ã€ŠThe Broken Warrior&#x27;s Daughterã€‹


 Chapter 1

    I''ve always known my destiny. Some search for years trying to find their ce in the world, others never truly find their calling.

    But not me. | knew from the moment | was born to two Guardians, the most powerful warriors in my pack, that | was meant to be

    a warrior. A Guardian.

    My parents were fated mates, short for soulmates. Two halves of the same soul. Most werewolves strive to find their mate, the

    one thatpletes them. While there are some that see the mate bond as a weakness and instantly reject their mates when

    they find them, most only get stronger. That''s how it was with my parents. The mate bond made them stronger, and they were a

    powerful couple.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    As Guardians and the strongest, most powerful fighters in our pack, my parents were responsible for ensuring the safety of our

    Alpha, Alpha Anders; his mate, Luna Calista, and their young son, our future Alpha, Rik. It was during an attack from a

    neighboring pack that thought they could defeat our Alpha and take over, that | lost my mother. She died protecting our Luna and

    their son. | was only 5 years old at the time.

    During that same battle, my father, while protecting our Alpha, took on five of the eight wolves that attacked our Alpha. They both

    held their own until other warriors came to assist. However, at the moment my mother died and he felt the tether of his link to her

    break, my father faltered. One of the wolves jumped onto his back trying to bring him down. When he couldn''t, he bit down on my

    father¡¯s back, snapping his spine. Werewolves can heal from many things ¡ª cuts, bruises, even small breaks, but not paralyzing

    spinal injuries.

    From that day on, my father became a shell of his old self. While most wolves would have died at the loss of their mate, my

    father survived solely to care for me. He has done his best and he loves me, but he lost so much that day. He not only lost his

    mate, he lost his ability to walk, and his status as a warrior. He lost himself.

 Chapter 2

    As | walk through the halls of my high school in between sses, my fellow warriors call out to me. | wave and acknowledge

    them in response. Jason, my best friend, jogs to catch up to me. ¡°Hey Little Badass, what are you doing after school?¡±

    ¡°Jason, don¡¯t call me that. | hate that name.¡±

    ¡°Well, I''ve got news for you, the whole squad is calling you little badass after that stunt you pulled yesterday, so you better get

    used to it.¡±

    I stop in my tracks and look at Jason. ¡°Tell me you''re joking!¡± By the look on his face, | see he¡¯s not joking. Well shit!

    ¡°Anyway,¡± he continues, ¡°after school?¡±

    ¡°Oh right. I¡¯m doing my usual, hanging out with dad.¡±

    ¡°And by ¡®hanging out¡¯ you mean training? That''s your secret right, you get to train with the biggest badass that this pack has ever

    known?¡±

    I stop and look at my long-time friend. Out of the corner of my eye, | see Alpha Rik with his entourage of females. ¡°I see the

    harem continues to grow,¡± | nod my chin in Alpha Rik¡¯s direction, ignoring Jason¡¯s question about training with my dad.

    He¡¯s right, | do train with my father. Every day. | know my path, it¡¯s been set for me since the day | was born. My job is to be the

    strongest, fastest, most powerful warrior in the pack, better even than my mom and dad. My legacy is to one day protect the

    Alpha, just as my father did.

    My only problem with that is our future alpha doesn¡¯t even know who | am. What kind of alpha doesn¡¯t know the daughter of the

    man and woman that are the sole reason that he and his family are alive? My parents¡¯ sacrifices are the reason he is able to be

    the man whore he chooses to be. And lucky me, one day | get to protect that piece of....an alpha.

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, | understand the alpha¡¯s desire to show off how great he is. It¡¯s what alphas do. And if I¡¯m being honest,

    Alpha Rik has it all. Midnight ck hair that he wears nearly to his shoulders. His full beard and mustache trimmed in a long

    stubble. And those eyes, a startling color of blue, like a cier, that stand out in his tanned skin. His broad, muscr arms and

    shoulders sit well on his 6¡¯4¡¯ frame which slides into a sharp V at his waist, sliding into narrow hips, rounded out by strong,

    muscr legs that pants and jeans can¡¯t hide. Every unmated female of age in our pack and every other nearby pack hopes that

    they have a chance to be our future Luna. And if not the future Luna, at least to have the possibility of bing the gorgeous

    alpha¡¯s girlfriend and maybe being taken as a chosen mate, hence the harem.

    | watch as he stands among his members, showing nothing but arrogance and strength. Even his name means brave. Strong

    and brave. It¡¯s a thing with our alpha family. The men are all named based on origins meaning courageous or brave. And, so far,

    it''s true. Our pack is strong, one of thergest and definitely the strongest in the country. Our Alpha is a powerful force, leading

    by example. But he¡¯s also kind and fair, exactly what you want in the leader of your pack. Our future alpha, however, well, let''s

    just say the jury is still out on that one. He¡¯s definitely strong. I¡¯ve watched him train, he¡¯s a beast. Alpha genes will do that for

    you. Unlike me, | have to be smarter and work harder than any alpha if I¡¯m going to be his protector. Not only that, but I''ma

    rtively small female in my slight, fit 5¡¯¡ã4¡± frame. But that just means that my opponents tend to underestimate me. My fellow

    warriors have learned that I¡¯m not an easy target. I¡¯ve defeated all of them at one time or another. I¡¯ve earned their respect, along

    with Alpha Anders¡¯. He provides our training in the morning before school, which is when | attend. The afternoons, when the

    other warriors train with Alpha Rik, | train with my father.

    |, however, refuse to be one of Rik¡¯s crowd of admirers. Maybe it''s my own arrogance, but | will most likely be his guardian

    someday. | have no wish to be just another mark on his bedpost. And really, have some respect, if not for yourself, at least for

    your future mate. We all have a mate out there. And | have no intention of offending my future mate by being in a long line of

    short rtionships or worse a long-term, serious rtionship with someone else. I¡¯ve chosen my fated mate before I¡¯ve even met

    him.

    ¡®It''s a good thing we''re in agreement on this one¡¯ my wolf Artemis says, ¡®I wouldn''t forgive you if you offended our mate. | can¡¯t

    wait to turn 18 so we can find him.¡¯ My wolf is much more excited about finding our mate than | am.

    Once | turn 18 and step up as guardian, | will have to spend an inordinate amount of time in Rik¡¯s presence. Unless, and this is

    key, | meet my mate and he is from another pack. Then my allegiance moves to that alpha. It¡¯s because of this, that | know Alpha

    Anders really hopes that my mate is from our pack. My father and | are the biggest reason that our pack is the strongest in the

    country. However, I¡¯ve been flirting with the Alpha of the Shadow Falls pack, Alpha Liam, for nearly a year now. He is a bit older

    than | am, at 24. He hasn''t met his mate yet and he knows that I¡¯m waiting for mine. He¡¯s been respectful of my decision, but

    persistent in his attention.

    | realize I¡¯ve zoned out and Jason is still talking to me while I¡¯ve been staring at Alpha Rik. Suddenly, he must feel my eyes on

    him as he looks right at me, his ice blue eyes staring holes into my soul. It¡¯s like a buzz of electricity. What the...what was that?

    | feel Artemis purring in my head. ¡®Artemis?? What the hell?¡¯

    ¡®| honestly don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s an alpha?¡¯

    ¡®Seriously? Not you too?!¡¯

    ¡®It''s instinct, | can¡¯t help it.¡¯

    | shut her out and drag my eyes away from the maic pull that is Alpha Rik to turn my attention back to Jason, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, what

    was that?¡±

    ¡°Cara, are you even paying attention to me?? | said, yes, the harem continues to increase in size as Alpha Rik gets closer to his

    18th birthday, you know they are all hoping they will be his mate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but ¡®there can be only one¡± | say, giving him my best hignder impression. Jason is a sucker for old school Hignder

    movies.

    ¡°Good one¡±, he says, wrapping his arm around my neck and dragging me off to my next ss, which is also his ss.

    We pass a couple other pack mates who all call me little badass. Great, Jason wasn¡¯t kidding.

    ¡°Just ept it Cara. If the nickname fits...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fine, not like | have much of a choice anyway.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. So, anyway, back to my original question.¡±

    ¡°Which was...¡± | ask, dragging out the ¡®was¡¯.

    ¡°Seriously Car? | asked what you are doing after school.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, sorry. Well, it''s Thursday. You know Alpha Anders alwayses and has dinner with my dad and | on Thursdays. So,

    after training, I''ll be making dinner, then homework.¡±

    Ever since | can remember, Alpha Anderses to have dinner with my father on Thursdays. | think it¡¯s his way of showing his

    appreciation for my father¡¯s sacrifice. Honestly, it¡¯s gone a long way to helping my father stay connected to the pack. After my

    mother died and dad lost the use of his legs, he asked Alpha Anders if we could leave the pack. | think he wanted to try to live

    among humans. Instead of agreeing to let us leave, Alpha Anders had a house built on the edge of the pack territory. That way,

    we''re still pack members, but dad doesn¡¯t have to be involved in all of the pack activities, see the warriors training or wolves

    running in the woods surrounding our packnds. We are still under the protection of the pack and we help to monitor our portion

    of the northern boundary. It gives my dad a sense of purpose within the pack, or at least | think it does.

    ¡°| forgot it was Thursday¡± Jason replies. ¡°Well, are we still set for clubbing tomorrow night?¡±

    ¡°Yep, always ready to blow off some steam.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡±

    | sigh as we walk into ss.

 Chapter 3

    Only a few months left of school and I¡¯m done. I''ll turn 18 in a couple of weeks and if all goes well, I¡¯ll meet my mate, and then

    dad can hand over the title of Alpha to me after | graduate.

    | meet up with Chase, my best friend and my future Beta when | walk into the kitchen of the pack house. ¡°Hey man, what''s up?¡±

    ¡°Morning Alpha, how¡¯s it hanging?¡± he asks me with a smirk. Bastard must have seen She sneaking out earlier. | smirk back as

    | sip my coffee, ¡°no blue balls here.¡±

    Heughs outright. ¡°Yeah, you know if your mom catches you...¡±. He doesn¡¯t have to finish his sentence, we both know my

    mother would skin me alive. She wants me to wait for my mate. ¡°She won''t,¡± | reply. ¡°What were you doing up so early anyway?¡±

    He takes a sip of his coffee looking sheepish before answering. ¡°No blue balls on me either my friend. But, at least I''ll walk the

    girl to her car.¡±

    I smile at my best friend before grabbing my keys, ignoring his jab. ¡°You riding with me today?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±, he answers as he follows me out.

    The ride to school is short. It¡¯s on the border between our packnds and the Shadow Falls pack. It¡¯s about a 15 minute drive

    from the packhouse where Chase and | live. He lives on the 3rd floor with his family, the Beta¡¯s floor. | live on the 4th floor with

    my parents, the space allotted for the alpha family. Our Gamma family lives on the 2nd floor. The floors for the ranked wolves are

    all on the left side of the pack house. The right side also has rooms on the second through fourth floors for guests and unmated

    warriors that choose to live here rather than in a separate home. The first floor has arge kitchen and dining room along with a

    rec room, living room and conference rooms for when we haverge gatherings in the pack. Omegas who choose to live in the

    pack house are provided housing on the first floor as well.

    Our pack, the Canyon Ridge Pack, is the 2ndrgest in the country with well over 500 pack members. And, even though we''re

    not thergest, we are by far, the strongest. My father is a powerful alpha, | am a strong and powerful alpha heir, and technically,

    we have two guardians, although I''ve never met the daughter of the man and woman that saved my family¡¯s life. I''ve heard the

    stories my entire life. My mother created a memorial for Lily Nelson, the Guardian that gave her life to save both my mother and

    me. She visits the memorial at least once a week to leave fresh flowers and, as she says, to let Lily know that her sacrifice is not

    forgotten and was not in vain. | say my own silent thank you to Mrs. Nelson and | promise to look after Cara for her.

    My father has dinner with Clint Nelson every week. I¡¯ve attempted to join my father, but he says this is his time with Clint. Even

    my mother does not join them. Dad has been trying to get Clint to be more active in the pack for years, even offering him a

    position as lead trainer for our warriors, but he won¡¯t budge. Somewhere along the line he wasbeled as ¡®The Broken Warrior¡¯.

    While my father threatened to punish anyone that called Mr. Nelson by that name, it didn¡¯t matter, the name stuck. | can

    understand why. He was the best warrior in our pack and now he¡¯s a paraplegic. He¡¯s been in a wheelchair for nearly 13 years.

    He and his daughter live right on the edge of our pds and the entire pack has been ordered to give them space. The

    daughter is around my age, ording to my mother. | guess she spends all her time taking care of her father.

    We pull into the school parking lot and head into school. Chase and | are immediately surrounded by females. They are all

    hoping to be the next Luna or Beta female. Most would just be happy to say they slept with one or both of us and we¡¯re happy to

    oblige. However, | would never take any of them as my Luna, unless she was my fated mate. But I''d be hard pressed to take a

    mate that had happily slept with me and/or my Beta and who knows how many other men.

    Is it a double standard? Yep. Do | care? Nope.

    ¡°Hey Rik. Got any ns for the weekend,¡± a red-head asks. | think her name is Jessica and I¡¯m pretty sure she has slept with

    both Chase and I. One look at Chase and | know I¡¯m right. ¡°Not yet, why?¡±

    ¡°Well, my friends and | are going to Dark Moon on Friday and we were hoping you and Chase would like to join us. It''ll be a lot of

    fun.¡± She tries to give me a seductive look and | know what kind of ¡®fun¡¯ she¡¯s referencing. | look at Chase again and | can see

    we''re in sync. ¡°Yeah, | think we can make it.¡±

    Her face lights up like | just gave her the best present ever. ¡°Excellent!¡± Her friend leans into me, ¡°You won''t regret it¡± she

    whispers to me. | look at her friend, ¡°I¡¯m sure | won''t.¡±

    They turn down one of the side hallways, Jessica walking backward, ¡°See youter Alpha, Beta¡±. | wink at her, ¡°Later¡±.

    As Chase and | head to ss, he looks over at me, ¡°Well that sounds promising.¡± | smile at him, ¡°Definitely¡±.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    After lunch, Chase and | are surrounded by a group of friends and even more females. The girls are all chatting away about

    going dancing tomorrow night. Now it looks like half of my pack and half of the Shadow Falls Pack, our neighboring pack, lead by

    Alpha Liam, are all going to the club tomorrow night.

    | feel like someone is watching me and | look up and I¡¯m locked in to the most beautiful green eyes. My breath catches and |

    forget how to breathe for a minute. She¡¯s the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen. Beautiful brown hair with big thick curls, eyes

    like emeralds and a mouth made for kissing. My wolf, Kai, sits up and tries to push forward.

    ¡®Kai, what''s going on?¡¯

    ¡®| don¡¯t know, | like her,¡¯ he responds, and | swear he¡¯s wagging his damn tail. Since Kai has never shown an interest in ANY

    female, this is surprising.

    | turn to my future Beta, ¡°Chase, who¡¯s that girl?¡±. A nod my head in her direction as | see a guy wrap his arm around her neck

    and the two of them walk off together. | have to mp my mouth shut as Kai tries to growl.

    ¡®Seriously Kai, what the fuck?¡¯

    ¡®| want to meet her, go introduce yourself. That boy is no match for us, we¡¯re alphas.¡¯

    ¡®Dude, calm down! We''re in the middle of school.¡¯ | push him into the back of my mind when Chase responds, ¡°You mean the

    brte? No idea but she¡¯s definitely your type. She¡¯s got that curly hair you go for.¡¯ He¡¯s right, | love it when a girl has their hair

    in those loose curls. And hers looks like silk.

    He looks back at me. "Want me to find out?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Nah, I''ll just ask her myself when | see her again.¡± | give him a grin that says that I''ll have her eating out of my hand by the end

    of the day as the bell rings and we all head to our next ss.

 Chapter 4

    I finish out my school day and head for my locker. Jason is my ride today, as we take turns driving to school. This is his week. I¡¯m

    rearranging my books to take home what | need for my homework when a shadow falls over my locker. | look up into the cial

    blue eyes of Alpha Rik. Great! What does my future alpha want?

    | reign in my impatience and aggravation. No use pissing off the one I''ll most likely be bound to for my entire life.

    | take a deep breath, ¡°Alpha, how can | help you?¡± Personally, | think | did a great job of acting uninterested while still being

    polite.

    ¡°Hey there beautiful, | don¡¯t believe I''ve seen you around before.¡± Seriously? This is his opening line? Like we haven¡¯t gone to

    the same schools our ENTIRE lives?

    | put on my best fake smile, ¡°I guess you haven''t. It¡¯s a bit hard to see past all of your adoring fans.¡± | close my locker and lean

    my shoulder against it, facing him. | decide to have a little fun and bat my eyes. ¡°You ARE an alpha right?¡± | ask, making sure to

    give him my best wide-eyed, star-struck look.

    m sweetheart, but don¡¯t let my aura intimidate you. | hear it can be a bit overwhelming.¡± Wow! This guy certainly thinks highly

    of himself. Even Artemis snorts in my head. The joke¡¯s on him. Guardians arepletely immune to the Alpha aura ormand.

    My father says it¡¯s because, in the past, alphas started to care too much for their guardians so they wouldmand them to

    stand down in a fight allowing their Alpha to be injured or even killed. Over time, the Alphamand no longer worked on us. |

    guess | won''t ever have to worry about that with this alpha, not like he even knows who | am or appreciates my family¡¯s sacrifice.

    And while | can feel Rik¡¯s aura, it washes right over me. But I have no intention of letting this douchebag know who or what | am.

    ¡°Oh wow¡¯, | bring my hand up to my heart as if I¡¯m trying to hold my palpitations at bay, ¡°It¡¯s really nice to meet you.¡±

    Artemis snickers in my head, ¡®Laying it on a bit thick aren¡¯t you?¡¯

    Maybe | am but, honestly, an alpha should know his pack members. It would be insulting that he doesn¡¯t recognize me under

    normal circumstances, but the fact that my family has given so much for his and he doesn¡¯t even know who | am? Well, it just

    grinds my gears.

    He puts his hand out to shake mine, ¡°I¡¯m Rik, Alpha heir of the Canyon Ridge Pack, maybe you''ve heard of me?¡± | move my

    mouth into the most convincing ¡®Oh¡¯ | can muster and attempt to look even more flustered. ¡°Oh, oh wow, nice to meet you¡±, and |

    shake his hand.

    What | didn¡¯t expect was to feel a jolt, like an electric current going through my hand, making the hair raise up and down my

    arms. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, but very much unexpected. Rik looks startled for a moment and | wonder if he felt it too. Weird.

    Maybe it¡¯s static electricity from the locker.

    He¡¯s holding my hand and looking at me expectantly. I¡¯m wondering what he¡¯s waiting for and why he¡¯s not letting go of my hand

    when he finally speaks. ¡°It¡¯s customary where I¡¯m from to introduce yourself after someone introduces themselves to you¡±. He

    gives me a charming smile, as if making females speechless is an everyday urrence for him. And possibly it is. He is

    surrounded by dimwit followers all day every day, it can¡¯t be that hard to make them speechless. However, | am not one of his

    merry menagerie, so I¡¯m about to introduce myself when I¡¯m saved by Jason.

    ¡°Hey Ca-¡±, | cut him off before he can say my name. ¡°Hey Jason, do you know Alpha Rik?¡± | ask and give him a re that | hope

    he interprets correctly. Jason gives me a ¡®what the hell?¡¯ look before turning to Rik. ¡°Of course. Alpha Rik is from my pack and is

    my future alpha.¡± I¡¯m SO thankful for Jason right now. He may not know why | am acting stupid, but he¡¯s going along for the ride.

    ¡°Alpha¡± he acknowledges Rik as he inclines his head showing his neck in submission.

    ¡°Jason¡±, Rik nods his head to Jason. ¡°I was just introducing myself to your friend here.¡± He turns back to me. ¡°So, sweetheart,

    what''s your name and what pack are you from?¡±

    Ok, so now I¡¯m getting pissed. He really doesn¡¯t have a clue as to who | am. Out of the corner of my eye, | see Jason flinch. Time

    for me to move this along. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m not from your pack?¡± | raise an eyebrow at him, moving past innocent

    toward snarky.

    He looks at me with a typical condescending alpha air, arching his own eyebrow in return. ¡°Well sweetheart, | know every

    member of my pack, and | don¡¯t know you.¡± And now it¡¯s time for me to knock that arrogant asshole down a peg or two.

    | lean into him, putting my hand on his chest. His very chisled and warm chest. Geez, are alphas made of granite? | force myself

    not to slide my hand over more of his body to see if it¡¯s all this hard and sculpted. Head in the game Car.

    | get up on my tip toes and bring my mouth up toward his ear. Luckily, he takes the hint and leans into me as well so | can

    whisper in his ear, ¡°Well, obviously you don¡¯t know EVERY member. And my name isn¡¯t Sweetheart.¡±

    I''m pretty sure | heard his quick intake of breath as | turn on my heel and start to walk away. ¡°Let¡¯s go Jay, | need to get home¡¯.

    Once we''re in the car, Jason looks at me, ¡°Ok, so you want to tell me what that was all about? Why are you letting Alpha Rik

    think you''re from some other pack?¡±

    ¡°I''m not¡¯, | insist. | mean really, Rik started that conversation. He obviously has no idea who | am and then he¡¯s going to stand

    there and try to tell me he knows every member of his pack? ¡°I¡¯m not just going to let that go Jay. Why should I? He¡¯s the future

    Alpha of our pack. If he¡¯s going to be arrogant, he should at least be able to back it up. You heard him. He didn¡¯t even know | was

    from his pack.¡±

    ¡°So why not just tell him?¡±

    | look at my bestie with my mouth hanging on the floor. ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡±

    ¡°I''m just saying, be careful Car,¡± he looks at me pleadingly.

    ¡°Of what Jay? That he might actually realize who | am and be angry at me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m wrong here. And let¡¯s be honest, I¡¯m

    pretty sure if there was a battle, | could take him. Not that Alpha Anders would ever let me fight him.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    My friend looks at me as he turns down the long, winding road to my house, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, you will most likely be attached to

    his hip at some point, best not to make him public enemy #1 before that. He will find a way to make your life miserable.¡± He has

    a point. When Rik bes Alpha, if | haven¡¯t found my mate, my role as his guardian will officially begin. Then | could be stuck

    with the yboy Alpha and all of his entourage for who knows how long. | don¡¯t even want to think about what | might have to

    see or hear to spend that kind of time with him. UGH!

    ¡°Ok, Jason, you''re right. If he approaches me again, I''ll be nice.¡± My best friend gives me a look that says he doesn¡¯t believe me.

    ¡°What? | can y nice in the sandbox.¡±

    Jason snorts and says, ¡°Yeah, but only if it¡¯s your sandbox and you have all the toys.¡±

    | shrug. ¡°What''s your point?¡±

    He just shakes his head as he pulls up and drops me at my house. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± | wave goodbye and head inside to get

    ready for afternoon training with my dad.

 Chapter 5

    | don¡¯t know every member of my pack? Meaning she¡¯s part of my pack? No way! My father has drilled it into my head since |

    was a pup. ¡®Know every member of your pack by name. They are what makes the pack strong. Show them how much you value

    them as a pack member and they will always be loyal to you.¡¯

    My head is full of these thoughts as | turn and head out to my car. Who the hell could she be? And | didn¡¯t realize it at the time,

    but she never submitted to me. If she¡¯s a pack member, she should have submitted to me like Jason did. So why didn¡¯t that she-

    wolf submit to me? And, fuck, | didn¡¯t even get her name. I¡¯m so absorbed in my thoughts that | almost run into Chase.

    ¡°Hey Rik, did you catch her?¡± | look at him and frown.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He looks at me quizzically, ¡°The brte from earlier? Did you get her name and what pack she belongs to?¡±

    | look at my friend over the top of my car, ignoring his question. ¡°Did you recognize her?¡±

    He frowns at me as he slides into the passenger seat of the car, ¡°No, | only saw her from the back, why?¡±

    I start the car as | reply, ¡°She implied that she¡¯s part of our pack¡±, | answer as | look at him.

    ¡°So, what''s the problem?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°The problem¡± | reply through gritted teeth, ¡°is that | didn¡¯t recognize her. How can she be part of our pack if | didn¡¯t recognize

    her?¡± | look at him as | roll to a stop at a red light.

    | see the surprise and frustration I¡¯m feeling mirrored in my future Beta¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t recognize her? You

    know everyone in the pack. Hell, | know everyone in the pack. You¡¯ve made sure of it.¡±

    The light turns green and | return my attention to the road as | pull through the intersection, ¡°Exactly! How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°| know it¡¯s a long shot, but do you think she was lying?¡± Chase asks.

    I look at him like he¡¯s lost his mind.

    ¡°| know it sounds crazy, but there are she-wolves out there that are saving themselves for their mate and maybe she was worried

    about offending you, so she lied.¡± It¡¯s a thought, until | factor Jason into the equation.

    ¡°She''s friends with Jason.¡±

    ¡°Jason Elcove?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They are apparently friends.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s obviously never been to training¡±, he states it as a fact. He and | run afternoon training sessions, so we would know if

    she attended training.

    | drum my fingers on the wheel as | contemte that | may possibly not know everyone in my pack. Impossible. I¡¯ve been to

    every event, every gathering, | provide afternoon training to the pack warriors, hell, | make sure to have at least one meal a day

    in the packhouse dining room . And | have never, not once, not ever, seen that girl.

    | wouldn''t have forgotten her, not with that hair and definitely not with those eyes. Those piercing eyes that were almost as

    startling as that electric shock | got when our hands touched. What was that? I''d say it was the mate bond, but I¡¯m not old

    enough to feel that yet, and by my estimation, neither is she. So what was it?

    ¡°So, ask Jason who she is this afternoon during training.¡± Chase suggests.

    I give him my ¡®are you fucking kidding me¡¯ look. ¡°First and foremost, I¡¯m an alpha. | don¡¯t chase pussy, ites to me. Second, |

    don¡¯t need to ask a warrior about a she-wolf. I''ll figure it out myself.¡±

    Chase shrugs, ¡°Ok, but I¡¯ll keep a lookout. And If you get a chance tomorrow, point her out again so | can see her face. Maybe I''ll

    recognize her.¡±

    | look at my lifelong friend, ¡°Thanks man, | appreciate it.¡± | reach out my fist and we fist bump.

    ¡°Hey, | got your back. Always. Now let''s go kick some warrior ass.¡±

    After training, | head back up to my room to shower before heading back down to the dining room. On my way back down, | run

    into my mother.

    ¡°Rik, how was your day honey?¡±

    | lean down to give my mother a kiss, as she¡¯s only 5¡¯6¡±. ¡°Good mom. I¡¯m headed down to dinner.¡± She ces her hand on my

    cheek to hold me in ce as | move to walk past her.

    ¡°I''m going to Lily¡¯s memorial toy fresh flowers tonight. Will you be joining me again since your dad will be having dinner with

    Mr. Nelson?¡±

    She asks as if it¡¯s a question. As if | haven''t joined her every week for the past 13 years toy fresh flowers on Mrs. Nelson¡¯s

    memorial. It¡¯s our thing, since my father refuses to let me go with him to see Mr. Nelson, saying that it¡¯s ¡°their time¡±. | get it, but I''d

    still like to show my respect to the man that gave so much for my family. I¡¯d also like to meet his daughter. | realize she takes

    care of him, and is most likely his primary caretaker since Mrs. Nelson passed on and they only had the one child. But she will be

    one of my pack members when | take over as Alpha and | want her to know that the respect that has been shown by my mother

    and father is also mirrored in me, that she will always have whatever she needs from the pack. | will make sure of it. It¡¯s a debt

    that can never be repaid but | n to make sure that the Nelsons neverck for anything.

    | look at my mother, ¡°You ask that as if it¡¯s really a question and | might say no.¡± | raise my eyebrow at her.

    Sheughs and pats my arm, ¡°You are so much like your father. Go eat and then we''ll head out.¡±

    | wrap my arms around her and give her a proper hug. ¡°Ok mom, see you in a bit.¡±

    | head down to the dining room. A huge buffet of food is lined up on one wall. | grab a te and look around, trying to see if the

    little brte is here. I¡¯m not surprised, but | am disappointed when | don¡¯t see her. | see some of our warriors having dinner and

    | head over to join them.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 6

    When | arrive home, my father is ready for me. | think when I¡¯m at school, he sets up the training for the evening. He has a

    variety of training sprints that he puts me through. He mixes it up every day and | never know what it will be. Sometimes, it¡¯s

    focusing on bnce in case | lose the use of a leg or arm in battle and have to fight with a broken or injured limb; sometimes it¡¯s

    sensory deprivation, in case | have to rely on my sight or sound only. He¡¯s even taken both of those away and had me fight with

    only my sense of touch, taste and instincts. That was miserable. | got knocked down more that day than any other. Bult, it¡¯s all

    good training and makes me the best and strongest fighter that | can be.

    ¡°Hey dad.¡± | state as | walk over to the table and drop off my backpack before leaning over and kissing his cheek.

    ¡°Hi honey, how was your day?¡±

    ¡°Good. sses are getting harder as we head into the end of the year, but it¡¯s all good.¡±

    ¡°Still getting straight A''s?¡± he asks. My studies are just as important as my fighting skills.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just rely on the muscles in your arms and legs Cara, you have to use the muscle that¡¯s in your head as well.¡¯ He¡¯s

    made sure that | focus my studies on anatomy, physiology and chemistry. Thetter is so, if I¡¯m ever poisoned, | can identify the

    poison and find what | need to heal myself.

    Some of my training over the years has been to have my father give me poison so | can see what happens to my body and how |

    react. He is always very careful to ensure that he has the correct antidote and the pack doctor on alert and ready on speed dial

    in case something goes wrong.

    While | don¡¯t love those training days, and usually feel like crap the rest of the evening, sometimes longer, it is helpful and my

    father is always very careful. I¡¯ve also been developing an immunity to wolfsbane for years. My tolerance is pretty high, I¡¯m

    nearly immune now and dad continues to give me doses every day. My werewolf healing burns it out of my system more quickly

    the more | be used to it.

    Today¡¯s training session is agility. He¡¯s got me set up in an indoor course toplete in my human form. There is another one

    outside toplete in my human or wolf form. | have to find ways around the obstacles and ¡°mines¡± that heys for me. It¡¯s not

    just a test of my agility but also of my concentration and use of all of my senses to ensure that I¡¯m quick but also cognizant of my

    surroundings at all times.

    Today¡¯s training includes flying logs to knock me off my feet and attempt to incapacitate me, slippery and sharp hand and foot

    holds that are meant to make me fall so | have to ensure that | can find alternate ways to move forward even if I¡¯m injured. For

    my wolf form, there are spaces that could trap me, flying knives that | have to dodge or push through the pain if | don¡¯t dodge fast

    enough and traps that drop from no where to try and capture me.

    Dad and his wolf, Donovan, give both Artemis and | pointers and tricks as we go through our training. Artemis and | are worn out

    after training, as usual.

    ¡°Head up and shower before Alpha Anders gets here, and I''ll get started on dinner.¡± Dad finally releases us from training and |

    head up to shower. | stand under the hot water letting it work on my sore muscles.

    ¡®We''re getting stronger every day,¡¯ Artemis says to me.

    I smile, ¡®Yeah we are, as evidenced by what happened yesterday.¡¯ If a wolf could smile, Artemis would definitely be smiling right

    now. | know it¡¯s our legacy to be a Guardian, and my mom and dad gave me great gics to get where | am today, but yeah,

    we totally kicked ass.

    | hear the doorbell ring as | finish getting ready, putting on jeans and afy sweatshirt, pulling my hair up into a messy ponytail.

    Alpha Anders is like an uncle to me. Our dinners together became casual a long time ago.

    I skip down the stairs of our house and go to open the door. ¡°Hi Anders.¡± He told me years ago that when he is here for dinner,

    that | don¡¯t need to use his title. After several reminders and getting my father¡¯s approval, | finally acquiesced.

    I step back and let him in. ¡°Dad¡¯s out back getting the grill going. Can | get you a beer?¡±

    ¡°Thanks Little Badass, I''d love one.¡±

    | roll my eyes, ¡°Not you too!¡± | whine to my Alpha. He just smiles saying, ¡°If the name fits...¡± Yeah, yeah.

    ¡°I''ll go join your dad and see if he needs any help.¡± He smirks at me when he says this. We both know my dad won''t let him do

    any of the work, but this is part of their weekly banter.

    | grab a beer from the fridge, check to see if my dad needs one too and grab a second one for him. | pop the tops and take them

    out to our deck. Dad and Alpha Anders are discussing my training over the past week, Dad giving him the updates that he made

    for my training today. Alpha Anders looks at me and then asks my dad, ¡°Did Cara tell you she has a new nickname?¡±

    My dad looks at me and | roll my eyes so far back in my head that I¡¯m pretty sure | see my brain.

    ¡°Well?¡± my dad looks at me expectantly.

    ¡°Apparently, my new nickname is Little Badass.¡±

    My dad¡¯s beer stops on its way to his mouth and he looks at Alpha Anders. ¡°Is that so?¡± he asks. He turns his gaze back to me.

    ¡°And what exactly did you do to get that name?¡±

    ¡°Weeeeeeell,¡± | drag out the word giving Alpha Anders a side eye nce.

    ¡°She pinned me in 15 minutes,¡± Alpha Anders answers for me. A smilerger than any I¡¯ve ever seen on my father¡¯s face spreads

    wide and he looks at me with pride in his eyes.

    ¡°Apparently, the apple didn¡¯t fall too far from the tree.¡± Alpha Anders continues.

    My dad takes a swig of his beer. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he says quietly.

    Alpha Anders looks at my father seriously. ¡°Clint, I¡¯ll say it again, we really need you at warrior training. I¡¯m willing to beg if that¡¯s

    what it takes.¡±

    Dad huffs out a breath, ¡°Anders, you know | can¡¯t.¡± | smile and head back inside. This is a battle that has been going on for

    years. Alpha Anders wants dad back on the training field and dad feels he won¡¯t bring enough to the pack.

    For dinner, | am in charge of the vegetables. Dad put potatoes in the oven while | was showering, so | check those and start on

    my roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and a maple ze. I¡¯m pulling the potatoes out of the oven and putting the vegetables

    into a serving bowl when Dad and Anderse back in. | finish putting everything on the table, getting another beer for both

    men and we all sit down to eat.

    Conversation is easy between Dad and Alpha Anders. They reminisce about old days, talk about pack issues, current warriors

    and techniques to teach and train younger members. Dad always asks about Luna Calista and Rik, and Anders always makes a

    point to ask me about my day, my life and what is going on with me. | don¡¯t mention my recent interactions with his son, better

    that he doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m not Rik¡¯s biggest fan.

    When dinner is over, | pull out the dessert that Anders brought. ¡°Cali made her famous brownies for us today,¡± Anders tells us. |

    set them on the table and moan softly as the taste of chocte fills my mouth. Luna Calista makes a mean brownie! The table

    gets quiet as we all enjoy the dessert and Dad asks Anders to thank Luna Calista for us.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    When we''re done, | clear the dishes and wash up before excusing myself. Before | can give dad a kiss, Alpha Anders hands me

    an envelope. ¡°This, | believe, is an invitation from my wife for you to attend Rik¡¯s 18th birthday party next weekend. To say that

    she will be disappointed if you don¡¯t attend would be an understatement.¡± Ugh.

    | look at the envelope and open it. Yep, it¡¯s an invitation for one week from this Saturday to attend the big event.

    | ster a fake smile on my face and look at my alpha, ¡°I¡¯d love to attend.¡± He smirks at me while dadughs outright.

    ¡°Don''t look so glum honey, I¡¯m sure you will have a good time.¡±

    Alpha Anders looks at my dad and smiles. ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear you say that Clint, because | have a special invitation for you to

    my son¡¯s party. And | will take it personally if you do not attend.¡±

    My father¡¯sughter dies out instantly and he res at Alpha Anders. | snicker and look at my dad, ¡°Well, | guess you get to be

    my plus one dad.¡±

    | say goodnight to Dad and Alpha Anders and head up to start on my homework. They talkte into the evening, and I¡¯m already

    in bed when | hear them saying goodbye and Anders telling Dad that he¡¯ll see him next week.

 Chapter 7

    Mom and | arrive at the memorial for Lily Nelson. It¡¯s not the only one here, we memorialize all of our warriors and pack

    members that give their lives for the pack. However, Lily¡¯s is thergest. Mom had them create a stone statue of a woman with

    angel wings keeping watch over her wolfpack.

    Each week, we bring several different types of flowers and nts to the memorial site. This week we have some poinsettias,

    winter jasmine, winter aconite and snowdrops. As always, mom walks up to the statue and ces her hand on the joined hands

    of the statue and quietly says, ¡°Thank you Lily for your sacrifice. | told you I¡¯d never forget and | never will.¡±

    We begin quietly working around the area, removing snow, pulling out the nts that are dead or dying and recing them with

    the new ones that we¡¯ve brought.

    ¡°Mom, have you ever met the Nelson¡¯s daughter?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Cara? Sure honey, haven''t you?¡±

    | look over at her and shake my head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. | know I¡¯ve never been introduced to her. What''s she like?¡±

    My mom continues her work as she answers my question. ¡°She¡¯s a sweet girl, quiet, and smart.¡± She stops and looks up at the

    statue, ¡°She looks like her mother, but has her father¡¯s eyes. Lily was a strong and beautiful woman.¡± A soft smile ys on her

    lips, her eyes seeing a distant memory. ¡°She didn¡¯t take crap from anyone, including your father.¡±

    I stop and look at her, ¡°What??¡± This was news to me.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Mom chuckles as she resumes her work. ¡°I remember this one day, your father needed some warriors to go with him to another

    pack that was making threats to ours. He nned to give the pack onest chance to change their mind about going to war by

    reminding them of the strength of our warriors. Lily was pregnant with Cara at the time and so your father thought it best if she

    remained behind.¡± She startsughing and presses her hand to her stomach as she continues, ¡°She told your father that being

    pregnant didn¡¯t make her any less of a Guardian and if he thought that he would be leaving her behind when they were giving a

    show of strength, then he had another thinging. He tried to give her his alphamand which didn¡¯t work, so she

    challenged your father to a battle, saying that if he won, she¡¯d stay but if she won, he¡¯d stop this and let her go.¡±

    My mom had started staring off into space again, lost in the memory. | interrupted her silence, ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing that he didn¡¯t

    win?¡±

    My mom startedughing again, ¡°Didn¡¯t win? Lily had your dad pinned in under 15 minutes. I¡¯d never seen anything like it, before

    or since. Your father was so strong and sure of himself that he couldn¡¯t believe it. Clint just sat back proudly and watched his wife

    take your father down like it was nothing. So, they went to the other pack, Lily included, showing that we not only had a strong

    alpha, but also two Guardians at full strength, and the other pack¡¯s alpha backed down.

