-GyexPxD58CWh5q5hhaz5A&oe=67CBA87E	PERSON_PROFILE	Hut001	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,263	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747285}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"She's not an ex or a bunny, is she?" "What? No. Cora and I went to school together. Her stepfather was my coach in high school. We were friends." "Just friends?" "Just friends. She's probably the only girl who's ever just been my friend. I've known her since kindergarten." Until she wasn't my friend anymore. Until I screwed it up. ____________ Cora The night is busier than usual, and I've run myself ragged trying to keep up in the ER. As a nurse, I don't normally work the ER, but I've had trauma training, and when three nurses called off, I came in. The overtime will be a nice bonus. I'm behind on my rent, and I hope this extra money will help me not only catch up on that, but on the other bills as well. "Cora!" I glance up from my charts to see Mrs. Hesh, my supervisor in the ER, hurrying toward me. She looks panicked. "What's wrong?" "We have several VIP patients coming in. I need your help." "Of course." I close the chart and put it back in the pile I still need to go through. "What do I need to know?" "Several of the hockey players from the Raptors got injured and are being rushed here. We need to make sure they're taken care of straight away and that the team and coaches are kept informed of their status. Can you do that?" "Shouldn't Shelia do that? She's the senior RN. I'm only filling in." Hockey players make me uneasy. Bad past experience. "I don't trust her not to ask them all for autographs. She's a total fangirl." My eyes widen. I didn't know Mrs. H. knew what that term even meant. "And I heard you say you knew hockey." "I do." "Good. I trust you not to lose your mind when confronted by the team." "No, ma'am, I won't." "You may need to wrangle some of the other nurses, too. I'll be busy with the patients." "They're not going to like it, especially the ones who have seniority over me." "Does that mean you can't do it?" The older woman turns and looks me dead in the eye, hers shrewd and assessing. But she can change my status here at the hospital. I'm not going to do anything to disappoint her. It says a lot she's trusting me with this. "I can do it." "Good." We both rush to the ER entrance, waiting for the ambulances to arrive. I pull my ponytail down and redo it, tucking the loose strands of my heavy blonde hair behind my ear. I learned during my first real rotation to always keep my hair up and out of the way. Otherwise, you could get run over in a packed ER because you can't see when your hair is swinging everywhere. It only takes a few moments for the first two ambulances to come screeching into the ER entrance, sirens blaring. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for two seconds then move forward, meeting the ambulance doors and waiting for them to open. The first player out is Jamison O'Brian. He has a nasty cut to the face, and his leg is propped up and held immobile by the board strapped to it. He looks rough, but not in danger. Dr. Billings waves him off with the nurse standing behind me. I don't remember the guy's name. I'm not down here enough to know everyone. The second ambulance holds a more serious injury. Myers is the name emblazoned on his jersey. His head is a bloody mess, as is his arm, a nasty looking gash that was most likely caused by a blade. That's going to keep him out for a couple of weeks at least, depending on any kind of nerve or muscle damage. He goes with Ava, the other nurse down here from my regular floor. Ava and I are friends, and we both frown at the seriousness of the injury. Ava is a huge hockey fan, but she can be trusted not to lose her mind over treating a player, which is why she's been called out to meet the ambulances. The last ambulance is the one Mrs. H. seems the most concerned with. As soon as the doors spring open and the EMTs start shouting stats, I get a good look at the unconscious man lying prone and bleeding on the stretcher. All the air rushes out of my lungs, and all I can do is stare. No. It can't be. He's in Florida. Not Minnesota. "Cora?" The sharp tone snaps me out of my funk. "Sorry. It's just I know him." "You know him?" We run after the stretcher. "I went to school with him." "Is this going to be a problem?" "No, ma'am. I was just shocked is all. I hadn't realized he'd been traded to the Raptors. I'm good." She nods and we get to work, me helping cut his clothes off, revealing the extent of his injuries. He has massive bruises on his abdomen, which might indicate internal bleeding. There's also a nasty cut along one thigh, and his shoulder is at an odd angle. The doctors twist it back into its socket while he's unconscious. I wince when they do, glad he's unconscious for that. Resetting a shoulder is extremely painful. As the doctors do that, we keep working, helping to clean away the mess so they can evaluate him. The bleeding is stopped, and then he's gone to CT to make sure there was no damage to the brain and to see if he has internal bleeding where the bruising is. I go to check on the next patient, who is currently complaining that he's fine and he doesn't need all the fuss. The doctor and the male nurse are disagreeing with him, but he just gets louder. They do not know how to deal with hockey players, apparently. Or they don't want to upset a VIP patient. Either way, the patient's care comes first, even when said patient is acting like a big baby. "Sit." My tone is sharp and commanding when he tries to get off the table. His brown eyes snap to mine, and I just arch a brow. "I'm fine." He stands up, daring me to say a word. He has no idea he's dealing with someone who grew up around hockey players. "You are not fine. Now, sit down before you fall down." The nurse and doctor look at me like I've grown two heads, but O'Brian sits, a scowl on his face. He might terrify everyone else with that look, but not me. "Don't give me that look. Your leg could be broken, and the more you stand on it, the more damage you'll be doing. Which means longer time off the ice. So stop being a whiney prick and let us take care of you so you can get back out there." "Fine," he mutters, and I shake my head. Hockey players. Mrs. H. stands to the side, a small smile on her face. "Cora, we need you in here, please." I peel my gloves off and don a new pair when I push into the room where Myers sits, growling at everyone. The nurses are all a little too giddy and not really doing their job. Sighing, I push through them, snapping for them to get to work or get out. The low chuckle from the bed catches my attention, and I arch that same brow. "That's a nasty cut, Mr. Myers." "I've had worse." Dark green eyes dance with mischief even with the twinge of pain in them. "I'm sure you have." Ava hustles over, looking exasperated. "Thanks for that. They weren't listening to me." "No problem." Between the two of us, we get him stripped and cleaned, working around the doctors and getting them what they need as well. Soon he's hustled off to x-ray, and Ava and I take a moment to catch our breath. "That was intense." "I forget how surly they can be when they're hurt." "Your stepfather was a high school coach, wasn't he?" I nod, not really paying attention. "So that's how you know so much about hockey." We both jump at the sound of Mrs. H.'s voice. "Sorry, we just needed a moment." "Understandable. Cora if you can go inform the team of what's going on, I'd appreciate it. They're camped out in the waiting room." "And being very loud, I take it?" Her lips twitch, and I know I'm right. Sighing, I push off the wall and take a glance at the charts before walking down the hall to the waiting room. I hear the noise before I even reach the doors. Loud isn't quite the word I'd use. Think of about thirty two-year-olds all screaming at the top of their lungs. That would be the most accurate picture of the noise coming from out there. No fewer than six nurses, male and female alike, are trying to talk above the noise. But honestly, they're not asking about injuries or informing the team about the patients. They're talking about the game. "Excuse me." I make myself louder than normal, but it's not doing a thing to get anyone attention. So I do the one thing I know will get through. I put fingers to my lips and let out a whistle so shrill it hurts the ears. Another thing left over from my high school days. A little trick my stepfather taught me. But it's effective, and every single bit of noise dies down. "Thank you. Now, where is the head coach?" He stands and walks forward. "I'm Coach Baptist." "All three of your players are being taken care of. O'Brian's in x-ray, and Myers and Chandler are upstairs in CT. They're checking for head trauma and internal bleeding. As soon as we know more, I'll come out and let you know." I turn my attention back to the nurses. "You lot have things to do other than stand around out here and gossip. Get back to work." "I outrank you." The snottiest of them grins. "Yes, but Mrs. H. put me in charge. Sure you want to tell her why you decided to pull that snarky little comment out of your a$s?" Her eyes widen, and she turns and marches back through the doors. Idiot. "Well, what are the rest of you waiting for?" They grumble but shuffle off. Which leaves the team to deal with. "Is there anyone else out here who needs medical attention?" A collective shake of heads is the only answer. "Now, I know you're all tired, and anxious to find out about your teammates, but this is a hospital. There are sick people here, and all this noise isn't helping." More grumbling. "I get it, guys, I do, but I swear if you don't settle down, you're going to deal with me, and trust me, ladder drills have nothing on my ire, so please do us all a favor and behave." "Ladder drills, huh?" one player asks. "You know hockey?" "Yes. Now, unless you guys need something, I'll be back when I have more to report." I turn around, and a wolf whistle follows me. It takes me two seconds to have the offender's ear in between my fingers. You'd be amazed at how quickly a man will come to heel with a little pressure on his earlobe. "Ow!" he screeches. "I'm not your honey, babe, or a bunny. I'm Nurse Stevens, and if you disrespect me again, I will have your balls. Understand?" "Yes, ma'am." I turn him loose and give them all a level stare. "Understand?" A chorus of "yes, ma'ams" follow me as I turn around and disappear behind the doors leadings back to the