THE AWAKENING

Tieran’s hands still tingled from the cream he’d spread on Cassandra and his blood was percolating at a fine clip for restraining
himself to the task rather than slaking his pounding lust within her soft and rounded body, making for a fine recipe for a raging
temper.
He’d been able to hold his desire in check by the thinnest of threads, reminding himself that she was in a delicate condition, far
more important than satisfying his needs.
He detoured to the work-out room, needing to blow off some excess steam. He was pleased when he found the expansive room
empty.
Tieran went straight to the punching bag, and without bothering to wrap his knuckles, he began taking his sexual frustration out
on the heavy bag.
Cassandra was like a drug in his system and he was desperate for a fix. Her belly was a beautiful, rounded well of life, squirming
with his progeny.
Her breasts had plumped even more than before until he could almost taste the honeyed skin against his tongue.
Her dainty pink areolas had darkened with the pregnancy and he could make out their outline from the gauzy, thin material
providing some semblance of coverage of her lush body, but did nothing to prevent his imagination from filling in the blanks.
Was it possible she became even more beautiful with the passing of each day? Was this the bonding that happened between
mates?
He could still smell her essence in the house, even though they hadn’t had sex since the forest floor, nearly a week ago. He
ached to feel his cock sliding into her tight, wet sheath, stretching the slicked walls as he pushed himself deeper until he was
seated to the hilt against her womanly flesh.
Good God, this wasn’t helping, he groaned, refocusing on the bag. He landed a vicious punch that would’ve shattered bone then
countered with a roundhouse kick that would’ve caved in a chest. He was in misery. Tieran caught the rocking bag and rested his
forehead against the beaten leather.
Sweat trickled down his back in rivulets and prayed to the Mother Goddess for strength and wisdom because at the moment, he
felt as lost as a newborn pup. He pulled back and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, ready to begin again, but
Serra walked in.

She grinned and for a second, he felt that familiar tug, but it was weak enough to push it away.
“Remember when we used to train together?” Serra asked, going to the tape and quickly wrapping her knuckles.
“How could I forget? You bested me nearly every match until I was finally big enough to simply overpower you,” he answered
with a reluctant smile.
Serra had been one of the fiercest girls in the pack, destined to be a warrior. Or an Alpha’s Mate. Guilt tugged at him. He sensed
Serra’s pain even though she fought to hide it from him. “Serra...”
“Let’s see if you’ve still got what it takes to best me,” she cut in with a bright, teasing smile, going into a wide-legged stance. “And
remember, no unfair advantages. As in, no transforming.”
Tieran allowed a small grin. “I only did that once. But if I recall correctly, you grabbed my poor balls and twisted so hard I thought
you’d neutered me. That was punishment enough for taking the advantage.”
“Well,” she smirked with knowing. “Your parts seemed to work just fine, if I recall.”
He conceded her point, yet tried to forget the times he and Serra had fucked like animals on this very gym floor. “One match,” he
offered. “Standard rules apply.”
Serra laughed. “Have it your way,” she said right before attempting to sweep Tieran’s leg out from under him but Tieran was wise
to her style of fighting and leapt out of the way.
He countered with a quick jab at her midsection but she whirled and countered, catching him in the mouth with a sharp punch.
“Are you getting soft, Alpha?” she teased, bouncing away before he could rebound. “You used to be quicker.”
Tieran wiped away the blood welling on his lip and grinned. “And you used to hit harder.”
She returned the grin. “Touché.”
They sparred for a solid ten minutes before Tieran caught Serra with a surprise kick to the stomach that sent her reeling to the
floor, gasping to catch her breath.
When she didn’t immediately rebound, he worried he’d actually hurt her and went to help her up, but she caught him with a swift
kick to the jaw as she spun around and suddenly he was seeing stars while flat on his back.

Serra wasted no time in straddling him, the heat of her core nestled perfectly against his groin. It took a full second to realize
she’d won the match but his body reacted like an eager boy with his first conquest, hardening beneath her ready heat.
“It seems there is something between us you haven’t managed to forget,” she murmured triumphantly, grinding against him and
sighing with pleasure as the hard-ridge of his cock rubbed against her clit.
She leaned down to catch his bottom lip between her teeth before sealing her mouth to his. In a flash, everything about Serra’s
familiar weight on top of him felt wrong — even repugnant.
He bracketed her hips with both hands and lifted her off him, nearly tossing her free with a glower. “What are you doing?” he
demanded in a harsh growl as he climbed to his feet. “I have bonded with Cassandra. What we had was child’s play compared to
what I feel for Cassandra. Do not shame your clan in this way!”
She followed suit, her eyes flashing. “You are the one who has shamed our clan by refusing to do what is necessary to ensure
the clan’s survival.”
“Watch your tongue.”
“If you were a real Alpha, you’d vow to kill the baby whose blood isn’t pure. The seed of Clan Janus germinates in the belly of
your mate and yet, you allow it to live. If you were half the Alpha you pretend to be, you’d know this is an abomination. She has
poisoned your mind, turned you from your beliefs. Do you need further proof that she is ruining this clan? We have survived and
thrived because our Alphas always did what was right, no matter the cost. But this woman has managed to turn you into a soft,
mewling kitten at the prospect of snuffing out one tiny life.”
“Silence.” The command echoed in the room, laced with danger. “You forget yourself.”
Serra’s eyes flashed with wounded rage. “No! You forget yourself. I am not some weak woman that you can order about. I was
destined to be your mate. You know it to be true. Deep inside you know what you have with Cassandra doesn’t feel right. When
we were together, we were unstoppable. Just as destined mates should be. If you were truly bonded to Cassandra, you would
not be here with me...you would be with her. No matter the circumstance.”
He stared in hard silence. Slowly, a cold smile broke across his lips. “You are right about something not feeling right,” he said,
surprising her. “But it isn’t how I feel about Cassandra. It’s how I thought I felt about you. You are not my True Mate. It is
Cassandra. I am sorry you were hurt in all this but I cannot change what is meant to be.”
“I don’t believe you,” she whispered, angry tears filling her eyes. “You’re lying.”

“You may stay until tomorrow. Until this moment, you would’ve had my undying respect, if not love. Now, I feel nothing. Do not
further shame your family and clan with your protests and accusations.”
Tieran left the work out room with Serra screaming obscenities through a wash of tears. He felt no guilt, only regret for putting
Cassandra in an uncomfortable spot.
He bounded up the stairs to Cassandra’s room and strode in with purpose. He shut the door and locked it, then stripped as he
went. By the time he crawled into the bed beside Cassandra he was naked and hard.
He had to touch her. He would be gentle, if need be, but he couldn’t go another second without feeling her skin, tasting her lips,
and losing himself inside her.