Mated To Four Alphas

ith laughter. Behind her glasses, her warm caramel brown eyes exuded love and kindness. But then, everything changed. The light in her eyes faded away, leaving them empty and lifeless like dark

e cold barrel against my forehead sent a chill down my spine. I knew that if she pulled the trigger, the metal would scorch my skin with

ar tone. It was as if the woman I loved, who had taken care of me during my sickness, who had never missed a weekly visit, had v

d sense of loss. The connection I thought I had with my mother had been shattered, and

surged within me. There had to be a glimmer of her true self hidden somewhere beneath the darkness. "Mom," I pleaded, my voice quivering. "I love you. Please, don't let this happen. I l

on me, the barrel of the gun aimed unwaveringly. "You're mistaken, Isabella. You merely believe yo

d my surroundings, a robust figure rolled over me, and a rough hand covered my mouth, muffling m

ir of captivating gray-blue eyes. It was Clark. A sense of relief washed over me, even though it seemed irrational to trust him or a

and the large man sat up, bringing me w

hem." He continued to murmur a stream of comforting words into my ear, and I

flooded my mind. I wasn't uncomfortable with my body. I'd been sick for so long I was used to being poked and prodded by doctors, u

, and I scrambled back a few feet, kneeling on the soft ground beneath the canopy of

es of the trees in the forest, dapplin

ipe my tears and snot away in a subtle movement-

me, causing my brows to

Who are you?" I stammered, d

ted slightly, a hint of she

Clark. It's Nixon," he confessed,

er, my mind struggling t

whole fake ID set up for their background checks and what

me over the edge of sanity. Amidst the whirlwind of bizarre events that had unfolded over the past twenty-four hours, this revelation barely scr

by his handsome features. A wide grin spread across his face, showcasing

who went undercover, so he was the only one who nee

me me, and a barrage of ques

over? What were you doing at the Taren com

ite feeling cold and achy, I couldn't de

edication?" I inquired, hopeful that ther

on-shook his head, d

gs. But trust me, Scrubs, you don't need medication. I've told you befo

within me, causing

realize how messed up that is? I've been grappling with

ly cut off by his so

isclosed, his words piercing my heart like a

seen only as my illness, as nothi

said they're all invested in my recov

shift," Wyatt threw ou

ked. "

rating, he turne

asn't been

h his hair, sitting back on

dn't talk much around me, since I was just an orderly, but they were all really interested in her progress. You saw

ed inside me, makin

ect! My name is Isabella Mad

ce I couldn't interpret befo

s not exactly

ht I couldn't handle whatever they had to say, or if they were deliberately trying to keep me in the dar

why she had turned on me-and that wound was still so raw it hurt to even think about. And I didn't understand how I'd b

the kid gloves. His voice was a little harder when he spo

project: creating shifters. People who are part human, part animal, able to take the form of both. They haven't perfected it yet. We don't know what they're trying to acco

so somber, that I couldn't. So I didn't say anything. I just stared a

head to the side,

. We escaped a while back, and eventually they shut down that branch. But they d

credulous laugh did

an... an animal. I've never shifted

e." Nixon's large fingers dug lightly int

ifferent dose, maybe a different cocktail of drugs? I'm not sure. But your change is coming. They were all really ex

ht about it, I realized I'd been the longest-term resident there. Others had come and gone; I'd been told some of them got better and some

is, but I felt like I was trapped in a rushing river, smashing into rocks and

if these men were lying, I could no longer deny one tr

that my body could heal itself. I hadn't seen it because the one person I thought I could trust more than anyone, my mother, had s

e like a thousand pounds of rubble. I leaned over, going to my hands and knees, and retched into the grass. I hadn't eaten anything since before my c

ith understanding, allowing me to retch until there was nothing left in my stomach. My dark brown hair cascaded around my face

simply abandon you. None of us could. Perhaps it would have been kinder to let you continue living the lie for a little while lon

odest and secluded existence. Despite having very little, I had convinced myself that I possessed everything I needed. Yet, in reality, I had never truly possessed anything. And now, I found myself with even less than

ing my head. Nixon's face was in close proxi

lips. "You mentioned shifters. Part hu

by movement amidst the sun-speckled woods. As if summoned by our voices, tw