ER. Hockey players. Cora Has it really been only four hours since the worst shock of my life? But my trusty watch says it has. Thank God for all my training, or I might have run from the hospital and never come back. Shaw Chandler. Dear sweet baby Jesus. I never expected to see him again, especially not in Minnesota, of all places. He swore he never wanted to play where it was cold ever again. The southern states or the warmer ones on the west coast are where he wanted to play. It's why I felt so safe moving here. Even though hockey is king in this state the same way football is in Texas, I knew he'd never play here. But then, players don't dictate trades. He might not have been given a choice. And besides, it's not like he'd care I'm here, anyway. We haven't spoken in over four years. Shaking my head, I pull myself together and focus on the patient who needs the nausea meds. Poor man seems to have gotten food poisoning. He's thrown up three times since he got here twenty minutes ago. He's dehydrated, but the IV I put in with the fluids should start to help soon. "Here you go, Mr. Croom. This will ease the nausea." I hand him the tablets and small paper cup. He takes it and swallows the pills down. "God, I hope this stays down." Me too. He threw up on me earlier. Glancing at the clock, a sigh escapes when I see my shift is over. I can go home and forget I saw Shaw Chandler. But the pale stillness of him when he came in worries me. Shaw was my best friend all throughout school, and as much as he hurt me, part of me still worries about him. I always will. "I'm getting ready to leave, Mr. Croom, but Amber will be the charge nurse on duty. She should be by in just a few minutes. Is there anything you need before I go?" He shakes his head miserably, and I smile encouragingly at him. Food poisoning is one of the worst things in the world. "Hey, Cora." Amber shoots me a smile when I walk over to the nurses' station to clock out on the computer. "Watch that one. He's got food poisoning and has already thrown up on me." "Ouch." I wrinkle my nose. I smell like vomit, but at least I have on clean scrubs. I learned early on to keep several extra sets on hand. I give her the rundown on the rest of the patients as I gather my things. "I heard about the hockey mess that came in." "Yeah. Two serious injuries and one very loud, very vocal team." "We've had them in a few times over the years. Takes some wrangling." "I handled it." "I knew you could." She waves me off as I walk around the station. "See you tomorrow!" No, she won't, but I don't bother mentioning that. Amber is one of the nicest people in this place, and I try not to let my snarky nature disrupt her bubbly attitude. It's not until I'm in the elevator stepping off onto the floor where Shaw is that I realize I've even done it. I shouldn't be here. I know it, but I'm worried. He looked so pale. Groaning at my own gluttony for punishment, I walk down the hall to his room. No one is around. He's probably still passed out. He had a nasty concussion, but because of the surgery to repair his spleen, he had to have anesthesia. If I remember correctly, he doesn't respond well to the stuff. It knocks him out for days afterward, so I should be good just to sneak in and check to make sure he's okay. But he's not alone. One of the nurses from the waiting room is standing there, taking photos on his phone. What the... "Just what the heck do you think you're doing?" He whirls around, and his eyes go round. I whip out my phone and text Mrs. H. She's the one nurse I know who will take care of this. "What are you doing?" he asks, voice low. "Texting my supervisor to let her know what you're doing." He looks from the phone to me and then shrugs. He knows he can sell those photos for a few hundred thousand, easy. It's no biggie if he gets fired. He breezes by me and out the door. Oh, he did not! Running after him, I catch his arm and pull him around. "You're not..." "Don't make me hurt you, babe." His tone is threatening, but it doesn't register. All I'm thinking about is those photos. Photos of Shaw when he's vulnerable and unable to defend himself. "You are not getting out of here with those pictures." "You going to stop me, babe?" Without thinking, I grab his phone and slam it on the ground, smashing it in the process. Well, cracking the screen more than the phone flying into little bits and pieces. "You little bimbo!" And before I can dodge, his fist has connects with my face. Everyone on the floor sees it. He seems to notice and tries to run, but one of the hockey guys from downstairs is only a few steps away and snags him. "You okay, Cora?" Natalee, one of my good friends, asks as she helps me up. "Did you hit your head?" The pain vibrating across my cheek is horrible. The bruise is going to be epically bad. My head does hurt, but it's not as bad as the cheek. "She broke my phone!" the offender shouts. "That doesn't give you the right to hit a girl, dude." Mr. Tall Dark and Deadly hockey player doesn't look impressed with the nurse's outburst. Mrs. H. arrives and, seeing my face, rushes over to check it, her fingers gentle on my jaw. "This needs x-rayed." "It'll be fine." I can't afford a hospital bill. Even with our insurance taking care of most of the bill, I still can't afford what would be left. "No, it won't," she rebukes. "Or do I need to pull the same spiel you gave earlier?" I try to smile, but it hurts too much. "Now, is this the man you texted about?" I nod. "Yes, ma'am. He was taking pictures of Sha...Mr. Chandler. When he tried to run, I smashed his phone. I'm sorry about that, but it's the only thing I could think to do. Our job is to take care of our patients, not exploit them when they're unconscious." "He did what?" The voice of the player holding the nurse drops two octaves and turns from soft to hard so fast it would make your head spin. Even those pretty brown eyes have gone so cold and dark, they're nearly black. "She's lying!" "I don't think so." Mrs. H. collects the smashed phone off the floor. "The police should be able to pull any photos from the phone. It's not damaged too badly." The man's face pales. "We'll take care of this." Mrs. H. turns to Natalee. "Get her checked in then off to x-ray. Someone will be by to fill out an incident report, and Cora, don't worry about the bill. You won't be getting one since it's a work-related injury." Her expression dares me to argue, so instead I pull out my own phone and text my babysitter that I'll be later than I thought. At least I don't have to worry about one more bill I can't afford. When I get back from x-ray, they don't take me down to the ER like I expected. They bring me back to Shaw's floor and to a room. Natalee winks when she comes in. "Can't have one of ours down there in the mess." I smile gratefully, knowing she pulled a few strings. This is my normal floor, and I love the nurses I work with up here. "You got some ninja skills, girlfriend." "Ha, if I had skills, I wouldn't have gotten hit." "Yeah, I didn't see that coming either. I was already up and coming over when you snatched Marty's phone, but I wasn't able to stop him. Sorry." I wave off her apology. "How much longer do you think this is going to be? Noah's already up and probably mad that I'm not there to make his breakfast." "How is the kiddo?" "He's good, adjusting better than I thought he would when we moved out here." "It had to be hard on him. When John and I moved here two years ago, our daughter declared us horrible people and said she'd never forgive us." "How'd that go?" "She was five. She got over it when we took her ice skating." I laugh and then wince. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts." "Sorry." She hands me the cup of coffee she'd been holding. "I brought this for you. It's from the stand outside, not the cafeteria. Thought you'd need some caffeine." "Thanks, Nat." "Anytime. I have to go check on patients, but the doctor shouldn't be too long. He has to haul it up from the ER, so..." I shrug. It'll probably be a while longer than she let on. I'll drink my coffee and try not to focus on the man a few doors down from me. The one I shouldn't even have checked on. But I'm glad I did. No matter what happened between Shaw and me, no one deserves to have their photo taken while they're at their most vulnerable. Especially not by the people who are supposed to be taking care of them. "Knock, knock." The hockey player who snagged the nurse walks in. "that looks bad." "I'd say it looks worse than it feels, but I'd be lying." He comes closer, his hands in his pockets. His black hoodie with the Raptors logo isn't nearly as dark as his hair. The stubble on his face gives him a rakish look. He reminds me of a pirate and is way hotter than Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. The man is gorgeous, and he knows it. It's the way he moves, the confidence of his stride. I take a sip of my coffee, careful to blow on it first. "That's not from the cafeteria." "Nope. There's a little coffee vendor outside the hospital. Better than Starbucks." "No sh-it?" "No sh-it." "Good to know." After he stands there awkwardly for a full minute, I decide to put him out of his misery. "Is there anything I can help you with?" "Oh...uh...I just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay." He doesn't sound nearly as confident as his stride. He sounds nervous. "I'm good." "And to thank you for what you did." "Not necessary. I'm sorry it happened. I didn't think anyone here would do something like that." "You'd be surprised at what people will do for money." The darkness lurking in his eyes tells me that he's well acquainted with the subject. Another minute goes by, and then his phone buzzes. He pulls it out and frowns at the message. "Everything okay?" He sighs. "My kid has terrorized another nanny. She's threatening to quit." Now that, I smile at. "My son went through three sitters when we moved here six months ago. He was adjusting to a new place, a new city, and sitters he didn't know." "My son has lived here his whole life, which is all of four years. He loves to cause chaos, and the nannies I hire don't like the chaos. I wish he was more like his sister. She's as sweet as can be." I laugh at that, not caring about the wince. "Three- and four-year-old little boys are a handful and take a certain brand of crazy to deal with all its own." "That they do." He smiles, and it lights up his entire face. "I'm Blaine Kirkos, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Mr..." He's shaking his head, interrupting