    When they got back, your father assigned her to me andter to me and you as our Guardians.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the other pack?,¡± | asked.

    ¡°The alpha was greedy but not smart and definitely not as strong as he thought he was. Soon thereafter, he challenged Alpha

    Leander knowing that the pack didn¡¯t have any Guardians and thought that made them weak. Alpha Leander won, the othr Alpha

    was killed and the pack andnds were absorbed by the Shadow Falls Pack.¡±

    | look at my mother. How had | never heard this story before? ¡°Wait, Alpha Liam¡¯s father defeated the alpha of the pack that

    wanted to attack us? Why didn¡¯t dad just fight him and take over the pack?¡±

    ¡°You''re father didn¡¯t want a war, as | was pregnant with you at the time. He was afraid that something might happen to me, you,

    or both of us and it was not a risk that he was willing to take, and he didn¡¯t need to. At the time, our pack was thergest and

    strongest in the country. That war with the Shadow Falls pack and the subsequent absorption of the warring pack is what allowed

    Shadow Falls to be thergest in the country, but we¡¯ve remained the strongest. They paid a heavy price though. That was

    when they lost Leander¡¯s mate and Liam''s mother, Luna Este. He was only 6 years old at the time. Leander was never the

    same after he lost his mate. He held on as long as he could, but when Liam turned 16, he finally gave up and let the Goddess

    take him.¡±

    ¡°Liam has had a hard road and took over as Alpha at a very young age. It¡¯s a lot for a young man to take on, but he has handled

    himself and his pack very well. Your father offered to mentor him and he was and is agreeable. It¡¯s why we have such a strong

    alliance with them even today.¡±

    | couldn''t imagine being the Alpha of my pack for two years already. My life has been rtively easypared to Alpha Liam¡¯s.

    I''d never given much thought to when he became alpha. | remember hearing of his father¡¯s passing and him taking over as

    alpha, but | was only 10 years old then and didn¡¯t think much of it. Now, | couldn¡¯t imagine taking over my pack while mourning

    the loss of my father, having already lost my mother.

    | mull all this over while we walk back to the packhouse. When we return, mom asks me to join her in her office. This is not good,

    since that is where | get all my ¡®talks¡¯.

    We enter her office and she goes to the side board and pours us both a ss of wine. ¡°Have a seat son.¡±

    | take a sip of wine and look at my mother. ¡°Have | done something to upset you mother?¡± | ask.

    Instead of sitting, she stands at her window overlooking the back of the packhouse and the surrounding forest. ¡°I know about the

    girls Rik,¡± she states but still doesn¡¯t look at me.

    Shit! | thought | was being careful, how did she know?

    Before | cane up with a response, she turns to look at me. ¡°Surprised? | am the Luna of this pack. What kind of Luna would |

    be if | didn¡¯t even know what was going on right under my nose?¡±

    Asmile briefly touches her lips before it¡¯s gone again. ¡°Honey, you''re going to be the Alpha of this pack soon. Hopefully, on your

    birthday, you''ll find your mate and you can finally settle down. But, as a woman, | can tell you that you are setting yourself and

    your mate up for a rough road if you continue to have a rotating door of females from this pack in your bed. Take it from me, the

    role of Luna is hard enough without having to deal with jealous, spiteful females in your pack trying to find ways to make you look

    or feel inadequate. | understand you are a young alpha male, but if you¡¯re going to continue with this, at least consider females

    from outside the pack, so your future Luna doesn¡¯t have to see your previous lovers daily or worse, hear all about your time with

    them.¡±

    This had to be the most ufortable conversation I¡¯ve ever had. | look at my mom, a woman who is kind, loving, gracious and

    fiercely protective and loyal to her pack. She is everything a Luna should be and exactly what | hope my mate is.

    | reply the only way | can. ¡°I hear you mother, and | understand what you are saying. You are right, as always. | want my mate to

    be happy here and | certainly do not want us starting our life together with any misunderstandings or concern for my previous

    behavior.¡±

    She smiles at me as she walks over to give me a hug. ¡°I love you, my sweet boy. And yes, you will always be my sweet boy.¡± |

    smile and hug her back. ¡°I love you too mom.¡±

    Before she lets me go, she has one more partingment for me. ¡°And please, as much as | want grandbabies, | want them

    when the time is right, not with some passing fling. Keep it wrapped up.¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± | reply, letting all my ufortable irritation from this conversation enter my tone, ¡°you didn¡¯t raise me to be a dummy.

    And might | remind you that I¡¯m almost an adult, | know how to wear a condom and do, every time.¡±

    Mom pulls back slightly and looks at me, ¡°Ok honey. Sleep well.¡±

    ¡°You too mom.¡± | make my escape before she can say anything else to make me ufortable.

 Chapter 8

    The next morning at training, Alpha Anders put me up against three of his warriors. | wasn¡¯t concerned, Dad has been training

    me for multiple attackers most of my life. Two of them will be easy to take down. Trevor, however, will take some work. Next to

    me and the ranked wolves, he¡¯s their best warrior. He¡¯s smart in his fighting, not just relying on his strength which is the mistake

    that most warriors make with me. Trevor watches his opponent and learns their weaknesses. He¡¯s still trying to find mine, but

    that hasn''t slowed him down one bit.

    | wait until they are in position, putting me in the middle of a triangle between them. | face Trevor, my biggest threat, while

    keeping the other two in my peripheral vision. Trevores in first swinging to punch me in the gut. | quickly duck under his right

    arm, sliding down to my knees and skidding over to Richard, or The Dick, as | call him. | swing my arm as hard as | can up

    between his legs and crush his family jewels, bringing him down and taking him out. | hear and feel the air whooshing near my

    head and |y back t on my back, bent at the knees so my feet are still nted on the ground. | see Kent''s leg flying over

    where my head just was. As his body turns with the momentum, | swing my feet up, catching the leg he has nted. | twist my

    body, pulling Kent down and dislocating his knee in the process. He howls in pain, rolling around on the ground.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    | swing myself back up, ready for Trevor. He¡¯s watching me, calcting. | give him a smirk, waving him forward with my fingers.

    He fakes like he¡¯s going to hit me and then slides, trying to take out my legs. | leap over him, swinging back around to give him a

    roundhouse to the head, but he ducks, using the move that | just did with Kent. Clever bastard.

    We go back and forth, both getting in jabs but not able to take the other one down until | was finally able to throw a punch to his

    throat. In his moment of shock, | was able to grab his arm and twist it, just to the point before dislocation, bringing him to his

    knees and forcing him to tap out or have me dislocate his shoulder. The rest of the squad is watching, pping for my win. | give

    Trevor my hand and pull him up. ¡°Nice job little badass, but I¡¯ming for you.¡± he smirks before helping to get the other two to

    the infirmary. | smile back, ¡°I look forward to a real challenge one day Trevor.¡± He barks out augh before helping to carry Kent.

    | look at Alpha Anders and he gives me a nod of approval.

    The school day goes by in a blur. | caught Rik looking at me several times throughout the day, but was able to avoid running into

    him. Of course, his ever present entourage helped out with that as well.

    On our way home, Jason starts chatting about our night at the Club. Friday nights are our night. The end of the week we go toa

    local club, Dark Moon. It¡¯s in between the pds for Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls, therefore, it¡¯s werewolves only. I¡¯ve

    been going since | turned 17 almost a year ago. It¡¯s a great way to blow off the steam of the week. It¡¯s also be the ce

    that | meet up with Alpha Liam.

    We haven''t put a name to what we are. We''re definitely friends, but more than that. He knows that | am waiting for my mate, so

    we''re not exactly friends with benefits, but he respects my choice and doesn¡¯t pressure me for a sexual rtionship. He¡¯s older

    than | am by quite a few years, him being 24 and me only 17. But, unlike a certain future alpha of my pack, Liam knows who and

    what | am. He appreciates me for who | am and has left no question that he would be more than willing to take me as his chosen

    mate. He is also aware that at my age, | haven''t been able to potentially find my fated mate, so he is being patient and | think

    he¡¯s secretly hoping that we''re fated mates. In truth, | am too. | like Liam a lot. He¡¯s everything an alpha should be. Besides being

    one of the sexiest men I¡¯ve ever met, he is intelligent, caring, and he¡¯s a strong alpha that takes good care of his pack. It doesn¡¯t

    hurt that he¡¯s got the sexiest smolder that I''ve ever seen, and I¡¯d be lying if | didn¡¯t say mydy parts get all hot and bothered

    when he turns that look on me.

    After training with Dad, | quickly grab a bite to eat then head upstairs to shower and get ready. A friend of mine from warrior

    training, Lacey, calls to make sure I¡¯m going tonight and to see if she can hitch a ride. | tell her it¡¯s Jason''s turn to drive and she

    agrees to text him.

    I dress in a pink criss cross top that wraps around my rib cage and ties in the back. | pair that with low rise ck jeans and a

    matching pink scarf that | use as a belt. | finish the outfit with pink and ck colorblock cutout suede stiletto heels. | leave my

    hair down and entuate my natural curls. | go light on makeup since | n to work up a sweat, but | do put on a smokey eye to

    make my green eyes pop.

    | head downstairs as | get a text from Jason that he¡¯s out front. | say goodnight to my father and head out. Jason has already

    picked up Lacey and another warrior from training, Dean. | climb in the back with Lacey. ¡°Hey guys,¡± | acknowledge all of them at

    once.

    ¡°Hey little badass. Take down any more alphas in thest 24 hours?¡± Dean asks with a stupid smirk on his face. ¡°Not in thest

    24 hours, but the night is young Dean,¡± | reply.

    ¡°So,¡± Lacey looks at me, ¡°expecting to see a super hot alpha tonight?¡± | shrug. While, yes, | do expect him, he is an alpha and he

    has things that are more important thaning to a club on a Friday night and dancing with me. Although,tely, he¡¯s also

    started driving me home, but again, he¡¯s a busy man, so | don¡¯t count on him being there, although | do hope | see him.

    ¡°| never know for sure,¡± | tell her, ¡°but, if | was to put money on it, I''d say yes, | expect to see him.¡± | smile at her.

    ¡°Girl, that man is fine. You need to tap that and tell me all about it.¡± | justugh. | see Jason looking at me in the rearview mirror.

    I''m not really close to anyone except for Jason, so most people don¡¯t know that I¡¯m saving myself for my mate.

    We arrive at the club and see a long line of people waiting. Jason and | are regrs so we walk up to the front of the line and the

    bouncer lets us in, much to the grumbles andints of the others who are waiting. ¡°Looking good little badass,¡± the bouncer

    says as | walk past him. | stop and turn to him. ¡°Seriously? You too?¡± He just shrugs and gives me a smile. | sigh and walk into

    the club.

    In werewolf clubs, there is no drinking age. We are different from humans. Our metabolism is much faster, so we burn alcohol

    quickly and it takes a lot for us to get drunk. We head straight for the bar and order a round of shots. I¡¯m not a beer drinker and

    I''m here to dance so a shot will get me going.

    We get our shots and | pay for the first round. Jason orders another round while | look around. It¡¯s crowded here tonight and |

    see a bunch of wolves from both local packs and some | don¡¯t recognize. | see several girls from school and I¡¯m just about to turn

    around for my second shot when | lock eyes with Alpha Rik.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± | swear as | turn around, pick up my shot and clink my ss to Jason¡¯s, Lacey''s and Dean¡¯s before downing the

    drink. The burning warmth slides down my throat to my stomach.

    Jason looks at me, ¡°What? Who''s here that you don¡¯t want to see?¡± He¡¯s looking over my shoulder trying to figure out who I¡¯m

    not happy about seeing here tonight.

    ¡°You''re seven o''clock.¡± He twists his head to his left looking in the direction I¡¯ve given and whistles low and looks back at me.

    ¡°You think he¡¯lle over here?¡± | shrug and take the shot that Lacey just got for us, ¡°Don¡¯t care, I¡¯m about to head out to the

    dance floor.¡± | lean over to shout above the music so Lacey and Dean can hear. ¡°I¡¯m going to dance, anyoneing?¡± Jason

    says he''ll join us in a minute and Lacey grabs my hand and pulls us into the center of the dance floor. | can feel ice blue eyes on

    me as | begin to dance.

    | close my eyes and let the music wash over me, as my body starts moving to the beat. Most of the people around me are

    warriors from my pack, so | know they won''t try to hit on me. | can lose myself and not have to worry about anything. Plus, every

    one who spends any time in this club on Friday nights knows that eventually, Liam will be here looking for me.

    Lacey leans over to talk above the music, ¡°Alpha Rik hasn¡¯t taken his eyes off of you since we walked out here, what¡¯s up with

    that?¡± she asks. | shrug, because | honestly don¡¯t know. | lean over to her to reply, ¡°He sort of hit on me yesterday at school.¡±

    She leans back and looks at me, her eyes wide but | motion for her to lean back in. ¡°He has no idea who | am.¡± She stops

    dancing and looks at me. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡± | shrug and lean in again, ¡°He asked me what my name is and what pack | belong

    to.¡± Her mouth drops almost to the floor. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Her head is doing a swivel going back and forth between him

    and I. ¡°EVERYONE knows who you are.¡± | shrug again. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just not important enough for the future alpha to know.¡± She

    looks back at Rik once more then at me, ¡°Well, now I''m Team Liam all the way.¡± | smile back at her. ¡°That makes two of us.¡±

    For the next several songs we just move and dance, no more talking. Periodically, we dance with other warriors, sometimes.

    breaking off in twos sometimes dancing as arge group. As the first slow song of the night starts, | motion to Lacey that I¡¯m

    going for another shot. She nods and follows me to the bar.

 Chapter 9

    All day at school | watched her. | attempted to approach her several times, but each time, | was either waid by one of the girls

    going dancing tonight or when | got to where she had been, she was gone. I¡¯ve never been so aggravated about having girls

    hanging on me before. | wanted to know who my mystery girl was and it was really starting to piss me off that | couldn¡¯t get to

    her.

    By the time | got home, | was in a piss-poor mood and | took it out on the guys in training. They were all limping and grumbling

    when training was done. | didn¡¯t care, | was still ina bad mood. | didn¡¯t have any interest in going to a club tonight, but Chase

    was adamant that we were going. | guess he¡¯d found some red-head that he was hoping to bring home tonight. | really wasn¡¯t

    interested. | couldn¡¯t seem to get a green-eyed brte out of my mind. Kai had been quiet in my head, but he was just as

    irritated that | wasn¡¯t able to talk to her.

    | got ready in a pair of jeans and a tight fitting ck shirt, and Chase and | headed out. We got to the club and the bouncer let us

    in ahead of the line that was already forming. Walking in, the music was thumping. The ce was already packed. Chase and |

    headed to the bar. Before we even got there, we were surrounded by girls. Chase bought a round of drinks and we moved to a

    ce on the wall where | could watch the dance floor and pretend to be interested in whatever the girls were saying to me.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    Chase was flirting with the girl he nned to take home tonight and some other girl, | think her name was Natasha, was rubbing

    herself on me like a dog in heat. Another girl had one hand rubbing my ass while the other was stroking Natasha¡¯s arm. | guess

    this was my invitation to a menage. It wouldn¡¯t be my first, but | wasn¡¯t interested tonight. | was about to push them off me and

    head back to the packhouse when | saw her. She was here. She was hanging out with three of my warriors, Jason included. It

    didn¡¯t look like they were together, but | couldn¡¯t be sure.

    | watched as her eyes traveled the room, taking it in, until theynded on me and stopped. That electrical frisson was there

    again. She averted her gaze and grabbed a shot before talking to Jason.

    Kai stood up in my head and grumbled watching their interaction. ¡®Easy Kai, they are acting like friends, not lovers.¡¯ He continued

    grumbling stating, ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ It was then that Jason turned his head and looked at me. So, they were talking about me. |

    smiled. | liked that she was talking about me, it meant, at some level, | was in her head.

    Natasha took my smile as approval for her hand running down my chest and she proceeded to attempt to slide it under my shirt.

    | grabbed it before she could and without looking at her, pushed her hand back to her side. She didn¡¯t seem phased and just

    leaned into me more. While I¡¯d normally be all in, tonight it just feels desperate.

    | watched as my mystery girl went out to the dance floor with Lacey. She immediately began swaying her hips to the music.

    Damn, that girl is hot. | felt my dick getting hard watching her and Kai started pacing in my head. He didn¡¯t like her surrounded by

    guys while she was wearing that hot as fuck outfit and swinging her hips for everyone to see.

    As | watched, Lacey leaned in and said something to her. She replied and Lacey looked shocked before looking at me. What the

    fuck? What was that look? Lacey looked...disappointed. In me. Now I¡¯m seriously getting pissed and I¡¯m about to head out to the

    dance floor when | see her head off in the direction of the bar where Jason and Dean are still standing.

    ¡°Excuse medies,¡± | say as | push my way through the throng of females. Chase sees me and pushes himself to my side.

    ¡°Everything ok?¡±

    | look at my friend, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but | intend to find out.¡± Chase smiles at me, ¡°Need a wingman?¡± | start walking away, ¡°I¡¯m

    good,¡± | toss over my shoulder as | move toward her.

    I''m stopped every couple of steps by girls that want my attention. | smile and gently push them out of my way, but it¡¯s taking me

    too long and the slow song ends before | can get to the bar where she is doing another shot. She starts walking back out to the

    dance floor when the DJ announces, ¡°This is for Canyon Ridge¡¯s own Little Badass.¡± My pack members go crazy, my warriors in

    particr. | see my girl stop, shake her head and look at the DJ as Who Runs the World by Beyonce starts ying. She smiles

    and blows a kiss at the DJ before lifting her hands above her head and joining a bunch of other girls in the center of the dance

    floor.

    She obviously knows the song, along with every other girl on the dance floor. They are singing the song to each other, sassing

    the guys out there watching them, following some of the moves from the video. | lean back against the bar, ordering another

    beer. As I¡¯m watching, Alpha Liames to stand next to me, ordering his own beer. ¡°She¡¯s something, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    The fuck?! Even Liam knows her?

    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± | answer because | don¡¯t want anyone to know that I have no clue who she is while everyone else seems to know

    exactly who she is. When the tempo picks up and the stato starts, she starts shaking her ass back and forth so fast it makes

    my dick instantly stand at attention. I''d love to have her riding my cock like that. Fuck, | need to get myself back under control.

    Liam gets his beer and takes a swig, still watching my girl. My girl? When did | even start thinking of her that way? But Kai purrs

    his agreement in my head.

    The girls have taken over the dance floor, lip syncing to the guys surrounding them. When the song ends, the girls howl their

    dominance as the guys blend back in. As I¡¯m watching, my mystery girl sees me. Wait, no. She sees Liam, and WINKS at him.

    What. The. Actual. Fuck?

    ¡°You''re a lucky man to have someone like her in your pack.¡± Liam says to me without taking his eyes off of her. ¡°But, if I¡¯m being

    honest, | have every intention of stealing her away as soon as | can.¡± He looks at me as he says thest part. He¡¯s dead serious.

    Kai snarls in my head, telling me that | need to stake my im on her.

    ¡®Kai, chill out. She¡¯s not ours, and he hasn¡¯t convinced her to leave. We don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s our mate.¡¯ | force him farther

    back into my head so | can focus on my conversation with Liam. Liam is an intelligent alpha. If he wants her there is a reason

    beyond her being beautiful. Maybe | can get more information from him to figure out who she is.

    ¡°Good luck with that. | haven''t lost a warrior to another pack yet,¡± | say, hoping that | will get something more from him.

    He stops with his beer bottle on his way to his mouth and turns his full attention to me. ¡°You have no idea who she is, do you?¡±

    Shit! Fake it ¡®til you make it. ¡°Of course | do. She¡¯s a warrior in my pack.¡± | say, shrugging as if it¡¯s obvious.

    Asmile that promises nothing good for me spreads across his face. ¡°Right. Well, maybe there is hope for me afterall.¡± He puts

    his beer bottle on the counter and turns back to the dance floor as a slow song starts. ¡°And that¡¯s my queue. See you around.¡±

    | watch as he moves out to the dance floor. My brte locks eyes with him, and the smile she gives me takes my breath away. |

    want her to smile at me that way. | want her to look at me the way she¡¯s looking at Liam, like he¡¯s the only man in the room.

    | watch as she slides her arms around his neck and he puts his hands on her waist, sliding them over her ass, pulling her closer

    to him as he nuzzles her neck with his nose. Kai is prowling and snarling in my head, giving me a headache. Chase walks up

    with his arm around his girl du jour, and follows my line of sight.

    ¡°That her? With Alpha Liam?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yeah, apparently, she and Liam are close.¡± | snarl in return. Chase gives me a questioning look and | just shake my head. I¡¯m in

    no mood to talk about it, especially since | really have no idea what is going on with me and Kai.

    They dance for several songs but continue slow dancing even when the music goes back to a faster pace. | can see them talking

    and flirting with each other, her hands in his hair, his nose sliding up and down her neck and it¡¯s everything | can do not to growl

    so loud that | shake the foundation of this club. Eventually, he takes her hand and leads her off the dance floor.

    | watch as he starts to lead her out of the club. She¡¯s leaving with him.

    | start to follow after them, having no idea what | n to do, when several of my warriorse up to me.

    Trevor, one of my best warriors, gets in my personal space. | am so NOT in the mood for this shit right now. Kaies forward

    and | know my eyes have darkened to sapphires.

    ¡°What the fuck Alpha?¡± Trevor says, and the others are nodding their heads. Chase pushes his girl away and steps up beside

    me, ready to take on a fight if that¡¯s what this is.

    ¡°What the fuck Trevor. You want to exin yourself before | remind you of your ce?¡± Chase says to him.

    Dean, one of the guys | saw with my girl earlier steps up. ¡°You really don¡¯t know who Cara Nelson is?¡± he asks.

    | look at him as if he¡¯s lost his mind. ¡°Of course | know who Cara Nelson is. EVERYONE knows who Cara Nelson is.¡± | say taking

    a step forward and getting in his personal space.

    Another warrior speaks up, ¡°Then why did she tell Lacey that you have no idea who she is?¡± and they all look at me expectantly.

    ¡°| have no idea.¡±

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t ask her what her name was and what pack she¡¯s from while hitting on her?¡± Trevor pushes.

    I stare at them. No. No, no, no. This can¡¯t be happening. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually met Cara Nelson, what does she look like?¡± | ask

    with a really bad feeling in my gut.

    Trevor looks at me, ¡°She¡¯s the one that just left with Alpha Liam.¡±

    | feel my world tilt on its axis. Please tell me this isn¡¯t happening. My mystery girl, the one that didn¡¯t submit to me, the one that |

    completely insulted by not knowing who she was.

    She¡¯s the Broken Warrior¡¯s daughter. My Guardian.

 Chapter 10

    When | saw Alpha Rik heading toward the bar where | was standing, | immediately moved to go back to the dance floor. Right

    about that time, the DJ announced the dedication of Who Runs the World to me. All the warriors in my pack begin to cheer.

    Bastards! | know they did this on purpose to try and embarrass me. Joke¡¯s on them, I¡¯m totally going to own it along with all the

    other female warriors. Lacey and | take the lead and rock the song. More and more girls join us and it¡¯s total attitude until the

    song is done. Then, like the rock stars we are, we howl our dominance to our male counterparts.

    When | look up, | see Liam smiling at me. Oh Goddess help me, that smolder. Good thing these jeans are dark because a line of

    heat just went straight south and now there¡¯s most definitely a wet spot giving away my desire for that sexy man.

    | dance through another couple of fast songs, knowing Liam is waiting for the next slow song. As soon as it starts, he heads my

    way. The dancers make a path for him and it¡¯s like no one else is in the room. I¡¯m locked onto those sage green eyes. His are a

    much lighter shade than my own, but there is so much intensity in them, that my heart starts to beat faster and there¡¯s a flutter in

    my stomach.

    As he walks up to me, | slide my arms around his neck as he slides his down to my ass, pulling me closer and sniffing my neck.

    His mouth slides up to my ear and he whispers, ¡°Hello beautiful, still saving yourself for me?¡± | can¡¯t help the purr that escapes

    before | reel it in and give him my standard response. ¡°You know I¡¯m saving myself for my mate.¡±

    He pulls back enough to look me in the eye. ¡°Right, saving yourself for me, as | said.¡± | can¡¯t help butugh. Cocky Alpha.

    He pulls me close again and | close my eyes and just enjoy the feel of being in his arms. His smell, his strength, his witty humor,

    his undeniable sex appeal, everything about him attracts me to him.

    As we dance, he continues talking softly in my ear, ¡°You look hot as fuck baby, did you wear this for me?¡± | lean back to look him

    in the eye, giving him my best smirk. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Asoft growl rumbles in his chest and damn, my little thong can¡¯t keep up with the river of warm wetness this man is causing to

    flow. He smiles and | know he can feel my nipples harden against the vibration in his chest. Leaning in, he rubs his nose against

    mine, ¡°Someone seems to like the sound of my growl.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± | reply as | slide my fingers into the back of his sandy blond hair, hair that is also a few shades lighter than my own.

    He keeps it short because it¡¯s curly and bes unruly when he lets it grow long. | love the thickness of his hair, even short,

    and | gently scratch my nails on his scalp.

    We''re still swaying back and forth, not paying attention to the music at all, just lost in each other. | can feel his hard length

    pressed against me as we dance. ¡°I love the way you smell, but if you keep perfuming the air with your arousal, baby, I¡¯m going

    to have to get you out of here. No one but me gets to smell that.¡± | chuckle as | lean up to whisper in his ear, ¡°Well then, perhaps

    you should stop doing things that turn me on Alpha.¡± | intentionally call him Alpha instead of Liam because | know it will get

    another growl out of him and I¡¯m not disappointed. This one is stronger and much more possessive.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    It''s a tight rope that | walk with Liam. | don¡¯t want to tease him into thinking he''ll get something from me that I¡¯m not willing to

    give, but | also feel fairly confident that he will be my mate. And, he knows how | feel about waiting for my mate. Is he waiting for

    me? | don¡¯t ask and we don¡¯t discuss it. But, he¡¯s a 24 year old Alpha male. I¡¯d be foolish to think that he is waiting to make sure

    that I''m his mate. But | also know that if | asked him to, he would. But that¡¯s not fair. So basically, all this teasing is just a really

    long bout of forey.

    The possessive growl has really got me turned on and the heady scent of my arousal gets even stronger. Liam pulls my hands

    off his neck and gives me a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say | didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He says and he leads me off the dance floor and to the entrance

    of the club. | smile and wave goodbye to my friends as we head out.

    Once outside, Liam puts his arm around me. ¡°Are you cold baby?¡± Normally, werewolves can handle the cold, but in my human

    form, | can only take so much and it¡¯s the dead of winter. ¡°I am, a bit, but I¡¯m ok until we get to the car.¡±

    We get to his Ford Raptor and he opens the door and lifts me up into the passenger seat. He leans over the seat and | nuzzle

    my nose against his neck. His growl of pleasure vibrates against my nose and cheek and he pulls a jacket from the back and

    lays it over top of me. ¡°Keep that up love and mate or no, you''ll be in my bed tonight.¡± He looks at me for a minute to see if I¡¯m

    willing to keep going, which I¡¯m not, so he gives me a quick kiss on the lips and closes my door.

    He jumps into the driver¡¯s seat, turning the car on and the heat to max. He looks over at me, ¡°Interested in getting a coffee?

    There¡¯s an all night cafe not far from here.¡± | look at him and smile, ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    We get to the cafe and there are only a few other people here at this time of night. We get a booth by a window and Liam sits

    across from me. We order our coffee and Liam orders a steak and potatoes. | order a slice of apple pie, knowing Liam will help

    me eat that too.

    When the waitress is gone, he reaches out and takes my hands in his, looking at me intently. ¡°Tell me about your hopes and

    dreams Cara.¡±

    Whoa! That got intense fast. | look at him and smile, feeling the need to deflect this conversation, | give a smart ass response.

    ¡°Well Liam, | like romantic dinners and walks on the beach.¡± He rolls his eyes at me but | continue. ¡°I also love a man that knows

    how to dance and appreciates a strong, intelligent woman.¡±

    His answering smile could brighten a cloudy day. ¡°Then apparently, I¡¯m the man for you.¡± Our waitress returns with our coffee

    and he releases my hands. When she leaves us again, he is looking down at his hands, folded together as he softly beats them

    against the table. He nods his head as if he¡¯s decided something, then looks up at me. ¡°Look Cara, | know where you stand

    waiting for your mate, and | respect that. | want you to find your mate, and | hope to hell it¡¯s me. But, | need you to know that if it

    isn¡¯t me, | want to take you as my chosen mate.¡±

    | reach back out to take his hands but before | can reply, he continues. ¡°I know I¡¯ve told you this before. But | need you to know

    that I¡¯m serious. If I¡¯m not your fated mate, and if you don¡¯t find your fated mate, | really want you to consider taking me as your

    chosen mate. Hell, even if you find your fated mate and you can¡¯t stand him, I¡¯m here and I¡¯m willing.

    | can make you happy Cara. You can have everything you want. And unlike most women who want the prestige of being a Luna,

    | know you want respect, to continue your warrior training, and to be treated as an equal by the Alpha in the pack. | am not

    intimidated by your strength and ferocity. | find it incredibly sexy. I¡¯m not saying | wouldn''t want to protect you and our pups when

    we had them, but | also know that as a Guardian and a powerful warrior, | wouldn¡¯t have to, that you could and would protect

    yourself and our pups. | would love you, put you first in my life, there would be no one for me but you. | know it¡¯s a lot and you''re

    still a couple months away from your birthday, but | need you to know that my feelings for you are real. That | want you in my life,

    for the rest of my life.¡±

    | was overwhelmed by his deration. ¡°Liam |....¡± | didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°| don¡¯t expect you to say anything. | just want toy it out there so you know how | feel.¡±

    The waitress returns with Liam''s food and my dessert. | watch as he starts cutting into his steak. ¡°Liam, | care for you, very

    deeply. | hope, with all my heart, that you are my fated mate. But, if you are not, | will take what you have said tonight into

    consideration, | promise.¡±

    His smile lights up the room once again. ¡°That''s all | ask Cara.¡±

    I smile back, and take a bite of my apple pie. It¡¯s delicious and without realizing what I''m doing, my eyes have closed, my head

    has tilted back slightly and I¡¯m moaning softly as | chew the delicious taste of apples, cinnamon and pastry dough. When | open

    my eyes, | see that Liam is staring at me, his food stopped halfway to his mouth. His eyes have gone nearly ck and | see his

    adam¡¯s apple bob before he says, ¡°Cara, | seriously hope that one day, | am the one causing you to make those sounds. And if |

    get that chance, | promise, that will just be the beginning. | won''t stop until your throat is raw from screaming my name in

    pleasure and your body is sore from me taking you over and over until both of us are satisfied.¡±

    | blush as he gives me a smirk and puts the steak into his mouth, watching me blush even more as | can only imagine what

    thoughts are causing that possessive, hungry look in his eyes.

    After we finish eating, he drives me home. He gets out of the car andes around to open my door. As | step out, his head

    whips toward the forest. | follow his line of sight but don¡¯t see anything. ¡°What is it?¡±

    He shakes his head, squinting. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    He walks me to my door. | turn to look at him and he wraps his arms around me pulling me into his warmth. ¡°Remember what |

    said tonight Cara. | meant every word.¡± He puts his hands on either side of my face and brings his lips to mine. It starts out as a

    gentle kiss, a promise of what could be. But it quickly turns into something much more passionate and before | know it, Aretmis

    has pushed forward and I¡¯m drowning in him. His mouth is everywhere, iming mine. His warm tongue skillfully slides into my

    mouth, tangling with mine, fighting for dominance. When he wins the battle, he takes his time exploring the rest of my mouth

    before finally letting mee up for air.

    I''m panting and holding on to him as if he is my lifeline. And he is, because my knees are weak and I¡¯d fall if his strong arms

    weren''t holding me up. | look up into his eyes, that have gone dark again, showing that his wolf is forward. | know mine are also

    glowing gold from Artemis pushing forward.

    Artemis purrs to Liam¡¯s wolf, ¡°Hello Cyran.¡± He growls in response. ¡°Artemis.¡± Cyran¡¯s voice is deeper and more gravelly than

    Liam''s. ¡®He has a sexy Alpha voice,¡¯ Artemis says to me.

    | pull her back and regain control, seeing that Liam is doing the same with Cyran. He leans his forehead against mine. ¡°Baby,

    one day soon, | hope that we can continue this until both of us are satisfied. Until then, sweet dreams, and | hope they are of

    me.

    He pulls away from me and winks as he walks backward to his car. When he gets to the driver¡¯s side, | blow him a kiss. He

    makes a catching grab with his hand and pulls it to his heart. Damn, talk about a man that can make a girl swoon. | wave and

    head inside as he pulls away.

    In the distance, | hear a wolf howling into the night.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 0011

    I leave the club and head back to the packhouse. The entire way home, I try to think of a way to fix this. It never urred to me that Cara Nelson was my mystery girl. In my mind, Cara was a shy, reclusive girl that spent all her time. looking after her father. Why hadn¡¯t I put two and two together and realized that as a Guardian and a daughter of not one but two Guardians she would be one hell of a badass?!

    And how had I never noticed her before? She and I are the same age. We must have been in the same ss our entire life and I¡¯d only just noticed her a few days ago. Of course, she wasn¡¯t one of the flock that was constantly surrounding me, seeking my favor, trying to get in my bed. No, she¡¯d obviously saved her favors for Liam. And he¡¯d happily epted what she was willing to give him.

    Kai snarled in my head. ¡®She ours, not his.¡® I was in total agreement.

    When we reached the packhouse, I didn¡¯t even go inside. Instead I ran to the tree line and without waiting to strip, shifted into my wolf form. I let Kai take over and we headed to the Nelson¡¯s home. I opened my mind¨Clink and listened to my patrols. They only patrolled the periphery around Cara¡¯s home, so I was clear. No one would see me.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Their house was about 5 miles from the packhouse. I slow as I approach. I can smell her scent around the house. It looks like they have their own obstacle course, weird jungle gym looking thing and weight training area set up in the back of their house. There was another structure not far from the house and I wondered if that was an indoor training area. Well, this would exin why I¡¯d never seen her at training. Her father was apparently training her.

    Kai stayed on the edge of the forest as I looked at the dark house. I listened in and only heard one heartbeat in the house. Cara wasn¡¯t home yet.

    Kai began pacing, a low growl erupting from him periodically. ¡®Kai, let¡¯s not alert her father to our presence. Keep quiet or I¡¯m going to shift back.¡® He grumbled at me, but kept quiet andid down to wait.

    After a couple hours passed and she hadn¡¯t returned, I began to wonder if she¡¯d stayed the night with Liam at his pack. Would Mr. Nelson allow his underage daughter to stay with the Alpha of a neighboring pack?

    I started to settle in, ready to wait it out. I needed to see her. I needed to confirm that I had made the biggest mistake of my life, and then start nning how to fix it. Up ahead, we saw lights sh through the woods,ing down their long

    I watched as Liam¡¯s truck pulled up in front of the house. Liam gets out of the car and walks around to open the passenger door. As soon as the door opens, I catch her scent, vani with a hint ofvender. It¡¯s mouth watering and Kai stands up, growling softly.

    Liam¡¯s head snaps in our direction and I force Kai to cut it off. ¡®Dammit Kai, you almost gave us away.¡® He¡¯s snarling in my head, much louder than usual because we are in our wolf form and he has more control in this form.

    I watch as Liam wraps his arms around her and tells her he meant every word he said to her. What did he tell her? That he loved her? He had to know she wasn¡¯t 18 yet. He would know that she can¡¯t identify her m?te. Does he n to have hermit to him as soon as she turns 18, rather than giving her time to find her mate? Does he only want her because she¡¯s a Guardian?

    It would be a strategic move on Liam¡¯s part. He already has thergest pack in the country. He is a very strong alpha and ensures that his warriors are well trained, making his pack also one of the strongest. If he were to take Cara as his mate and Luna, it could tip the scales for the Shadow Falls pack making them the strongest pack in the country as well.

    All of this is going through my mind until I see him kiss her. She is responding to his advances, and when he pulls back, I realize it¡¯s not just her, but also both of their wolves. They have a bond. There is something more here than just strategy in order for their wolves to be taking part. There are feelings there as well. Onboth sides.

 Chapter 12

    Kai is almost uncontroble as he snarls, ¡®I don¡¯t care. | will kill him! She is ours! | will have her even if | have to kill Cyran to do

    it.¡® It''s all | can do to maintain control of Kai before he acts on his statement. Thest thing we need is a war between our packs.

    | force the shift and take over in my human form, running back to the packhouse. Kai is fighting me and snarling in my head.

    ¡®Kail¡± | yell at my wolf and stop running to focus on him. ¡®We are not starting a war because you have suddenly decided you want

    her. If you think she¡¯s our mate, then we need to be smart about this. He has a head start in gaining her affection, but if the mate

    bond is there, it will pull her to us. If we anger her, or worse, hurt her, it could drive her away from us forever.¡¯ That finally gets

    through to him and he calms down.

    The packhousees into view and | find one of the many trees with hidden clothes, grabbing a pair of shorts before walking in

    through the back door.

    The packhouse is never locked because peoplee and go at all hours. Those on patrole in during breaks to eat or get

    something to drink, warriors train at all hours of the day and omegas work around everyone else¡¯s schedule. When | walk into the

    kitchen to get a bottle of water, | run into my mother. She¡¯s in one of my dad¡¯s shirts with a robe over it and | don¡¯t want to think

    about why her hair is messy or why she¡¯s making two sandwiches.

    ¡°Hey mom.¡¯ | state, hoping this awkward moment won''tst too long.

    ¡°Hey honey! Did you have a good night?¡±

    | lied, ¡°It was great and then Kai and | went for a run, so I¡¯m heading to bed.

