Trigger by Marie Lee Lee (good books to read for women .txt) 📕

“Naya.”

Naya shook her head. “Sorry to interrupt, I assumed you weren’t busy.”

Feral’s eyes were on her and then switched to Ezra’s before turning to her again.

“Remember what I told you Ezra. I don’t want to see another Winter Pack member in this territory without my notice again. Do you understand?”

Ezra simply nodded before heading out the office. Before Ezra passed her, she winked and nudged her with her forefinger. Naya couldn’t say anything at that moment knowing that he would somehow suspect her for letting one of the members into the headquarters. Packs were always overprotective as well as an Alpha’s possessiveness. Shaking out of false thoughts, she told him the news.

“I’m proud of you.”

Naya grinned at his acceptance. Feral strode towards her and gave a tight hug. “I wish you were my baby sister.”

Naya laughed and nudged him playfully in the arm. “You have Ezra, deal with it.”

Feral scowled at her, “I know I have her. I wish you were the second.”

Naya rolled her eyes. “We are family regardless. We’re Pack.”

Feral grinned down at her. His fierce green eyes sparkling with affection. “Yes.”

Giving a quick peck on his cheek, she said her goodbyes and headed to her room.

Turning on her lights, she headed for the closet to take out her nightgown. About ready to strip and head for the shower, she felt an eerily chill in her veins. Looking out her open spaced windows, she glanced down at the parking lot.

The reason she had asked for open view windows was due to the bright city lights at night. Laying down on her bed, it had looked like thousands of stars glittering her furniture and ceiling. She could very well tell it would be easy to spot a woman undressing herself from miles away. She hadn’t actually expected someone to bother looking due to this being Ryder Territory. No one messed or even bothered to look at the females unless they were asked to.

There.

She could sense it again. That feeling of being watched from afar. Using her ability to search for any evidence of fear or lust to have found none. Emptiness.

There was no emotion, yet she still could feel eyes on her. Not on her body, but on her. As if someone was trying to look beyond. Deep inside her very being. The thought chilled her to her very core. Taking her nightgown and lace underwear, she quickly headed into the bathroom and took a shower, brushing off the fear that broke into cold sweat. 

Ezra went downstairs for an early morning snack before heading to the fitness quarters. Her reflection caught in the corner of her eye. She sighed. Her hair was such a bother.

Ezra had wanted to cut it for a while now. Short and choppy, just the way she liked it. She had to deal with elbow length hair for years. Her brother not wanting her to cut it. A lot of men in the Winter Pack had told her if she cut it that short, she’d lose her femininity. She growled low in her throat. She was perfect just the way she was with short hair. Who cared if her small skinny frame lacked curves and her boobs were the size of marshmallows? She still had the face and intimate parts. When she found her mate, he would love her just the way she was. That’s all that mattered.

Storming off to the locker room, she switched into her swimsuit.  Swimming was something she enjoyed out of all the activities. It made her feel pure to her core and powerful in her veins.

She had more than one trophy and medal hanging on the side wall by the entrance to their packs headquarters. It made her pride shoot back up whenever someone glanced at them. She gladly accepted a scholarship for an all wolf college down in Bronx after she graduated Gedwell High School.

Putting her goggles on, she bend her knees and knelt down. Grabbing her waterproof timer, she barely pressed on the button before the flashes came.

Bloodlust. Needles. Screams. Female. Poison.

She only realized after the vision that she’d had fallen into the pool during the process. She swam to the surface and held on the ladder for support. She had never experienced a vision so horrifying, it tore at her heart. Forcing every bone in her body to move, she ran to her room without bothering to change.

It’s been a week since Naya had begun working part-time at Lockwell Hospital. She’d gotten used to it on the first day. She’d fell in love with her patients and they easily trusted her with opened arms as she helped them. Her co-workers Alias and Trisha were the most warmhearted panthers she’s met. Usually they were quiet and quick about their business like Corde—a member in her pack.

After finishing up a patient, she headed down the corridor. Lights flickered above her. Before she could look up, she saw a shadow pass by in inhuman speed. Turning just as quickly, she saw nothing but an empty hallway. Turning on her ability she searched. Again, she found nothing.

Was there a telepath roaming around in the hospital? Distracted by her cluster of thoughts, she missed her beeper going off.

Moments later, Alias walked up to her and asked if she was alright. Naya nodded and headed back to her patients. 

Distraction was not acceptable during her first week. She knew there was someone in the hallway with her. She had the same sense just like she had at school and at home.

