Crescent Kingdom (The Wolves of Crescent Creek, #1)

by Tessa Hale

AGE NINE Billy was sad.

1) same, Billy 2) I love that she always starts a series with an FMC backstory in the past

He let out a low whistle. “The body on that one.” “Fucking perfect,” Blondie agreed. “It’s too bad about her face.” Brown Hair chuckled. “I’d just take her from behind.”

Fucking barf. I hate men. Eat glass and shit sand

Crescent Kingdom. The name had called to me the moment I stopped in town, checking out what it had to offer and knowing I didn’t have the cash to make it much farther.

Heeey they said the thing

He was incredibly handsome, though, in a way that said he didn’t want people to notice. He was leanly muscled and wearing a dark-blue flannel. Black-framed glasses hid enchanting gray eyes.

Fuck me up, flannel nerd daddy

I’d spent half a year in California and allowed myself the luxury of a single friend. But I’d disappeared out of Hayden’s life, too, when the town got a few too many supernatural eyes on it.

Shoutout to our girl. Miss you, Queen

They’d been the ones to rescue Hayden when she was in a bad situation all those years ago, stepping in to help when no one else could.

Okay so significant time jump since Ember Hollow. Or at least significant enough to say “all those years ago” lol

Those words coming from her lips were so shocking that my gaze automatically moved over my shoulder. Wren was facing away from me, pulling the T-shirt over her head, but her back was completely on display. A back riddled with scars. Different sizes and depths. Various stages of healing.

I fucking love a scar reveal trope. Om nom nom I eat it up. Can't WAIT for the rest to see them

But it was Locke who came through for me. “It does seem like an excellent day for an exorcism.” I grinned at him, my smile huge. “I knew you were my favorite.”

Agreed Locke is our flannel daddy and the fav at this point

“She talks first,” Ender snarled, shoving up from the couch. “You might be hiding your scent now, but we all smelled it. You’re a wolf. A wolf and a fucking caster.”

Hybrid's outta the bag now lol

“Shut up!” I yelled. “All of you just shut the hell up. We’re going to keep her safe. We’re going to give her time to heal and not force her to talk about anything she doesn’t want to. And if any of you try to push her, I’ll hack your whole lives. You won’t be able to move without hemorrhaging money or your phone accidentally sending out fart sounds.”

Locke, my guy! I am a puddle for you

“That’s Princess. She’s Ender’s cat,” Locke said. My brain short-circuited. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Omg I had a cat named Princess lol

“We’re going to give you all the touch your body’s been craving for years. We’re going to make you come, and then you’re going to let your wolf free.”

Stop me from going feral? This will send me into feral mode

And with that, King’s fist smashed into Ender’s nose, breaking it for the second time this week.

3/4 have punched him so far lol lets go for the full house

Dina let out a snort. “The only massage you want to give Wren is slipping her the ol’ salami.” I choked on a laugh. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard it put that way before.”

HA. Neither have hahaha

“No rule against having a cat and a penchant for cold-blooded murder.”

True chains. Actually, that’s probably a Venn diagram with quite a bit of overlap there lol

“A lock-picking lesson sounds perfect.” I paused. “Wait, is that why they call you Locke?” His lips twitched, and he nodded.

Locke is such a fucking cutie I just wanna eat him up. Gobble gobble.

Locke shifted next to me, taking my hand in his and squeezing. “I did some research while you were out. There have been cases where true mating bonds were blocked because of certain shields. The wolves didn’t realize they were true mates until the shield was dropped.”

Ooohhhh mate touches round 2! drop the shields baby

I gasped, the feelings grabbing hold before the pictures did. Ender’s hand gripped my hair, just shy of pain as he pounded into me. The sun baked into our bare skin, and a creek babbled in the background, but all I could feel was him: his power, the force of how badly he wanted me. “Wife,” he growled. “Look how beautifully you take me.”

LOL at Locke and Kingston's mate visions being about family and love, meanwhile Ender's is about them fucking in the forest XD

Ender dropped my arm as if he’d been burned. “Sorcery,” he growled. “This is some sort of caster spell, and I won’t fall for it.”

Fucking lunatic. RUDE. Someone punch him again.

Brix stood then, crossing to the bed. His expression was impossible to read, but those blue-green eyes swirled, both colors darkening. “I already know the truth,” he rasped. “But don’t worry. I won’t saddle you with a mate like me.”

BRIX WHY YOU BE LIKE THAT. Not even doing the touch to get the vision. My heart.

Puck’s throat worked as he swallowed. “I’m sorry, Wren.” It was possibly the first time he’d used my formal name. And it felt like a dagger to the chest. But the next two words dealt the death blow. “I can’t.” And then he was gone, too.

Genuine shock! Puck you crushed my heart here

Wonder filled Brix’s eyes as he studied me. “You should’ve run when you had the chance, Little Warrior. Because now that I know what it’s like to have your touch? You’ll never be free.”

Whoop whoop!! I love me a mentally unstable man who can only tolerate his mate's touch. Purrr

One of Brix’s hands left my wrists and trailed down my arm, dipping to my neck. His fingers collared my throat, tightening for only a moment. “Tell me again.”

Choke me, daddy

Brix cursed. “Taking me so beautifully. All of me. Like you were made for me.” “Because I was,” I croaked. “Like you were made for me.”

Fucking meltinggggg

And as the last of my orgasm faded, I knew that everything had changed.

I said a bang bang bangity bang! Love that it was Brix first

Ender sneered, but his eyes never left mine. “Because I just got a call from a contact. And they know exactly who Wren is. The bastard daughter of Bastian Boudreaux. The alpha of the Red River pack.”

OH SHIT. This is gonna fuck with things

My gaze lifted, finding Kingston’s locked on me. There was so much pain in those light-blue eyes. Total and complete agony. But there was also something else. He was looking at me like I was a complete stranger. As if he’d never laid eyes on me before.

Fucking gutted. Seriously expected more from Kingston

A cramping sensation took root in my stomach, waves of excruciating pain sloshing through me as I sought out Brix. He stood the farthest away from me, back at the entryway to the kitchen. But his blue-green eyes had gone completely dead. There was no emotion in him at all. It was as if I was nothing to him.

Noooo we just finally accepted and now it’s torn apart. This hurt is not gonna be gotten over quickly!

Ender bared his teeth at me, trying to go around Locke, but Puck moved in to block him. The growl that left Ender’s throat was one of pure rage. “You’d take her back after everything I’ve told you?”

Locke and Puck! Puck just coming around. Locke is the only true homie here, the only one in it from the start and never hurt or chose against her. My guy.

They all turned to me then. Even Brix’s eyes widened a fraction as the shock hit them all. “I’ve put the pieces together. She’s running. Running from someone who hurt her. Someone who left her body riddled with scars and terrified of the dark. Do you know what she said when the power went out? ‘They hurt me in the dark.’”

YES LOCKE. Fucking tell em! Shame on them all!!

I scanned the faces of the men in the room, males who were Wren’s mates, my brothers. “She has been terrorized, touch-starved, and so much worse. And the three of you just wounded her worse than any of that by believing a bunch of bullshit lies.”

SNAPS. PERIOD.

Ender simply scoffed. “If you’re still falling for her bullshit, you’re stupider than I ever could’ve imagined,” he spat as he stalked out of the kitchen.

I wanna punch him right in the throat