me before I can get the word out. "No mister. Call me Blaine. We parents have to stick together. At least now I know how you handled a room full of hockey players and wrangled Myers and O'Brian. They said you were like a little general, daring them to disobey you." "Hockey players are very much like little boys." "I'm not saying I agree, but..." "But you do." His smile is my only answer. "So, I was thinking I could get you tickets to a game or something...to say thank you for taking care of everyone and stopping that guy from getting away with photos." "Oh, no, that's okay. You don't have to do that." "But I want to." "I work most nights you guys have games." "You could switch a shift or call in..." "Can't call in. Bills to pay and all that." "How about I send you tickets, and if you can come, then you come?" I start to tell him thank you but no when the doctor comes in. He glances at Blaine and does a double take. "Oh, Mr. Kirkos, I didn't know you knew Cora." He winks at me and shakes the doctor's hand. "Just in here checking on our favorite nurse. I'll let you talk to her so she can get out of here and home to her son. I'll be seeing you Nurse Stevens!" He walks out whistling, and the doctor turns to me, one eyebrow raised. I refrain from saying a word, and when he realizes I'm not about to gossip, he gets down to business. My cheekbone is not fractured as they'd feared, but it's going to hurt like crazy. He offers pain meds, and I decline, so he writes me a prescription for Ibuprofen 800 and calls it a day. Once my discharge papers are firmly in hand, I tell Natalee goodbye and waver in front of Shaw's door. Giving in to temptation, I go in and walk over to the bed. He's just as gorgeous as I remember. His skin is darker, pecked by the Florida sun. The blond hair that always made him look like the boy next door is lighter, sun bleached from days spent on the beach. His eyes are a dark stormy gray, and even though they're closed, I can picture them. His body has filled out a lot since the last time I saw him. He's become the man that the boy only hinted at. "Hey..." I turn to see Natalee come in. She's got questions in her eyes, but I shrug, not up to answering them. "How is he?" I ask instead. "In and out of consciousness, which is good, especially with the concussion. Surgery was successful, but he's not going to be on the ice anytime soon. Nasty concussion." I nod. It's what I assumed when they started talking about concussions in the ER. At least he's okay. I can go home and forget about him now. "Tinkerbell?" The hoarsely whispered word pulls my attention to pain-filled eyes. He's staring at me with an intensity that's hard to shake. But I have to. Without a word, I turn and walk out of the room.	LEARN_MORE	https://a.bingecherry.com/ad/L0JpbmdlQ2hlcnJ5LyR7b	ForFun-100	https://www.facebook.com/100094441775812/	280	1969-12-31 18:00	Learn more	a.bingecherry.com	VIDEO		https://a.bingecherry.com/ad/L0JpbmdlQ2hlcnJ5LyR7bGlua0lkfS8xNzQwMzc1ODM0NjgyL3BhZ2VjaHNqdg==?adid={{ad.id}}	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/480647358_1139291094137123_5191684151334111971_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=f4-Uvx7RoH8Q7kNvgHjSW6B&_nc_oc=AdhNMqrBFOZKQ0jGKjekYLL8ojJc3jUu9_XbJCJ1eD21mMq1BB_gtt3uUZNGCndkA-WJgymBFM6GlHUBjAlXy_3c&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=AhgAUIE0q4_ey4ZHkh7DOyv&oh=00_AYB6FBSz5G5tOsaNMIvKvvs-VXiwy-vswbpBXhG3iTNK1Q&oe=67CB8E6A	PERSON_PROFILE	ForFun-100	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
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2,747,282	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747285}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"She's not an ex or a bunny, is she?" "What? No. Cora and I went to school together. Her stepfather was my coach in high school. We were friends." "Just friends?" "Just friends. She's probably the only girl who's ever just been my friend. I've known her since kindergarten." Until she wasn't my friend anymore. Until I screwed it up. ____________ Cora The night is busier than usual, and I've run myself ragged trying to keep up in the ER. As a nurse, I don't normally work the ER, but I've had trauma training, and when three nurses called off, I came in. The overtime will be a nice bonus. I'm behind on my rent, and I hope this extra money will help me not only catch up on that, but on the other bills as well. "Cora!" I glance up from my charts to see Mrs. Hesh, my supervisor in the ER, hurrying toward me. She looks panicked. "What's wrong?" "We have several VIP patients coming in. I need your help." "Of course." I close the chart and put it back in the pile I still need to go through. "What do I need to know?" "Several of the hockey players from the Raptors got injured and are being rushed here. We need to make sure they're taken care of straight away and that the team and coaches are kept informed of their status. Can you do that?" "Shouldn't Shelia do that? She's the senior RN. I'm only filling in." Hockey players make me uneasy. Bad past experience. "I don't trust her not to ask them all for autographs. She's a total fangirl." My eyes widen. I didn't know Mrs. H. knew what that term even meant. "And I heard you say you knew hockey." "I do." "Good. I trust you not to lose your mind when confronted by the team." "No, ma'am, I won't." "You may need to wrangle some of the other nurses, too. I'll be busy with the patients." "They're not going to like it, especially the ones who have seniority over me." "Does that mean you can't do it?" The older woman turns and looks me dead in the eye, hers shrewd and assessing. But she can change my status here at the hospital. I'm not going to do anything to disappoint her. It says a lot she's trusting me with this. "I can do it." "Good." We both rush to the ER entrance, waiting for the ambulances to arrive. I pull my ponytail down and redo it, tucking the loose strands of my heavy blonde hair behind my ear. I learned during my first real rotation to always keep my hair up and out of the way. Otherwise, you could get run over in a packed ER because you can't see when your hair is swinging everywhere. It only takes a few moments for the first two ambulances to come screeching into the ER entrance, sirens blaring. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes for two seconds then move forward, meeting the ambulance doors and waiting for them to open. The first player out is Jamison O'Brian. He has a nasty cut to the face, and his leg is propped up and held immobile by the board strapped to it. He looks rough, but not in danger. Dr. Billings waves him off with the nurse standing behind me. I don't remember the guy's name. I'm not down here enough to know everyone. The second ambulance holds a more serious injury. Myers is the name emblazoned on his jersey. His head is a bloody mess, as is his arm, a nasty looking gash that was most likely caused by a blade. That's going to keep him out for a couple of weeks at least, depending on any kind of nerve or muscle damage. He goes with Ava, the other nurse down here from my regular floor. Ava and I are friends, and we both frown at the seriousness of the injury. Ava is a huge hockey fan, but she can be trusted not to lose her mind over treating a player, which is why she's been called out to meet the ambulances. The last ambulance is the one Mrs. H. seems the most concerned with. As soon as the doors spring open and the EMTs start shouting stats, I get a good look at the unconscious man lying prone and bleeding on the stretcher. All the air rushes out of my lungs, and all I can do is stare. No. It can't be. He's in Florida. Not Minnesota. "Cora?" The sharp tone snaps me out of my funk. "Sorry. It's just I know him." "You know him?" We run after the stretcher. "I went to school with him." "Is this going to be a problem?" "No, ma'am. I was just shocked is all. I hadn't realized he'd been traded to the Raptors. I'm good." She nods and we get to work, me helping cut his clothes off, revealing the extent of his injuries. He has massive bruises on his abdomen, which might indicate internal bleeding. There's also a nasty cut along one thigh, and his shoulder is at an odd angle. The doctors twist it back into its socket while he's unconscious. I wince when they do, glad he's unconscious for that. Resetting a shoulder is extremely painful. As the doctors do that, we keep working, helping to clean away the mess so they can evaluate him. The bleeding is stopped, and then he's gone to CT to make sure there was no damage to the brain and to see if he has internal bleeding where the bruising is. I go to check on the next patient, who is currently complaining that he's fine and he doesn't need all the fuss. The doctor and the male nurse are disagreeing with him, but he just gets louder. They do not know how to deal with hockey players, apparently. Or they don't want to upset a VIP patient. Either way, the patient's care comes first, even when said patient is acting like a big baby. "Sit." My tone is sharp and commanding when he tries to get off the table. His brown eyes snap to mine, and I just arch a brow. "I'm fine." He stands up, daring me to say a word. He has no idea he's dealing with someone who grew up around hockey players. "You are not fine. Now, sit down before you fall down." The nurse and doctor look at me like I've grown two heads, but O'Brian sits, a scowl on his face. He might terrify everyone else with that look, but not me. "Don't give me that look. Your leg could be broken, and the more you stand on it, the more damage you'll be doing. Which means longer time off the ice. So stop being a whiney prick and let us take care of you so you can get back out there." "Fine," he mutters, and I shake my head. Hockey players. Mrs. H. stands to the side, a small smile on her face. "Cora, we need you in here, please." I peel my gloves off and don a new pair when I push into the room where Myers sits, growling at everyone. The nurses are all a little too giddy and not really doing their job. Sighing, I push through them, snapping for them to get to work or get out. The low chuckle from the bed catches my attention, and I arch that same brow. "That's a nasty cut, Mr. Myers." "I've had worse." Dark green eyes dance with mischief even with the twinge of pain in them. "I'm sure you have." Ava hustles over, looking exasperated. "Thanks for that. They weren't listening to me." "No problem." Between the two of us, we get him stripped and cleaned, working around the doctors and getting them what they need