Naya remembered she’d forgotten to speak to her Alpha about it. Slamming her head onto one of the Nurses desk, she groaned in pain at how much force she put into the blow.

Turning towards the clock, she saw she has two minutes until her shift ended. Relieved she could go home and scared at what could possibly happen before she made it safely home, she dialed Ezra’s number.

No answer.

Naya sighed, deciding there was no use but to head home alone. Alpha had been busy with Walker and Bren. Business meetings on their new construction project. Rose was possible watching Xian while she prepared dinner for the pack. Beside Ezra, there was no one else she could contact.

Heading outside and saying her goodbyes, she started to walk home. “Naya!”

Naya turned her head quick at the sound and found Rose motioning her over. “Where are you going? Dinner is about to start and I know how picky the pack gets when the food is a little late.”

Rose laughed. “I wanted to make Pumpkin pie but didn’t have enough ingredients and since your job is right by, why not join me in a lift to go grocery shopping?”

“I think that offer is quite tempting.”

Rose gave her best seductive look. The expression sending tingles in her veins at how intent her stare was. “Hop on, baby. This is going to be a wild ride.”

Naya laughed as she climbed in the passenger side of the ‘Mama Van’. So Bren called it.

No farther than five minutes into the drive, Naya couldn’t resist asking her about anything strange going on with other packs or the supernatural coming back for vengeance.

“No. Not that I know of. Why?”

The worried look on Rose’s face made Naya a little nervous. Wiping her sweaty palms on her scrubs, she hid her bit shaken hands. “I don’t know, I’ve just been really paranoid lately. Nothing to worry about though. I know when something bad is going to happen. I promise.”

Rose nodded and faced the road. It felt more like an hour than a couple of minutes ‘til they reached the Shopping Center. Which they also owned.

Ezra awoken sweaty, panting, her lavender strands sticking her collarbone and chest cavity. Getting up quickly, she searched in her drawer for her drawing pad and pencil. She’d kept it to draw out her visions as she revisited them. Most left her with quick flashes, she had to force herself to repeatedly watch them in order to get the details down.

Cluster of parts in no particular order. Just blood, surgical tools, and some type of poison that looked to be injecting into people.

Drawing as fast as she could with quick strokes of her pencil. She drew the short feminine figure. Her features were still a blurry but enough to max out on paper. Dark long hair, a terrified expression. Those eyes seemed to spark a fire within her as she continued her sketches.

When she finished, she dropped her pad as if it burned her and held back her scream that was so close to threaten past her throat. That woman, looked similar to the one she last saw four years ago. Kitten.

Rose had already entered Ryder Headquarters with half of the groceries while Naya grabbed the rest. She had bought more than pumpkin pie ingredients. Comparing prices to see which was cheaper even though they didn’t have to worry much about the prices since their budget was always high.

“I like to take advantage of how much money we spend. Bargains are always fun, plus it makes its better to get more product for cheaper prices.”

Rose had explained to Naya while they searched for the best beans to cook for dinner tomorrow.

She didn’t care much about how much we did spend but however the way she parked was a big N-O.

Naya looked up at the flickering bulb that had been unfixed since last year due to lazy construction workers. Convincing herself there was nothing to worry about, she bent down to grab the groceries out the trunk. So what if there was an empty dark space around her? It’s not like someone was going to attack her right in front of Ryder HQ. I mean there were guards right at the doors for good sakes. One of the oranges dropped from the brown bag she’d been holding, rolling to the darker side of the street, not visible by the guards. Her throat dried up like the Sahara desert and she felt an unnerving chill crawl up her back. Oh. God.

Pants. She was breathing rapidly. Fear strong in her gut. She cursed at herself for the lack of combat skills she provided from being a healer. The parking lot was noticeably huge. There was no way someone would be able to attack her without being noticed even in this dark space. Wolves had night vision. She would be saved.

Abandoning the fallen orange, she bent slightly to grab the last bag of groceries. Deep breathing. She heard it. It was so low she almost missed it but thank god she hadn't.

“Leave me alone.”

She whispered the words low enough for only her attacker to hear. She assumed it was a pretty stupid move, given the fact that she couldn’t feel the intruder’s emotions and that he/she could possibly kill her in one swift movement.

Backing up, she bumped into something hard. And knowing that Rose had parked in the middle, there was a hundred percent chance an actual person was behind her. She gasped, a large rough hand clamping her mouth, muting whatever would’ve came out next.

Hot breaths caressed her ear as the most menacing voice whispered, “Any indication of movement and I’ll crush your windpipe.”

Ezra had to