    ¡°Okay sweetheart. Oh, by the way, | forgot to mention to you when we were at the memorial Thursday night and you asked about

    Cara. | invited her to your party next weekend. | know we invite all of the pack members, but you mentioned that you¡¯ve never

    met her and | realized that she doesn¡¯t really attend pack events, you wouldn''t have ever really had the chance to unless you

    knew her at school. | made sure your father told her that it was a bit more than a request so she''ll definitely be there. And your

    father also made sure to invite her father with a strong emphasis on the request versus invite.¡± She smiled at me.

    so

    An idea began forming in my mind about how | could start making an impression on my girl. ¡°Thanks Mom!¡± | replied

    enthusiastically. ¡°I really appreciate it. | don¡¯t like not knowing our pack members. Dad has made sure to drill the importance of

    knowing all our pack members into my head. And with her being

    +15 BONOSC0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    her.

    We said goodnight and | walked up the stairs to my room thinking about my n. | have one week until my birthday party. When |

    get to the third floor, Chase is kissing his red¡ªhead goodnight. As | walk by, | mind¡ªlink him to find me tomorrow so we can talk.

    He pulls away from the girl and looks at me, Everything okay Alpha?¡±

    I smile at him. ¡°It will be, juste find me when you''re up, no rush.¡±

    The next day after breakfast in the packhouse, | find my father in his office. | confirm that Cara has been in his training sses

    every morning, even on the weekends, and that he gave permission for her to be trained in the afternoons by her father rather

    than attending my training sses.

    Afterward, | find my mother and give her my request for my party. She¡¯s so excited that I¡¯m showing an interest in not only my

    party but also possibly finding my mate that she¡¯s willing to do anything | ask, although this is an easy request toplete.

    Finally, | meet up with Chase and give him my n for the week leading up to my party including the request of my mother.

    ¡°Dude, are you sure? You will basically be staking a im once everyone figures. it out.¡±

    | look at my friend. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely sure. So let''s figure out the logistics.¡±

    ¡°You got it. You know I¡¯m always here for you, no matter what you need.¡±

    | do. That¡¯s why he¡¯s my best friend and future Beta. He will always have my back.

    Cooper Author

    What do you think Rik is up to? Leave me ament and let me know your thoughts.

    71

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 Chapter 13

    After | said goodbye to Liam, | was definitely needing a release. The man is sex on wheels. Thankfully my dad was asleep

    already. | went to my room and undressed, deciding to sleep naked since | nned to give myself a much needed release before

    bed and | only had a few hours to sleep before training anyway.

    |id in bed my hand sliding over my breasts, pinching my nipples, thinking of how they had tightened when Liam growled earlier.

    I slid one hand between my legs, rubbing my clit, thinking of how hard he had been while we were dancing. A soft moan escaped

    my lips before thinking of how Liam had dominated my mouth with his. | started thinking of how that mouth would feel between

    my legs. | started to move my hand faster, thinking of what it would be like to look down and see Rik looking up at me from

    between my legs.

    Wait! WHAT? Rik?? How the hell did he end up in this fantasy? No, no, no! This is all about Liam. | gave my head a slight shake,

    refocused on the kiss with Liam. Yes, that¡¯s it, that¡¯s the tongue that could bring me to the brink.

    | slide a finger inside, still thinking about how it would feel if Rik had his fingers inside of me and his mouth bringing me pleasure.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    My eyes flew open again! What the hell??!! Why is Rik featuring in my fantasies? | try to refocus on Liam¡¯s green eyes but all |

    can see are those ice blue eyes of Rik¡¯s, the thick ck hair that he wears long. Watching those eyes looking up at me as he

    uses one hand to hold my thigh down as | begin to push against his face. The minute | think about him growling against my

    pussy, my body erupts in the strongest orgasm I¡¯ve ever had. | have to press my free hand to my mouth to keep from waking my

    father. My body is jolting with the aftershocks of my orgasm. What the fuck just happened?

    | wake to my rm a few hourster, utterly exhausted. | drag myself to warrior training and make it through. Thankfully most of

    the warriors were outst night too, so none of us is at the top of our game.

    Weekends with my dad mean endurance training and toxic nt education. Learning theponents of nts that are deadly to

    werewolves, vampires, and other supernaturals is key to knowing how to save yourself or defeat your enemy. Witches are real

    too and can be helpful if you find the right one. However, there aren¡¯t too many Glenda, the Good Witches out there. Mostly they

    are all Wicked Witches of whatever direction they decide to live. So it¡¯s better to know ntposition and understand it on my

    own.

    To say I¡¯m already exhausted would be an understatement, but | know saying

    +15 BONOS

    are tired Cara. They will take any advantage they can get.¡±

    So, | jump in the pool that is in our indoor training area. Dad throws me the 250 pound dummy that | must keep afloat while |

    tread water. If | let the dummy go, he sinks to the bottom. It is meant to represent an unconscious person, specifically an Alpha. |

    used to wonder why I had to train this way, but over time, | realize that it''s good to be prepared for any possibility. Also, the

    different styles of training that my dad has me do ensure that every muscle in my body is strong. So, | rx my mind, begin my

    tread and hold the dummy ensuring that his head remains above water.

    For the next two hours, | tread water while dad asks me questions about nt biology, toxic elements of different nts, giving

    me symptoms and asking what nt was ingested. When we¡¯re done, I¡¯m totally wiped out. We go inside and. have lunch and

    then I¡¯m free for the rest of the afternoon and | take a long soaking bath to relieve my aching muscles.

 Chapter 14

    Sunday is much the same as Saturday, only instead of treading water, it¡¯s running Sunday is ¡®marathon¡¯ day, so | run my 26.2

    miles in two and a half hours. | finish my homework Sunday night and get ready for another week at school.

    Monday starts like any other day. It¡¯s my turn to drive so | pick Jason up on my way. We go our separate ways for our first ss. |

    see Rik from the corner of my eye. He¡¯s watching me but | don¡¯t make eye contact and he doesn¡¯t try to follow me today. I¡¯m

    relieved because | don¡¯t think | could look him in the eye after my Saturday early morning orgasm, courtesy of him. | can feel my

    blush just thinking about it. Ugh!C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    My day goes well, and | meet up with Jason and Lacey for lunch. We grab a table and Jason heads to the line to get food. |

    always bring leftovers on Mondays, so | begin eating. The room around me starts to go quiet and | look up to see at delivery man

    carrying what looks like a dozen white roses. Nice! Wonder who the lucky girl is.

    The delivery guy is looking around and stops to ask someone for help in finding the person he¡¯s looking for. | see the student

    looking around and then makes eye contact with me and stops. What the fuck? He points the delivery guy in my direction and he

    heads my way.

    ¡°Cara Nelson?¡± He asks, looking at me. | look at the flowers with a frown on my face. Is this a joke? ¡°Yes?¡± Ites out as more

    of a question than a statement.

    ¡°These are for you.¡±

    ¡°Who are they from?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a card. Enjoy.¡±

    I stare at the flowers for a minute before Jason nudges me. ¡°Well, read the card.¡±

    | open the card:

    Cara,

    Roses are white.

    Guardians are true.

    Can you guess who | am?

    Or will | have to tell you?

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    Your Secret Admirer

    Jason is reading over my shoulder. ¡°Whoa! You have a secret admirer?¡±

    | look from the card back to the flowers, as if they have the answer to Jason¡¯s question.

    ¡°| guess so.¡± I¡¯m still frowning when Lacey ¡°ahhhhs¡¯¡± from her seat. ¡°That is so sweet! | wonder who it is.¡±

    ¡°| have no idea. | mean, seriously, who could it be?¡± | look at both of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at us. Not a clue.¡± Jason states, holding his hands up in surrender. | look at Lacey and she is shaking her head, she

    has no idea either.

    Now what? | have to carry these flowers around for myst two sses of the day. As if | hadn''t attracted enough attention

    already. Everyone is already looking at me and whispering about my flowers. This type of attention will spread like wildfire

    through both packs. If this wasn¡¯t sent by Liam, he''ll hear about it.

    Could it be Liam? He had basically professed his love for me on Friday night. Is this his way of showing he meant what he said?

    But it just didn¡¯t seem like something he would do. The flowers, yes, but not the secret admirer note. So that left.....everyone.

    | nce around the room and see all eyes are on me. As | scan the room, hoping to see someone looking sheepish, | lock eyes

    with the blue ciers that haunted my fantasies over the weekend. He¡¯s wearing a smirk, of course. | refrain from rolling my eyes

    and grab my books and flowers and head out to my next ss.

    As I''m about to walk out of the cafeteria, | shout over my shoulder, ¡°If you¡¯re here, thank you, and I''ll figure it out.¡± As the door

    closed behind me, | swear | heard a deep chuckle.

    Cooper Author

    Comment and let me know what

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 15

    All day Sunday | spent nning. Chase is all in and even found a way to get some information for me. I¡¯m feeling pretty good

    about theing week. It will all culminate on my birthday and I can only hope it¡¯s enough time to give me an in with Cara. L

    Monday morning | wake up early. I''ve never seen Cara train and I¡¯m really interested now that I''ve put a name to a face. At the

    risk of seeming like a stalker, | find a spot on the second floor of the pack house that overlooks the back where my father trains

    the warriors. | leave the light in this guest room off and quietly open the window. | see warriors slowlying out and starting to

    warm up. She''s not here yet and just as I¡¯m about to sit back and wait, | see movement from the forest line. As | watch, | see a

    large, gorgeous brown wolf running along the tree line with a bag in her mouth. It must be Cara¡¯s wolf. She must run here from

    her home every morning. It makes sense, she''ll be more warmed up than anyone after a 5¡ªmile run.

    | watch as she goes behind a tree to change andes out with leggings, an oversized sweatshirt and sneakers on. Her hair is

    up in a cute ponytail. It¡¯s short and her curls are twisting in every direction. My breath catches. She is so beautiful. | catch her

    scent as she walks over and joins the warriors that have already arrived and | immediately feel more rxed.

    She walks up and fist bumps each of them as | hear, ¡°Hey Little Badass.¡± from

    Trevor.

    Yup. If |

    ¡°Trevor, if you don¡¯t want to this morning, knock it off.¡±

    see your 200 first t my little badass replies. All of the warriors chuckle and continue warming hadn''t figured it out on Friday when

    several of my warriors were ready to take me on because of her, it would be obvious now. They have the utmost respect for her.

    She''s one of them, and I¡¯m anxious to see how good she really is.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Over the next two hours, | watch as my girl takes down every warrior in training, like bowling pins. Rack ¡®em up and she knocks

    ¡°em back down again.

    | can¡¯t help the smile that feels permanently etched on my face. She¡¯s incredible! She¡¯s fast, agile, and a smart fighter. Her

    biggest opponent is Trevor. He¡¯s a really good fighter. He¡¯s smart and doesn¡¯t rely on his brawn to win. He¡¯s calcting and

    constantly looking for ways to extort his opponent¡¯s weaknesses, only he doesn¡¯t seem to be able to find any in Cara.

    | watch as they taunt each other. This must be their thing, smack talking. | know it is with Trevor, but | didn¡¯t see Cara bantering

    with many other warriors. In

    1/2

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    learn ways to improve and then she had them try again.

    When training ends, | wait to see if she''ll shift back so Kai and | can see her wolf again. What | didn¡¯t expect was for my father to

    walk with her over to the edge of the forest. He has his arm around her, as if she were his daughter, and maybe that is how he

    sees her. It¡¯s odd as the only other person my father shows affection to is my mother. They finish their conversation and my

    father kisses the top of her head before heading back to the packhouse while she changes. When her wolf leaves the tree line, |

    hear her woof at my dad. He turns and waves before heading inside and she takes off in a loping run in the direction of her

    house.

    I''m runningte now and | rush to shower and get ready for school. | run down the stairs, into the kitchen to grab something to

    eat quickly, pulling my phone out as | go. | nearly run Chase over as | round the corner at the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡°Whoa Rik! Slow down. | saw you weren''t down here yet so | grabbed you a couple of breakfast sandwiches to go.¡±

    ¡°You''re the best friend a guy could ask for Chase!¡±

    ¡°| know. So, everything set for today?¡± he asks, as we head out.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Calling now to double check and confirm delivery will be during lunch.¡± | smile as | pull the phone up to my ear.

    ¡°I''ll drive and you can make sure all the arrangements are made.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.

    note.

    1 confirm my flowers will be delivered during lunch today along with my I¡¯m hoping the secret admirer thing isn¡¯t too cliche, but |

    also want to make sure that she knows it¡¯s not from Alpha Liam.

    The day goes by slowly approaching lunch time. When the bell rings for lunch, | bolt to the lunchroom. | want a front row seat. |

    need to know how she reacts in order to make sure the ns | have for the rest of the week will work. Otherwise, Ill have to

    rethink thi

    week. | don¡¯t currently have any back up ns, so I¡¯d have to rework ande up with something new if she hates this and

    throws my flowers away.

    Chase goes to grab lunch for both of us as | sit at my usual spot. | watch as shees in and sits with Lacey and Jason. My

    stomach has gone queasy waiting to see how this will go. I¡¯ve never done anything like this before and | really want it to work. I¡¯m

    barely paying attention to the conversation around me and thankfully, Chase is carrying the conversation for both of us, when a

    hush falls in the cafeteria. | look up to see the delivery guy looking around at therge number of individuals in the cafeteria. |

    gave a description of her, but there must be 200 shifters in this room right now.

    | look back at Cara and see a soft smile grace her face. BINGO!

    | watch as the delivery guy approaches her and after ensuring she is Cara Nelson, he hands her the vase filled with flowers. |

    watch as her smile turns to a frown of confusion. She asks the guy who it¡¯s from and he says exactly what | told him to say, that

    there¡¯s a card. | paid extra to make sure everything was exactly as | requested. I¡¯ll call the florist, who is a friend of my mom¡¯s,

    and let her know it was perfect.

    | see Jason nudge her to open the card. As she does, the confusion on her face remains, and | can¡¯t help the smile that starts

    pulling at my face.

    Completely unexpected? Check

    Making your girl feel special? Check.

    Letting everyone in the room know that someone is actively and intently pursuing her? Double check!

    +15 BONOS

    Lacey gives the expected female swoon. | see her asking if they know who it is. Of course they don¡¯t. Only Chase and | know

    that | sent them. Chase nudges me with his elbow discreetly and gives me a thumbs up under the table so no one else can

    see.

    | watch as she looks around the cafeteria trying to figure out who it is until her eyes meet mine. ¡®Oh baby, you ain¡¯t seen nothin¡®

    yet¡® | think as | watch a slight pink tinge rise on her cheeks. It sends a direct line of fire to my cock which goes rock hard. |

    wonder what other ways | could make her cheeks go pink.

    | shift in my seat ufortably, trying to ease the ache in my jeans which suddenly feel much too tight.

    | follow her as she gathers her belongings, including the flowers and heads to the door. I¡¯m about to go back to eating, when |

    hear her partingment. Game on baby!

    After school, | head over to the finest restaurant in three towns where | meet with the owner and set up my next request. When

    all those arrangements are made. and | have ensured that it will be done exactly as | have requested, | head home.

    Chase is picking up the ck this week for training, but | run upstairs to my room and change quickly before joining in thest

    hour. I''ll need to increase my workouts since I''ll be missing training a lot this week, but I''ll figure it out. | only have one week to

    make my intentions known so I¡¯m going to take full advantage.

    After checking in with mom that she will fulfill her part tomorrow, | head to bed. | fall asleepte at night, thinking of the smile | put

    on my girl''s face today.

    Cooper Author

    | would love to know if your impression of Rik is changing or if it''s staying the same. Leave ament and let me know!

    50

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 17

    After school, | drop Jason off and finally arrive at home after lugging my flowers around the rest of the afternoon. | have to admit

    they made me smile often. No one has ever done something like that for me. I¡¯ve been wracking my brain to figure out who it

    could be, but honestly, the opportunities are nearly endless. | just have no idea, but | haven¡¯t given up, not by a long shot..

    As | walk in the door, | hear dad from the other room, ¡°Wee home

    sweetheart, how was your....well, well, well, what have we here?¡± He asks, eyeing my flowers.

    ¡°Oh? This ol¡¯ thing?¡± | give him my best fake surprised look, then smile. ¡°They are flowers. Apparently, | have a secret admirer.¡± |

    look at the flowers again.

    ¡°White, huh?¡± He asks. ¡°You know what white roses mean, don¡¯t you?¡±

    | look at him confused. ¡°The color of the rose means something?¡±

    ¡°Yep and white means something like loyalty and purity.¡±

    ¡°Well, my admirer knows I¡¯m a Guardian, so the loyalty fits. Not sure how many people know I''m ¡®pure¡® but maybe this person is

    hoping?¡± | wiggle my eyebrows at my dad and we bothugh.

    ¡°Go get dressed for training, Car. I''ll meet you outside.¡±

    That night, | looked at my beautiful roses, wondering who my mystery man could

    1. be.

    My phone beeps and | see a text from Liam.

    Liam: So, | hear | have somepetition.

    Me: If bypetition you mean that you owe me flowers, then sure.

    Liam: Mmhmm. You realize this is someone staking a im, right Cara?

    Me: It was flowers, not a romantic dinner. And did you know the color of flowers means something?

    Liam: The color of roses means something. White meaning purity and innocence.

    Me: Dad said it means loyalty and purity. And the person obviously knows I¡¯m a Guardian, so the loyalty definitely fits.

    Liam: If you need some help removing the purity, you know where to find me.

    Damn, the thought of Liam removing my purity has me getting wet. I¡¯m going to

    +15 BONOS

    Me: Believe me, if you¡¯re my mate, my purity, innocence and virginity are all

    yours.

    It''s a few minutes before | get a response.

    Liam: Now | need a cold shower. Go to bed Cara. Talk soon. Sleep well. Dream of

    1.me.

    Me: Goodnight Liam

    | take quite a ribbing at training the next morning. All the guys are asking who gave me flowers and offering to run them off if

    need be. | eliminated most of the guys from training after these conversations. These guys are more like my brothers, or

    brother¡¯s¡ªin¡ªarms when we have to fight. The only one that | can¡¯t scratch off the list is Trevor.

    At school, I¡¯m on a mission. I¡¯m watching everyone. | don¡¯t see anyone that stands out and I¡¯m frustrated when | get to the

    cafeteria for lunch. Jason walks in with me and we''re walking up to get food when a woman dressed in a three piece suit and

    heels steps up to me.

    ¡°Cara Nelson?¡±

    | frown at her. What is this?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± She turns and grabs a rolling cart with a te covered with a silver dome and some other paraphernalia.

    ¡°Go ahead, I''ll follow you to your table.¡± She says as she stops to wait for me.

    Erm, what is this?¡± | ask because, seriously, what IS this?

    ¡°Your lunch.¡± She states as if it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t order a special lunch.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°It was ordered for you.¡± She smiles at me again.

    ¡°By whom?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a card, but | was instructed not to give it to you until

    with your food.¡±

    Uh-huh. Okay.

    you were seated

    | turn and head to my usual table. Jason is looking at me wide-eyed. Lacey sidles up to me and hooks her arm through mine.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | look at the waitress over my shoulder. ¡°Apparently, | had lunch ordered for me.

    She raises an eyebrow at me, ¡°By whom?¡±

    I give her a fake smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know. | apparently don¡¯t get my card until after | have my meal in front of me.¡±

    We

    Ito the table and | turn to the waitress. ¡°What''s your name?¡±

    ¡°Tamara.¡±

    ¡°Tamara, this is the table | usually sit at.¡± | point to the table and pull my bag off my shoulder and begin to set it on the table.

    ¡°Just one moment.¡± She says and | pull my bag back.

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 Chapter 18

    She takes out a ck tablecloth that looks like something out of a fine dining restaurant and spreads it on the table. Then she

    sets the table for one with a linen. napkin and utensils. | sit and she puts the te with the dome covering it in front

    of me.

    ¡°You have your choice of coffee, tea or soda to drink.¡±

    ¡°Uh, soda, please Tamara.¡±

    She smiles, pours a ss of soda for me and then sets another, smaller te on the table. Pointing to the smaller te, she

    says, ¡°This is dessert*.

    ¡°Is there anything else | can get you?¡±

    ¡°Was there a card?¡±

    She reaches into her pocket and hands me the card. ¡°When you are done, just leave it all here and I''lle back and collect it.¡±

    She nods at me and heads out of the cafeteria.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    | realize that no one is saying anything. The entire cafeteria is quiet, watching me. No one is even going through the line to get

    their food for lunch. From somewhere in the back, someone hollers, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what you got for lunch.¡±

    | pull the cover off the te and my mouth instantly starts to water. It¡¯s filet. mignon and lobster tail, mashed potatoes and grilled

    asparagus. My mouth drops open and every shifter in the room groans, almost simultaneously as they catch the scent of my

    delicious lunch. There¡¯s a small dish inside with melted butter and a separate pat of butter for the potato or asparagus, not sure.

    What''s

    | hear Jason¡¯s voice, much more airy and distracted than normal, asking the card say?¡± while Lacey, never taking her eyes off my

    food, uses her finger to close my gaping mouth.

    I snap my mouth closed and open the card.

    Cara,

    One day soon | hope you will let me take you on a real date,

    To wine and dine you to your stomach and heart''s content.

    It is the way of wolves to provide for the ones we care about.

    +15 BONOS

    Therefore, | present you with this offering,

    So you will know that my intentions are honest and honorable.

    Humbly, Your Secret Admirer

    | read the note several times. Artemis hase forward as this is a powerful. message not just to me, but to her as well. The

    most important thing to a male wolf is to show his mate that he can protect and care for her. This message means that my

    admirer wants Artemis and | to know that he is willing and capable of taking care for us.

    Holy shit, Liam was right. This man, whoever he is, is staking his im.

    Jason whistles softly, reading over my shoulder. ¡°Damn.¡± He lengths the word, making it extend for a few seconds as | continue

    to stare at the card.

    ¡°Girl, if you aren''t going to eat that, | definitely will! And if you are, for all that¡¯s good and holy, please eat it before it gets cold.¡±

    Lacey is drooling over my food. a

    ¡°You can¡¯t eat it, Lace,¡± Jason says quietly, still looking at the card in my hand.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± She asks as she snatches the card out of my hand. Her eyes go wide as she reads the card. ¡°Damn girl! That''s so

    hot. Even DeeDee is purring right now.¡± DeeDee is Lacey''s wolf. | look up at her. ¡°I know right?¡±

    She cocks an eyebrow, ¡°Artemis, what do you think?¡±

    I can tell she¡¯s still forward so my eyes must be glowing. Artemis smirks, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat my offering and enjoy every moment of

    it.¡±

    | pick up my fork and knife and dive in. My eyes close involuntarily and | moan.

    ¡°Rub it in, why don¡¯t you!¡± | hear from across the cafeteria.

    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s too damn good to stay quiet about, so get over it¡± | shout back.

    ¡°You gonna share?¡± | hear from somewhere else.

    ¡°Not a chance and before any one of you thinks to take me on to get MY delicious lunch,¡± Artemis pushes forward and my voice

    deepens a bit, ¡°remember I¡¯m a Guardian.¡±

    There¡¯s a lot of grumbling and lots of shifterse closer to my table than is necessary to get a whiff of my food. ¡°Oh my

    goddess, is that from Ethereal? It looks like it''s from Ethereal.¡±

    | look at the girl staring at my food. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never been there, but | can tell you this. The food is delicious.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Therefore, | present you with this offering,

    So you will know that my intentions are honest and honorable.

    -Humbly, Your Secret Admirer

    | read the note several times. Artemis hase forward as this is a powerful message not just to me, but to her as well. The

    most important thing to a male wolf is to show his mate that he can protect and care for her. This message means that my

    admirer wants Artemis and | to know that he is willing and capable of taking care for us.

    Holy shit, Liam was right. This man, whoever he is, is staking his im.

    Jason whistles softly, reading over my shoulder. ¡°Damn.¡± He lengths the word, making it extend for a few seconds as | continue

    to stare at the card.

    ¡°Girl, if you aren''t going to eat that, | definitely will! And if you are, for all that¡¯s good and holy, please eat it before it gets cold.¡±

    Lacey is drooling over my food.

    ¡°You can¡¯t eat it, Lace,¡± Jason says quietly, still looking at the card in my hand.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± She asks as she snatches the card out of my hand. Her eyes go wide as she reads the card. ¡°Damn girl! That''s so

    hot. Even DeeDee is purring right now.¡± DeeDee is Lacey''s wolf. | look up at her. ¡°I know right?¡±

    She cocks an eyebrow, ¡°Artemis, what do you think?¡±

    I can tell she¡¯s still forward so my eyes must be glowing. Artemis smirks, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat my offering and enjoy every moment of

    it.¡±

    | pick-up my fork and knife and dive in. My eyes close involuntarily and | moan.

    ¡°Rub it in, why don¡¯t you!¡± | hear from across the cafeteria.

    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s too damn good to stay quiet about, so get over it¡± | shout back.

    ¡°You gonna share?¡± | hear from somewhere else.

    ¡°Not a chance and before any one of you thinks to take me on to get MY delicious lunch,¡± Artemis pushes forward and my voice

    deepens a bit, ¡°remember I¡¯m a Guardian.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    There¡¯s a lot of grumbling and lots of shifterse closer to my table than is necessary to get a whiff of my food. ¡°Oh my

    goddess, is that from Ethereal? It looks like it''s from Ethereal.¡±

    | look at the girl staring at my food. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never been there, but | can tell you this. The food is delicious.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Aguy | don¡¯t knowes to stand next to her, ¡°Definitely Ethereal. Damn, whoever bought you lunch, spent a lot of money to

    impress you. And if I¡¯m not mistaken, the woman who served you was the owner of

    a restaurant¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET IT NOW

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 19

    | don¡¯t even know what to say. The OWNER?? Who can pull that off? While I¡¯m amazed, it does begin to narrow down the

    possible options. Someone of rank, someone rted to the owner, or someone owed a favor. Ok, thest one opens up the

    ying field again, since | would have no way of knowing who the owner would owe a favor to.

    | finish my food and reach for the smaller te. | lift the cover and my nose is immediately bombarded with the scent of

    chocte. And not just any chocte, it¡¯s Luna Calista¡¯s renowned brownies my very favorite dessert on the! This person

    either got lucky or they know me and my weakness for our Luna¡¯s brownies.

    | eat every bite and I¡¯m stuffed to a level of being ufortable. The bell announcing lunch is over sounds and | collect my

    things, trying to decide what to do with everything sitting on the table. I¡¯ve put it in as much of an order as | can, but | don¡¯t know

    where to put it. Right then, Tamara steps in to start cleaning up.

    I smile at her. ¡°Thank you Tamara, mypliments to the chef. | hear you are the owner, is that correct?¡±

    She turns to me and smiles, ¡°That''s correct Ms. Nelson, my mate and | own Ethereal.¡±

    My heart rate kicks up. ¡°So, you know who ordered this for me?¡±

    She gives me another smile, ¡°I most certainly do. And before you ask, the answer is no. | won''t tell you.¡±

    My smile fades, but | push through. ¡°What if | ask you something other than at name?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Could you tell me if it''s a family member?¡±

    ¡°It was not a person that I¡¯m rted to.¡±

    ¡°Was it someone that you owed a favor to?

    ¡°Nope. | did it because | appreciate romance.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me which pack the person belongs to?¡±

    Sorry, | was told | could not provide you any pack information, rank or status or anything else that would give you any indication

    of who bought your lunch.

    13

    +15 BONOS

    | sighed, ¡°Well, thank you for the information you did share and again, the food was amazing. Truly, please give mypliments

    to the chef.¡±

    ¡°I''ll tell my mate you like his cooking.¡± She chuckled as she finished collecting everything.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    | walked out of the cafeteria and straight into a brick wall. Or what felt like a brick wall. Turns out it was just Rik¡¯s hard chest.

    | took a step back and looked up into those distracting eyes.

    ¡°Ethereal, huh? To what do you owe the pleasure?¡±

    Ugh! | was not in the mood for my alpha today. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your business, but someone thought it would be nice to order

    me lunch.¡±

    ¡°Flowers yesterday, Ethereal today. One might think someone was staking a im one of my pack members.¡±

    ¡°Your future pack.¡± | rify as | push past him and start to walk away, but he keeps pace beside me easily.

    ¡°So, who is the lucky guy?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°No idea? Come on, you must have some idea?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    ¡°And you''re ok with that?

    you''re ok not knowing who it. Buy is making a very public im on you and

    I shrug. ¡°I''ll figure it out eventually. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to keep it a secret for years or even months. But | n to figure it out

    long before he tells me who he is.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Alpha Liam. | saw you two at the club the other night.¡±

    ¡°Nope, not him.¡±

    ¡°How do you know? It could be.¡±

    | stopped and looked at him. ¡°First, he wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s my secret admirer. Second, he texted mest night after hearing about

    the flowers and asked me about it. So, no, it¡¯s not him.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s like we have our very own mystery here at high school.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | arrive at my ss and turn to him once more. ¡°I will figure out who he is.¡±

    | turn and walk into my ss just as the bell rings. | swear | hear ¡®Good luck with that.¡± as the door closes.

    Cooper Author

    | hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter. What do you think of Artemis epting Rik¡¯s offering?

    ) 35

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 20

    The next morning I¡¯m up early again. I¡¯m not ready to join in the morning. training sessions just yet, but | still want to take

    whatever opportunity | can to watch my girl.

    I sneak back into the guest room and open the window just as | see her wolf running along the tree line. | watch as she goes

    behind the trees and a few minutester emerges in her work out clothes. She heads over to the training ground and

    immediately the guys start to give her crap for the flowers. She handles their ribbing well and brushes them off when they ask

    about getting rid of me. Kai growls in my head over that one. ¡®As if any of those pups could take us.

    Today is simr to yesterday as | watch her take down every warrior, this time in wolf form. Her wolf is smaller than mine but

    she¡¯s as fast and agile in her wolf form as she is in her human form. Her wolf is beautiful and graceful and Kai is purring in my

    head, wanting desperately to meet her.

    After training, | watch her wolf head back home and then | rush to get ready for school again. | meet Chase downstairs and he

    again has my breakfast to go.

    ¡°Thanks man. | really owe you for helping me out this week.¡±

    He punches my shoulder. ¡°No problem. Yesterday was fun. I¡¯m hoping today goes just as well. Are you nervous? It¡¯s a big move.¡±

    Yeah, I¡¯m fucking nervous. I¡¯m clearly staking my im and it can go one of two ways. She and her wolf can ept it, or they

    can reject it, in essence, rejecting us. Kai howls in my head at the thought of them rejecting us.

    ¡°They won''t. Her wolf will feel honored by our offering. It¡¯s the most precious gift that we can give her to show her what she

    means to us.¡¯

    ¡®And you''re sure about this Kai? We don¡¯t want to give her false hope if you just like her. This is a big deal, you can¡¯t back out

    once it¡¯s done.¡¯This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡®| want her. She¡¯s mine. They are ours. | will do whatever it takes to make sure she knows that.¡¯

    ¡®Ok big guy. Let¡¯s see how today goes then.¡® on

    | make it through the morning, feeling progressively more nauseous as the day goes on. By the time the bell rings for lunch, | feel

    like ¡¯''m ready to hurl. Kai is unusually quiet as | walk into the lunchroom. I¡¯m early again, making sure that Tamara can see me. |

    have given her Cara¡¯s description, but after yesterday, |

    +15 BONOS

    She gives the barest nod of her head to acknowledge me as | look in her direction, letting me know she sees me. Then her eyes

    are back to the doors. | watch for Cara¡¯s entrance and as soon as | see her, | make eye contact with Tamara and she¡¯s ready.

    | watch as Tamara confirms that she¡¯s here for Cara and follows her to her table. Cara seems shocked again at how it¡¯s all set

    up. | would feel stalkerish, but the entire cafeteria has stopped again to watch what is happening. She doesn¡¯t even seem to

    notice as she¡¯s totally engrossed in the set up for her lunch.

    When Tamara asks her if she needs anything and Cara only asks for the card, my hands start sweating. This is it. I''ll know soon

    enough if it¡¯s a go or if it''s a no.

    | watch her shock as she uncovers the food. The entire room groans and even my stomach growls loudly at the smelling

    from her te. Chasees to stand next to me, giving me his moral support. He doesn¡¯t say a word, just stands beside me.

    Then she reads the card. At first, nothing happens and she just stares at it. Then, it¡¯s like the sun begins to shine behind her

    emerald eyes and | know that her wolf hase forward. It¡¯s the Guardian¡¯s golden glow. Only their wolves have eyes that shine

    like that. This is it, she''ll either love it or hate it.

    I see them talking quietly to each other. Jason seems to understand the weight of the words in the card. | watch Lacey grab it

    from Cara and then her eyes darken ast her wolfes forward reading my words as well. | hear DeeDee as she asks Artemis

    what she thinks. Artemis. Now, | finally know Cara¡¯s wolf¡¯s name.

    | hold my breath as | wait. Then Kai howls in triumph in my head at her response. She epted our offering!

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET IT NOW

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 0021

    ¡°High five Alpha! You''re golden!¡± Chase mind links me so as not to give it away that the gift is from me.

    | can¡¯t help the smile that spreads across my face. | feel high, exuberant, on top. of the world. Nothing in my life has ever felt so

    momentous as this moment.

    | watch as she takes the first bite and her moan of pleasure has my cock stiffening in my jeans. Shit.

    But it¡¯s her next words

    that make me go rock hard as she and Artemis both threaten anyone that wants to try to take her offering. My heart settles and

    Kai is practically rolling over to show his belly he¡¯s so happy.

    | watch as people walk by to see what she¡¯s eating and smelling the food. It really does smell good and makes whatever Chase

    grabbed for us taste like cardboard. When she finishes eating, she reaches for the brownies. Dad had let it slip that he frequently

    takes mom¡¯s brownies to his dinners with Mr. Nelson because he¡¯s realized that they are Cara¡¯s favorite. So, | asked mom to

    make me some and | dropped them off to Tamara earlier this morning.

    | watch as her eyes nearly roll back into her head when she takes a bite of the brownie and | get an image of her making that

    same face while she¡¯s riding on my cock, her pussy gripping me as she cums, making that moaning sound before. screaming my

    name.

    And now I¡¯m so close to blowing my load in my jeans that | need a serious distraction. | tune into the conversation around the

    table to hear some of the she -wolves who are trying their best to not sound too bitchy while also implying that Cara isn¡¯t worth

    this level of effort. It has the desired effect and | go from turned on to pissed in seconds. She''s more than worth it and not just

    because she¡¯s a Guardian, although that would be reason enough as far as I¡¯m concerned. She¡¯s beautiful, intelligent, strong,

    the best warrior on my squad and a loving daughter.

    I''m about to respond when | hear her asking Tamara questions about who ordered the lunch. My attention shifts back to Cara¡¯s

    conversation. Tamara responds perfectly, just as | asked. It gives me an idea and I rush to leave the cafeteria before Cara does.

    She''s distracted when shees out the door and it takes no effort to put myself in her way so she runs right into me. And now

    I''m hard again.

    She looks up at me with those beautiful emerald eyes, no longer glowing with Artemis¡¯s gold. My cock gets so hard it feels like I

    have a steel rod in my pants. |This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    12

    +15 BONOS

    | want to know if she truly understands that this is me staking my im on her. So | guide the conversation in that direction until |

    can ask. She doesn¡¯t answer me so | ask the other question that¡¯s really been bothering me. | need to know if she realizes that

    it''s not Liam doing this for her. Her response, while snarky, makes me happy. It¡¯s a side benefit that he¡¯s heard about what

    happened yesterday. As an Alpha, he¡¯ll know exactly what this means. He haspetition. When she confidently tells me she''ll

    figure out who | am as she walks into ss, | can¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°Good luck with that¡± under my breath as | turn making my

    way to the bathroom to relieve this pressure in my jeans. Not ideal to jack off in the bathroom at school, but desperate times.....

    After school, | confirm my surprise for tomorrow. I¡¯m trying to hit all the bases, things she will like, things that are romantic, and

    like today, things that make a

    statement.

    | make it home in time to attend warrior training and | get in a good workout. | decided to attempt to take down each of my

    warriors during training, to see what level of endurance it takes for Cara to do this on a daily basis. | nearly lose myst match,

    and I¡¯m exhausted at the end of training.

    As I''m walking back to the packhouse, | hear one of my warriors grumbling about how it¡¯s not enough to get their ass kicked by

    Cara in the morning, now they have to get their ass kicked by me in the afternoon. The happiness of the day stays with me

    through dinner and | drift off to sleep thinking of Cara¡¯s beautiful green eyes, oveid with Artemis¡¯s gold.

    Cooper Author

    What do you think of Rik staking his im? Anthon

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 0022

    After school, | drop Jason off and head home. When | walk in, Dad looks at me and gives me a side smile, ¡°What? No flowers?¡±

    The look on my face must have been more serious than | anticipated because his smile drops. ¡°Honey?¡±

    | walk over to the living room and sit on the couch. | take a deep breath and tell dad about the lunch that was ordered for me. He

    whistles low, looking at me intently. ¡°That could be taken a couple of different ways Cara.¡±

    | silently hand him the card. He reads it and then stares at it for a second like | did. ¡°Okay, only one way to take that. What does

    Artemis say? I¡¯m assuming she was pleased?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, she was thrilled to be given the adoration she thinks she deserves.¡± | sayughing.

    | see Donovan push forward as Dad¡¯s green eyes go brighter. ¡°She¡¯s a Guardian and my pup. Of course she deserves it. Any

    male would be lucky to have her as a mate. This is the type of homage that is due a Guardian and my daughter.¡± Donovan¡¯s

    gravelly voice states.

    Dad forces Donovan back and we give each other a look. Sometimes our wolves act a bit....arrogant. ¡°So, have you figured out

    who it is yet?¡± Dad changes the subject.