as well. Soon he's hustled off to x-ray, and Ava and I take a moment to catch our breath. "That was intense." "I forget how surly they can be when they're hurt." "Your stepfather was a high school coach, wasn't he?" I nod, not really paying attention. "So that's how you know so much about hockey." We both jump at the sound of Mrs. H.'s voice. "Sorry, we just needed a moment." "Understandable. Cora if you can go inform the team of what's going on, I'd appreciate it. They're camped out in the waiting room." "And being very loud, I take it?" Her lips twitch, and I know I'm right. Sighing, I push off the wall and take a glance at the charts before walking down the hall to the waiting room. I hear the noise before I even reach the doors. Loud isn't quite the word I'd use. Think of about thirty two-year-olds all screaming at the top of their lungs. That would be the most accurate picture of the noise coming from out there. No fewer than six nurses, male and female alike, are trying to talk above the noise. But honestly, they're not asking about injuries or informing the team about the patients. They're talking about the game. "Excuse me." I make myself louder than normal, but it's not doing a thing to get anyone attention. So I do the one thing I know will get through. I put fingers to my lips and let out a whistle so shrill it hurts the ears. Another thing left over from my high school days. A little trick my stepfather taught me. But it's effective, and every single bit of noise dies down. "Thank you. Now, where is the head coach?" He stands and walks forward. "I'm Coach Baptist." "All three of your players are being taken care of. O'Brian's in x-ray, and Myers and Chandler are upstairs in CT. They're checking for head trauma and internal bleeding. As soon as we know more, I'll come out and let you know." I turn my attention back to the nurses. "You lot have things to do other than stand around out here and gossip. Get back to work." "I outrank you." The snottiest of them grins. "Yes, but Mrs. H. put me in charge. Sure you want to tell her why you decided to pull that snarky little comment out of your a$s?" Her eyes widen, and she turns and marches back through the doors. Idiot. "Well, what are the rest of you waiting for?" They grumble but shuffle off. Which leaves the team to deal with. "Is there anyone else out here who needs medical attention?" A collective shake of heads is the only answer. "Now, I know you're all tired, and anxious to find out about your teammates, but this is a hospital. There are sick people here, and all this noise isn't helping." More grumbling. "I get it, guys, I do, but I swear if you don't settle down, you're going to deal with me, and trust me, ladder drills have nothing on my ire, so please do us all a favor and behave." "Ladder drills, huh?" one player asks. "You know hockey?" "Yes. Now, unless you guys need something, I'll be back when I have more to report." I turn around, and a wolf whistle follows me. It takes me two seconds to have the offender's ear in between my fingers. You'd be amazed at how quickly a man will come to heel with a little pressure on his earlobe. "Ow!" he screeches. "I'm not your honey, babe, or a bunny. I'm Nurse Stevens, and if you disrespect me again, I will have your balls. Understand?" "Yes, ma'am." I turn him loose and give them all a level stare. "Understand?" A chorus of "yes, ma'ams" follow me as I turn around and disappear behind the doors leadings back to the ER. Hockey players. Cora Has it really been only four hours since the worst shock of my life? But my trusty watch says it has. Thank God for all my training, or I might have run from the hospital and never come back. Shaw Chandler. Dear sweet baby Jesus. I never expected to see him again, especially not in Minnesota, of all places. He swore he never wanted to play where it was cold ever again. The southern states or the warmer ones on the west coast are where he wanted to play. It's why I felt so safe moving here. Even though hockey is king in this state the same way football is in Texas, I knew he'd never play here. But then, players don't dictate trades. He might not have been given a choice. And besides, it's not like he'd care I'm here, anyway. We haven't spoken in over four years. Shaking my head, I pull myself together and focus on the patient who needs the nausea meds. Poor man seems to have gotten food poisoning. He's thrown up three times since he got here twenty minutes ago. He's dehydrated, but the IV I put in with the fluids should start to help soon. "Here you go, Mr. Croom. This will ease the nausea." I hand him the tablets and small paper cup. He takes it and swallows the pills down. "God, I hope this stays down." Me too. He threw up on me earlier. Glancing at the clock, a sigh escapes when I see my shift is over. I can go home and forget I saw Shaw Chandler. But the pale stillness of him when he came in worries me. Shaw was my best friend all throughout school, and as much as he hurt me, part of me still worries about him. I always will. "I'm getting ready to leave, Mr. Croom, but Amber will be the charge nurse on duty. She should be by in just a few minutes. Is there anything you need before I go?" He shakes his head miserably, and I smile encouragingly at him. Food poisoning is one of the worst things in the world. "Hey, Cora." Amber shoots me a smile when I walk over to the nurses' station to clock out on the computer. "Watch that one. He's got food poisoning and has already thrown up on me." "Ouch." I wrinkle my nose. I smell like vomit, but at least I have on clean scrubs. I learned early on to keep several extra sets on hand. I give her the rundown on the rest of the patients as I gather my things. "I heard about the hockey mess that came in." "Yeah. Two serious injuries and one very loud, very vocal team." "We've had them in a few times over the years. Takes some wrangling." "I handled it." "I knew you could." She waves me off as I walk around the station. "See you tomorrow!" No, she won't, but I don't bother mentioning that. Amber is one of the nicest people in this place, and I try not to let my snarky nature disrupt her bubbly attitude. It's not until I'm in the elevator stepping off onto the floor where Shaw is that I realize I've even done it. I shouldn't be here. I know it, but I'm worried. He looked so pale. Groaning at my own gluttony for punishment, I walk down the hall to his room. No one is around. He's probably still passed out. He had a nasty concussion, but because of the surgery to repair his spleen, he had to have anesthesia. If I remember correctly, he doesn't respond well to the stuff. It knocks him out for days afterward, so I should be good just to sneak in and check to make sure he's okay. But he's not alone. One of the nurses from the waiting room is standing there, taking photos on his phone. What the... "Just what the heck do you think you're doing?" He whirls around, and his eyes go round. I whip out my phone and text Mrs. H. She's the one nurse I know who will take care of this. "What are you doing?" he asks, voice low. "Texting my supervisor to let her know what you're doing." He looks from the phone to me and then shrugs. He knows he can sell those photos for a few hundred thousand, easy. It's no biggie if he gets fired. He breezes by me and out the door. Oh, he did not! Running after him, I catch his arm and pull him around. "You're not..." "Don't make me hurt you, babe." His tone is threatening, but it doesn't register. All I'm thinking about is those photos. Photos of Shaw when he's vulnerable and unable to defend himself. "You are not getting out of here with those pictures." "You going to stop me, babe?" Without thinking, I grab his phone and slam it on the ground, smashing it in the process. Well, cracking the screen more than the phone flying into little bits and pieces. "You little bimbo!" And before I can dodge, his fist has connects with my face. Everyone on the floor sees it. He seems to notice and tries to run, but one of the hockey guys from downstairs is only a few steps away and snags him. "You okay, Cora?" Natalee, one of my good friends, asks as she helps me up. "Did you hit your head?" The pain vibrating across my cheek is horrible. The bruise is going to be epically bad. My head does hurt, but it's not as bad as the cheek. "She broke my phone!" the offender shouts. "That doesn't give you the right to hit a girl, dude." Mr. Tall Dark and Deadly hockey player doesn't look impressed with the nurse's outburst. Mrs. H. arrives and, seeing my face, rushes over to check it, her fingers gentle on my jaw. "This needs x-rayed." "It'll be fine." I can't afford a hospital bill. Even with our insurance taking care of most of the bill, I still can't afford what would be left. "No, it won't," she rebukes. "Or do I need to pull the same spiel you gave earlier?" I try to smile, but it hurts too much. "Now, is this the man you texted about?" I nod. "Yes, ma'am. He was taking pictures of Sha...Mr. Chandler. When he tried to run, I smashed his phone. I'm sorry about that, but it's the only thing I could think to do. Our job is to take care of our patients, not exploit them when they're unconscious." "He did what?" The voice of the player holding the nurse drops two octaves and turns from soft to hard so fast it would make your head spin. Even those pretty brown eyes have gone so cold and dark, they're nearly black. "She's lying!" "I don't think so." Mrs. H. collects the smashed phone off the floor. "The police should be able to pull any photos from the phone. It's not damaged too badly." The man's face pales. "We'll take care of this." Mrs. H. turns to Natalee. "Get her checked in then off to x-ray. Someone will be by to fill out an incident report, and Cora, don't worry about the bill. You won't be getting one since it's a work-related injury." Her expression dares me to argue, so instead I pull out my own phone and text my babysitter that I'll be later than I thought. At least I don't have to worry about one more bill I can't afford. When I get back from x-ray, they don't take me down to the ER like I expected. They bring me back to Shaw's floor and to a room. Natalee winks when she comes in. "Can't have one of ours down there in the mess." I smile gratefully, knowing she pulled a few strings. This is my normal floor, and I love the nurses I work with up here. "You got some ninja skills, girlfriend." "Ha, if I had skills, I wouldn't have gotten hit." "Yeah, I didn't see that coming either. I was already up and coming over when you snatched Marty's phone, but I wasn't able to stop him. Sorry." I wave off her apology. "How much longer do you think this is going to be? Noah's already up and probably mad that I'm not there to make his breakfast." "How is the kiddo?" "He's good, adjusting better than I thought he would when we moved out here." "It had to be hard on him. When John and I moved here two years ago, our daughter declared us horrible people and said she'd never forgive us." "How'd that go?" "She was five. She got over it when we took her ice skating." I laugh and then wince. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts." "Sorry." She hands me the cup of coffee she'd been holding. "I brought this for you. It's from the stand outside, not the cafeteria. Thought you'd need some caffeine." "Thanks, Nat." "Anytime. I have to go check on patients, but the doctor shouldn't be too long. He has to haul it up from the ER, so..." I shrug. It'll probably be a while longer than she let on. I'll drink my coffee and try not to focus on the man a few doors down from me. The one I shouldn't even have checked on. But I'm glad I did. No matter what happened between Shaw and me, no one deserves to have their photo taken while they're at their most vulnerable. Especially not by the people who are supposed to be taking care of them. "Knock, knock." The hockey player who snagged the nurse walks in. "that looks bad." "I'd say it looks worse than it feels, but I'd be lying." He comes closer, his hands in his pockets. His black hoodie with the Raptors logo isn't nearly as dark as his hair. The stubble on his face gives him a rakish look. He reminds me of a pirate and is way hotter than Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. The man is gorgeous, and he knows it. It's the way he moves, the confidence of his stride. I take a sip of my coffee, careful to blow on it first. "That's not from the cafeteria." "Nope. There's a little coffee vendor outside the hospital. Better than Starbucks." "No sh-it?" "No sh-it." "Good to know." After he stands there awkwardly for a full minute, I decide to put him out of his misery. "Is there anything I can help you with?" "Oh...uh...I just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay." He doesn't sound nearly as confident as his stride. He sounds nervous. "I'm good." "And to thank you for what you did." "Not necessary. I'm sorry it happened. I didn't think anyone here would do something like that." "You'd be surprised at what people will do for money." The darkness lurking in his eyes tells me that he's well acquainted with the subject. Another minute goes by, and then his phone buzzes. He pulls it out and frowns at the message. "Everything okay?" He sighs. "My kid has terrorized another nanny. She's threatening to quit." Now that, I smile at. "My son went through three sitters when we moved here six months ago. He was adjusting to a new place, a new city, and sitters he didn't know." "My son has lived here his whole life, which is all of four years. He loves to cause chaos, and the nannies I hire don't like the chaos. I wish he was more like his sister. She's as sweet as can be." I laugh at that, not caring about the wince. "Three- and four-year-old little boys are a handful and take a certain brand of crazy to deal with all its own." "That they do." He smiles, and it lights up his entire face. "I'm Blaine Kirkos, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Mr..." He's shaking his head, interrupting me before I can get the word out. "No mister. Call me Blaine. We parents have to stick together. At least now I know how you handled a room full of hockey players and wrangled Myers and O'Brian. They said you were like a little general, daring them to disobey you." "Hockey players are very much like little boys." "I'm not saying I agree, but..." "But you do." His smile is my only answer. "So, I was thinking I could get you tickets to a game or something...to say thank you for taking care of everyone and stopping that guy from getting away with photos." "Oh, no, that's okay. You don't have to do that." "But I want to." "I work most nights you guys have games." "You could switch a shift or call in..." "Can't call in. Bills to pay and all that." "How about I send you tickets, and if you can come, then you come?" I start to tell him thank you but no when the doctor comes in. He glances at Blaine and does a double take. "Oh, Mr. Kirkos, I didn't know you knew Cora." He winks at me and shakes the doctor's hand. "Just in here checking on our favorite nurse. I'll let you talk to her so she can get out of here and home to her son. I'll be seeing you Nurse Stevens!" He walks out whistling, and the doctor turns to me, one eyebrow raised. I refrain from saying a word, and when he realizes I'm not about to gossip, he gets down to business. My cheekbone is not fractured as they'd feared, but it's going to hurt like crazy. He offers pain meds, and I decline, so he writes me a prescription for Ibuprofen 800 and calls it a day. Once my discharge papers are firmly in hand, I tell Natalee goodbye and waver in front of Shaw's door. Giving in to temptation, I go in and walk over to the bed. He's just as gorgeous as I remember. His skin is darker, pecked by the Florida sun. The blond hair that always made him look like the boy next door is lighter, sun bleached from days spent on the beach. His eyes are a dark stormy gray, and even though they're closed, I can picture them. His body has filled out a lot since the last time I saw him. He's become the man that the boy only hinted at. "Hey..." I turn to see Natalee come in. She's got questions in her eyes, but I shrug, not up to answering them. "How is he?" I ask instead. "In and out of consciousness, which is good, especially with the concussion. Surgery was successful, but he's not going to be on the ice anytime soon. Nasty concussion." I nod. It's what I assumed when they started talking about concussions in the ER. At least he's okay. I can go home and forget about him now. "Tinkerbell?" The hoarsely whispered word pulls my attention to pain-filled eyes. He's staring at me with an intensity that's hard to shake. But I have to. Without a word, I turn and walk out of the room.	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2,747,396	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747383}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	Proceed to the Next Video!	Aidan Stein, the Eternal Lord Sovereign of the magnificent Eternity Palace, temporarily loses his memory and intelligence due to his 60-year cycle. He lives alone in Vertania until he encounters Jade Yule, who saves his life and becomes his wife. Years later, Jack Foley, an aristocrat of Vertania, develops an interest in Jade. He sends his men after Aidan, inadvertently triggering the resurgence of his memories and power.	WATCH_MORE	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s	DramaBox- movies&drama	https://www.facebook.com/DramaBoxMoviesDrama/	9,339,614	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	play.google.com	VIDEO		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.storymatrix.drama	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481210518_2278425395877299_1965820222252774880_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j2xOmaVfh7AQ7kNvgEi3Qbf&_nc_oc=AdjQbIp9PP2SAVsT8VLPaMrbZcgHL9-ZjOQcOrbV298VXzSppUGhwJse0-RtV7El2Qem2ZWTiGBrhu1_IMK02hKp&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=AWdFuBZBgWbkxOcbt_M9kf9&oh=00_AYD1tqeiKHcm8agOSxr9jOFlRRgy7PpMiMmszHiGD2duGg&oe=67CB8948	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- movies&drama	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
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2,747,356	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759		Aidan Stein, the Eternal Lord Sovereign of the magnificent Eternity Palace, temporarily loses his memory and intelligence due to his 60-year cycle. He lives alone in Vertania until he encounters Jade Yule, who saves his life and becomes his wife. Years later, Jack Foley, an aristocrat of Vertania, develops an interest in Jade. He sends his men after Aidan, inadvertently triggering the resurgence of his memories and power.	WATCH_MORE	https://fb.dramabox.com/db_land_page/DLLPF1059453.	DramaBox- drama movies5	https://www.facebook.com/61550943223936/	12,706	1969-12-31 18:00	Watch more	fb.dramabox.com	VIDEO		https://fb.dramabox.com/db_land_page/DLLPF1059453.html?language=en&timestamp=1740922547912&channelCode=DLLPF1059453&bid=41000112468&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&ad_group_name={{adset.name}}&ad_group_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	1969-12-31 18:00	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481812531_1042107324755832_2448045969676376759_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HP5l_DGw_NsQ7kNvgEdLjDZ&_nc_oc=AdgUJ6ew0S3I78H1xBSDC-5yJcGiqEYSg3s2csCH_qy8kcevpMvfk0biWKe9_7cHkUxPbi_mLYldZzcMjXi_Ywx4&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&_nc_gid=AQHaeBI6iNdshAeJr9nqdrh&oh=00_AYAf9XHY5We7ac52ww5sgQqH6gi9pg-GoBJ-o4hbosUymA&oe=67CB83A9	PERSON_PROFILE	DramaBox- drama movies5	1969-12-31 18:00	View Edit Delete
