Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

Something was off. Stone could feel it.

He didn’t know what was going on with Aubree but he knew something was wrong.

After a long night of chasing vampires, he felt more uneasy than ever before.

The first night that Aubree left for Chicago, he was worried about her getting there safely. When Hector confirmed that she made it there, he felt better.

The next day, right around sunset, he started feeling a tightening sensation in his chest. That made him worry again, even though Hector reassured him, once more, that everything was secure.

Hector was the alpha of the Rosenrot Pack in Illinois. A distant cousin of Stone’s on his father’s side, albeit a few hundred years younger, Hector was always a clever one and the closest lycan in another pack that Stone could trust in times of distress. If a wave of vampires were to come crashing through the Blauwald’s territory and he needed the help of another pack, he would request Hector’s assistance before he would seek Colten’s.

After Stone’s second call Saturday night, there was no doubt curiosity in Hector’s deep voice.

"Why so concerned about a human female, Stone?"

Stone didn’t want to delve into details with him but asked him to keep an eye on her until it was clear she was in no danger.

The uneasy feeling in Stone’s soul persisted and didn’t go away until sometime in the middle of the night, only to return a few hours later Sunday morning.

Still, it unnerved him and he barked orders at everyone without even thinking about his words before they left his mouth.

Once the sun rose and the vampires withdrew into their hiding places, he calmed down a bit but he still had plenty of pent-up anxiety that he pulled Gunner aside.

“I need to unwind.”

Gunner merely nodded, rarely ever asking for an explanation.

They went down into the basement of their pack house where all of their training and exercise equipment was set up. The space was used most frequently by Gunner. This was where he went to escape, to work himself to exhaustion so that his entire body ached from head to toe.

Usually, Alistair and Gunner worked out together. However, since Adelaide’s death, Stone replaced Alistair much of the time and the two broken souls unleashed their anguish on each other.

Their hands reached for the cotton wraps at the same time once they were in the basement and methodically began wrapping the material around their hands, wrists, and knuckles.

“How many rounds, Alpha? Or would you prefer to set a time limit?” Gunner asked.

Stone shook his head. “Until I’m too worn out to continue.”

Gunner set his jaw and nodded. He always avoided looking Stone in the eyes out of respect. The only time he permitted himself to do so was when they would spar together. It wasn’t a fair match if one avoided the gaze of the other.

With some mats set out on the floor, they did a few stretches before getting into position.

Having spent the night running, leaping, and taking down a couple of vampires, there was no need for a warm-up.

Gunner nodded to Stone when he was ready.

They raised their mental barriers as they raised their fists up. They circled around each other slowly, their eyes never straying from the others.

Stone knew that Gunner always waited for him to make the first move. It wasn’t a tactic but rather a formality to his alpha. He wouldn’t strike his alpha unless his alpha struck him first.

Pivoting quickly, Stone’s fist flew out. Gunner easily side-stepped it, but Stone anticipated that. He came around with the other fist and nearly hit Gunner’s jaw, but it breezed past him and nicked his ear instead.

“Focus, Alpha,” Gunner said as he spun around and kicked Stone in the rear with his right leg.

Before Gunner had a chance to withdraw his leg, Stone hooked his left arm around it, thereby catching Gunner and forcing him to shift his balance before he toppled over. With lightning-quick reflexes, Stone thrust his right fist out and jabbed Gunner in the chest.

Gunner swiped at Stone with his left fist and barely missed Stone’s nose. The momentum of his swing caused him to lose balance. Stone released Gunner’s leg as he fell and he circled around him to give Gunner a chance to get back to his feet.

They were never ones to fight dirty and kick a male when he was down.

Gunner jumped up to his feet and gave Stone a curt nod. “Better.”

Stone didn’t feel any better and he tried to release his pent up emotions, lashing out at Gunner with all his might.

The bitter tang of blood in his mouth when Gunner punched him eased some of his torment, reminding him that physical pain was fleeting. His wounds would heal in a matter of seconds and his life would carry on for several hundred more years until someone finally did him in.

How much longer could he bear the burden of his loss? How could he keep living each day, knowing that Aubree was alive and living in the arms of another male?

The thought of Aubree’s boyfriend filled him with jealous rage and he struck Gunner three times, twice in the chest and once in the cheek, sending Gunner tumbling back on his feet.

Blood crept out from the corner of Gunner’s mouth and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. His gaze held Stone’s. “I could feel the anger in that one. Care to elaborate?”

Stone wiped the sweat from his brow and spat the blood from his mouth, the cut already healed.

He turned and grabbed a towel to mop his face. “No.”

Gunner grabbed a towel for himself and began to wipe his face as well. “You sure? You let your guard down for a second and I saw a young male’s face in your mind.”

“We’re done here,” Stone announced through clenched teeth.

The good thing about Gunner was that he knew when to hold his tongue.

Stone headed to the bathroom in the corner where there was a sink, toilet, and shower stall. He took off his sweat-soaked shorts and stepped into the shower.

Gunner continued his workout, clearly not at his breaking point before he would call it a day.

Stone allowed his mind to linger briefly on Aubree again. He still had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach despite his attempt to curb it.

Closing his eyes, he allowed the cool water to fall on his shoulders. He pressed his palms against the wall, recalling how he felt when he had Aubree’s tiny body pinned between him and the wall. The way her eyes looked up into his in complete bewilderment. How she struggled to get enough air into her lungs. The soft curve of her cheeks. How her scent drew him in and it took all his strength and will power to pull away from her.

Growling under his breath, he pushed the memory aside and drew away from the wall. He had to stop tormenting himself.