    ¡°No clue dad. Not one. | did rule out most of the guys in training this morning, mostly because they were giving me such a hard

    time about the flowers.¡±

    ¡°Could it be Alpha Liam?¡± he asks. He knows that Liam and | have been flirting. and spending some time together but | hadn¡¯t

    mentioned Friday night''s chat. with him. | still wasn¡¯tpletely sure how | felt about it.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. Plus he texted mest night after hearing about the flowers. I¡¯m pretty confident it¡¯s not him.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°Oh! And, it was the owner of Ethereal that brought in my food today.¡± Dad whistles again. He looks thoughtful for a moment,

    then looks back at me. ¡°It could be Alpha Rik.

    |ugh out loud, bending over and holding my stomach. ¡°Dad, | hate to break it to you, but Alpha Rik has no clue who | am.¡±

    He cocks an eyebrow at me in question.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°He literally came up to mest week and asked me what my name was and. which pack I¡¯m from.¡±

    Dad, or maybe Donovan, growled about that. | quickly jumped in with damage control. | didn¡¯t want Dad saying anything to Alpha

    Anders. ¡°It''s fine Dad. He''ll figure it out eventually.

    After training and dinner, | was up in my room finishing my homework when my phone rang. | saw it was Liam and sighed. | knew

    this wasing.

    ¡°Good evening Liam. To what do | owe the pleasure of a call?¡±

    ¡°| think you know very well Cara. Yesterday it was, and | quote only flowers, not a romantic dinner¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t dinner.¡± | reply awkwardly. What do | even say here? | have no idea who is doing this.

    ¡°Do | need toe have lunch with you tomorrow Cara?¡± Even through the phone | could feel his need to show his dominance

    to the other wolf that he feels is threatening his im on me. He¡¯s been patient. But now he has, what he would consider,

    competition.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Liam. I¡¯m sure you have more important things to do than have lunch at the local high school.¡±

    ¡°Artemis epted the offering.¡± It was a statement, not a question, but | answered anyway. ¡°Yes.¡±

    | swear | could hear him grinding his teeth through the phone. It was quiet for so long that | began to wonder if he was still on the

    line or if he smashed the phone and disconnected the call.

    ¡°Liam?¡±

    ¡°I''ll see you soon Cara.¡± he stated abruptly and hung up.

    After that, | decided to call it a night. The air was warming up and | went to my window and opened it to let in fresh air while |

    slept. |id in bed thinking of what all this could possibly mean. Artemis basically had two wolves staking their im on her,

    which also meant they were staking their im on me. Artemis was purring in my head, thinking of two wolves fighting over her.

    ¡®What is wrong with you? One of those wolves is an Alpha and would kick the other wolf¡¯s ass.¡±

    ¡®Only if the other wolf isn¡¯t Alpha.¡¯ The thought of two Alphas fighting over her has her purring so loud | feel like my bed should be

    vibrating. For me though, it¡¯s

    +15 BONOS

    is Alpha Rik. Since he doesn¡¯t even know who | am, it can¡¯t be him. Unless someone told him. Unless he¡¯s figured it out. But

    even if he knows who | am, why do this? It¡¯s likely that I''ll be his Guardian even if he doesn¡¯t go to all this effort. Unless.....unless

    he¡¯s worried about Liam. He did mention that he saw Liam and | Friday night. So, maybe this is a way to ensure that | remain in

    our pack?

    Oh holy hell! Two Alphas in a fight over having me as their Luna? Wars start because of things like this. This could be terrible. It

    could cause so many problems. And what if neither of them is my fated mate? Will there be three of them fighting over me?

    ¡®We could call it ¡°The Alphas¡¯ Rumble¡± or ¡°Battle for a Luna¡®. Or...what about ¡± The Guardian¡¯s Battleground?¡± my very unhelpful

    wolf states.

    ¡®Oh for crying out loud Artemis! We''re supposed to protect the packs, not cause chaos and war!¡±

    ¡°Those are human emotions. For wolves, only the strongest male can mate with the female. So it makes perfect sense that they

    would fight over me. she replies,pletely unphased.

    I roll my eyes and give t

    admirer is and fast.

    on my wolf. | really need to figure out who my secret

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think? Is Artemis right? Should Rik and Liam battle it out? And what if neither of them ends up being her fated

    mate?

    31

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 23

    The next day, | pick up Jason and head to school.

    ¡°So, what do you think today¡¯s surprise will be?¡± He asks as soon as he gets in

    the car.

    | look over at him, ¡°What makes you think there will be another gift today?¡±

    ¡°Come on Car. The man basically staked a im yesterday. You think he isn¡¯t going to follow that up with something today?¡±

    ¡°What do you think it will be?¡± | ask him.

    No clue, but | do know this. Anyone who is ANYONE will be in the cafeteria for lunch today to see what happens.¡± Great. Just

    what | don¡¯t want.

    ¡°Still no clue who it is?¡± He asks, looking over at me as we pull into the parking lot. ¡°Not one, but I¡¯m guessing someone at this

    school isying bets. Can you find out who is in the running for me? That may help me narrow it down some.

    ¡°Anything for you my friend!¡± And that¡¯s just one of the many reasons that Jason is my best friend.

    All day long, the school is buzzing about my secret admirer. Seriously, does no one in this school have a life?

    When the bell rings for lunch, | admit to feeling some trepidation. First, I¡¯m concerned that Liam may make a guest appearance. |

    have no idea how that will go over, but | know it won''t be good. And then, there¡¯s the fact that everyone will be watching me to

    see what happens next.

    | walk into the cafeteria and look around. Everyone stops what they are doing and looks at me, watching. | stand there for a

    second, before heading to the lunch line to get food. No one

    stops me or follows me, so | get my lunch and go to sit down. Conversations start up again and | can tell everyone is a bit

    disappointed that nothing is happening. If I¡¯m being honest with myself, I¡¯m a bit.

    t

    disappointed as well. Like Jason, | had thought that my secret admirer would do something after the tant offering and

    Artemis¡¯s eptance yesterday.

    As | begin to eat, a hush falls over the cafeteria and | whip my head up to see what is happening. A barbershop quartet is walking

    my way. The four older wolves are wearing what | think of as the standard uniform, a red and white vertically striped button down

    vest over a long sleeved white shirt. This is paired with ck cks and the ssic point, the hat. It¡¯s a small brimmed white hatN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    with a thick red hat band wrapping around the bottom half of the crown that matches the

    +15 BONOS

    is Alpha Rik. Since he doesn¡¯t even know who | am, it can¡¯t be him. Unless someone told him. Unless he¡¯s figured it out. But

    even if he knows who | am, why do this? It¡¯s likely that I¡¯ll be his Guardian even if he doesn¡¯t go to all this effort. Unless.....unless

    he¡¯s worried about Liam. He did mention that he saw Liam and | Friday night. So, maybe this is a way to ensure that | remain in

    our pack?

    Oh holy hell! Two Alphas in a fight over having me as their Luna? Wars start because of things like this. This could be terrible. It

    could cause so many

    problems. And what if neither of them is my fated mate? Will there be three of them fighting over me?

    ¡®We could call it ¡°The Alphas¡¯ Rumble¡± or ¡°Battle for a Luna¡®. Or...what about ¡± The Guardian¡¯s Battleground?¡± my very unhelpful

    wolf states.

    ¡°Oh for crying out loud Artemis! We''re supposed to protect the packs, not cause chaos and war!¡¯

    ¡°Those are human emotions. For wolves, only the strongest male can mate with the female. So it makes perfect sense that they

    would fight over me.* she replies,pletely unphased.

    | roll my eyes and give up on my wolf. | really need to figure out who my secret admirer is and fast.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think? Is Artemis right? Should Rik and Liam battle it out? And what if neither of them ends up being her fated

    mate?

    31

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    Asmall smile spreads across my face. He didn¡¯t let me down. Today | was going to be serenaded. Damn, this guy¡¯s good.

    One of the guys takes out a harmonica and blows the key that they will begin singing in. It¡¯s not a song that I¡¯ve ever heard, but I

    realize quickly that the song must be called You''re a Heavenly Thing

    When they sing the line about ¡°sprinkled roses all over you", they actually sprinkle rose petals over my head. And when they sing

    ¡°took the model and threw it away¡°, | had tough, as they mimed throwing something away.

    Then, at the end, they kept singing ¡°you''re all mine, all mine¡°. He is indeed staking his im again, telling everyone here that I¡¯m

    his.

    When they were done, everyone, including me, stands and ps. They take their bows and then turn back to me. ¡°Let me guess.

    There''s a card?¡±

    One guy pulls an envelope out of his pocket and hands it to me as they make their exit. | wait until they were gone before

    opening the card.

    Cara,

    Let me make my intentions clear

    | want to make you mine.

    | know you aren''t yet of age,

    To know if fate will make us mates.

    I''m willing to wait for you

    And | am sure that you will be mine.

    You heavenly thing.

    -Patiently, hoping one day soon you will be mine, Your Secret Admirer

    | can feel that once again Artemis has pushed forward. He is clearly staking at im on both of us and she is all in, basking in the

    admiration.

    Jason is reading over my shoulder, ¡°Well, he certainly wants to make sure you

    know he¡¯s staking a im. Can¡¯t get much more clear than that.¡±

    you

    | look at my dearest friend, ¡°Who the hell is he? This is really daring and very. public. He must either be very confident or very

    stupid.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve seen Artemis more in thest three days than | have in thest month, so he must be doing something right.¡±

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    That he is.

    | decide to do some damage control and text Liam, letting him know that there was a barber shop quartet today at lunch. | don¡¯t

    hear back from him the rest of the day.

    Jason finally gets back to me with the list of names that are at the top of the bets for my secret admirers: Alpha Rik, Beta Chase,

    Alpha Liam, and Trevor. | had to drag thest name out of him. | burst outughing as Jason said the final name is his. So, | can

    cross two of those names off the list. It¡¯s not Jason or Liam. Beta Chase was never on my list, but | don¡¯t want to remove him

    prematurely. So that leaves three. Rik and Trevor were already at the top of my list too.

    Today is strength training with dad, and he joins in with me. He is still exceptionally strong from the waist up. While he is totally

    paralyzed from the waist down, he has not let that keep him wheelchair bound. He is right there doing all the upper body

    exercises with me; chest press, bicep and tricep curls, pull ups, dips, you name it, he¡¯s doing it. And when | move to lower body

    exercises, he continues punishing his upper body.

    My father may be called the Broken Warrior (yes I''ve heard the name), but I''d put my money on my dad over any warrior in our

    pack if they were to go head to head on upper body strength.

    When | get back to my room, | smell my flowers before | shower and crawl into bed. | check my phone again and realize that |

    never heard back from Liam. | don¡¯t know if he¡¯s pissed or where his head is at, but I leave him alone. He¡¯ll contact me when he¡¯s

    ready. 2

    That night my dreams are filled with wolves fighting over Artemis, warriors. fighting over me. But the most disturbing dream was

    an Alpha battle between Liam and Rik. Both ended up bloody and beaten, but in the end, Rik won. | watched as Liamy on the

    ground bleeding out while Rik came and kissed me, before sinking his canines into my neck. The sting of the bite makes me

    shoot up in bed, reaching for my neck. Panting, | realize that it was just a dream and that my neck is unmarked.

    | look at the clock and see it¡¯s already 3am, so | just get up and get ready for training.

 Chapter 24

    The next day, I¡¯m feeling a bit more confident. My morning is the same, watching Cara take out my warriors. Trevor continues to

    be her biggestpetitor, but even he is unable to take her down.

    Then | meet up with Chase, who has my breakfast to go, and we head to school. Everyone is talking about Cara¡¯s secret

    admirer. | see Dean and walk over,

    knowing he¡¯s taking bets on who the mystery man is.

    ¡°Dean.¡± | reach out and fist bump him and so does Chase. ¡°So, who¡¯s in the running?¡± | ask.

    Dean gets a gleam in his eye, ¡°Why, you want in on the action?¡± he asks. I''m seriously considering it if I¡¯m on the list. This way, |

    can divert attention, in case Cara knows to ask.

    ¡°Depends. Who''s on the list?¡±

    Dean gives me a shrewd look, ¡°Well, you and Chase are in the top five.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Why me?¡± Chase asks.

    Dean gives him a look like he¡¯s missing the obvious, ¡°Because you can afford Ethereal, Beta.¡±

    Chase nods his head in understanding.

    ¡°Who else?¡± | continue my quest.

    ¡°Well, Trevor is also in the top 5, Alpha Liam and my biggest surprise, Jason.¡±

    ¡°Jason, her friend Jason?¡± Chase asks. I¡¯m as surprised as he is.

    ¡°Yep. Apparently some people think he¡¯s showing her in the only way she''ll notice. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯m hearing when the bets

    are ced.

    | reach in my pocket and pull out some money. ¡°Fifty bucks says it¡¯s Chase.¡± | give my Beta a wicked grin. He goes very still

    before slowly turning to me and raising his eyebrows at me.

    He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his own money, ¡°Fifty on Rik.¡± Bastard. He knows he¡¯s winning this bet!N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Dean takes our money and makes a note of our bets. ¡°Awesome!¡±

    ¡°Now | need to recalcte the odds. Take into ount that you could be trying to

    +15 BONOS

    don¡¯t know that...¡± He continues to mumble about modifying the odds as he walks away.

    Satisfied that I''ve mucked up the betting pool, Chase and | walk to our first ss.

    When it¡¯s lunch time, | grab my lunch quickly so I can watch. It seems everyone. that is not in ss during this lunch period,

    ns to be in the cafeteria.

    When she walks in, | see her look around, trying to figure out what today¡¯s surprise will be. Is that disappointment that | see on

    her face? Oh, | think it is. Don¡¯t you worry my sweet, today¡¯s gift is on its way.

    When the quartet walks in, everyone goes quiet. Everyone knows exactly why they are here.

    They begin to sing and | have tough when they sprinkle the rose petals over her head. | told them to make it fun, and that¡¯s

    exactly what they are doing. | love watching herughing at their antics during the song, knowing | brought that smile to her face

    Everyone gave them a standing ovation and they deserved it. | see her ask them about a card and Harry pulls it out of his pocket

    and hands it to her.

    | hold my breath while she reads it. Yesterday we made a clear im for Cara and Artemis. Today, | am making my intentions

    clear. Kai and | want them and we''re willing to wait for them. | see Cara¡¯s eyes brighten with that sunlight glow and | know that

    Artemis has pushed forward again. Kai¡¯s rumble of approval reverberates in my head. We¡¯ve made an impact on not only Cara

    but also Artemis.

    After school, | head to training with Chase. Talk continues as to who the secret admirer is. Trevor continues to swear that it''s not

    him. Chase and | just give everyone that asks us a death stare. We hear lots of theories that it''s Alpha Liam. He¡¯s the obvious

    option since he and Cara have spent so much time together. The rumors are also rampant about what the cards have said. To

    Lacey¡¯s credit, she¡¯s not giving out much information, just basically saying that it''s pretty obvious. what his intentions are based

    on the gifts he¡¯s been providing.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 25

    After dinner with the pack, | go to my dad''s office. The door is slightly ajar and | knock before pushing it open to walk in. | stop

    when | see my mom sitting in dad¡¯sp, and he¡¯s practically checking her tonsils with his tongue.

    ¡°Seriously, can you not wait until you¡¯re in the privacy of your own room for that?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    My mom hops out of my dad¡¯sp while her cheeks turn pink. They turn red when my dad smacks her ass. She turns to frown at

    him, but | can see her lips twitching up into a smile.

    Turning back to me she says, ¡°One day, hopefully soon, you''ll understand the pull of the mate bond Rik.¡± and she taps my cheek

    on her way out of the room. She closes the door behind her leaving me alone with my father.

    He watches my mother leave until the door closes and he can¡¯t see her any longer. Then he turns his attention to me. ¡°What can

    | do for you son?¡±

    | take a seat and cross one ankle over the opposite knee. ¡°I want to go with you to the Nelson¡¯s home for dinner tomorrow.¡± I¡¯m

    pleading my case again. But this time, there is an ulterior motive. | want some alone time with Cara.

    ¡°Rik, we''ve talked about this. It¡¯s my time with Clint. | owe him my life and this is

    one day a week that | can devote to him.

    ¡°| want to show him my appreciation for what he and his wife have given to our family too, Dad. | want him to know that I

    understand the sacrifice that they''ve made and how important their family is to me.¡±

    He leans back in his chair and looks thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get him toe back to warrior training for years now. | can¡¯t

    seem to make any impact on him. He doesn¡¯t seem to realize that he has so much to give to the pack.¡±

    ¡°Well, if his training with Cara is any indication, then he may be the best trainer we''ve got.¡±

    ¡°He is.¡± Dad says,

    Better than you and I, as well.¡± He looks at me for several moments, and finally seems to decide something. ¡°I''ll think about it. I¡¯m

    not saying yes, but I¡¯m not saying no either.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Pops. | understand he is going to be attending my birthday party, so apparently you''re getting him back into the

    packhouse at least.¡±

    He gives me a devious smile. ¡°I told him how offended I''d be if he didn¡¯t make it

    +15 BONOS

    | shake my head at my father.

    Conversation switches to pack business. For the next two hours, we discuss the pack finances, increasing rogue threats near

    our borders, the increased border patrols that have been ordered because of it, living arrangements for the packhouse residents

    who are leaving and those that have applied toe live here. Dad is updating me on all of the decisions that have been made

    so that | know what is happening at any given time within the pack. Once | graduate, I¡¯ll be more involved in the actual

    decision making process. Until then, my father wants me to focus on my studies but keeps me in the loop.

    When we''re done, | say goodnight to my father and head to my room. | need to write up the card that will go with tomorrow¡¯s gift.

    After saying goodnight, Alpha Anders watched thoughtfully as his son left his office. The entire pack is buzzing about the mystery

    man that is staking his im on Cara Nelson. But over the course of the week and the hours they spent alone together this

    evening, not one word about it from his son. He contemtes that he also hasn¡¯t seen any young she¡ªwolves sneaking off the

    alpha floor this week in the early hours of the morning.

    Aknowing smile spreads across the older alpha¡¯s face, before he decides to find his mate a and finish what he started earlier in

    his office. He locked up and began whistling as he went in search of his Luna. This weekend''s birthday party should. prove to be

    very interesting.

    Cooper Author

    Thanks for reading! What do you think tomorrow¡¯s surprise will be?

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 26

    My dream has me on edge most of the morning. That or maybe it¡¯s the constant whispers and not so subtlements about

    who my mystery man might be.

    By lunch time, | feel like a nervous wreck. But, I¡¯m also excited. | have to admit, I¡¯m enjoying the attention. Artemis is over the

    moon with the attention she¡¯s getting from what she has determined is a worthy male. Stupid wolf, it takes more than some

    flowers, food and music to make me swoon.

    Artemis snorts in my head, ¡®You do realize that we share mind space and | actually do know that you are just as taken with this

    attention as | am, correct?¡±

    ¡°Whatever.'' | try to push her back, but she refuses. She¡¯s expecting a gift and she¡¯s ready to receive it.

    As | walk into the lunch room, it seems that every possible square of space is taken up. Who knew this many students had lunch

    during this period.

    As | walk in, there is a person standing by the door with a huge gift basket. ¡°Cara Nelson?¡±

    ¡°That''s me.¡±

    ¡°This is for you.¡±

    ¡°Is there a card?¡±

    ¡°Right here Ms. Nelson.¡± He hands me my card. | thank him and head over to my table.. Lacey and Jason have grabbed me

    lunch, which is lucky since everyone. starts crowding around my table to see what I¡¯ve gotten today.

    Jason looks up and around at everyone. ¡°Do you mind? If you''re going to be nosey, at least give her some room to breathe.¡±

    Everyone takes a step back, but it only helps so much. | open the card first..

    Dearest Cara,

    As a Guardian, you protect and fight for your pack.

    But who looks after the Guardian, when the fighting is done?N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    Who ensures that your cuts and bruises are tended, your muscle aches relieved?

    | will look after you when the battle is won.

    You will never be alone, your needs will alwayse before my own.

    +15 BONOS

    So please ept my gift, let me help you unwind

    To remind you that your wounds will never be left unattended

    And the hope that these gifts will rx you; body, soul and mind.

    From my heart, Your Secret Admirer

    Wow, I¡¯m once again speechless. His cards have be more bold every day, and today is no different. He¡¯s telling me he

    wants me as his mate. If Liam hadn¡¯t acted so angry the other night, | would really think it was him.

    | open my gift basket and it¡¯s a plethora of rxing productsvender and floral scented candles, epson salts that smell like

    eucalyptus and peppermint for soaking my aching muscles in a bath, vani scented bubble bath, body wash and lotion and a

    bottle of wine, which just happens to be one of my favorites.

    It''s perfect. It¡¯s exactly what | need at the end of a hard day of training. ¡®And thoughtful¡¯ Artemis chimes in.

    Now that everyone has seen the gift, they begin to drift off while continuing their conversations about who it could possibly be.

    As I''m looking over my gifts the room suddenly goes quiet and the scent of the woods, blood, and fighting assaults my nose.

    Artemis pushes forward, ready for a fight. Out of the corner of my eye, | see Rik and Chase stand up, looking toward the door. |

    can see in their eyes that both of their wolves havee forward.

    | look in the direction of the door and freeze. Liam is walking directly toward me, Cyran front and center in his eyes. His clothes

    are filthy, torn and bloody. There is a huge, bloodied sh mark across his chest. But that isn¡¯t what is most startling. Over his

    shoulders, he has a huge, dead ck bear.

    It''s sorge, | have no idea how he can even carry it. It¡¯s easily twice his size or more. He stops right in front of me and | stand

    up. ¡°Liam, what..?¡± I¡¯m cut off by Cyran¡¯s deep, gravelly voice.

    ¡°| bring an offering for Artemis.¡± And he drops the bear at my feet.

    Artemis practically throws me to the ground in my mind to push me out of her way. ¡°Cyran¡± she purrs as she looks at the giant

    bear. ¡°You killed a bear for me?¡±

    He steps up to me and cups my cheek in his hand. Artemis leans into his touch.

    ¡°| wanted to show you that | can provide for you and protect you, Artemis. As a Guardian, you don¡¯t need my protection, but | will

    always provide it to you. Do

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 Chapter 27

    Chapter 0027

    She ces her hand on his chest. ¡°Yes, Cyran, | ept your offering.¡±

    Acheer from Liam''s pack erupts throughout the room, proud that their Alpha¡¯s offering was epted by a Guardian.

    A furious snarles from behind me, silencing the cheers. Artemis turns to see Kai fighting toe forward. His canines have

    extended and his ws are starting to emerge. Rik is obviously fighting for control and Chase has moved in front of him,

    restraining him from attacking Cyran.

    | felt the change in Cyran as he moved to push me behind him. | quickly push Artemis back so | can take control of the situation

    before it gets out of hand.

    When | look back at Cyran, his canines are extended and his ws areing out. | put both hands on his chest. Not to

    restrain, but to distract.

    ¡°Cyran, Liam.¡± | waited until his eyes return to me. ¡°What should | do with this offering? It¡¯s awfully big and, well, I¡¯m still in the

    middle of my school day.¡± | smiled at Cyran, hoping to distract him enough to rx, while | watch Chase and some other warriors

    from my pack from the corner of my eye moving Rik out of

    the cafeteria.

    Liam''s eyes start to lighten, his ws and his canines retract. However, it was Cyran that responded. ¡°Liam will take this and

    have it processed. The meat will be ready tomorrow but the skin will need another day or two to be tanned and cured.¡±

    His eyes track back over to Rik who is still growling and fighting Chase. To bring his attention back to me, | say, ¡°Maybe Liam can

    bring the meat by tomorrow after school. He can train with my dad and I.¡± His eyes whip back to my face. It¡¯s an honor to train

    with not just one, but two Guardians. ¡°We could make...¡± | look at the bear again, ¡°bear steaks?¡± | ask it as a question, because,

    is that even a thing? | have no idea, but I¡¯m desperate for him to focus on me and not Rik¡¯s continued growls that are still clearly

    audible even though he is outside now.

    His eyes shift back to their beautiful shade of sage and | know that Cyran is calm now. ¡°I''d like that. I''ll make sure to have

    some...¡± he pauses, trying not tough, ¡°bear steaks ready to throw on the grill.¡± | smile back at him. ¡°Wonderful.¡±

    He leans down and gently touches his lips to mine. Then, he grabs the bear and pulls it back over his shoulders. As he turns to

    leave, | can¡¯t resist onest remark.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Oh Alpha Liam?¡± He turns and looks at me. ¡°Please make sure you shower before youe by tomorrow.¡± | say to him with

    more sass than normal in my tone. He smiles and nods his head in acknowledgement before turning and leaving the cafeteria.

    | release a huge breath as | turn around to Jason and Lacey giving them a ¡®Can you fucking believe that?¡® look.

    Lunch is over and I¡¯m not hungry anyway after all of that. Jason hands me my gift basket and my bag then grabs his own. As

    soon as we walk out of the cafeteria, he pulls me into a quiet corner of the school. ¡°What the hell was that Cara?¡±

    ¡°Which part Jason?¡± | whisper¡ªyell back at him. ¡°The part where Alpha Liam killed a bear with his own hands and brought it to

    me as an offering or the part where Alpha Rik went all psycho alpha and almost started a fight with Liam?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He responds and then we both just stare at each. He chuckles and then pulls on my arm. ¡°C¡¯mon. We have to get to

    ss.¡± He looks at me as we walk. ¡± Have you ever eaten bear before?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Have you?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± he pops the ¡®P* at the end of the word. ¡°So let me know how it is. Oh and, just because I¡¯m not an Alpha, doesn¡¯t mean

    you can¡¯t invite me to train with you. and your dad sometime.¡±

    I stop and look at him. ¡°Jason, you''re my best friend. | like you and want you to continue to be in my life. Odds are good that if

    you trained with me, it would kill you.¡± He just shakes his head.

    | wasn¡¯t joking.

    Cooper

    AuthorN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Whoa! A bear! What do you think of Liam''s offering? And what about Rik¡¯s rxation package?

    927

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 Chapter 28

    Chapter 0028

    Thursday starts out the same, watching Cara in training, grabbing breakfast to go and heading to school.

    I''m excited for today. Every day my cards have be more bold, and every day, she and Artemis have epted my words and

    gifts.

    Everyone is buzzing about who the mystery man is. The odds are spinning around and now another bet is going as to when he,

    me, will announce himself. I¡¯m tempted to get in on that one, but | decide to stay out of it. Throwing the odds off with me betting

    on Chase is the most | want to do..

    I''m in ce at lunch early, again. My delivery person is standing at the door. | don¡¯t know this person, so | don¡¯t give any sign of

    acknowledgernent and he doesn¡¯t make any eye contact.

    | sit and wait for her to enter. When she does, the delivery guy asks if she¡¯s Cara. | watch as she asks for my card and then she

    heads to her table.

    The entire cafeteria seems to push in on her, even the adults that work here. Kai and | start to move in her direction to get

    everyone out of her space when Jason speaks up and tells everyone to step back.

    | watch as she reads my card. Again, | see Artemis push forward, wanting to be part of this, even though today is more

    specifically for Cara. I¡¯m not a poet, but | am speaking from my heart every day and so far, it seems to be working.

    | watch as she pulls out the items in her gift basket, smelling them, smiling over them, passing them to Lacey so she can smell

    them too. Kai and | rx, knowing that our n is working. She is epting our gifts every day. She is epting us.

    Everyone begins to head back to their tables, and | begin to eat my lunch. I¡¯m smirking at Chase when the smell hits my nose,

    and | see Nash, Chase¡¯s wolf, push forward at the same time that | feel Kai pushing forward. It¡¯s the smell of a bloody battle.

    | look to the front door as | stand, Chase right beside me. The sight before me has my hackles raising and Kai snarling viciously

    in my head. A low growl leaves my lips and Chase puts a restraining hand on my arm.

    Liam walks in with a huge bear slung over his shoulders. There can be no

    mistaking his intentions. He knew | was staking my im and he is now publicly staking his own.

    He walks right up to Cara. She seems shocked at his appearance. | think the entire

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    looking like he just got out of a battle for his life.

    ¡°| bring an offering for Artemis.¡± Cyran states, dropping the bear at her feet. | can see Artemis has pushed Carapletely out

    as her eyes are the bright shining gold of the sun. As angry as | am, | can not help but admire the beauty of

    her eyes.

    My fury ratchets up when | hear her purring Cyran¡¯s name. Kai begins fighting me for control. ¡®I will kill him! She is ours! He can

    not have her."

    It takes everything in me to maintain control of him. He¡¯s never been like this. He and | have always been in agreement about

    everything. But he¡¯s seeing red and all he wants is to kill Cyran and show Artemis that we are the stronger Alpha.

    I''m still fighting Kai, when | hear Artemis say that she epts his gift. | look up and see her hand on his chest and that¡¯s when

    Kai blows past my defenses and a snarling challenge erupts out of my mouth.

    The cheers of the room die down immediately and Chase is in front of me, trying to talk Kai down. A couple of my other warriors

    come to his aid, but Kai is having none of it. His canines extend and his wse out. My whole body is shaking. with my

    effort to maintain at least a small amount of control. | know that if Kai forces the shift, Cyran will too and it can only be a battle to

    the death at that point.

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 Chapter 29

    | watch as Cyran reacts to Kai¡¯s challenge. Cara turns and | can see that she is taking control of Artemis, which is good. Artemis

    won''t mind two Alphas fighting over her. But that is thest thing we need right now, and Cara knows it.

    Cyran starts to push Cara behind him, about to ept my challenge. His canines and ws are extended. | watch as she turns

    and puts both hands on his chest. Kai is about to lose it and it¡¯s all | can do to help Chase get us outside.

    Chase and several of my warriors finally get me outside and Kai continues to snarl and fight against them.

    Chase gets up in my face, ¡°ALPHA! Think about what you are doing. Get out of here and go for a run. There is no other way that

    this does not end in a battle of two packs with many students dead.¡± He stresses the word students, trying to get through to Kai.

    ¡°We''ll stay and make sure nothing happens here. Go get yourself under control.¡±

    I''m able to get just enough control of Kai to turn and run toward the forest. As soon as | hit the tree line, | shift. We run for hours

    before | finally feel able to return to the packhouse. I¡¯ve missed training and as | walk in, Chase is waiting for me. | shift and walk

    over to him. He holds out a pair of shorts.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡®Better. Thank you for earlier. Was there any bacsh?¡±

    ¡°Nah. Cara calmed Liam down, he left with his bear, and everyone went back to normal. Although the betting odds have definitely

    ramped up in your favor, and for some ridiculous reason, mine. | guess everyone thinks you fight my battles for me.¡±

    | scoff. ¡°As if you need me fighting your battles for you.¡± He ps me on the shoulder. Then his look turns serious. ¡°That was

    awfully close today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Too close.¡± | look at my Beta scrubbing my face with my hands. ¡°I think she might be my mate.¡±

    His eyes go wide and he whistles low. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Kai has never acted like this. Never been this...¡± | search for the right word. ¡°Territorial. Possessive.¡±

    ¡°I''ve watched girls I¡¯ve hooked up with the night before practically going at it with another guy the next night and Kai wasn¡¯t

    phased at all. But with her, and

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    her, talking to her and | sure as shit don¡¯t want him touching her. Kai was. snarling the minute he walked in with that bear, but

    when she epted his offering, Kai lost it. He wants her and he sees Liam and Cyran as a threat to getting what he wants.¡±

    ¡°Can | ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°| mean this with the utmost respect, so please, know that | am asking as your friend.¡±

    I give him an ¡®out with it¡® gesture when he pauses.

    ¡°Do you think it might be because she is a Guardian, not because she¡¯s your mate? She¡¯s a powerful she¡ªwolf. Any male wolf

    would want her. Hell, even Nash recognizes that she would be one hell of a mate.¡±

    Alow growl rumbles in my chest and Chase puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. ¡°I¡¯m not staking any kind of im, I¡¯m

    just saying, our wolves respect strength and power and she has both. As an Alpha wolf, it would make sense that Kai would want

    her for those reasons.¡±

    | reach out to Kai, but he doesn¡¯t have an answer for me. He probably won''t until after my birthday, or maybe not until her

    birthday in a couple of months.

    ¡°| honestly don¡¯t know Chase. | guess we''ll have to wait and see.¡± With that, | head up to my room. For the first time ever, | will

    not be joining my mother at Lily¡¯s memorial site. | need to go see Cara. | need to make sure that she is ok and that | didn¡¯t ruin

    everything with her today.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Cooper Author

    Liam and Rik can¡¯t both be her mate- so who wants her as a mate and who wants her as a Guardian? Or maybe, they

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 0030

    heels himself into the living room.

    ¡°Hey sweetheart, what''s today¡¯s offering?¡± He says with a grin.

    I sigh. ¡°I''ll tell you, but we need to talk. It¡¯s really important. You know | wouldn''t interrupt training if it wasn¡¯t, but we need to have

    this conversation before Alpha Anderses by tonight.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go sit in the living room and you can tell me what¡¯s going on.

    I sit, and dad wheels himself in front of me to give me his undivided attention. | start at the beginning, telling him about the gift

    basket. | tell him how the cards. have gotten more bold each day, starting with Monday¡¯s guessing game to today¡¯s professing his

    desire to be the one who takes care of me.

    ¡®Sweetheart, it¡¯s not umon for Guardians to have males attempting to im their love or favor. Your mother had many men

    trying to gain her favor in her day and your birthday is in a couple of months. I¡¯m not sure | understand what the concern is.¡±

    ¡°Dad, almost immediately after | opened my gift, Alpha Liam walked into the cafeteria with a huge ck bear on his shoulders.

    He looked like he¡¯d juste from fighting and killing the creature. He even still smelled of blood and fighting. Cyran announced

    to the cafeteria that he brought the bear as an offering for Artemis.¡±

    My dad whistles appreciatively and starts to speak, but | cut him off.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all dad. When Artemis epted Cyran¡¯s offering, Kai snarled a challenge. I¡¯m not sure why he did it, maybe he felt

    that Liam and Cyran were being disrespectful to his packmate that is sending me the offerings, but either way, if Chase hadn¡¯t

    pulled him out of the building and | hadn¡¯t distracted Cyran, they would have fought. Over ME! It was bad.¡±

    My dad looks at me thoughtfully for a minute. ¡°And you don¡¯t know why Kai issued the challenge to Cyran?'' He asks.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°No idea. But Liam is serious in his desire to have me as his Luna. We talked about itst week. He knows I¡¯m waiting for my

    mate, but he also thinks HE is my mate, so he¡¯s perfectly happy to wait. That is, until someone else started putting a im on

    Artemis and L.¡±

    ¡°Cara, have you considered that Rik is your mystery man? Maybe he is the one that is staking his im and Alpha Liam

    recognized it as realpetition.¡±

    ¡°Dad, | hate to break it to you, but Rik doesn¡¯t even know who | am.¡±

    ¡°Why would you say that Cara?¡±

    ¡°Because, he had the nerve to walk up to me in school and ask me my name and what pack | was from.¡±

    My father looks dumbfounded for a minute before regaining hisposure.

    ¡°So, who else is in the running?¡±

    ¡°| had Jason check the betting pool, since you know there was one.¡±

    Dad smirks, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°So the short list was Rik, Chase, Liam, Trevor and Jason.¡± | scrunch up my nose when | say Jason¡¯s name.

    My dad just raises a brow in question.

    ¡°It''s not Jason Dad. He¡¯s my best friend and even he thought it was sort of gross and stupid to be in the top 5.¡± | sat thoughtfully

    for a minute. ¡°We can remove Liam, and Rik, so that leaves Chase and Trevor as the biggest possibilities. I''ve never gotten any

    vibes from Chase, so | honestly don¡¯t see it. That leaves Trevor.¡±

    | look at my dad. His gaze is far away as he looks out into our backyard.

    Turning back, he voice is thoughtful when he responds, ¡°Trevor is a good bet. He¡¯s a strong warrior and would want a strong

    mate. But | don¡¯t see Alpha Rik challenging Alpha Liam because of a perceived slight. It¡¯smon enough for males to fight over

    Alpha females that it doesn¡¯t make sense for him to act that way.¡± His focus returns to me. ¡°So, how did it end?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± | drag the word out into as many sybles as possible while my father¡¯s face bes even more inquisitive. ¡°I had to

    distract Cyran from fighting Kai while Chase and some of the Canyon Ridge warriors pulled Rik out of the cafeteria, s "| take

    a deep breath and say it all as fast as | can. ¡°I sort of invited Liam to train with you and | tomorrow and then stay for dinner to

    have bear steaks or whatever you make with bear meat.¡±

    +15 BOND

    | make a face, waiting for my father¡¯s bacsh. But instead of him being angry he bursts outughing.

    ¡°You''re telling me I¡¯m going to be training one of the strongest Alphas tomorrow along with the strongest warrior on the?¡± |

    open my eyes and nod. He rubs his hands together in anticipation. ¡°I can¡¯t WAIT!¡±

    Ok, now I¡¯m shocked. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not mad?¡±

    Mad? The one you should be worried about it is Anders. He¡¯s been trying to get me to train his warriors for years and now I¡¯m

    going to be training the Alpha of another pack. Yeah, good luck exining that one tonight.¡±

    ¡°Wait. What? Why do we even have to say anything at all? He doesn¡¯t even have to know!¡± I¡¯m back peddling and | know it. Of

    course Alpha Anders will need to know that another Alpha ising to visit one of his pack members tomorrow, a

    My father just chuckles and pats my shoulder as he wheels past me. ¡°Oh | can¡¯t wait to see his face. Tonight is going to be fun.

    First his son almost starts a war over my daughter and then my daughter invites another Alpha over to her warrior training.¡±

    Ok, when he says it like that, it sounds terrible!

    ¡°Um...¡± | follow my father into the kitchen. ¡°I have so much homework, | think | need to skip dinner tonight and...¡±

    He doesn¡¯t even let me finish. ¡°Not a chance! You¡¯re a Guardian, not a coward. Besides, I''ll be very interested to get Anders¡® take

    on what is happening and why he thinks his son reacted the way he did, won¡¯t you? My guess is, being the involved Alpha that

    he is, he already knows, or has a good idea of who your mystery man is.¡±

    | hadn¡¯t thought of that. This could be a good way for me to get the answers | need!