2,747,352	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":2747348}'	Yes	2025-03-03 09:21	active	2759	Absolutely Free Reading:📖Alpha's Caged Mat👉🏻	“Murderer…”“Liar…”“Traitor!”Each vile word spat at Ava stung like the cut of a blade, digging deep and slicing her up from the inside out. These weren’t strangers hurling profane slurs at her and glaring at her with such intense hatred in their glowing eyes; these were the people who’d watched her grow up, taught her what it meant to be a Wolf. Now, they bared their fangs at her in rage, the shadow of their inner Wolves threatening to rise to the surface, to come tear Ava apart. These had been her people once, but tonight it was clear they were her enemies. “Burn, you fucking traitor!” A rock sailed out of the darkness and caught Ava across the forehead. Ava hissed in a yelp of pain and dropped to her knees. “On your knees where you belong, rogue bitch!” The crowd erupted in a round of raucous cheers seeing the girl felled. The guards holding the lead to her shackles continued on, forcing Ava to stumble back to her feet or risk being dragged through the mud. Determined to maintain her dignity in spite of her rising sense of panic, Ava blinked the warm trickle of blood out of her eye and quickly got her feet under her. She was a rising Beta of the Red Moon Pack, whether they liked it or not. She refused to show such weakness in front of her subordinates. Ava bit back a heaving breath. She felt the oppressive weight of his gaze land on her, once again. Xavier. Alpha. Best friend. Potential lover. Now, potential executioner. He’d meant the world to Ava her entire life. Before he’d grown into a powerful male, before he’d inherited the title of Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, he’d been Xavi. He’d been hers. Along with Sophia and Samantha, he’d been her closest companion and confidante. Now, everything had changed. Everything. Ava’s guard finally came to a stop in the middle of a familiar clearing. A small stream ran through it and coupled with the break in the forest canopy, the spot made for a peaceful place to stargaze. She and her friends came here often. And although they hadn’t visited the glade in some time, Samantha and Sophia’s scents permeated the clearing, only overpowered by the overwhelming scent of their blood. There were no bodies to be seen, but she knew this was where they had died. The dread building in her chest increased as she caught another scent on the wind. Inexplicably, she smelled her own violet-tinged musk intermingled with theirs. Faint enough to distinguish from her current presence in the area, but strong enough to suggest she’d been in the glade recently. Ava started to sweat. If she could scent herself her, the other Wolves had, as well. Now, the tree line was crowded with representatives of their community, come to witness the trial and punishment of a so-called murderer. Standing in the center of the clearing were two figures whose shadows cut imposing silhouettes against the night. The first was Xavier. Beside him, standing tall and proud, was his father, August, who telegraphed absolutely nothing despite having just lost a daughter. “Let her burn!” “Make the filthy rogue whore pay!” The jeers continued as Ava was brought to a stop before the former and current Alphas. Ava watched the males closely, eagerly looking for any sign that might tip her on to their intentions. August began making a move forward, but a soft growl from Xavier made him pause. The exchange was nearly imperceivable, but Ava still caught the tiny nod August gave to Xavier, acquiescing the reigns in Xavier’s first real act as Alpha. Stepping forward, Xavier raised a hand toward the crowd that was practically vibrating with furious energy. “Peace, Wolves! By the end of the night, I promise you justice will be served.” Ava swallowed heavily as the surrounding Wolves cheered and settled, ready for the bloodshed to begin. Xavier nodded, satisfied that Pack had immediately responded to his command. “Then, let the tribunal begin.” He strode up to where Ava stood shackled. She wanted him to say that he didn’t believe the lies, that he knew her better than she knew herself – just like she knew him. He didn’t. Instead, he took her in, from the mussed pajamas she’d been wearing when she’d been dragged into custody, to the fresh, seeping wound on her forehead. This close, he let Ava see the uncertainty and regret written all over his handsome face. Behind him, August cleared his throat, low and sharp – a clear reprimand, reminding Xavier of who he was and what they were there for. The admonishment worked as Xavier’s expression shuttered taking her friend away and leaving only the austere leader in his place. “Kneel.” “Xavier– “Ava started to protest. “Kneel.” His voice went hard. “Xavier, please! You know I had nothing to do with S– “ “Your loyalty to this Pack is already in question. Think long and hard on whether or not you also want to openly defy its leader.” Ava heard the disguised plea in his words, to not make things harder on herself. Swallowing, Ava ducked her head in a sign of submission and lowered herself to her knees before Xavier. He gave another satisfied nod and pitched his voice low, “You’ll have your chance to speak.” “As we all know,” Xavier faced her, but addressed the crowd. “We stand here together in mourning over the loss of two of our own. Ava Davis, you’re under suspicion of making treacherous dealings and sundering a hole within the Red Moon Pack that can never be replaced. What say you?” “I’m innocent!” She looked around to the crowed before settling her entreating gaze back on Xavier, “You all know me – Xavier, you know me. Sophia and Samantha were like sisters to me, there’s no way I could ever hurt them.” Xavier’s jaw tightened at the word ‘sister’ and Ava knew he was thinking about Sophia. But he composed himself quickly, “Noted.” Turning toward a spot in the trees, he called out, “Victor, it was you who brought these allegations up against Ava. Tell us why.” “Alpha!” Victor stormed forward to join them in the center of the clearing. The slight Omega had been August’s right-hand for years and was Sam’s father. He shook with rage as he considered her, vengeful satisfaction filling his eyes as he took in her shackled, subjugated form. “I’m honored to help bring this filthy traitor the retribution she deserves.” Murmurs of agreement spread throughout the crowd as Victor spun to address them, “This…beast murdered our own.” Ava’s head began shaking her denial even as he continued to speak. “I did not– “ “The future of our Pack and she betrayed their trust. She’s betrayed our trust.” He spat, never once looking her in the eye as he spelled out her death sentence. “Victor, I know that you’re hurting- “Ava pled. “Because she was my daughter!” Victor spun toward her, bellowing. His cry echoed through the night, his pain sharp as a knife. He took a few breaths to compose himself before turning to face the Pack again. Wrong or not, he’d resonated with them. Members, both male and female were openly weeping in their anger, feeling the open wound Sam and Sophia’s deaths had opened in our community. “Your proof, Omega.” Xavier calmly demanded. This trial was a joke, most of those gathered here had already judged her and found her guilty in their minds. Even so, she couldn’t be punished without proper evidence. “We all scented her on the wind upon our arrival,” he started, drawing furious nods from the masses. With a dejected heart, Ava saw Xavier’s nostrils flare as he, too, gave a solemn nod. “Beyond that telling truth, my daughter’s phone!” Any hope she felt died as Victor pulled a cell phone out of his coat pocket. The bejeweled leopard-print case looked stunningly out of place in this gloomy field. He pulled up their text thread and began reading aloud. “’Sam, you made me look like a damn fool. We need to talk.’ Sent from the accused’s phone number yesterday afternoon. Then, at half past midnight last night my daughter replied, ‘I’m here. Where are you?’” His revelation was met with heavy silence. “That isn’t proof!” Ava cried, frustrated tears finally leaking past her defenses, the last vestiges of her façade shredded by the blatant accusation leveled toward her. Such evidence would never hold up in human court, but this wasn’t the human world. Here, Pack Law reigned, and the Pack ran on emotion, instinct. The tide of public opinion had turned against her and that was enough. “What reason would I have for doing this?” “She had what you couldn’t!” Victor’s implication was clear. It was a bold claim he made, and it painted a torrid picture for the jury. Rumors of Samantha’s budding relationship with Xavier had apparently been circulating. Unfortunately, Ava hadn’t heard them before she’d made her confession to him. She chanced a glance at Xavier, but his eyes where doggedly trained on Victor. His eyebrows were drawn low, and Ava knew he was thinking about that night, too. Two nights ago, she’d poured out her heart to him, hoping that he could envision the future she saw for them. Then, his gentle dismissal had crushed her even if she refused to let him see it. Now, it was cause for homicide. She’d been so bold, so confident in herself and comfortable with her and Xavier’s relationship. Daughter of the Pack’s second-in-command, she wasn’t bred to be shy, in fact she was known for being the brash one of their group. It wouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone to find out she’d propositioned their Alpha, not like it would if Samantha had done so. Given the difference between mine and Samantha’s ranks, Xavier picking Samantha over her would be a shock to our Pack’s hierarchy. To many, it’d seem like an insult to Ava’s rank and honor. Retaliation on her part might be accepted, even expected, but murder… “Your pathetic pride was hurt, and my daughter died for it,” Victor continued. “What’s more, our beloved princess was caught in your crossfire!” The mention of Sophia elicited a strong reaction from the crowd, just like he knew it would. Sophia, indeed, had been beloved. She’d been warmth and levity, the kindest friend and fiercest protector. Victor said as much, causing the Pack to erupt in mournful howls, quickly replaced by calls for her head. “Traitor! Murderer!” An intense itch erupted underneath the surface of Ava’s skin. Mia, her Wolf, threatening to unleash herself to protect Ava from the other Wolves, but trapped inside by the shackles binding her wrists. “Xavier, please, you know none of this is true.” She supplicated herself to him further, head bowed, neck bared. Xavier looked at the crowd and began to speak when his father stepped up to him for the first time since the trial had started. The shouts of the crowd masked the words that would doom Ava. “Think very hard, Xavier,” The older male’s voice was stern, but calm, with the subtle charisma of a master manipulator. “Look at your people and the pain this girl has caused.” “The evidence was circumstantial, at best, father.” Xavier said, though he seemed unsure of himself, especially under his father’s scrutiny. “The good of the Pack comes first, Xavier. Always.” He subtly nodded at the raging crowd, hyped up by Victor’s angry chants for retribution. “This chaos cannot be allowed to fester within our ranks. It needs to end here.” His voice held a little too much of his previous command and Xavier tensed at the perceived encroachment on his control. August backed up a step and smirked, “But, of course, the decision is up to you…Alpha.” Xavier stood a moment contemplating his father’s whispered words and the increasingly hostile crowd calling for Ava’s head. The evidence wasn’t fool proof, but it was there. It was enough. He turned to Ava, “The messages, your scent…It’s too much, Ava. It’s too clear. The Pack has spoken!” “No!” She screamed as the insults turned to cheers. Hands roughly dragged Ava to her feet. “Given what evidence we’ve gathered and the dishonor you’ve brought upon this Pack,” Xavier’s voice boomed across the field like thunder. “As Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, I sentence you, Ava Davis, daughter of the Beta, to life imprisonment.” Ava grew silent. Life imprisonment. The rest of her life would be spent in a glorified dungeon. Numb, she turned to look at her parents in a final bid for salvation. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting. No one would go against the Alpha’s decision. After all, a Beta’s first commitment was to the Alpha. Xavier followed her gaze leveling her shivering parents with a ruthless glare. “Do you object to my judgment and the will of your Pack?” Tense silence quickly fell, everyone waiting with bated breath to hear the Beta’s response, Ava included. Under the Pack’s scrutiny, her father’s shoulders straightened while her mother’s fell, ever-so-slightly. Ava knew then what they’d say. “We do not, Alpha.” Her father proclaimed. There was no containing Ava’s sorrow and panic. Heaving sobs ripped from her chest, all semblance of pride completely gone. She’d been damned after all. As Ava’s jailers hauled her out of the clearing past Xavier, he uttered one final nail in her coffin. “It should’ve been you.” Three years later... “Ava Davis!” The gruff yell of a guard yelling her name startled Ava from her fraught sleep. Momentarily caught in the fuzzy in-between state of dreaming and the waking world, Ava felt the blissfully numb for the precious few seconds before reality caught back up to her. All too quickly, the dark stone walls surrounding her came back into focus, the stale smell of under-washed Wolves caused her nostrils to flare. As she shifted on her rock-hard cot, the aching in her back wrenched reluctant groans from her perpetually parched throat. Thirsty. Hungry. Sore and tired. Ava’s breath caught as the misery of her reality weighed on her like a boulder crushing her chest. And yet, tonight was nothing special. She’d woken up in a similar state, or worse, every night for the past three years. Ever since everyone she’d ever known and loved had turned their backs on her and left her to rot, alone and forgotten. Then, she recalled her dream. For the love of the moon, Ava’s thoughts were as wretched as the rest of her felt. Even in my dreams, I can’t get any goddamn peace. “Davis, I said move!” The guard banged her cell door with a baton. “Catherine Maddison! You, too.” A sharp pain knifed through Ava’s torso as she made to stand. Biting back another groan, she only took a moment to put pressure on her bruised ribs, determined to catch her breath and compose herself before making her way to the door. The ache that throbbed across her midsection was bone-deep, but Ava gritted her teeth and didn’t make a sound. Over the past three years, Ava had learned how this place operated, what was important to survive. Her name and status, none of that mattered in this depressing little hellhole. In fact, they’d only put a target on her back when she’d first gotten here. It hadn’t taken her too long to realize that pride wouldn’t get her far among the prisoners. It had taken her even less time to realize that her pride would get her even less so with the guards. Everyone was a prisoner here, whether they’d been sentenced here or not, and Ava represented the very system that had ruined all their lives. There would be no solace here, no rescue. That had been her first lesson, but it wouldn’t be her last. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . She hadn’t been imprisoned long the first time she was drug from her bunk. Rough hands yanked her across the cold concrete floor and, before her lupin eyes could adjust to the dark, a boot caught her in the stomach. “Like that, Beta bitch?” The voice that taunted her was deep for a female and raspy. “Who’s top dog, now?” Gritting her teeth against the pain, Ava grabbed her attacker’s foot and yanked hard, throwing them off-balance. As the shadowy figure crashed to the ground, Ava was on them. She rolled to her knees and leapt upon the assailant’s chest with reflexes honed by years of combat training. “Still me.” Ava sneered. Ava pulled back her fist and smashed it into the attacker’s face one, two, three times before another hand grabbed her wrist. “Ooh, she’s feisty!” Another voice barked. Shit. It was dark and she’d assumed the person attacking her was alone, a stupid rookie mistake. The unknown assailant behind her twisted her arm, wrenching her shoulder until it popped. Ava gasped, her body going rigid and allowing the attacker to drag her off of the first goon who was currently writhing in pain, hand clasped to a pulverized nose. Ava felt a final flash of satisfaction before she was shoved to the ground. Suddenly, a couple of attackers seemed to multiply as half a dozen aggressive shadows surrounded her. “What do you want from me?” She gasped, her voice laced with anger and pain. A hot, wet glob pelted her in the face. “You still think you’re better than us. You’re about to learn your place.” Then a foot slammed into her dislocated shoulder, grinding the abused joint into the stone floor below. Ava screamed and, as if her pained cry was a cue for the mob, the pelting began in earnest and didn’t let up. Ava reflexively curled in on herself, raising her one working hand over her head trying desperately, futilely to protect herself. Whenever she kicked, there was someone there to hold her down. Whenever she opened her mouth to scream, an arm was there to snake its way around her throat, cutting off her cries for help. There were just too many of them and she’d never been taught to fight alone. She was supposed to have her Pack for backup, that’s how every Wolf was raised. The lone wolf seldom survives. Now, Ava was the lone wolf against a rabid mob. Ava knew that if it weren’t for the silver shackles keeping all of their Wolves at bay, she’d be dead. And no one would care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ava learned the value of silence that night and it had served her well these past three agonizingly slow years. After she’d been jumped, she’d gone to a guard and was sent to her cot without supper for the inconvenience. Even though it was nearly impossible to avoid physical altercations in the prison, the gang beatings ended after that night. Ava suspected that had more to do with Layla than any of the guards, though. “Davis. I will not ask nicely again.” Damn. She’d tarried too long, and the guard had circled back around to her cell. The broad female stormed up to Ava, grasping her by a bruised wrist and pulled her out of the cell. In the hallway, she was shoved to the back of a line of girls being paraded out of the main living area. “Was the other night not enough to teach you to toe the line?” Ava choked back the tears that immediately rushed to the surface at the crass reminder of three nights ago, by far the hardest lesson the dungeon had given to Ava. Right, Ava thought. You don’t need a mob for things to get deadly down here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ava was flat on her back, reeling from the sudden severance of her connection to Mia, her Wolf. Different from the usual suppression caused by their silver shackles, Mia was…gone. She heard a choked gasp and looked over to see Layla, sweet Layla, gasping for air that couldn’t quite make it past the gaping slash across her throat. “No,” Ava fought down her pain and confusion, crawling to kneel beside the dying girl. How did this happen? Who’d hurt Layla? She was the kindest soul Ava had ever met in her life, the only prisoner who never caused or attracted trouble. She’d taken Ava under her wing and saved her from herself countless times over the years. This was…unfathomable. “Layla, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “Please hold on.” Through her own blood and tears, Layla’s lips twitched up into a smile. She whispered something Ava couldn’t quite catch right before the light faded from her warm brown eyes. “Layla –” A baton came down on Ava’s back as she was dragged away, sobbing not just for the loss of another friend, but for the soul who never deserved to be here and would never get the chance to leave. Ava knew she’d have to do it for her, somehow. It was Layla’s last wish, even if Ava couldn’t hear her, she knew what Layla had reminded her with her last breath. California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “We have enough.” Ava looked up to find herself in a holding room with a dozen other females. An unfamiliar female walked down the line of women, examining them closely. When she came to Ava at the end of the line, the female grimaced at Ava’s smattering of deep purple bruises. “They’ll do,” she nodded. With a shove, the guard behind her prompted her to follow the line of girls out of a set of metal doors Ava hadn’t seen since she’d been brought here. A gentle breeze caressed her feverish skin, halting Ava in her tracks. Looking up, she nearly cried at the sight of the moon cradled by a sea of stars overhead. They were outside! For the first time in three years, Ava could see the sky. By the sobbing gasps around her, Ava knew she wasn’t the only one feeling a weight lifted from their shoulders. “Enough! Get them inside before we’re seen.” The clipped command was the last thing Ava heard before a back was thrown over her head. Cries from the girls were muffled by the sound of an engine revving to life. Ava was hefted bodily into the air, ribs screaming, and thrown into what could only be the back of a van. Her protests joined the other women’s as metal doors slammed shut and their new cage began to move. After three years, Ava was finally leaving the dungeon. Only, she had a sinking feeling she was going to wish she’d stayed. By the time the truck had rolled to a stop, Ava had successfully navigated the extreme sense of panic and dread that had plagued her for most of the sightless ride and settled into a grim determination to face whatever was coming head-on. If she’d learned anything over the last three years, it was that the adaptable ones survive the longest. To make it in the dungeon she’d figured out how to cage the fighter she’d been born to be and cow herself in effort to not draw unwanted attention. She didn’t know what fresh hell these new circumstances would bring, but Ava was ready to re-light her fire, if the opportunity called for it. Even if Mia was still silent. Despite the countless morbid scenarios flitting across her