Briefly checking the curtains yet again, to make sure I got enough natural light but still hid my shenanigans from the rest of the unapproving pack, I grabbed the angled brush and luxurious set before me.
“Today we are putting to the test the brand-new palette fromHeavenly Beauty,theNinth Cloud Set. As usual, I already got my face prepped with all my skincare and full coverage foundation. If you want to know what products I used, check the description below for the full list. Alright, makeup queens, thefirst thing I love about this palette is that it’s a nine-in-one set. It has a cream foundation, contour, bronzer, four eyeshadows, and of course, a beautiful blush and highlighter combination. It also comes in a huge range of skin tones, so no one is left behind. These are the ones that match my skin.”
Tilting the palette in my hand toward the phone’s camera, I did my best to show the gradients and began applying the contour.
“Wow, I wish you could feel how luxurious these are. They glide like silk over my skin!” I applied the blush next, then shifted my face in front of the camera to show the shimmering glow it provided. “Dreamy. Now, per your requests, today we’ll be creating an evening Fall look, for anyone who wants to go out but wants something a little different. Also, @Eyra_Vegasgirl asked in the comments if I could find an affordable dupe for the red Dior lipstick I showcased last week, and the answer is, of course! I know many of my queens are on a budget, so I found you the perfect dupe and it comes in so many options!”
Lifting the range of colors for the camera to capture, I smiled.
“Aren’t these just absolutely gor?—”
“The Hunters are back!”
“The Hunters are finally here!”
Each shout reverberated through the air like thunder, slipping into the house along with the sounds of doors swinging wide open and slamming closed all around the village—mates, breeders, and mothers rushing out to greet them.
Ryker!
My heart stammered into a fierce pounding, and I jumped off my chair, forgetting things I shouldneverforget. All the lipsticks dropped from my hands, crashing to the floor one by one like bells. I, too, swung the door open, running outside.
It had been a week since my uncle, theShadow BornAlpha, and his hunters left to track and kill Vampires. Their outingsusually took them away from us for only one night, maybe two days, three at most, so the entire pack was anxious. This was the first time it took them so long to come home, which meant the threat they’d encountered had been greater than anything they’d expected. Everyone knew the Hunters were the most powerful among us, yet even though I tried my best not to dwell on it, part of me was still scared for my future mate.
Strong arms caught me the moment I rushed out of the cabin, wrapping around me in a possessive embrace, and bringing with them the impossible heat only a Wolf Shifter possessed.
Ryker had come home straight into my arms.
Lifting me from the ground in a single swoop, he hid his face in my neck and hair as my arms draped around his broad shoulders in response, welcoming him. Relief coursed through me, feeling him safe just as a deep breath expanded his chest against mine. He was scenting me. Our bodies flushed with the movement, and a satisfied smile curved my lips while my eyes fell closed—my wolf stirred inside me for his wolf.
“Mate…” he growled against my ear, pretending to bite my neck as he would finally get to do once I turned nineteen and shifted for the first time.
“Soon,” I whispered before his lips captured mine, and I let his adoration engulf my entire being. My wolf rustled inside me contentedly, embracing the familiarity of him. She couldn’t wait to shift and meet his wolf.
Ryker was one of the few constants in my life. We had been promised to each other for so long that the years blurred together, so the anticipation of the day when our wolves would finally meet and get to mate grew each hour.
Was this what humans called love? I wasn’t sure our species experienced things the same way, but it had to be to course through my body like this every time Ryker was near.
We got lost in the kiss, until his nose returned to my neck, taking in my scent once more as though it was the only thing that made him feel like he was truly home.
“I missed you so much, Tasha.” His voice fanned my lips when his head lifted once more, and he briefly looked into my eyes. “Monster after monster we ripped apart, but I just wanted to come back to you.”
My forehead pressed against his and his eyes instantly closed, taking comfort in our contact. “Was it worse than our Alpha predicted?” I asked, pulling back again, caressing the muscles that instantly tensed along his jaw—drops of dried, red blood were still splattered across his skin.
Ryker’s head shook as a dark shadow of disdain and hate crossed his expression. “You have no idea. I don’t think the Alpha ever thought it would be this bad. Their numbers have increased, and they are getting dangerously close to the city. It doesn’t make sense. It felt planned, like an ambush.”
“That’s impossible,” I whispered, shocked. “Vampires are beasts incapable of any type of thought or intelligence.”
“Someone brought them here,” Ryker continued, completely lost in thought. “We killed a few of them but most were able to escape. Something’s calling them here.”
The mere thought terrified me. Throngs of deformed and irrational creatures, stronger and faster than any human, thirsty for blood in an unsuspecting city were the last thing we wanted to happen. Especially, if there was something else out there guiding them, using them as weapons.
A sense of purpose and duty coursed through me instantly, replacing the fear. “Good thing that in two days I’ll be able to finally join the Hunters and help kill those beasts.”
My future mate’s jaw tightened again, but this time, he seemed bothered by my words.
“What is it?” I glanced at him confused. “We’ve been planning this forever. I’ll complete the trial, and shift, our wolves will mate, and then I’ll join the Hunters. We’ll be stronger together, fighting to protect?—”
“Stop, Tasha. Just stop.”