    ¡°Fine, what do you need help with for dinner? And speaking of, do you even know how to cook bear meat?¡±

    ¡°I''m guessing Alpha Liam will bring over steaks or ribs. Either way, I''ll throw them on the grill. It''s meat Cara. | can cook just

    about any kind of meat on the them on the grill. Its meat Cara. | can cook ju

    grill.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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 Chapter 31

    About an hourter, | hear Alpha Anders knock on the front door. My dad gives me a look and starts wheeling out back to light up

    the grill. | roll my eyes and head to the front door.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°Good evening Anders. How are you doing today?¡±

    ¡°Good evening Cara. I¡¯m well, how about you?¡±

    ¡°Doing well, thank you. Pleasee in. Dad is out back getting the grill fired up.¡±

    He hands me tonight''s dessert, it smells like chocte cheesecake, yum; and a six -pack of beer, pulling two out on his way to

    go see my father.

    | put the dessert in the fridge after ensuring that it was indeed cheesecake. Dad is putting baked potatoes on the grill, so I¡¯m only

    responsible for vegetables tonight. I¡¯ve opted for a broli and cheese casserole. | figured that would go nicely on its own, or

    over the potatoes.

    Dad and Anders walk back in and Anders sees my gift basket sitting on the ind

    in the kitchen.

    ¡°What do we have here?¡± He asks. Looking at me he says, ¡°Let me guess, this is a gift from the mystery man I¡¯ve been hearing

    so much about.¡±

    ¡°Itis.¡± | reply as he takes a look inside.

    He holds up the card and asks, ¡°May |?¡±

    | don¡¯t really want to say yes, but he¡¯s my Alpha and | want his help figuring out who my mystery man is. Also, it may be helpful

    when |e clean about the near altercation between Rik and Liam earlier if he understands how serious my secret admirer

    really is.

    He reads the card and his reaction mirrors my father¡¯s earlier with a low, appreciative whistle. ¡°This guy sounds serious. Have

    you figured out who he is yet?¡±

    My dad is watching me, letting me take the lead. ¡°Not yet. There are some possible contenders, but | haven¡¯t been able to

    pinpoint exactly who it is.¡±

    ¡°Who are the contenders?¡±

    I give him the list, eliminating Jason and Liam, but leaving Rik in based on my conversation with dad earlier.

    ¡°Well, you''re a smart girl Cara. I¡¯m sure you''ll figure out who it is very soon.¡± he

    12

    +15 RONGS

    ¡°About that, did you happen to hear about what happened today? Maybe you''ve spoken to Alpha Rik?¡±

    Anders looks at me questioningly, ¡°No, | have been outside the pack territory dealing with rogue attacks in a neighboring pack all

    day.¡± He looks between my father and 1, and something passes between them making Anders give me histser focus. ¡°What

    did | miss?¡±

    | give him the condensed version of what happened today. His thoughtful look bes concerned when | get to the part where

    Rik had to be removed and | had to de-escte Liam.

    ¡°Rik challenged Liam. Over you.¡± It¡¯s more of a statement than a question.

    | feel the weight of what he¡¯s asking me through the question. ¡®My son almost started a war because of you?¡¯ is the real question.

    | gulp, feeling guilty over the situation, even though | didn¡¯t create it. ¡°Well, technically, it was Kai that challenged Cyran, but yes.¡±

    ¡°Anything else | need to know?¡±

    | look at my father who hasn¡¯t taken his eyes off Alpha Anders. ¡°Well, | sort of invited Liam to train with me and dad tomorrow in

    order to distract him from responding to the challenge.¡±

    | tense up, waiting for Alpha Anders to respond.

    He turns slowly to look at my dad. ¡°You mean to tell me, that you are going to train an Alpha from another pack, but you won''t

    come help me train our own warriors?¡±

    My dad shrugs, evidently not concerned at all by the Alpha aura that is pushing out of Anders. He¡¯s not happy and he¡¯s making it

    known.

    ¡°My daughter saved a battle and possibly a war which was started, intentionally or not, by your son. I¡¯d think you¡¯d be happy that

    one night of training is all that it cost you.¡± Again, there is a silent conversation between the two of them.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 0032

    Anders¡® aura recedes and he rxes. ¡°You''re right, of course, old friend. | am happy that all it cost me was one night of training¡±

    | breathed a sigh of relief that was short lived when he turned his focus back to me. ¡°So, Cara, why is it, especially after that

    disy today, that you don¡¯t think it¡¯s my son sending those gifts to you?¡±

    | shifted my feet, looking anywhere but at Alpha Anders. | didn¡¯t want to admit to him how much it hurt that his son doesn¡¯t know

    who | am, and most likely who my mother and father are. And | didn¡¯t want Anders telling his son because he knows how insulted

    lam. Rik should have known for years who | am.

    ¡°I''d rather not say Alpha.¡±

    He gives me a long, hard look before my father jumps to my rescue. ¡°Anders, why don¡¯t you give me a hand with these steaks.¡±

    He hands the te of steaks to Anders until he finally looks away from me to my father. ¡°Sure thing, Clint.¡±

    Over dinner, Dad asks about the rogue issue. Anders begins telling us of the significant rise in rogue attacks over thest several

    months. Dad mentions that he has noticed the increase in patrols, but didn¡¯t realize that our borders had also been breached on

    asion. They discussed what Dad and | can do to assist. ¡°You know what | want Clint.¡±

    They look at each other again with their speechless conversation before my father finally responds, ¡°I''ll think about it.¡±

    That got a smile from Alpha Anders and the rest of the meal went well. We had the chocte cheesecake and | asked Alpha

    Anders to please tell Luna Calista how much | appreciate her desserts each week. He told me toe by the packhouse

    sometime and tell her myself. | promised that | would, especially since I''ll be there on Saturday for the big party.

    Instead of staying to watch TV with my dad, Alpha Anders said he needed to go speak to his son and to call Alpha Liam to

    ensure that their alliance is still intact and that he doesn¡¯t have to do any damage control.

    We said goodnight and | watched as he walked off toward the forest heading back. toward the packhouse, 1

    Anders

    +15 BONOSThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    | knew my son was in the forest outside the Nelson¡¯s home. | sensed it when Rik arrived, shortly after | got to Clint¡¯s home. | also

    knew that he was listening in on the conversation. Rik had mindinked me, letting me know that there was no issue with Alpha

    Liam when he heard Cara telling me of today¡¯s events.

    When | asked why she thought it wasn¡¯t Rik that was giving the gifts, | was shocked that she wouldn¡¯t tell me. To me, it was

    obvious that Rik is the one staking his im on our Guardian, but she seemed adamant that it¡¯s not him. Why?

    Rik was also silent on the matter and | need to find out if he has offended our Guardian. | knew there was more to Clint¡¯s

    comment about it only costing me one night of training. Now I¡¯m wondering if the damage that Rik has done is irreparable. That

    will be a big problem if Cara ends up being his mate but she chooses Liam instead. Not only will it weaken Rik and Kai, it will

    weaken the pack. And, it would make Liam¡¯s pack thergest and the strongest. And if that offense causes a rift between our

    packs, it can only mean bad things for Canyon. Ridge. Because as much as Clint and | are bonded and have been bonded most

    of our lives, | know he will always choose his daughter over me and this pack.

    | walk up to my son in his wolf form. Zakai, my wolf, pushes forward. ¡°Son, we need to talk.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    What did you think of Anders¡® perspective?

    18

    > +15 BONOS

 Chapter 33

    | shift into my wolf form and run to Cara¡¯s house. | stop at the edge of the forest line. | can smell the charcoal of the grill and can

    hear my dad and Mr. Nelson¡¯s. voices on the breeze. As | listen, they move back inside and | creep closer, using the outdoor

    training center to hide me and my scent so | can listen in. If Cara is upset or angry about today, | need to make it right.

    Kai is ready to burst into the house and let her know we are the ones who want to im her, but | hold him back.

    | hear Dad asking about the gift and letting her know that he¡¯s heard of her mystery man. SHIT! If dad has heard about that, then

    he¡¯ll be wondering why | haven¡¯t said a word about it. I¡¯ll have to figure out something to say to him soon.

    | hear Dad ask permission for something and I¡¯m guessing he wants to read the card. | know I¡¯m right when he asks if she¡¯s

    figured out who her mystery man is yet. | listen and realize that she knows the betting odds, but has eliminated Liam and Jason.

    Makes sense, Jason is only a friend and Liam, well, he pretty much excluded himself with his actions today.

    Then | hear her ask if my father heard about what happened today. My hackles rise when | hear him angrily asking if | challenged

    Liam over her. | open the mindlink, letting him know there is no problem with Liam. I¡¯m hoping that¡¯s true. | haven¡¯t actually

    checked myself, only went by what Chase has told me.

    And then | get the kick to the gut. Liam ising over to train with her tomorrow. It¡¯s a great honor. One I¡¯d just about give my

    nuts for. No wonder Liam didn¡¯t follow me outside. Cara had done exactly what needed to be done to de-escte the situation.

    But because of Kai¡¯s possessiveness and my inability to keep a hold of him, Liam was now going to be able to spend time with

    my girl. And not just any time, special training time. | knew Dad wanted Mr. Nelson to train our warriors. He¡¯s wanted it for years,

    ever since | could remember. It had to be a bitter pill to swallow to know that Mr. Nelson would now be training Liam personally,

    because of me.

    Kai is growling in my head. ¡®Shut up!¡± This is all your fault. He wouldn¡¯t being over here tomorrow if you hadn''t lost control.¡± |

    yell at my wolf.

    ¡°Wrong!¡± He replies. ¡®He needs to realize that she is ours and that he will never have her.¡¯ | grit my teeth and pull him back so |

    can continue to listen.

    | tune in just in time to hear Mr. Nelson put dad in his ce. Unfortunately, the threat in his words is clear. Giving up one day of

    training was nothing to possibly

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    Kai whines in my head at the thought. ¡®We have to be smarter, Kai. If you really want her, we have to show that we are the better

    option. We have to be better than Liam. He has the advantage, they have a longer, stronger rtionship than we do. So don¡¯t

    screw it up again, or it may be thest time. Even if she is our mate, she could reject us for him if she doesn¡¯t find us worthy.¡® Kai

    lays down in my head, not agreeing, but not disagreeing either. The thought of losing Cara and Artemis is hurtful to both of us.

    Nr. Nelson¡¯s next words shock me though. He agrees to think about training our warriors. That is huge and my dad seems to be

    happy with this progress.

    |id down and listened while dad told them about the increased rogues in the neighboring pack. | haven¡¯t spoken to my father

    today, so | wasn¡¯t aware that other packs were also struggling with increased rogue attacks and the one today. seemed

    especially problematic.

    When dad said he had to leave to speak with me and do damage control with Liam, | knew he wasing to chat with me, so |

    headed back to the forest.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    When dad walks up, | see his eyes start to bleed to ck, letting me know Zakai wasing forward. ¡°Son, we need to talk.

    Shift back.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Chapter 0034

    | do as requested. | find an extra pair of clothes in a hollowed area of a nearby tree and put some shorts on then step back out to

    speak to my father.

    ¡°Want to tell me why an intelligent, gifted Guardian who is a member of our pack doesn¡¯t think my son, the future alpha, would be

    interested enough in her to be staking a very public im?*.

    | turn and begin heading toward the packhouse, pulling my thoughts together. before speaking. ¡°You and mom have raised me to

    know who Cara Nelson is. I¡¯ve known my whole life what we owe that family and what they have sacrificed for us.¡± | turn to look

    him in the eye. ¡°What neither of you ever actually did was make sure | knew who Cara Nelson, the person, is.¡±

    My dad continues to stay silent, so | take that as my queue to continue. ¡°So,st week, | saw her in school. There was something

    about her.¡± | run my hand through my hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t know who she was. But | was drawn to her, so | went up to her and introduced

    myself. | asked her what her name was and what pack she belonged to.¡±

    When | looked back up, my dad was just staring at me. This time | waited him out.

    ¡°I''m guessing that didn¡¯t go well?¡± he asks.

    ¡°About as well as you would expect,¡± | replied.

    ¡°And so this week of gifts is... what? An apology?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± | respond. ¡°At first, that was how it started. | wanted her to know that | know who she is and that | appreciate her

    and her family for everything they have given us. But then Kai wanted more. Each day when | wrote the cards. for her, | put more

    of my intent to not only im her but to let her know that | want her. That we want her to be ours.¡±

    ¡°And Kai is sure that he wants her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been very clear and | have checked with him several times this week so | wasn¡¯t making false promises.

    | wait a beat and then voice the concern that Chase brought up earlier tonight. Could it be that Kai¡¯s attracted to her as a

    Guardian rather than a mate, dad?¡±

    Dad looked thoughtful as he stared out into the dark night. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because she¡¯s a Guardian. You¡¯ve been in the same

    schools all your life and you are just now noticing her, right before your 18th birthday. | think maybe Kai is

    -15 BONGS

 Chapter 34

    | do as requested. | find an extra pair of clothes in a hollowed area of a nearby tree and put some shorts on then step back out to

    speak to my father.

    ¡°Want to tell me why an intelligent, gifted Guardian who is a member of our pack doesn¡¯t think my son, the future alpha, would be

    interested enough in her to be staking a very public im?¡±

    1 turn and begin heading toward the packhouse, pulling my thoughts together before speaking. ¡°You and mom have raised me to

    know who Cara Nelson is. I¡¯ve known my whole life what we owe that family and what they have sacrificed for us.¡± 1 turn to look

    him in the eye. ¡°What neither of you ever actually did was make sure | knew who Cara Nelson, the person, is.¡±

    My dad continues to stay silent, so | take that as my queue to continue. ¡°So,st week, | saw her in school. There was something

    about her.¡± | run my hand through my hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t know who she was. But | was drawn to her, so | went. up to her and

    introduced myself. | asked her what her name was and what pack she belonged to.¡±

    When | looked back up, my dad was just staring at me. This time | waited him out.

    ¡°I''m guessing that didn¡¯t go well?¡± he asks.

    ¡°About as well as you would expect,¡± | replied.

    ¡°And so this week of gifts is... what? An apology?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± | respond. ¡°At first, that was how it started. | wanted her to know that | know who she is and that | appreciate her

    and her family for everything they have given us. But then Kai wanted more. Each day when | wrote the cards. for her, | put more

    of my intent to not only im her but to let her know that | want her. That we want her to be ours.

    ¡°And Kai is sure that he wants her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been very clear and | have checked with him several times this week so | wasn¡¯t making false promises.¡±

    | wait a beat and then voice the concern that Chase brought up earlier tonight. Could it be that Kai¡¯s attracted to heras a

    Guardian rather than a mate, dad?¡±

    Dad looked thoughtful as he stared out into the dark night. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because she¡¯s a Guardian. You¡¯ve been in the same

    schools all your life and you are just now noticing her, right before your 18th birthday. | think maybe Kai is

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    | released a breath | didn¡¯t know | was holding.

    Before | could speak, dad asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your n? You have two days left until your birthday. Is that when you are going to

    reveal that you are her secret admirer?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my n. | have one more gift to give her tomorrow and then | have a dress to be delivered to her on Saturday for the

    party.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°What''s tomorrow''s gift?¡± When | tell him, he stares at me in shock. ¡°Son, how did you even pull that off?¡±

    ¡°I called in a favor.¡± | smirk at him.

    ¡°That''s one hell of a favor.¡±

    ¡°It is, but she¡¯s worth it. And on Saturday, at my party, I¡¯ve already worked it out with mom how | will show her that this week, it

    was me. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t know that¡¯s what I have nned, she¡¯s just excited that I¡¯m showing an interest in my party.¡± We both

    laugh and start walking again toward the packhouse.

    ¡°You know Liam will be at the party on Saturday as well, right son?¡±

    ¡°| do. | know they have a history, although I¡¯m not sure how extensive it is. | also know she won''t turn 18 for a couple more

    months, so that gives me time to work my magic and let her know that I¡¯m serious about wanting her.¡±

    | hate that he will get special, privileged time with her tomorrow, but I¡¯m hoping my gift overshadows that a bit. I''ve saved the best

    forst. There¡¯s no way she won''t be impressed.

    Cooper Author

    What could Rik¡¯s final gift be? Any thoughts?

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 35

    As happy as | was that it was Friday, | was terrified of another public disy of wills between Alphas. | could only hope that my

    offer to Liam of training and dinner helped him feel calm enough that he didn¡¯t show up at school again today.

    By lunch time, | was a nervous wreck. Not only was everyone, and | mean EVERYONE at the school talking about what

    happened yesterday (even two teachers asked if | had a preference for one of the Alphas. Seriously??), but what if my mystery

    man was scared off? Or worse, what if he wasn¡¯t and Liam showed up again?

    When | walked into the cafeteria, | wasn¡¯t sure if | was relieved or hurt that no one was waiting for me.

    Artemis piped up in my head, ¡®If Liam scared him off, he wasn¡¯t worthy of us anyway.¡¯ In some ways, | don¡¯t disagree. Artemis is

    a very powerful wolf and needs a powerful wolf for a mate, but | also know that Liam is a strong and powerful Alpha. He

    intimidates almost everyone. ¡®Almost being the operative word,¡¯ she retorts.

    | get my food and join Lacey and Jason at our table. ¡°So, | guess Alpha Liam scared off your mystery man.¡± Lacey says.

    I shrug, not really knowing what to say. There is no gift. Was that intentional, or was no gift nned today? Or maybe, because it

    was Friday it was nned for the end of the day. It was anyone¡¯s guess.

    As we are talking, a hush and then a loud buzz of chatter begins in the room. It look up to see the most beautiful, delicate,

    exquisite man | have ever seen. He was easily seven feet tall, but lean and lithe in a flowing gown that seemed to float around

    him as he glided over to me. A deep, melodic voice asks, ¡°Cara Nelson?¡±

    I nod, yes, because | can¡¯t get my mouth to work. He must be a fae. I''ve never seen one before, they are rare and almost never

    interact with werewolves, but he looks exactly like what | would expect a male fae to look like.

    In his hands, he has a gift, wrapped in in brown paper and tied with twine. ¡± This is for you,¡± and he hands me the gift. | look

    up at him. ¡°Thank you. Is there a card?¡±

    He arches an arrogant eyebrow at my question. ¡°It requires none.¡± And he turns. on his heel to leave. Before he exits, he states

    loudly, ¡°My debt is paid in full.¡± And he walks out.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    | stare down at the gift in my hands. For some reason, theck of a card and decorative wrapping has me nervous of what this

    could be. | untie the twine and open the wrapping. | gasp and my hand flies to my mouth. | am in awe.

    After a minute, | reach out a shaking hand to touch the leather cover of the tome. In elegant writing that looks like it was burned

    into the leather the title reads: The History of the Guardian. There is exactly one version of this book in the world, and it is now in

    my possession. | know my father has searched for this book for decades and has never been able to find it, but my mystery man

    has found it and given it to me. | feel tears prick my eyes at such a priceless gift.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± | whisper, but since you can hear a pin drop in the room, | know my suitor can hear me.

    I clutch the book to my chest. | need to get this home to my father. It¡¯s too precious to even have with me at school the rest of the

    day. As the bell rings, | finally look around to see others with a questioning look on their face. Everyone wants to know what the

    gift is so they can understand my response. My eyes meet ciers and | am locked into his gaze. He doesn¡¯t look surprised or

    like he¡¯s wondering what | received. He looks..... happy. With my response? | have no idea.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 36

    Did he get this for me? Why? He doesn¡¯t even know who | am. Does he? Could this be a way for him to stake a im because

    Liam did? It could exin his response to Liam yesterday if he felt the need to im what another Alpha wants.

    The gift today is different from the others. It wasn¡¯t brought by a delivery person, but the fae that owed the favor. That, in and of

    itself, means my gift giver is special. And there is no card, so perhaps this gift is not from the original gift. giver, but a new suitor.

    As | watch, Rik inclines his head slightly in my direction, as if to say ¡®You''re wee.¡±

    | don¡¯t know what to do with that, so | collect my things, holding the tome close to my chest. | let Jason know that | have to leave

    and he cane with me now or catch a rideter. He opts to catch a rideter, and | head home to show dad this amazing gift.

    It''s so much more than | ever expected. Someone has shown me that they see me for who | am. A Guardian, who wants to know

    my history and roots, to understand who | am and where |e from. To be the best that | can be. | feel as if my soul has been

    made bare to this person, and | don¡¯t even know who it is.

    Could it really be Alpha Rik? And if so, when and how did he realize who | am?

    When | arrive home, Dad isn¡¯t in the house. | listen in and hear him in the indoor training facility. After dropping my bag in the

    kitchen, | follow the sounds that he is making, still clutching my book to my chest.

    When | walk in, | nearly forget why | came out here. Dad is sting the stereo while he is creating something that looks like it

    came off the set of American Ninja Warriors. | have no idea how he has even put this together, but apparently dad is taking the

    whole ¡®training an Alpha¡® to a new level. It looks like, not only will | bepeting against Liam, but we''ll be on the clock to see

    who the ultimate winner will be. | can¡¯t help the smile that spreads across my face. Tonight is going to be fun.

    I''m still looking around when the music cuts out. ¡°Cara? What are you doing home so early?¡±

    | turn to look at my dad, ¡°What is all this?¡±

    He smiles a smug smile. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be training an Alpha and a Guardian, | figured I''d better up my game.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    He turns his gaze back to me. ¡°Now, why are you home?¡±

    | don¡¯t say anything, | just walk over to him and hand him the tome of our history. He looks down and goespletely still when

    he sees the title on the cover. In a whisper, he asks, ¡°Where did you get this?¡±

    | tell him of the fae man who brought it to me, the statement of the debt repayment, theck of adornment in decoration and that

    there was no card.

    My father still looks dumbstruck as he reverently slides his hand over the leather book cover. He then looks up at me. ¡°Do you

    know what this means?¡±

    It means that we can find out if there are secret powers known only to the Guardians that dad and | possess. It means we can

    finally learn how the Guardians came about and if we are thest two alive in the world. It means, we will finally have answers to

    all of our questions.

    I smile, ¡°I do. But dad?¡± | pause until he looks at me. ¡°Now | have a serious. problem, because whoever did this for me is very

    serious about wanting Artemis and me and now, I¡¯m not sure | can or want to resist.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Nice job Rik! That was an amazing gift. | wonder how ninja warrior training will go

    24This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 37

    Dad and | head back inside to prepare for Alpha Liam¡¯s arrival. While dad wheels. to his room to get a shower, | begin to make a

    bread pudding with bourbon sauce, which should go nicely with coffee after a hard workout and dinner. Does bread pudding pair

    nicely with bear? Not a clue, but I¡¯ll find out. Once the bread pudding is in the oven, | start grating potatoes and cheese to make

    an au gratin. | find some spinach in the fridge and decide on sauteed spinach with onions and garlic to finish off our meal. | can

    wait to start that until dad has the bear meat started.

    | head upstairs to change into my workout clothes. As | am heading downstairs, there is a knock at the door. | can smell Liam¡¯s

    scent before | open the door. He smells of the forest after the rain, fresh and clean and wild.

    | open the door and I¡¯m surprised to see that he has a bouquet of wildflowers in one hand and not surprised to see a giant cooler

    in the other being bnced in his hand against his shoulder. | quickly grab the flowers from him so he can focus on the cooler. |

    step aside to let him in and he leans down to ce a gentle kiss on my lips as he passes by on his way to the kitchen.

    I''m sniffing the flowers as | follow him into the kitchen. ¡°Where in the world did you find flowers inte January?¡±

    He turns to me with a smile. ¡°They are called Winter Aconite and they grow wild in my territory. Every time | see them, the

    beautiful yellow color reminds me of Artemis¡¯s eyes.¡± At that, Artemis pushes forward to show off the color of her eyes. Liam

    steps closer to me, putting his hands on my hips, his eyes darkening with Cyran pushing forward. ¡°There they are, those

    beautiful eyes that | love.¡±

    Before things can go any further, | hear dad wheeling into the living room. Alpha Liam | presume.¡±

    LL

    As Liam steps away to greet my father, | put the flowers in water. | notice that Cyran stays forward as Liam walks to my father

    and extends his hand. ¡°Warrior Nelson. It is an honor to meet you sir.¡±

    Dad reaches his hand out and shakes Liam¡¯s. ¡°A polite and respectful Alpha. | like you already.¡±

    ¡°But, | hope you don¡¯t think that means that I''ll go easy on you Alpha. Since | found out yesterday that I¡¯d get to train you, | have

    been thinking of ways to ensure you get the best workout of your life today.¡±

    ¡°The honor is mine sir and | would expect nothing less from the greatest warrior

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°ttery will get you nowhere son. Are you ready to start?¡± Liam grins at dad and turns to me, ¡°Ready when you are Cara.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    For the next two hours, Dad put us through our paces. Training with Liam is a lot different than training with our warriors.

    Warriors are strong and know how to fight, it is their job after all. But there is a reason that Alphas lead the pack. Liam was

    incredible. Strong, powerful, fast, agile, but always in control. | wasn¡¯t sure about Liam, but for me, this is the toughest workout |

    can ever remember having.

    Dad is a great instructor. When Liam would best me, he¡¯d stop us and talk it through, telling me how to get out of his grip or avoid

    getting caught again, ying to strengths and using Liam¡¯s against him.

    The same would happen when | bested Liam. Dad would give him pointers on how best to use his strength to escape a hold or

    avoid it altogether. Towards the end, we were both panting, trying to catch our breath.

    Dad then decides it¡¯s ninja warrior time. After we both guzzle some water, he calls us over to the obstacle course. | can see the

    gleam in Liam''s eyes. He was hoping to try this out today.

    Dad sets the expectation. We will both start at the same time. We will bepeting to reach the end first but we both have to go

    through the same obstacles. The obstacles are designed to test your upper body strength, lower body strength, core strength,

    speed, agility, you name it, dad had it set up in this masochistic obstacle course.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    After establishing the rules and how to win, dad asked if there were any

    questions. Liam turns to look at me, ¡°Yeah, how many times have you run this course, little badass?¡±

    I give him a fake offended look, ¡°In the interest of fairness, Alpha, this is my first time.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough¡± and he reaches out to shake my hand. ¡°May the best badass win.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 0038

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m winning alright.¡± | retort as we head to the starting line.

    We get set and dad shoots a starter gun. We both take off like a shot, climbing up to the first obstacle. The first one is primarily

    upper body strength. I¡¯m strong, but not as strong as Liam and he gets ahead of me. The next obstacle is bnce. | cream him

    here and not only catch up, but get ahead as he falls and has to climb back up. The next obstacle is core strength mixed with

    upper body as we have to swing from bar to bar and also judge the distance so we don''t fall, simr to a flying trapeze, only

    there are multiple shapes. | can feel Liam catching up to me, so | take a chance and rather than catching onto the circr ring, |

    arrow myself through it and catch the next bar, swinging myself onto the ramp and running to the next obstacle. From there,

    objectse swinging off the walls to knock us to the ground. This requires abination of agility and bnce. Liam and | are

    neck and neck when we finish this one. Next up is the ropedder that takes us nearly to the roof and a bnce beam that is

    only about 2 inches wide. We run across, both of us nearly losing our footing before jumping to the slide, sliding back to the

    ground then racing to the finish line. We both hit the buzzer sounding that we won at the same time. We tied.

    We look at each other, sucking in air like we¡¯re about to pass out and then we both startughing, falling to the ground. |y on

    my back and Liam sits with his arms around his knees, both of us trying to catch our breath.

    ¡°Nice job you two. When you catch your breath, I''ll meet you inside.¡±

    Liam recovers faster than | do and leans over me. ¡°I''d say we''re pretty evenly matched, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    | look into his beautiful sage green eyes and smile. ¡°I almost had you.¡±

    He smirks back, ¡°Almost doesn¡¯t count, beautiful.¡± He leans in and gently kisses my lips. | respond instantly, my hand going to his

    hair.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Liam takes this as approval and deepens the kiss as | moan softly. He nips my bottom lip requesting entrance to my mouth.

    When | open, he wastes no time sliding his tongue inside, seeking mine. Our tongues fight for dominance again, and he wins,

    taking this opportunity to slide his hand under my tank top so he is touching skin. A shiver of pleasure runs through my body and

    a possessive growl rumbles through his body, causing my nipples to harden in pleasure. His hand begins to graze the bottom of

    my sports bra and he moves closer so his body isying beside mine and | can feel the heat of him through our clothes.

    +15 BONOS

    He leans over me, sliding one leg in between mine. | can feel his hard length against my thigh. It¡¯s considerablyrger than | was

    expecting, having nothing topare it to. But if I''m being honest, even just feeling it, I¡¯m not sure how that monster would ever

    fit inside me. Before | can go too far down that road, Liam runs his thumb over my pebbled nipple and my back arches

    involuntarily as | gasp in pleasure. That feeling goes straight to my core, causing heat to pool between my legs.

    Liam moves to kissing my neck, and | feel him taking deep breaths. | know he can smell my arousal. ¡°You smell so fucking good

    baby.¡± | would respond, but I¡¯m overwhelmed with the rush of sensations I¡¯m feeling. I''ve masturbated before, sure, but that

    never felt like this.

    | feel Liam''s canines graze my marking spot and | stiffen in his arms. ¡°Liam.¡±

    He pulls himself away from my neck. ¡°I know, baby. We need to stop before | get too carried away. But damn, you smell so

    good.¡± He watches me as he runs his thumb over my nipple again and I¡¯m not sure what he sees in my eyes but my lips. part

    and it elicits another growl from him, causing me to moan in pleasure again.

    He groans, pulling away from me. ¡°Come on baby, if we stay like this for another minute, I''ll be tempted to skip dinner and have

    you for dessert.¡± He hops up to his feet and extends his hand to me. | take it and he pulls me to my feet, pulling my tank top back

    down.

    He takes my face in his hands, kissing me gently. ¡°You will be the death of me. He takes my hand and leads me back toward the

    house.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 0039

    It''s Friday and I¡¯m really excited about today¡¯s gift. It took a lot for me to get it, and even pulling strings, | still had to fight for it..

    After yesterday, I¡¯m getting all kinds of side eyed looks from both my pack. members and Liam¡¯s. There is no issue between our

    packs and it needs to stay that way, so | don¡¯t say anything, just put on my arrogant Alpha face and continue walking.

    I''m at my locker getting books for ss, not really paying attention, when hands.e around me from the back and slide

    across my abdomen. | can tell by the scent of rosewater that it¡¯s She. Have | mentioned I¡¯m not a huge fan of the scent of

    rosewater?N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯ve missed you.¡± One hand slides down the inside of my jeans to where she can touch me. ¡°It¡¯s Friday and | was

    wondering if you''d like to party tonight. We had so much funst week.¡±

    week, this would have been apletely wee offering of a good fuck. Today it doesn¡¯t even cause my dick to twitch. Not

    only is my body not responsive, but thest thing | need is Cara seeing me like this and taking it

    wrong.

    | grab She¡¯s hand pulling it out of my jeans as | step out of her embrace. ¡± She. Nice to see you, but | have to get to ss.

    As you might remember, tomorrow is my birthday, so | won¡¯t be doing any partying tonight.

    ¡°So, I''ll see you tomorrow, Alpha, at your party?¡± She states as | start to walk away. ¡°Sure.¡± | say to get her to go away. | don¡¯t

    hear whatever else she says or see her smug smile as she turns to her friends.

    The time is crawling today. By the time lunch rolls around, I¡¯m nearly desperate to see Cara''s reaction to my gift. ¡®She¡¯s going to

    love it.¡® Kai reassures me.

    ¡®I hope so, I''d hate to think we used our favor for something that she didn¡¯t even like.¡®

    ¡®Rik, it''s a perfect gift, trust me. It tells her we know who she is, understand what she needs and wants and that we value her for

    the person and wolf that she is.

    ¡®Ailduin wasn¡¯t thrilled to part with the book.¡®

    ¡®He would have been less thrilled if his son had died in that explosion three years ago.¡¯ Kai remarks.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Which is why | know he''ll deliver today.¡±

    | watch as Cara enters. | can tell she thinks that her suitor was scared off by Liam yesterday. Not a chance Little Guardian. I¡¯m

    here to stay. She looks disappointed until the room goes quiet and then the buzz of chatter starts almost immediately. Most

    wolves have never seen a fae. They are rare and don¡¯t particrly like werewolves, feeling that our lives are too violent. They

    prefer to live peaceful lives among the humans, typically identified as ¡®tree¡ªhuggers, hippies or free spirits¡¯. For wolves, there is

    no peaceful life among humans, not unless we hide who we really are.

    | watch as Ailduin walks to Cara, confirms who she is and then, after the briefest of hesitations, hands her the book.

    The book has been in Ailduin¡¯s family, the royal fae family, for generations. The only reason | know that it even exists is because |

    happened to see it when | returned Aolis, Ailduin¡¯s son, to him after finding him in a hunter¡¯s bunker. The hunters knew that we

    had found them so they were trying to get rid of the evidence by bombing the building, letting it and all the supernatural

    inhabitants burn alive.

    | was there with my father searching for some of our missing pack members. We had gotten intel from another wolf pack that the

    hunters were kidnapping supes and bringing them to the bunker for experiments. It was a multi-pack effort, but the hunters

    realized we were there when we tripped their rm system. The bombs started going off almost immediately, as if they were on

    a trip wire. Five wolves ran into the building, using a hole in a wall that had blown open with one of the bombs. | wanted to go,

    but my father refused to let me enter the building.

    It was chaos. The screams of those who were burning alive still haunt my dreams. But, they did what we could and saved many

    supernaturals that day, Aolis included. He was just a boy, so my father had me take him back to his family to make sure he made

    it safely while he and the other pack leaders did damage control.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    x

 Chapter 40

    When | met with Ailduin, it was in his study. It was there | saw the book. | thought it odd at the time that he had a book about the

    history of the werewolf guardians, but | didn¡¯t think much of it as | had other, more important matters to worry about, such as

    making sure our pack members were okay. Ailduin told me that he was in my debt. Honestly, | never expected to request the

    return favor. | didn¡¯t do it to have something to leverage against his family, | did it because it was the right thing to do. Aolis was

    only 5 years old at the time.

    Afterward, when | had time to think about it, | started searching for a copy of the book, thinking it would be good to have. After

    searching for almost a year and finding nothing, | approached my father about it. That is when | learned that there is only one

    book like it in existence, written by the Guardians, for the Guardians. I¡¯m still unsure how Ailduin¡¯s ancestors got a copy, but now

    it''s where it should be, in the hands of a werewolf guardian.

    was no way

    | watch as Cara once again asks about a card. There Ailduin was going to act as a ¡°delivery boy¡± for me. | was lucky to get him to

    deliver the book. The only reason he did is because it is so valuable, he would never trust it to just anyone. And | had to promise

    him that it was going to a Guardian, the true keepers of the book.

    But, | do agree with him, the book speaks for itself. No card needed. When he announces to me that the debt is paid, | very softly

    agree with him, knowing the hearing of the Fae King is better than most wolves.

    | watch the shock that ys across Cara¡¯s face as she unwraps the gift. She knows exactly what it is and how precious it is. Her

    quiet ¡®thank you¡¯ has Kai purring in my head. The gift is perfect.

    Ass

    she clutches the book, she looks around and meets my gaze. Does she realize that it¡¯s from me? There are very few individuals

    that could pull this off. Well, in truth, only one. Me. But she probably doesn¡¯t know that. | nod my head in acknowledgement of her

    thanks. Maybe then she''ll realize that it was me. That | know exactly who she is and how special she, Artemis and her family are

    to the pack, my family, but most especially to me and my wolf.

    If she hasn''t figured it out after today, there will be no question tomorrow.

    During training that afternoon, everyone is talking about my uing birthday party. It''s not every day that an Alpha turns 18. Of

    course, everyone wants to

    +15 BONOS

    Deanes up to me after training and tells me there¡¯s a betting pool for my mate. She has apparently told everyone that she

    thinks I¡¯m her mate, so she¡¯s in the top 5, along with a couple of the other she¡ª-wolves that I¡¯ve been involved. with. I¡¯m only

    interested because Cara is also in the top 5.

    ¡°Cara, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Dean responds, watching me intently. ¡°We still don¡¯t know who her mystery man is and you are still in the top 2

    contenders.¡±

    ¡°Who is the other person in the top two?¡± | ask, knowing Liam has been eliminated from the pool now.

    ¡°Chase, of course.¡±

    | nod my head and walk toward the forest. | want to get to Cara¡¯s to see how things are going with Liam. It''s been difficult to

    focus on training while trying to manage my jealousy that he gets this special time with her.

    | arrive near their house just in time to see Mr. Nelson heading inside the house. from the indoor training facility. Not seeing Liam

    or Cara, | move to get closer to see if they are still training inside. | was hoping they¡¯d be outside, but this is better. They won¡¯t

    hear or smell me from inside the building.

    As | get closer, | feel Kai getting restless and angry. | tune in more closely and realize what he¡¯s heard that | didn¡¯t. Cara is

    moaning and Liam is growling in pleasure.

    | have to fight Kai and I¡¯m about to lose control when | see them walking hand in hand toward the house. | take hold of Kai and

    settle in to wait.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Ailduin and Aolis?

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 41

    Liam continues to hold my hand as we walk back to the house. Dad is outside getting the grill started. | drop Liam¡¯s hand and

    head inside to get thest part of dinner ready. Liam and dad follow me inside after a few minutes.

    ¡°So, Alpha Liam, | took the liberty of looking inside the cooler and grabbed some

    S for the grill. | hope that¡¯s ok with you.¡± Dad:

    ¡°Please, call me Liam. And, of course. | thought the steaks would be perfect for tonight.¡± He goes to the cooler and pulls out a

    bottle of wine. ¡°I also brought some wine in case you''d like some with the steaks. The rest of the meat in here consists of two

    racks of ribs, some bear sausage and some ground beef. | can¡¯t say I''ve ever eaten a whole bear, but | took it to someone | trust

    that has processed bear meat in the past. You''ll have to let me know how you like it.¡± Thest part was directed at me. | smiled

    as | take the wine from him and open it to let it breathe.

    I start pulling the meat out of the cooler and putting it in the freezer, leaving out some ground beef to use over the weekend.

    ¡°Well, Liam, you''ll have toe by again soon and help us eat those ribs.¡±

    ¡°I''d like that sir.¡±

    ¡°Please, if | am to call you Liam, you may call me Clint.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Clint.¡±

    Dad takes the steaks out to season them and put them on the grill. Liam follows him to do whatever it is that men do while

    cooking meat over a fire. | saute the onions and garlic for the spinach and then pour the wine into three sses. I¡¯ve put the

    spinach in the skillet, pulled the potatoes out of the oven and I¡¯m setting the table when Dad and Liam return.

    Liam grabs the bottle of wine and potatoes to put on the table and | spoon the spinach into a serving dish, bringing it to the table.