mind, the jagged hole in her…inner self where Mia should be, was an ever-present distraction. She didn’t know what exactly had been done to her to sever their bond, in fact that entire cursed night was a blur. Even as she focused on her memories of a couple nights ago, only vague fleeting images flashed across her mind’s eye. There had been a confrontation that had turned violent, as most confrontations usually did in the dungeon. Ava’s body was consumed with a pain more deeply profound than any she’d experienced during her time in the dungeon or before. It went beyond physical pain, manifesting in ways Ava simply didn’t have the correct vocabulary to properly verbalize. It had been as if her soul had been torn in two, but that didn’t feel like a proper explanation, either. Mia was part of Ava, as all Wolves were a part of their hosts, but she was her own entity as well – the primal beast inside the sentient female. They shared a body and a fate, but both functioned independently of one another, Ava had full rein of their human body and when it came time to hand over the reins and transform, Mia took control of their lupine form. The relationship between a host and their Wolf is a symbiotic one with each consciousness contributing unique attributes to the other in order to make both forms strong. Ava gave Mia sentience, the ability to cognate above a common wolf’s level, making her a fierce strategist, as well as an asset to the Pack both in and out of human form. For Ava, Mia heightened her humanity, giving her increased reflexes, senses, and strength. Mia gave Ava a canine’s sixth sense of primal instinct and established the preternatural bonds that shape a Wolf Pack, allowing them to recognize one another’s status. In another life, Mia might have recognized her mate in another Wolf, solidifying a bond with their perfect partner, ensuring a life a connection and contentment for them both. Now, that reality seemed so far outside the realm of impossibility, least of all being the fact that Ava hadn’t felt a trace of Mia’s latent consciousness in the three days since Layla died. Currently sitting shackled and hooded in the back of a van going the moon knows where, Ava would be lucky if anything other than a gory, prolonged death awaited her whenever the doors finally opened. When they finally do, Ava braced herself for the worst, her body going taught as a bow string when a calloused hand drags her out of the back of the vehicle. Silently, she tries to gain her bearings, straining to hone her senses, looking for any clue as to where they’ve been taken. With Mia out of commission, though, all she can hear is the panicked heavy breaths of a dozen terrified women being shuffled out of a murder van. “Where are we?” Ava chances the question, willing to risk getting hit in order to suss out any useful information about their situation. “Quiet female. You’ll find out soon enough.” A guard answered. Female. Not ‘rat,’ which is what the dungeon guards called most of the prisoners, or ‘beta bitch,’ which is what they usually reserved especially for her. And when a hand grasped her arm, prompting her to move, it guided her rather than dragged her wherever she was meant to go. “You aren’t the prison guards.” She already knew by the lack of vitriol in the way that they moved, spoke, and comported themselves. Her suspicions were confirmed when her escort scoffed. “Hardly.” He didn’t elaborate and Ava didn’t need Mia to know better than to push her luck with him. They might not be the jaded, cruel prison guards she’d known for the past three years, but she didn’t know these people or what they were planning to do with her and the other females. Ava watched true crime religiously. Just because they weren’t being abused now didn’t mean they weren’t in store for worse than the dungeon had to offer. So, she’d continue to keep her guard up. Without Mia’s superhuman senses, Ava soon loses track of where they’re being led. Eventually, the cool night air falls away to the artificial bite of central air conditioning. We’re in a building with AC, Ava warily mused. Murderers don’t use AC, right? Ava felt her confusion grow as she picked up the distant sound of dance music. Not the kind you’d find on the radio or in a night club, but a more curated international sound better suited to the fancy lounges her dad and the other men in the Pack were fond of visiting in the city. Finally, the line came to a stop. For a long couple of minutes nothing happened and, despite her shackles, Ava tensed to bolt just as the hood was ripped from her head. She winced at the sudden light, but as the sunspots faded from her eyes and her vision came into focus, Ava’s confusion solidified into a hefty lump of apprehension sitting low in her stomach. The room they were in looked an awful lot like the lounges Ava had thought of before. Dark leather couches accented with emerald velveteen settees and ottomans filled a room that’s walls were lined with far too many mirrors, gilded though they were. The ceiling of the room was covered in dormant strobe lights and, of course, more mirrors. Ava’s eyes followed the long shiny line of bronze poles to where they stood affixed in immaculately polished black marble floors. Ava’s expectations for the upcoming events quickly realigned as she took in the room’s more…specific details. Like the bronze chains that hung from the ceiling, some ending in bronze bars, while others led to leather handcuffs. When she spotted a large dark X-shaped structure at one end of the room, Ava’s suspicions were all but confirmed. A sex club. Within the span of a few hours, Ava had gone from resigning herself to dying early and unacknowledged in a pit to standing in what looked to be a posh bar for the kinkily inclined. Ava was scared, of course she was. On her mental list of worst-case scenarios, being sold to a sex club was surely up there. But, taking in her surroundings, this didn’t look like the seedy urban underbelly she’d imagined. This looked like a way out. Ava was steadily putting together the bones of a plan when a beautiful woman walks through a gilded glass door. Tall with long black hair and cheekbones like steel, this woman had presence. Her dulled senses prevented Ava from picking up any specific information about the woman, but Ava knew she was a Wolf and that, whatever this establishment was, it was hers. “Madame Bella, they’ve arrived,” the female from the prison walked stand behind their tall, lavishly dressed hostess. Lighting a cigarette, Madame Bella slowly walked down the line considering each of the filthy, trembling females, much like her minion had back in the holding room. “Such. Pretty. Omegas.” Each of her words was punctuated by the sharp click of her six-inch stilettos. When she came to Ava she stopped, taking a drag of her cigarette without breaking eye-contact. “Not an Omega.” She raised her hand with the cigarette in summons, “Dorinda, explain this one.” The female from prison, their handler Ava guessed, rushed to Madame Bella’s side, “This one’s not an Omega, Madame. But, if the guards were to be believed, she is untouched.” Bella’s eyebrow quirks in interest, “In this day and age? Impressive find, Dorinda. Why can’t I read her?” Dorinda swallows silently, “There’s something wrong with her Wolf. They didn’t elaborate, but her connection was severed, she’s effectively human.” Ava refused to flinch at the stark words and held her chin up when the other females had nerve enough to stare at her, appalled. Even now, she was the odd one out. “Human,” Bella said it the same way one says unexpected garbage. “And what am I supposed to do with something so weak, Dorinda? Take it back.” With a dismissive wave, Bella began to turn away. “But…she’s…a –“ “A what, Dorinda? A virgin?” She cut the other woman off. “Woman, please. Even I’m not so callous to give a defenseless innocent to a rutting Alpha. She’ll be torn to shreds before she can pay off the cost of the clean-up crew.” Several of the other females begin to weep as Madame Bella rolls her expressionless eyes. “She’s useless to me. Take her back.” When the female turned to leave again, Ava knew her chance for survival would walk away with her. “Wait!” She put every bit of authority she’d inherited from her title into her voice. If there was a time for gambling, it was now. “You can’t send me back.” Bella paused, eyebrow quirking again, this time, Ava expected, in amusement. “And why, pray tell, is that?” “The dungeon is a lot of things, but it’s not a brothel,” Ava gestured to the other girls. “Whatever this deal was, I highly doubt it was on the up-and-up. If you send me back, I might let something slip.” Any amusement abruptly vacated the woman’s diamond-hard face. Ava knew she was over-playing her hand, but she felt more in her element parlaying with this intimidating female than she had in years. “You raise a fair point. Why don’t I just dispose of you instead?” Ava set her jaw, “This is a pretty nice-looking establishment, all things considered. I don’t think you like getting your hands dirty.” Bella cocked her head in bemusement, “Darling, if you think I need to sully my hands to get things done, you’re not as quick as I was beginning to think you were.” Ava shrugged, effecting an air of nonchalance she didn’t feel, “Fair point,” she parroted. “I may not be able to make you money in the…traditional sense, but I’ve got something the others don’t.” When Bella didn’t cut her off, she gestured to the crying bewildered girls beside her, “I have drive. I want to be here. I’ll wait tables or wash your unmentionables, whatever you need me to do, I’m willing.” The stern female considered Ava again, a new emotion almost like respect reflecting in her gaze. “Why? Cry as they might, they’ll earn enough to buy their way out of here within a couple of years. Scrubbing toilets isn’t nearly as lucrative. Where’s your hope, girl?” Ava smirked mirthlessly, “That died a long time ago. And have you seen the prison? If you had, scrubbing toilets wouldn’t seem so bad.” A quick almost-smile flashed across Bella’s lips, gone before Ava was certain it had ever been there at all. “Fine,” was all she said before sauntering out of the room, leaving the handlers to see to the shaken girls. Twenty minutes later, Ava found herself in a closet-sized room, bland and small, but dry and relatively safe. Best of all, it had a tiny window, small enough to ensure she stay in place, but just enough to let her watch the stars. And she did. 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