    I sit next to Liam and we dig in. | have to admit, the bear isn¡¯t bad. It has a bit of a gamey taste to it simr to venison, but it¡¯s

    more hearty like beef.

    After we''ve all tried the bear and decided we like it, Dad starts in with the questioning.

    ¡°So Liam,¡± Liam gives my father his undivided attention, apparently prepared for this. I¡¯m not feeling as prepared as | feel my

    hands begin to sweat and | rubN?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    +15 BONOS

    them on the napkin in myp. | feel Liam reach over and gently take my hand.

    ¡°I''ll get right to the point. Are you only interested in my daughter because she¡¯s a Guardian?¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡± He turns his head and looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m interested in your daughter because she¡¯s always the most beautiful, intelligent

    and impressive woman in the room.¡± He turns back to my father. ¡°I have spoken to your daughter and she is aware of my

    intentions. I''ve been very forting with her that her strength and power as a Guardian, while very attractive, do not intimidate

    me and are unnecessary for the strength of my pack. | would be proud to call Cara my Luna one day and she would be my

    equal.¡±

    ¡°Son, you understand that my daughter is waiting for her mate? Her mother and | both tried to instill how special a fated mate is

    to her.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir. Cara has been very upfront with me about her desire to wait for her fated mate, and | respect that.¡± He looked at me for

    a moment before turning back to my father. ¡°But, | will tell you sir, | feel strongly that your daughter and | will be fated mates. My

    pull to your daughter is strong, as is the pull of my wolf to Artemis.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± my father looks at me then back at Liam, ¡°my daughter could do a whole lot worse than you Liam.¡± He paused for a

    moment before continuing, ¡°I was sorry to hear about the death of your father. He was a good man. But from what I¡¯ve heard,

    you have taken the role of Alpha in your pack seriously and have be a leader and Alpha that your father would have been

    very proud of.¡± From the corner of my eye, | see Liam look down at the table and swallow hard before replying softly, ¡°Thank you

    sir. That means a loting from you.¡± ¡°You''re wee, and call me Clint.¡± He smiles at Liam and lifts his ss of wine. Liam

    returns the smile and clinks sses with him. ¡°Thank you Clint.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    15

    +

 Chapter 42

    After that, conversation moved to easier topics, if not better. Liam has also been feeling the effects of the rogue attacks and has

    been in contact with neighboring packs to discuss the issue and try to determine what they are after. From there, talk moved to

    training today and Liam tried to convince dad toe to his pack and train his warriors. Dad justughed at him and said, ¡°If my

    own Alpha can¡¯t get me to train our warriors, why do you think I¡¯d train yours?¡± a

    ¡°Wishful thinking? Maybe hoping that if I¡¯m your future son-inw, that you¡¯d reconsider?¡±

    ¡°| tell you what son. If it turns out that you are my future son-inw, then | will reconsider.¡± 1

    | brought out my bread pudding and both dad and Liam said it was delicious and | guess it was because they ate it all.

    After dinner, | cleared the table and began putting dishes in the dishwasher. Dad announced that he was going to bed and that |

    shouldn''t stay up toote. Thest part he said while giving Liam a meaningful look.

    ¡°| won''t stayte Clint, Alpha¡¯s honor.¡±

    Dad nodded and with that, wheeled himself into his room.

    Liam helped me clean up the kitchen. Afterward, we poured thest of our wine into our sses and went to sit on the back

    porch. We sat infortable silence and drank our wine, looking out over the forest.

    ¡°| guess I''ll see you at the party tomorrow?¡± Liam asked me.

    ¡°Yep, Luna Calista invited me personally, so | guess I¡¯ll be there. And since Alpha Anders invited dad personally, he''ll be there

    too.¡± He raised his eyebrows at that. ¡°I know right?¡± | responded to his unasked question.

    After we finished, we went inside and Liam said he was going to head out and asked if I''d walk him to his car.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    When we got to the driver¡¯s door, he pushed me against the car and leaned in, almost touching my lips with his. ¡°I really enjoyed

    dinner tonight, thank you.¡±

    | looked at his lips then dragged my eyes up to his. ¡°I had a really good time. That was the best workout I¡¯ve had in a very long

    time.¡±

    His eyes darkened and he leaned in so his lips were just touching mine, whispering, ¡°I can think of many ways to help you work

    up a sweat and ensure

    +15 BONOS

    that you are sore the next morning.¡±

    Heat flooded my body, heading south. | looked in his eyes as | slid my tongue across his lips. That was all it took for him to lose

    control and begin to devour my lips in a possessive kiss. | could feel the heat of his body pressed against mine. His hardening

    length making itself known against my stomach as his hand reached into my hair, grabbing hold and gently pulling my head to

    the side so he could get. a better entrance into my mouth.

    My hands snaked around him, one going up into his hair and one dragging my nails across his back, grabbing hold of his shirt

    and he ravaged my mouth with. his tongue. | moaned as he moved to my jaw then down to my neck, kissing his way to where

    my mate mark would be. He licked the area causing my whole body. to shiver and a loud moan to leave my mouth. My head

    leaned back against the car and | was powerless against the onught of desire he was drawing from me.

    He pushed his body against me, showing me just how much he enjoyed my moans, his long, hard length rubbing against me as

    his hands moved under my tank top. When his fingers moved over my pebbled nipples, | moaned his name softly.

    ¡°Baby | love hearing you call my name like that. It makes me want to do so many things to you, so many things that will make

    you scream my name until you are so hoarse that all you can do is whimper for me.¡±

    He pulled back and looked at me with that panty-dropping smolder. ¡°Let me make you feel good baby.¡± | looked at him and then

    around us. We were against his car, in front of my father¡¯s house. | looked back at him. He nuzzled my nose, never breaking eye

    contact.¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It came out as a whisper, not really sounding like my voice at all.

    ¡°Let me give you a small sample of what our life will be like when you are mine. Say yes. Let me show you what the future holds

    for you baby.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± | agree and the smile he gives me could light up the night.

    Cooper

    Author

    It''s getting hot and heavy now

 Chapter 43

    Liam doesn¡¯t break eye contact with me as he slides one hand to my shoulder, pulling my bra strap down. He then pulls my shirt

    up and pushes the right side of my bra down under my breast, causing it to push up into his hand. He looks down at me,

    dragging his thumb over my nipple. | suck in air and arch my back, pushing my breast into his hand, watching him.

    He looks back at me with eyes dark with desire and a hunger that I''ve never seen before. He leans down and takes my nipple

    into his mouth, running his tongue over it before sucking and nipping at it. My body jerks at the pleasure that he¡¯s creating, heat

    flooding my body. My hand moves to his head, holding him there as my lower body begins grinding against him without me

    realizing what I¡¯m doing.co

    While he sucks on my nipple, his other hand moves to my shorts, sliding inside. He doesn¡¯t seem to have the ess he wants,

    so his other hand slides down and pushes my shorts down my hips locking my legs so | can¡¯t move.

    He moves one hand to my back, pulling me closer to him while the other slides. down my stomach, between my warm lips,

    stroking me.

    He growls in pleasure when he feels how wet | am for him, causing me to whimper and push against his hand. ¡°So wet for me

    baby.¡±

    He slides one hand to push the other side of my bra down and under my breast,

    so now they are both on disy for him, pushed up for easy ess. ¡°So beautiful.¡± He looks up at me, holding my gaze as he

    slowly licks my nipple, causing me to suck in air, my body to tense and my eyes to close.

    He begins to rub circles on my clit, my wet core dripping down my thighs. He pulls back and looks at me as he slides a finger

    inside me. ¡°Look at me. | want to see you when | make you cum.¡±

    open my eyes and he starts to slide his finger in and out of me. ¡°Spread your legs for me. As wide as you can.¡± he says softly

    and | open them as much as my shorts will allow.

    ¡°Lean against the car.¡± | do as he says, enjoying him taking control and making my body respond in ways it has never done

    before.

    His finger continues to slide in and out of me, his hand rubbing against my clit. His other hand begins to gently pinch and twist

    my nipple, causing me to jerk slightly at the pleasure pulsing through me.

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    ¡°That¡¯s right baby, you¡¯re going to cum on my fingers. I¡¯m going to slide another one in and | want to feel your tight pussy mp

    down on me from your orgasm. Do you want me to make you cum baby?¡±

    I nod, not able to say anything. My body is on overload.

    ¡°Words Cara. Tell me what you want me to do.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°| want you to make me cum Liam. Please.¡±

    ¡°You know I''ll always take care of you, right baby?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yes Liam, please.¡±

    ¡°Look at me love, | want to see your eyes when your body explodes around me.¡±

    | look at him as his fingers begin to assault my aching pussy. He¡¯s somehow keeping me upright and fucking me with his fingers

    at the same time. | don¡¯t know how and | don¡¯t care. All | know is that my body is on the verge of something it¡¯s never felt before

    and just when | think | can¡¯t take any more, he curls his fingers inside me hitting the perfect spot and my body explodes. My

    pussy mps down on his fingers so hard, | feel like | might break them. | start to scream Liam¡¯s name, but his mouth devours

    mine in a kiss so possessive | feel like he and his wolf are iming me, swallowing my scream. His body is rubbing against mine

    with nothing between us but his basketball shorts, while he helps. me ride out my orgasm. As | start toe down, my body

    pulsing around his fingers, | feel his body tense and jerk. He grips my neck, somehow deepening the kiss even more as he

    moans into my mouth. His canines extend and | feel them slice my lip before he calms, removing his fingers from inside me and

    licking my lip, healing it.

    We stay like that for several moments, catching our breath.

    ¡°Wow.¡± That''s all | can say. Words have escaped me.

    He chuckles and | feel his body shaking against me. He leans back and holding my gaze, slides his fingers, still wet from my

    juices, into his mouth. His eyes close and a look of pure bliss crosses his face as he licks them clean. ¡°Yeah. Wow. You baby, are

    one in a million, and | can¡¯t wait to taste you at my leisure every day of my life.¡± 2

    He pulls back and gently kisses me. ¡°Are you ok? | didn¡¯t mean to cut your lip.¡±

    | lick my lip, tasting a little blood, but it¡¯s already healed. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    He pulls away from me, straightening my bra and pulling my tank top down, before pulling my shorts back up. He leans his

    forehead against mine. ¡°I did say

    +15 BONOS

    you''d be the death of me, and | wasn¡¯t joking.¡±

    I smile at him and gently kiss his lips. ¡°Death by orgasm doesn¡¯t sound like a bad way to go.¡±

    He growls softly, pulling me to him. ¡°I''d better go before | decide toy you on the hood of my car and make you cum all over my

    face.¡± The thought has heat flooding south again, and | see his nostrils re, as he smells my arousal.

    ¡°Get inside baby. I''ll see you tomorrow at the party.¡± He kisses the tip of my nose and | smile, ¡°Okay.¡±

    | turn to head toward the house when he calls out, ¡°By the way, what did the other contender for your favor give you today?¡±

    I stop dead in my tracks. Shit, shit, shit! | did not want to end the night on a bad note, but I knew he''d find out and | was never

    one for lying anyway.

    I turn slowly and look at him. ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    I give him a fake smile.

    ¡°Just tell me.¡± He states.

    ¡°The History of the Guardians.¡±

    His reaction is simr to my dad¡¯s, whistling long and low. ¡°Damn. Even | couldn''t have gotten that for you Cara. This guy is

    serious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he is.¡±

    He nods his head thoughtfully. ¡°Well, so am I. Tomorrow should be interesting. Sleep well baby, dream of me.¡± He smirks as he

    gets into the car and drives away.

    As | walk back into the house, | couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he meant by his partingment. | can¡¯t think of anything

    interesting that will be happening tomorrow. No one would be brave or foolish enough to do something while Liam is in the room.

 Chapter 44

    At the risk of being a stalker, | have no intention of leaving as | watch Liam and Cara head inside. | shift back so | can hide more

    easily. | need to know how far Liam is willing to go, and how far Cara will let him go.

    | listen as they discuss the bear meat and my fists clench when Mr. Nelson tells Liam to call him Clint. It seems Liam also has a

    better rtionship with Cara¡¯s father than | do.

    When they go outside to grill the steaks, Liam thanks Mr. Nelson again for the training today. They chat about the training facility

    that Mr. Nelson has created and discuss different ways of training.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    When they go back inside, it finally gets good again. Mr. Nelson begins interrogating Liam about his intentions. I''ll admit, Liam¡¯s

    response is admirable. He seems to really care about Cara. And he apparently thinks they will be fated mates.

    Kai growls in my head, and | don¡¯t me him. There¡¯s no way that he can be her mate if she is our mate. Liam is old enough to

    feel the pull to his mate, but | feel a pull too. Could it be that one of us is really feeling the pull to her as a Guardian, rather than a

    mate? What if neither of us is her mate?

    I''m happy to hear that Cara is waiting for her mate. That gives me hope that her rtionship with Liam is only so strong. If we are

    fated mates, as | believe, she won''t reject us for him. | was also happy to hear Mr. Nelson deny Liam¡¯s request to train his

    warriors. | scoff. As if he¡¯d train Liam¡¯s pack when he refuses to train. his own. Although, he agrees to reconsider if Liam is Cara¡¯s

    mate. Another reason to make sure that she¡¯s MY mate.

    When | hear Liam ask Cara to walk him to his car, | move around the house so | can continue to eavesdrop on their

    conversation. It¡¯s all | can do not to snarl out loud when he kisses her. Kai is thrashing around in my head, ready to fight Liam

    and Cyran for Cara again. Holding Kai off is taking all of my strength and concentration.

    Even so, | almost lose it when the scent of her arousal hits my nose at the same time | hear him tell her that he wants to watch

    her cum. My body is shaking and fur starts sprouting on my body. | lose the battle and shift when | hear Cara begin to scream his

    name. Kai takes a running leap before | get control again and force him back behind the house. He is inconsble, furious that

    someone else is touching what is ours. 4

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    ¡®She¡¯s not ours yet. And even if we knew that she was, she doesn¡¯t know it yet. She still may not even realize we know who she

    is.¡±

    The faint smell of blood has me rushing back around the house. | see that she¡¯s ok and that he¡¯s about to leave. While I¡¯m not

    thrilled that he touched her, | am d that they both were honest about her waiting for her mate. If, no WHEN, she realizes that

    I''m her mate, | want to be the only one that has had the luxury of being inside her beautiful body.

    My hopeful fantasy abruptly ends when | hear Liam ask about today¡¯s gift. So, she didn¡¯t tell him earlier. I''m not sure if | should

    be d or not about that. But his reaction is perfect. That¡¯s right dickwad. You¡¯d never have been able to give her everything she

    deserves. That is reserved for me. | feel my spirits soar when Cara acknowledges that I¡¯m serious about my intentions. Not that

    she wouldn¡¯t have known at this point, but | like hearing it directly from her.

    I can tell that she¡¯s confused about his response that things will be interesting tomorrow. Oh yeah! We''ll be on MY turf tomorrow.

    | watch as Liam starts to back out, then looks right at me. Bastard | was

    there and he wanted to let me know he is still in the game. Only it¡¯s not a game and it seems we''re both ying for keeps.

    | head back around to the back of the house, hoping to see Cara before | leave. | need to wait for her to go to sleep so | can

    leave her final gift. | watch as shees to sit in the window seat. At first, she just looks out into the night. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s

    thinking about Liam and what they just did. My jealousy res and a low growl leaves my mouth. Sooner than | would have

    expected though, she pulls arge book into herp. It¡¯s The History of the Guardians. She starts ncing through it before

    going back to the beginning and settling in to read. | watch her for a while, enjoying the way she has to continually push her hair

    behind her ear to keep it out of her face. | have no idea how long | watch her, but | could have watched her all night.

    When she finally stands and she begins to take off her clothes, | turn away. Nudity ismon among shifters, but she doesn¡¯t

    know I¡¯m here and | don¡¯t want to be a creepy stalker. It¡¯s weird enough that | was privy to the interaction between her and Liam

    earlier.

    | head back to the packhouse and without bothering to shift, | go up to my room, shifting right as | get to my door. | can smell the

    faint scent of rosewater and | vaguely wonder what She was doing on my floor. | unlock my door and grab a pair of shorts and

    a t-shirt. While it¡¯s still winter, wolves run warm and as an Alpha, my temperature runs even warmer, so I¡¯m never cold.

    Zi

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    | grab the rectangr box elegantly wrapped by the store, with a big fat bow on it. | grab my card and tape it to the box. | head

    back out to Cara¡¯s, walking instead of driving so no one figures out what I¡¯m doing. When | get back to her house, her light is off,

    so | quietly walk up to her front porch and leave her gift at the front door. | spray a vani andvender body spray over the box

    in the hope

    that it will overshadow any scent of mine left after a night in the fresh air.

    | walk back to the packhouse, whistling and thinking of how great my birthday

    will be tomorrow.

    +16 BONDS

 Chapter 45

    His voice is in my ear, ¡°Let me show you how good | can make you feel.¡± His warm body is naked and isying over me, a soft

    bed under me. His hands are everywhere. His mouth on my neck, my shoulder, nibbling my ear. | whimper at his touch. My

    hands sliding over his hard and muscr body, making me purr. | want to lick him and taste him. | want to feel him inside me. |

    want him to take me as no other man has ever done.

    His hard length slides against my clit, rubbing it and building my body into a frenzy. The warm wetness between my legs,

    evidence of his effect on me. | moan softly, wanting more, pulling him closer to me. His hand goes between us, sliding his fingers

    into my warmth. | gasp as pleasure radiates through me and | begin riding his fingers. ¡°More, | need more.¡±

    ¡°You want me to give you more, love?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please, | need more,¡± | whimper.

    His mouthes to my ear. ¡°Do you want me inside you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡± | beg.

    He gently bites my ear, giving me a zing of pleasure. ¡°I want that too. | want to be inside you, hearing you call my name, making

    you cum every day. Would you like that my Little Guardian?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, | want that.¡±

    ¡°| want to hear you say my name. | want you moaning and screaming for me. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± He says as he pulls his fingers out of me and pushes his cock inside me as he lifts himself up so | can see his face.

    ¡°RIK!¡±

    My eyes fly open and | bolt upright in my bed, panting. | reach my hands down. my body to make sure | really do have my

    clothes on and I¡¯m alone.

    What the fuck?! | just had the female version of a wet dream and not with Liam, but with Rik. What IS that? Why do | keep having

    these thoughts about him. Even earlier tonight, when | was sitting by my window, | was reliving my time with Liam, but it was

    Rik¡¯s¡¯face that kept entering my mind, wondering if it would feel the same with him. Could he make me cum with just his fingers?

    | huff out a sigh. Get up Cara and go clean yourself up before you make it worse.

    1/3

    +15 BONOS

    thinking more thoughts of...Alpha Rik. | cringe even thinking about it.¡± Artemis?¡± | reach for

    my

    wolf.

    She must be asleep, having her own dreams. Maybe she¡¯s partial to Kai, although she seemed pretty happy with Cyran and she

    didn¡¯t have anyints about me ying with Liamst night..

    ¡®As long as we save ourselves for our mate.¡¯ | hear her sleepy response.

    After | clean myself up, | check the clock. It¡¯s 3am, and | only have an hour before training, so | get up and make some coffee.

    After coffee, | dress for training. | decide to leave a bit early and just walk. When | open the door, there¡¯s a huge package on my

    doorstep.

    | pick it up and see the card. Holy crap, he dropped my gift off to me in the middle. of the night. | bring it back inside and sniff the

    box. It smells like vani andvender and underneath that, the faint scent of the forest. Damn, no clues on the box.

    | open the card first.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    My lovely Cara,

    | hope you like this, myst gift to you. At least for now.

    | will know if you have epted this gift when | see you

    at the party tonight.

    If you ept my gift, | will reveal myself to you.

    It is time you knew who | was. | want everyone to know

    that it is me staking my im on you and Artemis.

    Until tonight,

    Your soon-to-be not so Secret Admirer

    Well, now the butterflies are fluttering around in my stomach like crazy. He¡¯s going to reveal himself to me at the party tonight?

    But only if | ept his gift? How will he know?

    I start to open the box, but stop suddenly as Liam¡¯s words fromst nighte back to me. ¡°Tomorrow should be interesting.¡± He

    knew. Somehow, Liam knew that he¡¯d be revealing himself to me tonight. There¡¯s no way that it¡¯s Liam, so that leaves only one

    option. Liam figured out who my mystery man is. How is that even possible?

    Before | go too far down that rabbit hole, | decide to open my gift. | pull the bow

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    and wrapping paper off and open the box. Inside there is tissue paper that | pull aside to reveal a beautiful dress. It is peacock

    green. It has an off-the-shoulder sequined sweetheart bodice. The A-line chiffon skirt oveid with satin looks like it wille to

    my knees in the front and to the floor in the back. It will be perfect for dancing. It¡¯s gorgeous and very apparent how he will know

    that | have epted the gift. | look back in the box and see another, smaller box. | carefully set the dress aside, making sure that

    it doesn¡¯t snag on anything.

    | open the smaller box and find a ne and matching earrings. The dangle earrings have an emerald cut emerald surrounded

    by what looks like yellow diamonds. The ne has the same pendant on a white gold chain. | hope they are fake. If they

    aren''t, | can¡¯t even imagine how much it would cost.

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 Chapter 46

    I''m in awe and don¡¯t hear my father enter the room. ¡°Cara, what are you still doing here, training started 30 minutes ago.¡±

    31

    | whip my head at the clock and I¡¯m shocked to see that I¡¯mte for training. ¡± Dad, look what my mystery man left at our door.¡±

    | show him the dress and the jewelry. ¡°Well, sweetheart, are you going to ept his gift and wear that to the party tonight?¡±

    | look at my father. ¡°How can | not? Do you think the jewelry is real?¡± | ask.

    He leans over and looks at it more closely. ¡°Yes, | believe it is real.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, dad!¡±

    ¡°Cara,nguage.¡±

    ¡®Seriously, dad? A guy spends thousands on me for ONE NIGHT and | can¡¯t curse about it?¡±

    Dad chuckles. ¡°Take this to your room then get to training, we''ll talk more about it when you get back.¡±

    | do as my father says and | hightail it to training.

    Everyone gives me shit for beingte and Alpha Anders makes me runps before kicking everyone¡¯s butt. It¡¯s all good. | needed

    to clear my head, and I did. Then | took all of Alpha Anders¡® warriors down. When I¡¯m done, | give him an arrogant smile, ¡°Willing

    to try your luck again, Alpha?¡±

    Shaking his head, he says, ¡°Cara, | may be old, but I¡¯m not stupid. I''ll pass.¡± |ughed and headed back to the forest to change

    and head home.

    | spent the day soaking in the tub and then putting my makeup and hair into something presentable for this formal event. | was

    young when my mother died, and | don¡¯t have many events in my life that make me miss having a mother, but this is one of

    them. | can imagine her here, helping me get ready, talking about who my mystery man is and going through all the reasons we

    think it¡¯s him. Thinking of my mother makes me sad and | realize | haven''t been to her memorial in far too long. | make a mental

    note to go this weekend.

    | opt for a messy french twist since | have some hair pins with green crystals that closely match the earrings. | pull some pieces

    of my hair down around my face,

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    twisting my natural curls into submission, giving it a natural look.

    Next, | decided to go with a smokey mauve eyeshadow, a winged eyeliner and a couple swipes of mascara. A hint of blush and a

    dusky pink lip gloss finished the look.

    When | am done, | put on my dress and then added the jewelry. | finish it off with strappy 4 inch ck heels. The updo hairstyle

    allows the earrings to stand out. The sweetheart neckline of the dress only entuates the ne. | don¡¯t often. have the

    opportunity to dress up, but | have to admit, my mystery man has me feeling like a princess.

    | walk downstairs and get a wolf whistle from my father. ¡°Am | going to have to fight off every unmated male in the room tonight

    Cara?¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± | rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Liam AND my mystery man will be there tonight, so | think we¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Good, so | only have to worry about fighting off two guys tonight,¡± he mumbles to himself, but of course | hear him.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    | giggled at my father then go kiss his cheek. ¡°Speaking of fighting people off, | do believe you will be the most eligible bachelor

    at the party tonight dad. Perhaps | should be worried about having to fight off all those lonely women with you looking like this.

    You sure do clean up nicely dad.¡± I''d never seen my dad dressed up, so seeing him in a suit was a pleasant surprise. He filled it

    out well.

    My father looked at me as if I¡¯d said the most stupid thing in the world. ¡°Cara, there was only ever room for two women in my

    heart, you and your mother. There will never be anyone else for me. Wolves mate for life. | realize not all of the humans with

    wolves follow this philosophy, but believe me, there will never be a woman that couldpare to your mother, not even close.¡±

    | sighed. It wasn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve had this discussion. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t say | didn¡¯t warn you.¡±

    ¡°Let''s go, we''re already going to be fashionablyte.¡± He changes the subject. | walked to the passenger side of dad¡¯s renovated

    van. It was specially made so dad could not only get in and out by himself through an automatic ramp at the side of the van, but

    he could manage the gas and brake pedals with his hands. So, he was fully capable of driving himself anywhere he needed to

    go.

    The party was in a club rented out for the asion. | could only imagine how many people had to help set up for the event.

    When we arrived, Dad pulled up to valet parking. | got out of the van, waiting for my father to join me. When he was beside me,

    he offered me his arm, which | gratefully took.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    | took a deep breath and slowly let it out, ¡°Ready.¡± | said, and we began to walk. inside.

    Cooper Author

    Birthday party up next!

    n

    9

    424

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 47

    On the morning of my birthday, | wake early. Since it is my birthday, | am going to spend it how I choose. And | choose to start my

    day watching Cara kick my warriors¡® butts.

    | go to the window and wait. And wait. She¡¯s not here. I¡¯ve never seen her miss training. Could something have happened? |

    heard dad asking the warriors if anyone has heard from Cara. No one has. | am hoping nothing has gone wrong with the gift, or

    worse, that Liam has shown up early this morning to finish what he startedst night.

    Just as | was about to head over to her house to make sure she is ok, | see Artemis running toward the training field from the

    forest. My mind immediately settles. and | feel like | can breathe again. As shees out of the forest, everyone is giving her

    grief for beingte. Dad has her runps before allowing her to spar. | don¡¯t know if the intention is to wear her out, or to give the

    other warriors an opportunity to beat her, but either way, it doesn¡¯t work. She shows every one of them their ass.

    Surprisingly, she asks my dad if he wants to give it another shot. What is this? Dad has sparred with her? He¡¯s never mentioned

    it to me. When he said that he was old but not stupid, | had to wonder if Cara has beat him. That would be something, but if

    anyone can do it, my girl can.

    | can¡¯t wait to start training with her next week. I¡¯ve been waiting until she knows that it¡¯s me iming her and that | know who

    she is. After tonight, she will. So Monday morning, bright and early, I¡¯ll get my first chance to spar with Cara and see if she can

    take me down. | can¡¯t wait!

    After training, | jump in the shower and head downstairs to have breakfast with my family. | know mom will be in the kitchen and

    that the staff will be making a special breakfast for me. When | walk into the dining room, the entire room shouts ¡°Happy

    Birthday.¡± My mom stands at a table with her hands sped. together.

    | smile at her and walk over. ¡°Happy birthday my handsome boy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you mom, but I¡¯m not a boy anymore. Haven''t been in a while.¡±

    ¡°I''m your mother, you will always be my boy.¡±

    ¡°He

    My dad is next. ¡°Happy birthday son.¡± He reaches out to hug me and as he does he quietly asks, ¡°Smell anything mouth¡ª

    watering?¡± | pull back and smile, gently shaking my head, no. | know what he is asking. Can | smell my mate? ¡°Nothing.

    +15 BONDS

    other than this delicious food.¡±

    Several of the omegase outden with trays of food. They all wish me a happy birthday and | thank them all for the well

    wishes and the food.

    Breakfast is a long affair. | am pretty sure every unmated she¡ª-wolf of age in my pack came by to wish me a happy birthday. Still

    nothing.

    Chasees and sits beside me. ¡°Happy birthday Alpha.¡±

    He hands me a gift wrapped box. ¡°Before you open it, | expect you to share this when we find our mates.¡± | open the box to find

    WhistlePig, The Boss Hog VII. A $ 1000 bottle of whiskey.

    ¡°Damn Chase! This is awesome! I''ll be saving this for when we find our mates, our Alpha and Beta ceremonies, when our pups

    are born ¡ª shit, this will be for every amazing event in our lives. Thanks man!¡± | give him a bro hug. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to taste this, we

    may have to break it openter tonight!¡±

    ¡°So, what''s your n for today?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Nothing really until tonight. Everything is in ce.¡±

    ant to go for a run? We can see if you catch the scent of anything divine around the pack.¡±

    lea.50

    That sounds like a great idea, so Chase and | go for a run. We''re gone for a couple of hours, just enjoying the quiet and peaceful

    time. We stop by a smallke on our packnd and let our wolves get some water.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡®So, you ready for tonight?¡® Chase mindlinks me.

    ¡®Lam. | just hope it goes the way | want it to. She could surprise me and totally stand me up.¡±

    ¡®Nah, it¡¯s your birthday. No one would be that rude.¡¯

    ¡°True, which is why | think it''ll work. At least in the beginning, after that, | have to hope she''ll give me a chance.¡¯

    Nashes over and bumps shoulders with Kai. ¡®I¡¯m here for you. Whatever you need.¡¯

 Chapter 48

    When we get back to the packhouse, it¡¯s time to start getting ready. After showering again, | get dressed in ck dress pants and

    pair it with the ck dress shirt with peacock green cuffs, color and trim that | got specifically so it would match Cara¡¯s dress. I¡¯m

    really hoping she epts the gift and wears it. If she does, we will look like we dressed as a couple, which is exactly what | want.

    After pulling my hair in a man bun and putting on my dress shoes, I¡¯m ready. | head over to my parents¡® room and knock on their

    door. | learned at an lv age to wait for a response before walking in. Some things a child should never see their parents doing.

    And once seen, cannot be unseen. | shiver in disgust at the

    memory.

    | hear my mother¡¯s voice, ¡°Come in sweetheart.¡±

    | walk in and see my mom putting her nks mom.¡±

    1. in. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you look nice.¡± She says and | walk to her and kiss her cheek. ¡°Thanks mom.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready or should | grab Chase and head over without you?¡±

    My father walks out of their closet buttoning his shirt. ¡°We¡¯re just about ready, but if you want to go without us, we''ll be right

    behind you.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I''ll grab Chase and see you there.¡±

    | head down the stairs to the Beta floor and knock on Chase¡¯s door before walking in. | didn¡¯t smell a she¡ªwolf, so | know I¡¯m not

    walking in on anything. ¡°Hey man, you ready?¡±

    He¡¯s brushing his hair. ¡°Almost.¡± He turns and looks at me. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He grabs a hair tie and pulls his blond

    hair into a man bun too.

    I smirk at him, ¡°Easy is best.¡±

    He smirks back, ¡°That''s what she said.¡±

    We''reughing as we head down the stairs and my nose is assaulted with the overwhelming scent of rosewater. | look up as |

    get to the bottom of the stairs. She is standing there in a skin tight fire engine red dress that is so low her tits are about to fall

    out at the top and so short that you can see the bottom of her ass cheeks hanging out at the bottom. How did | ever find her

    attractive? Now, she just disgusts me.

    ¡°She, what are you doing here? Why aren¡¯t you at the party?¡± | ask as she

    attempts what | can only assume is supposed to be a sexy walk toward me but

    +15 BONOS

    falls very short of the mark.

    She runs her fingers up my chest. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m your date, remember?¡±

    | look at her like she is crazy. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± | ask, and Chase chimes in, ¡°Yeah She, what are you talking

    about?¡±

    She gives me a look like I¡¯ve got two heads. ¡°Yesterday at school. | said we should get together today for your birthday.¡±

    | can feel my brows drawing together. ¡°When was this? And did | answer?¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°We were talking yesterday morning and when | asked you said ¡®Sure*.¡± The smile, that I¡¯m assuming is supposed to be sexy, is

    back. ¡°So, here | am so we can go together. And luckily we match.¡±

    I''m about to blow a gasket, when Chase steps in. ¡°Alpha doesn¡¯t want to have any one make assumptions about him having a

    date tonight since he might meet his mate, being 18 now. But if you need a ride, you¡¯re wee toe with us.¡±

    I give a look and he shrugs. ¡°She squeals and jumps up and down, and | have to admit | was in a trance waiting to see if her tits

    would pop out. Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t.¡±

    We walk out to one of the waiting limos and Chase opens the door for She and whispers as | go to get in, ¡°We should start a

    pool to see if those tits fall out of that dress tonight.¡±

    ¡°All you man, | have other ns for tonight.¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡± He says as he ps me on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m always willing to be your wingman.¡±

    When we arrive at the club that my mother rented out for the night, She puts herself in between Chase and |, putting her arms

    through each of ours, effectively walking in on both our arms. As soon as we walk in the door, | disengage myself from her and

    head to the bar. 1

    I''m thankful for small favors that Cara hasn¡¯t arrived yet and didn¡¯t see my

    entrance.

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 Chapter 49

    As we walk up to the club, my stomach feels like a swarm of bees have suddenly taken up residence and I feel nauseous.

    As soon as we walk in, it feels like the entire room goes silent and everyone turns to look at my father and I. I feel a slight blush on my cheeks and I''m ready to bolt, until I see the warriors all incline their heads, almost as one, to my father. I forget that most of the pack rarely sees him. He''d be considered a hermit if it wasn''t for me living with him and Alpha Anders visiting every week.

    Luna Calista moves to us and Alpha Anders follows a step behind her. She takes my hands and hers, smiling fondly at me while Anders shakes dad''s hand. He offers my dad a drink and they head off toward the warriors who all look like they''ve just won the lottery. Luna Calista tells me how beautiful I look, her eyes twinkling at my jewelry.

    I self-consciously reach up to touch the pendant around my neck. "What a beautiful set of jewelry. Did you have it made?" she asks me kindly.

    "No ma''am. It was a gift."

    "What a lovely gift. Come. My son would love to meet you."

    I smile at her. What else could I do? It''s her son''s

    party and she insisted I attend. I look up and see that Rik is weing my father to the party and thanking him foring, but his eyes are on me.

    I reluctantly follow Luna Calista over to Alpha Anders, Rik and my father. I notice my father is slowly getting swarmed by the warriors, especially those that are closer to his age. My dad is a legend. Any warrior worth his weight knows who my dad is and will take this opportunity tonight to meet him and speak to him as long as he can.

    My attention is drawn back to Rik when Luna Calista stops. "Rik, this is Cara Nelson, Clint and Lily Nelson''s daughter." She turns to me, "Cara, this is my son Rik." I can''t help myself, I have to get the dig in. "Yes, thank you, Luna. We''ve met before."

    "Oh." She looks confused, looking at her son. "I thought you said you had never met Cara honey. I guess I''m a dayte and a dor short."

    I immediately feel bad. I hadn''t meant to make her feel awkward, only to put Rik on the spot.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "Actually, it was just a fleeting conversation at school, nothing formal." I put my hand out, giving him my best fake smile. "Alpha Rik, what a pleasure to meet you." I stress ''meet'' so he gets it that I am not letting this go. 1

    He takes my hand, but instead of shaking it, he brings it to his lips and gently kisses my hand, his eyes never leaving mine. I immediately feel a jolt of pleasure that goes straight to my core and I feel my tiny, insufficient thong getting soaked.

    His eyes pierce mine, and I see his nostrils re. Shit, can he smell my arousal?

    "The pleasure is all mine Cara." He says in a voice that is deep and gruff and I''m suddenly reminded of my dream fromst night. I feel my cheeks flush pink and I struggle to gain control of my emotions." Well," my voice sounds much higher than normal," Happy birthday. I hope you enjoy your party." He gives me a knowing smile. He knows he''s affecting me.

    He''s still holding my hand and I''m desperate to disengage myself from him, when another couple steps up to wish him a Happy Birthday. I take the opportunity to step away, but not before I hear him say, "Save me a dance Cara." It''s more of a request, not a question, but I still look at him and nod my head yes. It is his birthday after all, and I have no intention of offending the next Alpha and the guy I most likely will spend the rest of my life protecting.

    I turn to where my father is surrounded by warriors. They are all in their element and dad is the center of attention. While it''s not his usual ce, he is a natural. I watch while he chats with pack members, talking "shop" about training, methods, takedowns and of course, everyone continues to tell him how tough I am.

    I''m standing aside, waiting to ask if dad would like a drink, smiling as I watch my father enjoying himself, when I feel a warm body step up behind me. I turn my head and see Trevor. I turn fully and smile at him.

    "Hey Trevor, how are you?"

    He looks at me and whistles. "Damn girl, you dress up nice." I strike a pose beforeughing him off.

    He nods his head at my jewelry, "Nice rocks. Did thosee from your mystery man?"

    For a moment, I am worried that he is my mystery man. "They are," I respond, waiting to see how he responds.

    "Wow. Smart move. Your guy really wants to make an impression."

    I cock my head at him, "What do you mean?" Jasones up behind him, sees my jewels and whistles. " Holy shit. Are those from the guy? Have you figured out who it is yet?"

    I turn to my friend. "Yes, they are from the guy. No, I don''t know who he is." I turn back to Trevor who hasn''t stopped looking at the ne pendant. " What do you mean?"

 Chapter 50

    He looks up into my eyes. ¡°Let Artemise forward.¡± | do as he says, letting Artemise forward. Dean walks up to join our

    group and whistles. ¡°Whoa.¡±

    A couple of other guys who overhear us, turn in our direction and look at me. All of them had various reactions of awe. ¡°What??¡± |

    ask impatiently.

    Trevor looks at me and smiles softly, ¡°Those jewels he got you? They match your eyes when Artemis is forward, almost perfectly.

    Your emerald green eyes with her light gold rimming around it. | mean.....shit, it''s nearly perfect. This guy...he¡¯s making all of us

    look bad. He really likes you Cara. | don¡¯t know who it is, but if he¡¯s not your mate, he really wants to be.¡±

    Dean immediately jumps in, ¡°New betting pool. How much on the mystery man being Cara¡¯s fated mate?¡± The bets start

    immediately.

    ¡°You morons do realize that | don¡¯t turn 18 for a couple of months, right?¡±

    They ignore me and continue to make their bets.

    | shake my head and turn back to my father. He¡¯s still busy chatting, so | point at his ss silently asking if he wants another one.

    He nods yes and | head to the bar. | could use a drink too.

    | order a scotch on the rocks for dad and a ss of red wine for me. I¡¯m looking around the room, watching the harem cluster

    around Rik wishing him happy birthday. I¡¯m not sure there is one whole outfit among the flock. One girl looks like she¡¯s wearing a

    red dress meant for a child, not a grown woman.

    Shaking my head, | turn back to grab my drinks when | feel heat at my back and a familiar voice whispers in my ear, ¡°Should | be

    concerned that you are here getting two drinks?¡±

    | turn to face him, ¡°Alpha Liam.¡± | smile up at him. ¡°How wonderful to see you again.¡±

    He orders his drink, barely taking his eyes off of me. ¡°Believe me baby, the pleasure is all mine. You look absolutely gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°Why thank you.¡± | make the quick decision to not tell him that it¡¯s from my mystery man or that he will be revealing himself to me

    tonight. Liam seems to already be aware that tonight was significant.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    ¡°Want to join me over by my father?¡± | ask?

    He gives me that panty dropping smolder, ¡°Baby, | would follow you anywhere.¡±

    13

    +15 BONOS

    He grabs his drink from the bartender and follows me.

    | toss a smile over my shoulder at him as | walk over to my father and the warriors. | make introductions and Liam shakes hands

    with dad. | turn back to Liam. ¡°Did you already give the birthday boy your best wishes?¡±

    He looks at me over his drink as he takes a slow sip. My cheeks heat as | remember him looking at me like thatst night while

    his fingers were sliding in and out of me, making my body feel amazing. He lowers his drink and licks his lips, ¡°Not yet. | saw you

    and everything else in the room faded away.¡±

    Damn, these thong panties were definitely not meant to survive hot, smoldering Alphas!

    I''m about to reply when Alpha Anders clinks his ss to get everyone¡¯s attention. The room quiets down and he thanks everyone

    foring.

    ¡°As you all know, today my son turned 18. He is a man now and will soon take over as your Alpha.¡± The room cheers and Liam

    and | politely p our hands.

    Alpha Anders continues, looking at Rik. ¡°Son, | couldn¡¯t be more proud of you. For today, on your birthday, my greatest hope for

    you is that you find a love like | have with your mother. That you find your mate, and have lots of pups.¡± The crowd erupts in wolf

    whistles and cheering.

    Alpha Anders raises his hand for quiet. When the room settles down, he continues, ¡°but in the interim, we hope you enjoy your

    new ride.¡± He tosses Rik a set of car keys. Geez! A new car? Must be nice.

    Rik walks over to his father and hugs him before turning to his mother and kissing her on both of her cheeks. He then takes the

    mic. ¡°Thank you mom, thank you dad.¡± He turns to the crowd. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you all enough for joining me today and helping me

    celebrate.¡± His eyes connect with me and | freeze. Was thatment meant for me?

    m proud to one day be the Alpha of this amazing pack, and | will do my best to live up to the incrediblyrge shoes my

    father will be leaving me. My hope is that | will find my Luna before | take over as Alpha and that she will be my partner in

    running this pack.¡± Another round of cheers.

    ¡°On that note, | would like to start off the dancing tonight by asking a very special woman to dance with me.¡± | see the girl in the

    undersized red dress perk up, expecting to be asked to dance.

    | turn to Liam, expecting to start a conversation while Rik is dancing with his harlot du jour, but his next words knock the breath

    out of my lungs.

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    ¡°Cara Nelson, may | have this dance?¡± My entire body goes rigid. | slowly turn to see him holding his hand out to me.

    Cooper

    Author

    Hmm, who''s the harlot du jour now? Will Cara ept his dance Invitation?

    925

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 51

    After getting a drink, I¡¯m immediately swarmed by pack members of all ages. wishing me a happy birthday. My eyes keep

    scanning the room, hoping to see Cara. I¡¯m desperate to know if she is wearing the dress | got her. My entire n for tonight

    depends on it.

    Chasees over to pull me out of the group of people that have surrounded me. I¡¯m about to thank him when the room goes

    silent.

    I turn to the door and see Cara and her father. ¡®Mate! Kai says suddenly in my head. A broad smile spreads across my face.

    ¡®Yeah she is.*

    Kai is jumping around wanting to go see her. ¡®y it cool Kai, remember, she¡¯s not 18 yet. Artemis won''t recognize us as her

    mate for a couple more months.¡¯ This calms him down, but he continues to pace around in my head. ¡®Calm down. Remember our

    n for tonight. We''ll have her in our arms soon.¡¯

    She looks stunning. The dress | chose is perfect for her. She looks...like a Luna. Like MY Luna. Beautiful, proud, strong, and

    absolutely perfect. And currently looking a bit like she wants to throw up. The pink in her cheeks is a dead giveaway that she isn¡¯t

    happy to be the center of attention.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    From the corner of my eye, | see my warriors all incline their heads. | turn back to see Mr. Nelson swallow hard, his eyes looking

    a bit misty at their

    acknowledgement and deference. Before | can move, my mother has started in their direction, my father right behind her.

    | watch as my mother approaches Cara and my dad wees Mr. Nelson. As dad draws Mr. Nelson away, | see Cara reach up

    to touch her ne. My mother is a cunning woman. | don¡¯t know what she¡¯s asking Cara, but she will know it was me that

    gave her that jewelry.

    | move toward my father and Mr. Nelson. It¡¯s time that | received a proper introduction to the man that saved my father¡¯s life.

    As | approach, my father reaches out to corral me into the inner circle of warriors that have crowded around. ¡°Son. I''d like you to

    meet the greatest man I¡¯ve ever known and the reason that | am still standing here today. Clint Nelson.¡±

    He turns to Mr. Nelson, ¡°Clint, it is my pleasure to introduce you to my son, Rik.¡±

    | reach out to shake his hand. ¡°It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Sir. My mother and father have told me so much about you

    and your family over the years.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Rik, it is a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    +16 BONOS

    As my father begins introducing other warriors in the group, | can¡¯t help but look back at Cara. I¡¯ve only been watching her for a

    minute when her eyes meet mine.

    | can¡¯t help the smile that forms when | see my mother walking her over to where | am, no doubt nning to make introductions.

    As my mother introduces us, I¡¯m about to say that we¡¯ve met, but Cara beats me to the punch, giving me a mental jab in the

    process. But | can tell that while she has no problem with her words or for attempting to put me on the spot, she does feel bad for

    confusing my mother.

    She quickly covers it and then reaches out to shake my hand, stressing that she¡¯s pleased to meet me.

    The feel of her hand in mine is overwhelming and for a moment | can¡¯t find any words, so | just reach down and gently press my

    lips to the back of her hand. | can feel the tingles of our touch going through my hand, up my arm and now across my lips and

    face. It¡¯s euphoric and | want more. | want to touch every part of her body.

    As | stare into her shimmering eyes, | catch a whiff of her arousal and Kai begins to purr in my head. These next two months

    before her birthday will be torture, but what a glorious torture it will be. And it gives me time to win her over so she epts our

    bond.

    | finally find my voice, ¡°The pleasure is all mine Cara.¡± | watch her cheeks go pink again. Is she as affected by the bond as | am?

    She is a Guardian, so maybe her ability to sense the bond is stronger than most. Kai and | knew before today, it just wasn¡¯t

    confirmed.

    | have no intention of letting go of her hand until another couplees up to wish me happy birthday. Reluctantly, | let go of her

    hand but | make sure to tell her to save me a dance before | watch her turn back toward where my father and an increasing

    number of warriors are standing around talking to Mr. Nelson.

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 Chapter 52

    I''m pulled into group after group of well wishers, asking about when I''ll take over as alpha, will there be a graduation party, have |

    found my mate? | try to maintain the conversations as well as | can, but I¡¯m watching Cara. | can¡¯t look away, especially when

    Trevor and some other younger warriors approach her and it¡¯s obvious they are talking about the jewelry | got her.

    I can tell she didn¡¯t understand why | chose those colors. I''ve seen Artemis in her eyes so many times this week when she

    received the gifts that it''s be one of my favorite things about her. I''ve dreamt of those eyes and now she is wearing the

    jeweled version.

    | keep my eyes on her as she heads over to the bar. I¡¯ve somehow gotten

    surrounded by a group of unmated females and She pushes herself front and center as if she belonged there.

    I''m about to move away from all of them when | see Liam enter the clubhouse. He looks around finding Cara and he zeros in on

    her. A soft growl rumbles out of my chest.

    ¡®Do something.¡± Kai yells in my head. ¡®Get him away from her. She¡¯s MINE!¡¯

    ¡°Alpha, are you okay?¡± One of the girls around me asks.

    Distractedly, | respond, still watching the interaction between Liam and Cara, ¡± Yeah, | just need to find my parents. Do you know

    where they are?¡±

    The

    -helpful She jumps in, ¡°They are over there babe. Do you want me to get them for you?¡± She points to her left, near the stage.

    ¡°No thanks, | got it.¡±

    I start to head that way and watch as Liam and Cara go to speak to Mr. Nelson and the other warriors. Kai snarls at the way she

    smiles at him. | want her to

    smile at me like that.

    | walk up to my father. ¡°Hey dad, ready to get this show on the road?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely son.¡±

    He steps up on the stage and grabs a spoon to clink his ss and get the room''s attention. | watch as my dad interrupts

    whatever sexy thing Liam was about to say to Cara, thank the goddess.

    Dad gives a speech about me bing Alpha, finding a love like his and mom¡¯s, I¡¯m working on it dad¡¯, | think, and having lots

    of pups. The thought of having

    +15 BONDS

    pups with Cara has me instantly hard. Fuck, now | have to do something quick before the whole room sees me popping a tent in

    my pants.

    Thankfully Dad tosses me the keys to a new car. | see the Porsche symbol on the key chain. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the 911 turbo I''ve

    had my eyes on for a while now. | don¡¯t even know what to say. | walk over to my parents and quietly thank them while hugging

    each of them. It¡¯s so much more than | ever expected.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    | take the mic. Now, it¡¯s time to let Cara know who her mystery man is.

    As | thank everyone foring, | can¡¯t help making eye contact with her. Honestly, if no one else but her hade tonight, my

    party would have been the best I''d ever had. | make a point of saying that | hope to find my Luna. | already have, but she has to

    ept me when her birthdayes around.

    And now, it¡¯s do or die time.

    ¡°| would like to start off the dancing tonight by asking a very special woman to dance with me.¡± | see Liam stiffen out of the corner

    of my eye. He knows exactly what I¡¯m about to do.

    ¡°Cara Nelson, may | have this dance?¡± | watch as her body straightens. It¡¯s obvious by the way she wasn¡¯t even looking in my

    direction that she didn¡¯t expect me to ask her.

    She turns, looking at my hand outstretched to her with a shocked expression on her face. Along minute goes by before she

    steps up and epts my hand. | give her a smile that could light up a room and hand the microphone to my father, before Ed

    Sheeran¡¯s Perfect begins to y.

    | pull her into me, wrapping one arm around her waist and taking her other hand in mine before beginning to sway to the music.

    Cooper

    Author

    Kal recognized Cara and Artemis as his mate! Woo-hoo!

    24

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 0053

    When he asked me to dance, | stared at his hand for a moment. What is he doing?

    When | collect myself, | put my hand in his. It¡¯s his birthday and nearly the entire pack is here. There¡¯s no way | can say no

    without it bing a huge issue.

    He pulls me into him, sliding his warm hand around my waist, and begins to dance. As | look up at him, | realize something |

    missed earlier. He¡¯s dressed in at shirt that has a trim the same color as my dress. The cor, the cuffs and the trim down the

    buttons all match me. It looks like we are a couple that nned this.

    When | look into his eyes, he is looking right at me, smiling, but I¡¯m not having it. Thankfully, the music will hide our conversation

    as long as we keep it low.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°What is this?¡± | ask him, stering a fake smile on my face for the crowd.

    ¡°What is what, Cara?¡±

    ¡°This. This dance. Why me?¡±

    ¡°It''s my birthday and | get to choose who | dance with, and | choose you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but why? You have an entire entourage of women who would have given an ovary for you to ask them to dance but you

    asked me. Why? You didn¡¯t even know who | was an hour ago.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t know who Cara Nelson was, or | didn¡¯t know that you were Cara

    Nelson?¡±

    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± | spit the words at him, having difficulty maintaining my smile while we dance and talk.

    If it was possible, his gaze on me became even more intense. ¡°Cara Nelson is the daughter of Lily Nelson. Lily Nelson gave her

    life saving my mother and | when another pack attacked us. | was barely 6 years old at the time, but | remember that day like it

    was yesterday. Cara Nelson is also the daughter of Clint Nelson. Clint Nelson saved my father¡¯s life during that same battle but it

    cost him the use. of his legs due to a massive spinal injury that could not be repaired, even though father brought in the best

    pack doctors from around the world and even some human spinal surgeons to try.¡±

    my

    My mouth had dropped open a little as | listened. | knew Alpha Anders had tried to help find someone to help my father, but |

    hadn''t realized it was to that extent. ¡°My father has dinner with Clint Nelson every Thursday without fail. | have asked every week

    for as long as | can remember if | could join him for those dinners,

    12

    but my father insists that that is his time with his friend. And since my father ordered the pack to give Mr. Nelson his privacy, |

    have never been able to visit and pay my respects. So instead, | go with my mother every Thursday to Lily Nelson''s memorial to

    lay flowers and to thank her for her sacrifice.¡±

    His eyes had gotten darker and | knew that Kai was present for this conversation. The absolute respect that Rik disyed while

    discussing my parents was shared by his wolf. | felt Artemis push forward as well to hear what he was saying and be present for

    this discussion.

    ¡°| thank the goddess every day that my parents and | are alive, which | know is only because of the sacrifice that was made by

    two of the most respected warriors that this pack has ever known. | have hoped to meet Cara Nelson my entire life. | have

    searched for her at every pack gathering, every pack event, at meals and events in the packhouse. But | have never stumbled

    across her.¡±

    ¡°Believe me,¡± he states as he continues to slowly spin us around the room, ¡°I have wanted to know the woman that will be my

    Guardian. The woman that will swear her life to protect me when | be Alpha. | want to know who she is, but more

    importantly, | want her to know who | am. | want her to know that | am a man that is worth protecting. That | am a man that is

    worthy of the gift of a Guardian. | want her to know that | will be the kind of Alpha that deserves her respect, someone that she

    will be proud to say she is the Guardian for.¡±

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 Chapter 54

    ¡°Do | know who Cara Nelson is? Yes, | absolutely do. Did | know that YOU were Cara Nelson? Not until one week ago. Not until |

    saw you at school and something inside of me drew me to you.¡±

    | stared at him speechless. ¡°All this time.¡± | whisper, shaking my head softly. ¡°All this time, | thought you had no idea who | was or

    what my family had done. When you came up to me all arrogant and cocky at school¡± | smiled a little as | said it, well, it just

    confirmed for me that you had no idea who or what | was, and have no respect for my family¡¯s sacrifice for yours.¡± ¡±

    His arm tightened around me more, leaving nothing but our clothes between us. His warmth seeping into my skin, his words

    warming me deep into my heart and soul. He leaned his forehead down to touch mine. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be any further from the

    truth. And | meant what | said. | want you to know who | am. | want us to get to know each other. | want you to feel pride at being

    my Guardian, not feel that it¡¯s a burden to you and Artemis.¡±

    We danced like that for a few steps, when | finally heard the song that was ying. ¡°Perfect, really? How did you get stuck

    dancing this song with me, Alpha?¡± 1

    He lifts his head and cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°I chose it.¡±

    | jerk my head back in response. ¡°You chose it?¡± He nods at me smiling ¡°Yep. There were several others that were in the running,

    but I chose this one.

    ¡°What other songs were in contention?¡± | asked, interested in how he made his choice.

    ¡°All of Me which was a close second, Lover, but it seemed too soon for that one.¡± | scoffed.

    Adevilish grin spread on his face. ¡°There was that song from the 50 Shades of Grey¡® movie and if you¡¯re into that kind of kink,

    I''m sure | can help you out with that.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

    | couldn''t help theugh that escaped me as | blushed to the tips of my ears and decided to divert the conversation to safer

    topics. ¡°So, why this one?¡±

    ¡°Well, none of them fit exactly, but this one was the best, especially since you wore the dress and jewelry | got for you.¡±

    | nearly stopped dancing. He covered for my missed steps until | could recover and continue dancing.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°You?¡± | whisper. ¡°You are my mystery man?¡±

    m.¡±

    Artemis pushed forward again, wanting to clearly see the man and wolf that had honored her. | watched as Kai came forward

    and Rik¡¯s cial blue eyes darkened to sapphires. ¡®I... Thank you.¡± Artemis¡¯s voiceyered over mine when | thanked him,

    making it deeper.

    He smiled at me. It was a tender smile, gentle and sweet and full of promise. ¡°You are most wee.¡± His voice was also deeper

    with Kai¡¯s voice added to his own.

    ¡°Is it true about the jewelry? That you had it made for me because it is what my eyes look like when Artemis is shining in them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied and looked a bit ufortable. ¡°Would it sound creepy if | told you I¡¯ve dreamt of those eyes several times this

    week?*.

    I smirk at him. ¡°Well, | guess that depends on what it is that | was doing in your dreams while you were looking at my...eyes.¡± |

    licked my lips as | said it, if his dreams had been anything like mine, they are about as far as you could get from tonic.

    His eyes tracked to my lips and he looked sheepish. ¡°Hmmm, you''re just starting to sound willing to spend some time getting to

    know me. Perhaps we can save the dream discussions until our second date?¡±

    ¡°Our second date? Are you counting this as a date, Alpha?¡± | ask coyly.

    ¡°Rik. Please, call me Rik. And no. When | take you on a date, you''ll know it.¡±

    The song slowlyes to an end, and he sings the final line to me, ¡°You look. perfect tonight.¡±

    We stand there, staring at each other, lost in each other, forgetting that we were in a room filled with other wolves.

    He opened his mouth to say something, when all hell breaks loose.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Cooper Author

    And now Cara knows! Not only does Rik know who she is, but he¡¯s her mystery man

    27

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 55

    Everything was perfect. Exactly as | had nned. | knew she¡¯d be angry at first but unless she made a public spectacle of

    leaving me on the dance floor, | have about four and a half minutes to tell her how | feel.

    | could see the change in her the minute | started telling her about her mother¡¯s and father¡¯s sacrifices. Her surprise, her mouth

    dropping open as | went on and on about what her family had done for mine.

    As | continued my story, | felt Kai push forward. He wanted Artemis to know that he was also part of this, that he also appreciated

    what her parents had done for us. It has the desired effect as | see Artemis push forward to join the conversation as well.

    | was so right about the jewelry. It¡¯s a perfect match to her eyes when Artemis is forward. Her beautiful eyes which have haunted

    my dreams. Even though my entire focus is on her, | make sure that we continue our dance and I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that she

    does not have any trouble following my lead. She¡¯s perfect.

    p toe

    | continue to tell her that I''ve wanted to meet her for years, hoping across her at any pack event. Then letting her know that |

    want her to get to know me. This is key. | want, no, | need her to fall in love with me before she turns 18 and Artemis feels the

    mate bond. | want her to feel it before the bond takes effect, to know that it is me that she wants in her life.

    | can feel her shock at what I¡¯ve said and how she is struggling to adjust her lifetime of thinking about me with what I¡¯ve just told

    her. | pull her closer, feeling my body tingling at the contact with her, even through our clothes. | touch my forehead to hers,

    needing the skin to skin contact, but also making it impossible. for her to look away from me. | want her to understand that this is

    just the beginning. | have every intention of making her mine, showing her how wonderful our life can be together.

    | can tell the minute that it has be a bit overwhelming for her as she changes the subject and asks about my song choice.

    She seemspletely taken off guard. when | tell her | chose the song for her. | tell her some of the other choices | went through

    before choosing this one. | smile internally at her blush when | mention ¡± 50 Shades of Grey¡¯ and asking if that¡¯s her kink. Her

    blush is beautiful but, as expected, she ignores my question and pushes back to her original question. | tell her | chose this one

    because | had really hoped that she would wear the dress and jewelry | bought her. She did, and she does look absolutely

    perfect.

    So, when | tell her it was me that got them for her, I¡¯m prepared when her steps

    +15 BONOS

    falter and | amodate to make sure our dancing seems seamless to anyone watching.

    When Artemis pushes forward and | hear them both thank us, Kai also pushes forward to reply with me. He was desperate to

    have her in our arms, and now that she is, he is calm and content in my head, practically willing to roll over and show Artemis his

    belly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Then she asks me about the jewelry. So, someone recognized what | had done. Not hard if you¡¯ve ever seen Artemis in her

    eyes. But then | decide to go a step further and let her know that I''ve been dreaming about her, hoping she won''t specifically ask

    about the dreams. She doesn¡¯t ask outright, but her devious smile gives her away. And, now I¡¯m wondering if she¡¯s been

    dreaming of me as well. Goddess | hope so.

    When she licks her lips, it is all | can do to not kiss her. | don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ready for that yet and | don¡¯t want to scare her off.

    ¡®Kiss her! Kiss her!¡® Kai barks in my head. Instead, | tell her I¡¯d rather save that for our second date, setting it up for her to go out

    with me at least twice.

    When she asks me if I¡¯m counting this as a date and then gives me that grin, it reminds me of the first lines of All of Me and why |

    nearly chose that song.

    ¡®What would | do without your smart mouth?

    Drawing me in and you kicking me out.

    You''ve got my head spinning, no kidding

    | can¡¯t pin you down.¡±

    Yeah, she has a smart mouth and one day, very soon, I''ll be punishing those beautiful lips with my own when she gets smart with

    me.

    But | don¡¯t want her to think of me as her Alpha, | want her to think of me as her lover, her mate, her friend, her partner. So | ask

    her to call me Rik. | let her know that when | take her out, she will know it¡¯s a date. I¡¯ve never had a reason or desire to really

    wine and dine a girl. They always fall at my feet and don¡¯t seem to expect much from me other than a possibility of being the next

    Luna, which was never an option.

 Chapter 56

    But Cara is special. And | want her to know every day for the rest of her life how special she is to me. | don¡¯t want there to ever

    be a doubt in her mind that she¡¯s the one and only one for me. Since the moment | saw her across the quad at school, no one

    will everpare to her in my eyes.

    As the songes to an end, | can¡¯t help but sing the closing line to her. She is perfect, in every way.

    I''m caught in a trance looking into her eyes. | don¡¯t know how long we would have stood there if things hadn''t gone to shit.

    The howls of the patrols sounding the rm goes up at the same time that wolvese crashing into the clubhouse, seemingly

    from everywhere. | push Cara behind me as two wolves came right at us. | shift as | jump toward them, my clothes shredding

    around me. Kai begins ripping out throats, the smell of garbage a clear indication that they are rogues. All around me, warriors

    are shifting and fighting.

    My father mindlinks the pack. ¡°Warriors, get the rogues out of here, we need to protect those that cannot fight.¡± He¡¯s right, with

    most of the pack here, there are pregnant females, pups and elderly that can¡¯t shift any longer.

    | open the mindlink to the pack. ¡°Anyone that cannot fight, move toward the bathrooms. Warriors create a barrier around them to

    keep them safe.¡± | see a wolf racing toward a pregnant woman holding her young pup. Her mate is battling another wolf and

    can¡¯t help her. | jump on the wolf, ripping his head off. | look at the woman and nod my head in the direction | want her to go. She

    clutches her child and takes off.

    | see Cara from the corner of my eye. She hasn¡¯t shifted but she¡¯s taking out her share of rogues while corralling others into the

    back room by the bathrooms. | watch as she pushes a pup behind her, letting her wse out as she shes the throat of a

    rogue who jumped at her. She then picks up the pup and moves. toward the area where several warriors are setting up a

    perimeter to protect the pack members.

    She finds her father. He has stationed himself front and center of the protection perimeter and even from here | can see he is

    barking out orders to the other warriors. His eyes are so golden that they look like small suns glowing out of his eyes. Donovan is

    fighting with Mr. Nelson. | watch as a rogue attempts to go for his throat, thinking he¡¯s easy prey. Mr. Nelson catches the wolf in

    mid air with one hand and rips his head off with the ws of the other as if it was nothing. He

    +15 BONOS

    may be in a wheelchair, but | will never underestimate that man¡¯s fighting ability.

    More rogues pour into the club. My father, Liam, Chase and our pack warriors are tearing into them, but there are so many and

    they just keeping. Where are they evening from? | begin tearing my way through more rogues, trying to help as many

    warriors as | can, when | hear a howl from outside. The rogues. begin to make their way out of the building. Oh hell no! You''re

    not getting off that easily.

    | follow them out of the building, seeing, for the first time, their true numbers. There are hundreds of them. On a hill a short

    distance away, | see their leader. He is looking right at me. His wolf is giving me a sly smile. He turns and runs off, away from the

    fighting. Coward!

    Kai immediately begins to chase him. The leader¡¯s wolf is big, but not as big ast Kai. We are gaining on him, but he¡¯s smarter

    than | gave him credit for and he continues to evade us. Kai gets in a good swipe on this hindleg, but he continues

    to run.

    He runs through some bushes and we follow. It¡¯s only after wee out into a small clearing that | smell them. It¡¯s an ambush,

    and a well yed one. There are. at least 20 wolves here and they surround me immediately.

    Kai bares his teeth and begins snapping at them. The leader shifts back to his human form. ¡°Alpha Rik, how kind of you to join

    us.

    From behind me, | feel the pricks of several darts into my hindquarters.

    The wolfsbane begins to flood my system and I¡¯m forced to shift back as the drug knocks Kai out, effectively reducing me to a

    human.

    | look up as the leader heads my way with silver handcuffs and shackles in his hand. ¡°Now we wait for your Guardian.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Atrap for Cara???N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    15

 Chapter 57

    The moment the wolves charge into the clubhouse, Rik pushes me behind him and shifts attacking two almost immediately. |

    only have a moment to appreciate the quickness of his shift before I¡¯m faced with my own wolves.

    Artemis pushes forward, about to shift, when Alpha Anders shouts to get those that can¡¯t fight to safety and for warriors to protect

    them. As | look around, | realize | need to stay in human form for now and help get those that need help to safety.

    Artemis stays forward, using her ws to slice through any of the rogues that get in our way. We begin moving mothers, pups

    and the elderly to the safe zone. | see my father wheeling his way over to where the non-fighters will be. He will handle the

    perimeter set up.

    | see a pup cowering on the floor, alone and crying. A rogue goes for her but Artemis slices into his side from neck to nk. The

    wolf yelps and falls before she rips his throat out. | grab the pup and begin to head to the safe zone. Another wolf jumps at me. |

    push the pup behind me before shing the throat out of this one as well. | grab the pup and get her behind the line of warriors

    my father is setting up. He is barking orders at them, getting them into formation when he calls my name.

    | take out another wolf as | move toward him. ¡°Cara! Stay with Alpha Rik. That is your job. Protect the future Alpha.¡± | nod once to

    acknowledge him as a howl echos from outside.

    The rogues all begin to pull back and | see Kai jumping out of the building through one of the many holes made by the rogues. |

    let Artemis forward to shift and | follow after Rik.

    When | get outside, | see the sheer number of wolves that have the building surrounded. Artemis lifts her head and howls a

    warning to those inside. Our warriors can take them, but they need to be prepared, and | don¡¯t think anyone knew there were this

    many rogues working together to attack our pack. Alpha Anders links me and | let him know of therge number of rogues

    outside and that I¡¯m going after Rik,

    I catch his scent and begin to follow after him. He has taken off on his own. | don¡¯t have time to wonder why he would do that, as

    | am under constant attack by the rogues. | take them down one after another and continue to follow Rik and

    Kai''s

    scent.

    1/3

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    As |e up to a group of bushes, | can smell the scent of many wolves, but also Rik¡¯s scent. It smells off. ¡®Wolfsbane.¡® Artemis

    tells me. ¡®I can¡¯t hear Kai. They must have captured them.¡±

    ¡®So, it¡¯s a trap?¡® | ask her.

    ¡®Most likely.¡¯

    | reach out via mindlink to my father. ¡°Dad, it seems that Alpha Rik has been captured by the rogues. I¡¯m going after him, but it

    seems to be a trap. I''ll let you know more when | can.¡± Before he can respond, | close the link and jump through the bushes.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    When I''m clear of the bushes, | see a man holding Rik by the hair, a knife to his throat. Rik is naked except for the handcuffs and

    shackles on him. He¡¯s on his knees, his throat exposed because of the way the leader is yanking his head back. The leader is a

    giant of a man. He smells like a wolf, but he is built like a bear shifter. His skin is the color of dark chocte, his ck hair

    trimmed close to his head. He has a thin mustache that follows the curve of his generous upper lip. His body is ripped, his chest

    looks like boulders on top of a trim 8-pack. His biceps arerger than my thighs and so ripped they look like they could cut

    diamonds.

    | look around, slowly walking in a circle. There are at least 20, probably closer to 25 wolves surrounding me. One makes the

    mistake ofing too close and Artemis rips his throat out.

    ¡°Guardian!¡± The leader yells to get my attention. | turn back to him, watching as Rik struggles against his restraints. Without Kai,

    there is little chance that he will be able to get away.

    | shift back to my human form. It¡¯s the only way for me to find out what this guy wants. Rik snarls as | stand fully naked in front of

    so many men. The leader takes his time looking over my body. | don¡¯t care, it''s just skin and flesh.

    ¡°Guardian.¡± Now his voice sounds like a purr. He tosses me a shirt. It reeks of garbage, but | put it on anyway.

    ¡°You seem to know who | am, which means you should know my purpose. You have my Alpha, so you are either stupid or crazy.¡±

    | cock my head to the side. ¡± Which is it?¡±

    Ten darts hit my chest in rapid session. Artemis snarls loudly as Rik yells and thrashes against the leader.

    | pull one out and smell it. ¡°Wolfsbane? Really? Okay, you¡¯re stupid. I''MA GUARDIAN BITCH! I¡¯m immune to wolfsbane.¡± | yell at

    him as | rip the other

    nine darts out of my chest.

 Chapter 58

    | see fear in his eyes for a moment before it turns to something else. Desire, lust, whatever that look is, it makes my stomach

    turn.

    ¡°Well, | will admit, | had high hopes for you Guardian, but you are already exceeding my expectations.¡± He says with hunger in

    his voice as his eyes darken.

    ¡°Oh, you have no idea what misery you''ve just brought upon yourself and your band of rogues.¡± | state as | let my guardian aura

    out, full force. The wolves surrounding me fall to the ground, submitting to me immediately, some yelping and whining on the

    ground. Four others fall out of the trees, their dart gunsnding beside them. | watch as the leader struggles to not submit as |

    focus my aura on him. Even Rik is sweating at my power.

    ¡°Enough!¡± He yells and digs the tip of the knife into Rik¡¯s neck, drawing blood.¡± Drop the aura or | drop your alpha.¡±

    ¡°You kill my alpha, and | no longer have a reason to keep you alive.¡± | retort, but | let my aura drop.

    The wolves around me are panting and sweating, some still writhing in pain. | look back at the leader. ¡°I know who you are.

    You''re the Banished Beta, Eli Gunner.¡±

    He nods his head in acknowledgement of my assessment. ¡°Close, I¡¯m an Alpha now.¡±

    I snort and lift my nose in the air. ¡°You don¡¯t smell like an Alpha, you smell like a Beta. Just because you give yourself a title

    doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s yours.¡±

    He snarls at me and the knife slides closer to Rik¡¯s neck again. ¡°I''ll remind you that if you spill anymore of my Alpha¡¯s blood that

    your life is forfeit, Beta.¡± | stress the title.

    I start pacing, following Artemis¡¯s path in my head. She wants blood, she wants to kill these wolves and get Rik back to safety.

    ¡°So,¡± | ask, ¡°what does a self- proimed Alpha want with my Alpha?¡±

    ¡°You mean future Alpha, don¡¯t you Guardian? He¡¯s not the Alpha yet. After all, titles seem to be important to you.¡± He sneers at

    me.

    I sneer back at him, ¡°He smells more like an Alpha than you do.¡±

    Eli grits his teeth. ¡°Not for long. | have a n.¡±

    ¡°And that n involves you kidnapping and threatening my Alpha? You do know

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    that Artemis is named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, and we will hunt you down like the dog you are to the ends of the

    earth if we must, and kill you for this affront.¡±

    ¡°Then, | guess it¡¯s a good thing that your Alpha¡¯s,¡± he stresses the word, ¡°role in this abduction hase to an end.¡±

    My eyes flicker to Rik¡¯s. I¡¯m assessing how long it will take me to reach him. versus how fast Eli can flick his wrist to slice his

    throat open. | know I''ll never make it. The look in his eyes says that | shouldn''t even try. But | have to. | have to try. | move to step

    forward.

    ¡°lll make a deal with you Guardian.¡± His words halt my forward motion.

    My eyes shift back to Eli. ¡°And that is?¡±

    ¡°Your Alpha was a pawn. What | want is you.".

    ¡°Me?¡± I¡¯m intrigued. Does he really think that my allegiance can be shifted like this? Like most of the rogues in this makeshift

    pack have shifted.

    ¡°Yes, you. If you agree toe with me willingly, | will let your Alpha go.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Rik yells. ¡°I forbid it Cara.¡±

    ¡°Oh pup, look who is stupid now.¡± Eli taps Rik¡¯s face condescendingly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about Guardians Alpha?¡± He

    snarls out the title, ¡°The Alphamand doesn¡¯t work on them. Honestly, it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even deserve to have a Guardian.¡±

    He looks back up at me. ¡°So, Cara, do we have a deal?¡±

    ¡°How do | know that you''ll let him go?¡±

    ¡°lll knock him out and leave him here for his people to find, if you will put these handcuffs on.¡± he tosses me a set of handcuffs.

    ¡°But I''ll warn you, if you struggle, | will kill him.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    but

    | look at Rik for a long moment. He is shaking his head ¡®no¡¯ as best as he can, | know this is what | have to do. This is who | am.

    It''s what I¡¯ve trained for my whole life. And, | also know that there is no way that my father, my pack or Liam and his pack, will

    just let me go. They wille for me. Eli Gunner, whether intentionally or not, is starting a war.

    ¡°| agree.¡±

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Rik screams before Eli injects him in the neck with something that knocks him out cold. He lets Rik drop to the ground

    but stays where he is.

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    ¡°The handcuffs Guardian.¡±

    | pick them up off the ground and click them into ce on my wrists, the silver burning and causing Artemis to weaken, but not

    totally lose consciousness. Elies to stand beside me, taking my arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And he begins walking, pulling me along

    with him.

    H

    Cooper

 Chapter 59

    As the wolves rush into the clubhouse, the warriors around me scatter, jumping into their wolf form. Donovan pushes forward

    wanting to shift, but | hold him back. It is easier for us to fight in this form, partially shifted. My canines and ws extend and |

    begin fighting the rogues, putting myself in front of those that cannot fight or are protecting the pups.

    Alpha Anders¡®mand to move the non-fighters to a safe area and set up a perimeteres immediately before | get a

    private mindlink from him asking me to lead the perimeter protecting the weakest of the pack. | immediately agree and begin

    heading that way, taking down wolves as | go. o

    | get into ce and begin ordering the warriors, who seem to be in chaos, not knowing which way to direct their efforts. A line

    begins to form and others help. those that cannot fight get behind our lines.

    Cara brings a pup over and pushes them behind our line. | tell her to get back to Alpha Rik. Others can help with the pups but

    only she can protect our future alpha.

    | hear the how! that calls the rogues back and watch as Cara jumps through a hole in the wall to head outside. Her howl of

    warning tells me that there are way more of these rogues than we expected. | take out a final wolf trying to sneak past us to get

    out, before turning to make sure that everyone behind us is safe and okay. | mindlink one of the pack doctors to join us to look at

    the unshifted pups. Some of them have injuries and without their wolves, they won''t heal quickly. We also have some pregnant

    females and | don¡¯t want anyone losing their pups because of stress or a bump that they didn¡¯t feel because of the adrenaline

    rush.

    As | work to make sure everyone inside is okay, | hear the battle continuing outside. The rogues may have nned to run away,

    but our pack warriors are not letting them get away.

    | feel Cara mindlink to me

    that Alpha Rik has been captured and that she¡¯s going after him, but it feels like a trap. She says she¡¯ll update me when she can

    but she closes the link before | can respond.

    | immediately try to link to Anders, but his mind is locked, most likely busy in a fight. | grit my teeth. | should be out there helping

    him. | wheel myself toward an opening, trying to find a way out.

    Awolf is flying through the air toward me, | grab him in one hand, and tear his head off with the other before letting him drop to

    the ground. | look up to see

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    Chase¡¯s wolf, Nash, grinning at me, blood all over his muzzle. He nods his head at me then jumps on another wolf, tossing him

    at me. We keep this up and a couple other warriors join in. They take them down, | take them out.

    When things settle down, Anderses over to p me on the shoulder. ¡°See, | told you we still needed you.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Anders listen,¡± | cut him off, ¡°Cara linked me a while ago. Alpha Rik was captured and she was going after him. | haven¡¯t heard

    any more from her.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where they were?¡± He asks, moving into Alpha mode.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t...¡± I''m cut off as Cara mindlinks me again, ¡°Rik is in the western territory, he is unconscious. | have traded myself

    for him. Send someone to get him. | don¡¯t know where they are taking me, but I''ll let you know more as | can. | don¡¯t think they

    realize that our connection is stronger than a normal pack connection.¡± The mindlink broke off.

    Donovan howled in my head and before | could stop him, he shifted and pulled me out of the wheelchair. His back legs don¡¯t

    work any

    etter than my legs, but he doesn¡¯t care. He starts dragging us using his front legs. ¡®Our pup needs us!¡® ¡°Donovan,¡± Anders puts

    his hand on my wolf¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What is it, what happened?¡±

    | mindlink him to tell him what Cara told me. He shouts orders to send people to go get Rik before turning back to me. ¡°Donovan,

    we''ll get her. We won''t let them have her.¡±

    Alpha Liam steps up, ¡°Have who? Did someone take Cara?¡±

    Anders turns to Liam, ¡°Yes. Cara mindlinked Clint. Someone captured Rik and Cara traded ces with him. He is apparently

    unconscious and she has been taken away.¡±

    He turns back to me, ¡°Donovan, give Clint back control. | promise you, my word as an Alpha, we will get your daughter back.¡±

    Donovan reluctantly gives me control and | shift back. Anders shouts for

    someone to bring my wheelchair and he and Liam lift me back into it. Someone brings me a towel andys it across myp.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°We need a n. Let¡¯s get back to the packhouse and make one. We captured some wolves, we''ll interrogate them and see

    what they know.

    | get in my van, putting on a spare set of clothes. When | arrive back at the packhouse, they are just bringing Alpha Rik in.

    Rik

    I''m so pissed at myself for getting captured. | know better, but | fell right into the trap.

    I''m not surprised when Cara, or should | say Artemis, shows up, but | am shocked at howrge she is. | hadn''t realized it when |

    saw her in the woods. before training. She is definitely the size of an alpha wolf. Her beautiful brown fur is the same color as

    Cara¡¯s hair.

    | watch as she assesses the situation, taking in all of the rogues surrounding her. | can¡¯t help but feel pride when she takes one

    out just for getting too close to her. She¡¯s amazing to watch in action..N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    The leader gets angry when she kills one of his wolves but his entire demeanor changes as she shifts into her human form,

    naked for all of them to see. | can¡¯t help the snarl that bursts from my mouth, as | watch the wolves literally licking their lips as

    they stare at what¡¯s mine.

    Thank the goddess for small favors, the leader gives her a shirt to put on. | can see her nose twitch when she gets a whiff of it.

    Yeah, rogues stink.

    I''m shocked when the wolfsbane does not affect her. For a second | was terrified but her anger was glorious. Then when she

    pushed her aura out. It was like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen or felt before. As an Alpha, | can feel the aura of other alphas, but I¡¯m not

    affected. This? This was something else. I¡¯m not sure if | felt the need to submit because Kai is out cold or if her power is just that

    strong. | watch the other wolves whining and writhing on the ground. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Kick

    ass!"

    | don¡¯t even care about the knife he digs into my throat. If only one of us is going to survive this, it¡¯s going to be her. But she

    drops her aura when he threatens me. Then she calls him the Banished Beta, Eli Gunner. | know that name, but | can¡¯t recall

    where or why.

    | have to admit, she¡¯s good at getting under his skin. And | agree with her, he doesn¡¯t smell like an Alpha, but | can¡¯t smell more

    than the rogue on him without

    +15 BONOS

    Kai.

    When he says my role in this is over, I¡¯m ready to be killed. After watching her in action, | know that once I¡¯m gone, Cara will

    survive. I¡¯m sad that she¡¯ll never know that I was her mate, but she will live and maybe she and Liam will end up together. He

    would be good to her, although the thought of her with anyone else makes me sick.

    But then he says he wants to make a deal, me for her. | can¡¯t help myself, | have to jump in and try to order her to stand down. |

    know it won''t work, but it''s the only choice | have, because | know her. | know her family, | know their history. They will give

    everything for the ones they protect. And | don¡¯t know if | can live with myself if she dies for me.

    | always had respect for the Nelson family, for what they did for mine. But right here, right now, | also realize the toll that it has

    taken on my parents. To live with the guilt that someone gave their life for you? | don¡¯t know that I¡¯m strong enough to live with

    that. | don¡¯t want to live without her, and | know Kai won''t either. She may not know yet that I¡¯m her mate, but we know. And now

    that | know that she¡¯s meant to be mine? There could never be another to take her

    ce.

    l ignore the Beta¡¯s taunting me about being stupid. | need Cara to look at me, to see that | don¡¯t want her to do this. | don¡¯t want

    her to take my ce.

    When she finally looks at me, | beg her with my eyes to not do this. | shake my head as much as | can. But | can see the resolve

    in her eyes, she ignores my request and agrees to his demand. | scream at her to stop. But before | can say any more, | feel the

    needle in my neck and everything goes ck.

    H

    Cooper

    Author

    What did you think of Clint¡¯s perspective?

    22

 Chapter 61

    Eli covers my head with a hood, so | can¡¯t see where we are going. It¡¯s enough for me to breathe and also to see bits of light

    here and there, but nothing specific. We walk for most of the night before we get to a group of cars. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    It''s not the first time I''ve asked, and I¡¯m met with the same silence | received every other time. Eli hasn¡¯t said a word to me since

    we left.

    We get to arge SUV, he takes the hood off, opens a bottle of water and offers it to me. Since it wasn¡¯t open before he offered

    it, | open my mouth and let him pour it in. | can go a long time without water but if he¡¯s offering, I''ll take what | can get when I can

    get it.

    When I''m done, he puts silver shackles on my ankles, puts the hood back on, then shoves me into the back of the SUV, sliding

    the cargo cover over me. Now, no one can see me from the outside and what little | could see out of the bag over my head is

    covered.

    | take this opportunity to mindlink my dad. ¡°Dad, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°CARA! Cara, are you alright, where are you?¡±

    ¡°Dad. I¡¯m okay. We''ve been walking all night. | think we continued west, but I¡¯m not totally sure. My head has been covered.¡±

    ¡°We have trackers out searching for you right now. They picked up the trail. where we found Rik.¡±

    ¡°Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He hase back around. The wolfsbane is still in his system, but he ist recovering slowly. Honey, where are you?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t really know. There were some cars parked in a clearing. That is where | am now. I¡¯m in the back of a ck or dark

    colored SUV, it has four doors and a hatchback. | didn¡¯t see a road and | can¡¯t see anything now because they put at cargo cover

    over me.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what they want? Rik said it¡¯s Eli Gunner?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Eli. He told us he is an Alpha now, but when | said he didn¡¯t smell like one,

    he said he had a n. I¡¯m not sure what that means and he hasn''t said anything else about it.¡±

    ¡°We''reing for you honey. Stay strong, do whatever you have to do to survive. You''re a fighter, you¡¯re a Guardian and you''re

    my daughter!¡±

    Li

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°You''ve trained me well dad. I''ll be putting all that training to good use now. We¡¯ve started moving. | don¡¯t know how much longer

    I''ll be able to contact you, but | will when I can. | love you dad.¡±

    ¡°| love you sweetheart. Stay strong!¡±

    The mindlink cut out. | wanted to stay awake and try to figure out where we were going, but the long night and the sound of tires

    on the road lulled me to sleep.

    | don¡¯t know how long | slept, but when | woke, | could hear voices up front talking about where to stop. ¡°Hey, | need to pee.¡®

    It was quiet for a minute. Then an unfamiliar voice said, ¡°You''ll have to hold it.¡±

    ¡°For how long? It¡¯s been hours and | can only hold it for so long.¡± | replied, hoping we would stop and maybe | could see

    something to figure out where | was. It was quiet again, then that same voice replied, ¡°We''ll stop in the next 30 minutes. Hold it

    for now.

    I''m guessing he¡¯s mindlinking Eli, which means he¡¯s not in this car. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing. After a while,

    | feel the car slow down and turn right. We immediately begin bouncing around like we''re on an unpaved road, or possibly just

    driving into a forest somewhere. The jolts are making my already aching shoulders hurt even more, but | stay quiet.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    We finally stop and the back hatch opens. The cargo cover is removed and | can see light, but not much more. ¡°Get out".

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 62

    ¡°Yes sir, Mr. Gruff and Grumpy.¡± | move to get out of the car, trying not to stumble with my arms and legs bound. When | finally

    get out of the car, | stand up and....nothing.

    ¡°Hello? Did you want me to squat right here? | can¡¯t see anything and | can

    barely move, idiot.¡± He snarls at me, grabbing my arm and yanking me close to his face. Even through the hood | can smell his

    rancid breath. It makes me gag. Shut the fuck up little girl or I''ll shut you up.¡±

    A ferocious snarl sounds behind him and the next thing | know, he is ripped away from me. The Beta. | can smell him through the

    stench of rogue. ¡°I apologize for mypanion¡¯sck of manners.¡± He pulls the hood off my head. | squint at the light before my

    eyes adjust.

    ¡°Yeah. Kidnapping? No problem. Bad manners? Definitely worthy of a beatdown.¡± ¡°Did anyone ever tell you that you have a

    smart mouth?¡±

    ¡°| might have heard that once or twice.¡± | give him a fake smile. ¡°So, where are these top-notch facilities that I''ve heard so much

    about?¡±

    He leans close to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy taming you.¡± He whispers.

    ¡°Not gonna happen, Beta.¡± | stress his title again.

    ¡°We''ll see.¡± He takes my arm gently and walks me past where another guy, I¡¯m guessing the one that threatened me,ys

    unconscious on the ground. He walks me into the woods and points to an area away from everyone else. ¡°You can go over

    there.¡±

    He goes to turn his back to give me privacy. ¡°How am | supposed to pee with my hands handcuffed behind my back and my feet

    shackled?¡± 1

    He turns back to me and gives me an evil grin. ¡°Very carefully.¡±

    ¡°Asshole¡± | mumble under my breath, knowing he can hear me. | find a spot near a tree that | can use to leverage myself into a

    squat without falling into my own pee. | really do have to go.

    While | pee, | look around and there is absolutely nothing but forest. ¡®Artemis, can you hear anything that could give us an idea of

    where we are?*

    | feel her perk up a bit, the silver keeping her from full strength. Most wolves would bepletely out, so I¡¯m thankful | have her

    even at minimal strength.¡± I¡¯m weak but | can¡¯t hear anything.¡¯

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Damn, me either.¡¯

    ¡°Hurry up over there.¡± Eli hollers at me. | do my best to shake dry before moving- back toward him. I¡¯m looking everywhere but

    there is nothing. | sigh, it was a smart ce to stop, I''ll give him credit for that.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± | ask.

    ¡°It''ll be a while yet. Hop back in and make yourself at home.¡± He states when we get back to the car. | notice the unconscious

    guy is still on the ground. Will they just leave him here? | don¡¯t bother to ask, hoping they have forgotten that my hood isn¡¯t on.

    ¡°It''s getting dark. If you think you can behave, I''ll leave the hood off for now.¡±

    ¡°| can behave.¡± | state with the smile of a perfect little angel.

    He snorts then tells me to get in. | do as requested and he pulls the cargo cover back over me.

    | listen as someone asks him what to do with the guy on the ground. ¡°Leave him. If he can¡¯t follow orders, he can¡¯t be part of theThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    pack.¡± Interesting.

    | reach out to my father again via mindlink. ¡°Dad?¡± | wait but hear nothing. Dad, can you hear me?¡± Still nothing. ¡°Dad, if you can

    hear me. We just stopped in some woods. They let me pee, so my scent is out here. But there was nothing else around, no

    power lines, no buildings, nokes or streams that | could hear. Just woods.¡± | pause for a moment to see if I''ll hear anything. ¡°I

    hope you can hear me so you know that I¡¯m ok.¡±

    |y my head down and close my eyes, resting while | have time.

    Cooper

    Author

    Updates ur daily.

    17

 Chapter 63

    | slowly open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I¡¯m in my bedroom, with an IV in my arm. Suddenly everythinges

    rushing back to me and | bolt upright in bed. ¡°CARA!¡±

    My mother rushes to my bed as | start to crawl out. ¡°Honey, hold on. Everyone is here. They have trackers out looking for her. Let

    me call the doctor.¡±

    get up and rip the IV from my arm. ¡°I don¡¯t need a doctor mom; | need to find. her.¡± | shout at my mother, before pushing past her.

    | sniff the air and smell everyone in my father¡¯s office. | barge in without knocking. ¡°Where is she?¡± | bark at the room.

    ¡°Son. You need to calm down. We have trackers out looking for her right now.¡± My father stands from his chair, his hands up,

    arms outstretched in a ¡®calm down

    gesture.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! He wanted her. He never wanted me. | was the pawn to get to her!¡± I¡¯m still shouting.

    Mr. Nelson speaks up. ¡°Alpha Rik. No one wants my daughter back more than | do. But right now, we need level heads and calm

    minds. Take a couple deep breaths, then have a seat and tell us what you know.¡±

    He may be the only one that is able to get me to calm down right now. While | disagree that he wants her back more than | do, |

    believe he wants her home almost as much as | do. | take a couple deep breaths as | look around the room to see who is in on

    the nning.

    My father and Mr. Nelson are leading the discussion. Liam is here with his Beta, Dustin. Dad¡¯s Beta and Chase¡¯s father, Charles,

    is here, as is Chase.

    | sit down in front of my father¡¯s desk and start at the beginning. | tell them how | followed the leader when | saw him on the hill

    and he took off. How | was ambushed and that once he had me, he wanted to wait for Cara.

    ¡°Son, do you know who he is?¡± Dad asks me.

    ¡°Cara called him the Banished Beta. It rang a bell to me but...¡± | stop abruptly and Liam jumps to his feet.

    ¡°Arey

    sure? That''s what she called him? The Banished Beta?¡± Liam looks half crazed as he asks.

    ¡°Yes, Eli Gunner, the Banished Beta.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Son of a Bitch!¡± Liam shouts as Dustin jumps up and puts a restraining hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Liam. What do you know?¡± asks Mr. Nelson.

    Liam walks over and punches the wall before leaning his head against it and banging his fist against the wall repeatedly but with

    less force. He turns around and looks at everyone, his eyes stopping at me. ¡°The Banished Beta killed my mother.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    It feels as if the air is sucked out of the room. The man that killed Luna Este now has my mate? Even though Kai isn¡¯t at full

    strength, | can feel his anger. He is starting to wake up.

    | turn to my father. ¡°Then why are we just sitting here? We have to do something!¡±

    ¡°We wouldn''t have to do anything if you hadn¡¯t run off half cocked like you did. And then, what? You just gave up your Guardian

    to save yourself?¡± Liam steps. towards me and | stand up to face him. He gets in my face and he¡¯s lucky Kai isn¡¯t fully back yet,

    or I¡¯d have leveled him. As it was my hand went flying toward his face to punch him, only to be stopped with force.

    | looked down to see Mr. Nelson holding my arm in one hand and Liam¡¯s in the other.

    ¡°Stand down NOW Alphas.¡± His aura, while impressive, isn¡¯t as strong as his daughters¡¯. But, it has enough impact to make us

    stop, long enough for him to go

    1. on.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t in this room to help my daughter, get out now. If you are, then | expect you to work together. Am | understood?¡±

    Liam and | continue to stare at each other.

    ¡°AM | UNDERSTOOD?¡± He barks at us. Both of us look at him. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± in unison.

    we say

    | sit back down, my head in my hands. | scrub my face with my hands before looking up at everyone. ¡°Cara¡¯s my mate. | would

    never have let her take my ce if | could have stopped it. | tried to make her stand down. My alpha aura didn¡¯t work, as | knew

    it wouldn''t. I tried to convince her not to take my ce. But she didn¡¯t listen.¡± | look at Mr. Nelson, ¡°She is her parents¡¯ daughter

    after all and she takes her role as Guardian very seriously.¡±

    +16 BONDS

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 0064

    Out of the corner of my eye, | see Liam sit back down, hard. ¡°How do you know she¡¯s your mate?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Kai recognized her as our mate as soon as he saw herst night. | didn¡¯t tell her because | wanted to give her time to turn 18

    and find out on her own. But now....¡±

    ¡°We''ll find her,¡± my father says.

    They begin to update me on the trackers¡¯ progress. They are heading west following her scent and a strong scent of rogues. Dad

    and Liam are looking at a map, trying to decide our next course of action when Mr. Nelson shouts, ¡°Cara!¡±

    The room goes silent as we wait for him to tell us what is going on. ¡°She¡¯s ok, they''ve been walking all night.¡±

    He looks over at me and speaks out loud, ¡°Yes, He hase back around. The wolfsbane is still in his system but he is

    recovering slowly. Honey, where are you?¡±

    | feel sick. She has been kidnapped and is goddess only knows where, but she¡¯s asking about me.

    ¡°They''ve taken her to a ce where there are parked cars. She¡¯s in the back of a dark colored 4¡ªdoor hatchback SUV. She

    didn¡¯t see a road and now she can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°Ask her if she knows what they want.¡± My dad says.

    ¡°Eli says he¡¯s an Alpha now and he has some n. Cara doesn¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    L

    ¡°They are on the move.¡± He tells us as he moves over to the map.

    ¡°If they were heading west, where is the best ce to store a bunch of cars, out of sight?¡±

    I stand up to look at the map. There is a small clearing about 20 miles west near enough to a road that it could be the spot. Just

    as | see it, Alpha Liam points to it. ¡°There. | bet that¡¯s where they are. We need to get someone there now.¡±

    | turn to leave. ¡°Where are you going son?¡± My father asks.

    | look back at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to find her.¡±

    Liam moves to follow me. ¡°I¡¯m going as well.¡± | look at him and nod. We''ll have to put our differences aside if we want to find her,

    and | don¡¯t care who finds her, as long as she¡¯s found and brought back unharmed. Plus, Liam is out for blood. If

    this guy killed his mom, Liam won''t stop until he finds him.

    As we walk out of the office, | stop and turn to Liam. ¡°A word.¡±

    Liam looks at Dustin. ¡°I''ll meet you at the car.¡±

    | wait until Dustin is out of earshot before | turn to Liam. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. That means you keep your hands off her.¡±

    Liam steps up into my space. He¡¯s only an inch taller than | am, so we''re basically eye to eye. ¡°You don¡¯t know that she''ll choose

    you, even if you are her fated mate. You didn¡¯t even know who she wasst week. And, I¡¯m not sure you truly appreciate the

    amazing woman she is, aside from being a Guardian.¡±

    | growl low and push my chest against his. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. That has nothing to do with her being a Guardian. You will keep your

    hands off of her. She¡¯s mine!¡± I snarl at him.

    He narrows his eyes at me. ¡°Fine, I''ll keep my hands off of her on one condition.¡± He pauses, but | wait him out. ¡°You don¡¯t

    interfere with me seeing her and if she chooses me, you let her go.¡±

    | don''t like it. | know they are much closer than she and | are, but | need him to agree to not touch her. ¡°Fine. She decides.¡± | step

    back and put my hand out. He reaches out and we shake on it.

    We both head outside and get in our cars. Time for me to see if this Porsche is as fast as they say it is.

    Cooper

    Author

    Now they know that Cara isN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    is Rik¡¯s mate.

    920

 Chapter 65

    920

    Chapter 0065

    +15 BONOS

    It''s nearly dawn when we stop again. The hatch is opened and | stand up, stretching out my aching muscles as best as | can.

    This time we¡¯re at what looks like an abandoned packhouse. | look around. Most everything here is dpidated. It looks like the

    building could copse at any moment.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± | ask.

    Eli walks up beside me, taking my arm. ¡°It¡¯s your new home Cara.¡±

    ¡°The ce could definitely use a womans touch. Is that why I¡¯m here? Interior decorating? ¡®Cause that¡¯s not really my speciality.¡±

    We walk inside and | can see that at least some work has been done to make the inside more liveable. The kitchen and

    appliances seem to be in working order, so there¡¯s electricity at least. He walks me through what looks to be a living room that

    has cushions sitting on the floor and an old, smelly couch in the corner. | can see the faded paint on the wall where there once

    was a television, but that¡¯s long gone.

    ¡°This is all that remains of the Silver Dawn Pack,¡± he finally says.

    | look at him. ¡°Your old pack?¡± He nods, looking around as if seeing the ce for

    the first time.

    ¡°Yep, with your help, we will restore this pack to its former glory, make it even stronger than it was before. Better.¡±

    ¡°So, let me get this straight. You''re old Alpha was defeated by Alpha Leander almost 20 years ago. And, because you were the

    Beta heir at the time, you think that his death makes you the new Alpha and you n to restore and rebuild the pack using

    rogues?¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°Rogues and you.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, how else can | create the strongest heir possible. I''ll take you as my mate and you''ll produce my heirs. Because | am an

    Alpha and you are a Guardian, our pups will be strong. Stronger than any other Alpha and no one will be able to take this pack

    from us.¡±

    My stomach turned at what he was saying. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Why would | agree to be your mate?¡±

    ¡°Your agreement is preferable, but not required. If you won''t agree to be my

    +15 NONOS

    mate, I''ll mark you anyway. Eventually the mate bond will kick in and you won''t be able to resist it or me. Then, together, we will

    rebuild this pack and make it thergest and strongest pack in the country. Maybe even the world.¡±

    ¡°So this is your grand n? Take me, a Guardian, as a mate, rebuild your pack from the dpidated ashes of the past and what,

    restore your name? Has anyone ever told you that you have delusions of grandeur?¡±

    ¡°You were the key, and now you are here.¡±

    My lip curls in disgust. ¡°I will never take you as a mate.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see about that.¡± He turns to me, grabs my hair, ripping my head to the side before sinking his canines into my marking

    spot.

    The pain is overwhelming and | scream before the ckness takes over and everything goes dark.

    | wake slowly feeling pain throughout my entire body. ¡®Artemis, can you hear me?

    She doesn¡¯t respond.

    | look around and see that | am in a bedroom. My arms are handcuffed over my head to a metal headboard. | take inventory of

    my surroundings, seeing nothing more than a small dresser on the other side of the room. | realize that my body has been

    washed and I¡¯m wearing a different shirt than the one before, this one a button down. It smells more strongly of the Beta. | don¡¯t

    want to think too much about who may have stripped and washed me.

    | move my legs, focusing on my pubic area. | don¡¯t feel any pain and I¡¯m thankful it doesn¡¯t appear that he has tried toplete

    the mate bond while | was unconscious.

    I''m looking around trying to find anything that will help me escape when the door opens and Eli walks in. ¡°Hello mate.¡±

    ¡°You''re disgusting. No true Alpha would have to force a mate bond. True Alphas have she-wolves falling at their feet.¡± | sneer at

    him.

    ¡°Well, mate,¡± he stresses the word, ¡°you may have noticed that we do not have any she¡ª-wolves in our pack. The males in this

    pack have yet to find their mates. Or, in some instances, they have lost their mate, but are hoping for a second chance mate. It is

    something that | have promised them. We will search for their mates, and when they are found, we''ll bring them here so they can

    have the families they desire.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Even if it is against their will?¡±

    ¡°Do you not feel the pull to me mate? The mate bond is very strong, very powerful. You cannot fight it.¡±

    ¡°Funny, | have absolutely no desire to do anything other than kill you rightThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    now.¡± | spit at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you remove these handcuffs and let¡¯s see how much ¡®love¡¯ | can show you?¡± | taunt him.

    His eyes narrow at me and he cocks his head to the side anything toward me?¡± He seems surprised.

    ¡°Not even a little.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t feel

    He walks over to me, sitting on the bed beside me. He reaches for the shirt, unbuttoning the buttons. | snarl at him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch

    me!¡±

    ¡°Let''s see how resistant you are when | lick my mark.¡± He pulls the shirt to the side and stops. A look of shock on his face.

    ¡°Where is it? Where is it?¡± He screams pushing the shirt farther off my shoulder.

    He directs his furious gaze at me. ¡°You''re not 18?¡±

    ¡°Sorry Beta.¡± | make sure to stress the title again. ¡°I guess you kidnapped me for nothing. The mate mark won''t stick until I¡¯m of

    age.¡± | shrug my shoulders. ¡°I guess you''re screwed.¡±

    He sits there, fuming for several minutes before a hideous grin spreads across his face. ¡°Well then, little mate, | guess I¡¯ll just

    have to keep marking you until it sticks.¡±

    My arrogant smile falls and | grit my teeth. He stands up looking down at me. I''ll have some food sent up for you. I¡¯d suggest you

    eat and keep your strength up. You were out for two days after | marked you the first time. Now I''ll have to mark you every 2 to 3

    days until youe of age.¡±

    He leans in close, rubbing his nose against mine. | turn my head as far away as | can. He rubs his nose across my cheek to my

    ear and whispers, ¡°Let¡¯s hope your birthday is soon my sweet little mate.¡±

 Chapter 66

    | get to the clearing in record time. The trackers are already there and there are 20 wolves swarming the ce. | get out of my

    car and walk over to Derrick, our lead tracker. ¡°What have you got?¡±

    ¡°Alpha. As you can see here, there were about 15 vehicles. We have a stronger scent of our packmate here,¡± He points to an

    area that has been sectioned off.

    | get down on all fours and sniff the ground. The smell is faint but it¡¯s there. Vani, a lighter scent ofvender oveid with

    honey.

    | look up at him. ¡°That''s her.¡± He nods in acknowledgement.

    ¡°Which way did they go?¡±

    He points to tire tracks in the grass. ¡°It appears they headed to the road going that way, and based on the direction of their tire

    tracks, I''d say they headed north when they reached the road.*

    | nod, walking the path of the tire tracks as my phone rings. | look at the caller ID and answer my father¡¯s call. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Son, Clint got another message from Cara.¡± Shit, | can¡¯t even feel my father from here. She is even farther away and able to

    mindlink her father? Her strength is amazing.

    ¡°What did she say?¡± | ask as Liam joins me and | put the phone on speaker for him to hear.

    ¡°They stopped to let her pee.¡± Both of our heads shoot up as Liam and | look at each other. We''ll be able to find her more easily

    if she left that kind of scent.

    ¡°Was she able to give any indication of where she might be?¡± Liam asks.

    Mr. Nelson answers Liam¡¯s question. ¡°She said there was nothing. No buildings, no flowing water, no power lines, nothing but

    forest.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Based on what Derrick is saying, they think they''re headed north. Any ce north from our location that meets that description?¡±

    lask.

    It''s quiet for a few minutes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing directly north, but there is a forest on the western side of the Appchian Mountains

    that meets these parameters.¡±

    ¡°Send us the coordinates. We''re on our way.¡± Liam and | start back to our cars as the text from my father pings on my phone. |

    look at Liam. ¡°Got it?¡±

    He looks at me, ¡°Yeah, got it.¡±

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Ok, see you there.¡±

    | push the Porsche to its limits. Five hourster, | arrive at the coordinates my father sent. ¡®Kai, are you with me buddy?*

    ¡®Yeah, let''s go find our mate, or at least find where she was.

    | walk into the forest and shift, letting Kai take over. He sniffs the air, turning in different directions before catching a slight whiff of

    vani and taking off. | give him control, letting his hunting instincts take over. He alternates between having his nose to the

    ground and having his nose in the air. We''re an hour in when | hear a howl. It¡¯s Liam. He¡¯s finally arrived and letting me know

    he¡¯s here. | howl in return, letting him know where we are.

    Kai and | found the spot where she peed. We followed her scent to where she must have gotten back in the SUV. We continued

    pushing on, following the barest hint of vani in the air, having to stop periodically to catch the light scent again. Soon enough, |

    hear Cyran¡¯s paws digging into the loamy earth, heading our way. | let out a bark to let him know I¡¯m close, even though | know

    he can smell me. He approaches me and shifts. | do the same. Apparently, he wants to chat.

    ¡°What''s up?¡± | ask as | stand.

    ¡°| think we need to regroup. | know you want to continue to follow her faint smell, but it''s very likely that we''ll lose her scent

    soon.¡±

    He¡¯s right. | know he¡¯s right, but | can¡¯t stand the thought that she¡¯s in the hands of a killer. What if he¡¯s hurting her? Torturing

    her? Or worse? And what does he want with her? Why her? It must be because she¡¯s a Guardian. But it makes no sense. Her

    allegiance cannot be bought or forced. The only way it can change is if she finds her mate and she¡¯s not yet of age.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 67

    | look around, hoping for a scrap of anything that may give me a clue of where they have taken her, but there is nothing. | look

    back at Liam. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call my father and let him know we''re on our way back.¡±

    | arrive home the next day. I¡¯m exhausted but I can¡¯t sleep. | go to my father¡¯s office to see what is happening. It looks like a war

    room. There are maps. everywhere with color coded pins indicating areas where trackers are searching, areas that have been

    eliminated and areas that still need to be searched.

    My father and | argued about me going back to school. | told him I''d never be able to focus, so hepromised and told me he¡¯d

    agree to not having me go to school if someone could bring my schoolwork home and if | would go to training. in the mornings.

    | agree to training solely because Mr. Nelson had started training the warriors. I¡¯m not sure if he was disappointed that no one

    was able to help his daughter or if he needed something to take his mind off her temporarily as well.

    It''s been a week and we''re no closer to finding her than we were when Liam and | left the forest. I¡¯m kicking myself for not

    following through with my ns to try and follow her faint scent.

    I''m currently in training taking my frustration out on my body. Mr. Nelson drills us to the point of exhaustion and | need it every

    day. | can¡¯t sleep, | can¡¯t eat, I¡¯m consumed with finding her.

    ¡°Get your asses moving! You call yourselves warriors? My daughter could run circles around you and then take every one of you

    down like a bowling ball knocking down pins.¡± Mr. Nelson is drilling the team this morning.

    ¡°With all due respect sir,¡± Trevor speaks up, bent over with his hands on his knees sucking in air like his life depends on it. And

    maybe it does. ¡°Your daughter already does that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Dean pipes in. ¡°Every day.¡±

    ¡°Then buck up and get your sorry asses moving! When my daughter returns, she''ll need a real challenge and so far, I¡¯m not

    seeing anyone that can give her one.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    Mr. Nelson continues to drill us until he¡¯s decided we''re done. When he releases

    | head up to my room for a quick shower then back to the search.

    US,

    +15 BONOS

    When | walk into my father¡¯s office, the mood is tense. My father looks up and | freeze. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Have a seat.¡± My father gestures to a chair while Beta Charles and Mr. Nelson. continue to watch me. | look at my father for a

    long moment before sitting down.

    ¡°We have an idea, but it¡¯s a long shot. All our trackers and many warriors are out searching different areas for Cara.¡±

    | nod, ¡°What¡¯s the idea.¡±

    Beta Charles answers. ¡°We think it¡¯s a possibility that Eli has taken Cara back to the Silver Dawn Pack.¡±

    My brow furrows with his answer. That pack died out 18 years ago when Liam¡¯s father killed Alpha Jerome and any wolves that

    would not submit to him. The other pack members joined the Shadow Falls Pack.

    ¡°| thought that pack was decimated?¡± | ask the three of them.

    Mr. Nelson gives me an intense look. ¡°It was. But...... if Eli is calling himself an Alpha, he will need two things. He will need a

    pack...¡±

    ¡°And a Luna¡± | finish for him. Kai pushes forward. ¡°He will never have her. Sho

    mine!¡±

    is

    Mr. Nelson wheels himself over to me. ¡°We have no intention of leaving her there. | don¡¯t know what he is thinking but he may

    not realize that she¡¯s not yet 18. That works in our favor.¡±

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 Chapter 68

    Kai is going crazy in my head. If he wants her for a Luna, then he will force his mark on her and mate her against her will. That¡¯s

    the only way to force the bond.

    Kai snarls and it¡¯s all | can do to keep any control over him. My body is shaking and fur begins to sprout on my body. ¡°Tell me

    where this pack is and I''ll go see if she¡¯s there.¡± My voice is deep with Kai¡¯s oveying mine.

    From behind me, | hear, ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± | turn to see Liam has walked in. He gives me a long, measured look. ¡°Neither of us

    wants her to be forced into a mate bond. I''ll go with you, and we''ll find her if she¡¯s there.¡±

    | fight with Kai who doesn¡¯t want Liam near her either, but right now it¡¯s about getting Cara away from that monster and safely

    home. | nod in agreement.

    Later that day, Liam and | set out together. The Silver Dawn Pack isn¡¯t that far. If they are there, they sent us on a wild goose

    chase then doubled back.

    When we get close, Liam and | hide the truck in a secluded area and shift to go on foot. Liam knows where the packnds are,

    so | follow him.

    When we arrive, | am shocked to see what looks like an operational pack in ce. While the buildings all look like they are

    crumbling and about to disintegrate, there are plenty of wolves taking up residence. Liam and | are careful to divert around the

    patrols that are monitoring the perimeter of the packnds.

    We shift back and watch as hundreds of wolves go about their lives. Liam points to arge building that looks on the verge of

    copse. ¡°That''s the old packhouse. That¡¯s where Cara and Eli will be.¡±

    Almost as if his words have put it into being, | hear Cara¡¯s scream. It was the sound of utter pain and before | could think, | was

    on my feet ready to go to her.

    Liam grabbed me, holding me while | thrashed against him. ¡°Let me go.¡± | ordered.

    ¡°Rik, think! You go in there and you blow our cover. He could take her anywhere and we may not be able to find her again.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s hurting her!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He agrees. ¡°But, she¡¯s a Guardian. She can handle pain. We need a n so we can take him down and get her back.

    Don¡¯t rush into this like you did before. This won¡¯t be an ambush. If they think they can¡¯t get out, they¡¯ll kill her. We have to think

    this through. For her.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    +15 BONOS

    My chest is heaving, but | know he¡¯s right. He finally lets me go and | start to walk away. ¡°I''ll call my father and get reinforcements

    here. | want her out of there as soon as possible. | can¡¯t stand by if he is torturing her. | won''t and neither will Kai.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Call your father. I''ll stay here and keep watch.¡±

    | called my father and updated him on everything. | hang up and walk back to Liam. ¡°They¡¯ll be here tomorrow. I¡¯m going to stay

    here tonight and keep watch.¡± He nodded. ¡°I''ll stay too. We can take turns.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Cara¡¯s rescuers areing! Updates ur every day.

    920

 Chapter 69

    920

    Chapter 0069

    | wake up, still handcuffed to the bed. This is the third time I¡¯ve woken and each time, I¡¯m getting weaker and weaker.

    I''ve only heard from Artemis once. She let me know that Eli is pumping us full of his venom each time he marks us. Apparently,

    he¡¯s hoping that even though I¡¯m not 18, with enough venom, he can push the mate bond on me. So far, it hasn¡¯t worked. But

    that¡¯s mostly because Artemis is saving her strength to burn off the venom each time he tries to mark us.

    | take inventory of my surroundings. I¡¯m in yet another shirt. There is a water bottle and a te of food on the table beside me.

    My stomach grumbles. | haven¡¯t caten much but | need the water more.

    My shoulders are aching from being in this position for what must be a week or more. | shift around, pushing myself toward the

    headboard trying to move my shoulders out of this strained position..

    I''m finally able to sit up and give my shoulders a much needed release from the pull of being over my head for so long. The ache

    is so strong it feels like | have no strength in my

    presence, she all. |

    try to reach out to Artemis and while | can feel her

    silent.

    The door opens and Elies in. He looks at his watch. ¡°You are nothing if not prompt. Right on time. You¡¯ve been out two days

    again.¡±

    ¡°How long do you n to keep me a prisoner, Beta?¡±

    He snarls at me. ¡°Alpha.¡±

    | make a point of sniffing the air. ¡°Nope. | still don¡¯t smell Alpha on you.

    He sneers as me. ¡°Since | have no idea how long it will be until your birthday, I¡¯ll just have to keep giving you my venom. I¡¯ve

    heard that with enough venom andpleting the mating process, you can make an underage wolf ept the mate bond.¡±

    ¡°You''re disgusting, you know that?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    He begins walking over to me. ¡°Am 1, mate?¡± He stresses the word again.

    He reaches down and takes the te of food. ¡°Time to eat.¡± He picks up pieces of food and attempts to hand feed me.

    | turn my face away. ¡°Not hungry.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    He grabs my chin and pulls my face around to his. ¡°Of course you are. You''ve barely eaten all week. Eat!¡± He barks it at me and

    attempts to put amand behind it.

    I snort at his feeble attempt as themand rolls off me like water over rocks. ¡°I will ept nothing that you to give me. Or

    should | say, force on me.¡± | re at him as his hand squeezes my chin even tighter.

    ¡°Fine! Then we''ll just keep doing it this way until you are too weak and your body final epts my mate mark.¡± In one quick

    movement, his hand grabs my hair and yanks my head to the side. He ms his canines into my neck, milking them into my

    body pushing more and more venom into my system.

    I scream as the pain bes overwhelming. He pulls his canines out, only to sink them in again and continues to milk the

    punctures like humans do to snakes to collect their venom. | feel Artemis push forward to try tobat the venom in our system

    as the world goes dark again.

    In my dazed state, | hear what sounds like a battle. Screams, crashing, things breaking. | can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s real or if I¡¯m dreaming. |

    fade in and out until the sounds be so loud that | realize there really is a battle going on outside my

    room.

    | try to say something, anything, but my body will not work. My head feels full of cotton, and | can¡¯t think clearly. My body feels

    paralyzed, or maybe | just can¡¯t feel that it¡¯s moving. I¡¯m not sure.

    | hear a loud crash that sounds close. Snarling and fighting. It sounds like wolves. tearing each other apart. | should be in this

    fight. I''m a Guardian, that¡¯s my job, my life. But | still can¡¯t make myself get up. | can¡¯t even open my eyes.

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 Chapter 70

    Chapter 0070

    Suddenly, the door bursts open and everything goes quiet. Then | hear heavy breathing.

    ¡°I''m getting her out of here.¡± | know that voice, but | can¡¯t ce it. It sounds familiar, soothing. | hope he means he¡¯s getting me

    out of here.

    | feel the restraints on my wrists cut off, the person hissing as the silver touches their skin. Then I¡¯m being lifted, cradled in strong

    arms that make me feel safe. Weird, | don¡¯t even know who it is, but | feel safe. The smell of a freshly cooked brownies floods my

    senses. Instinctively, | lean into the smell, trying to curl into it, but my body still will not respond.

    ¡°I''ve got you. You''re safe now Cara.¡±

    | want to reply that we''re not safe. Eli is here somewhere, and we need to go. But the words do note.

    | feel myself being carried. | begin to hear more sounds of fighting, the smell of blood and death heavy in the air.

    He stops walking. ¡°Call my father. Tell him | have her and I¡¯m bringing her home. Liam is staying, he¡¯s going after Eli. You''re in

    charge.¡± Liam is here. Liam will make sure th

    I''m safe.

    | hear another voice that sounds familiar, but | can¡¯t ce it. ¡°How is she?¡±

    There¡¯s a long pause. ¡°Time will tell.¡±

    My rescuer is moving again. | feel the cool air of thete winter weather as I¡¯m carried outside. | hear more sounds of fighting,

    but we are going in the opposite direction. | don¡¯t know how long we walk before I¡¯m gently set down. It smells like a new car. I''ve

    rarely had the opportunity to smell a new car, but once you have, you never forget that smell.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°Hang on love, I''ll be right back.¡± My brownie¡ªsmelling man says, before he steps away and | immediately feel cold and lost

    again. Thankfully, it isn¡¯t long before he returns. ¡°Ok love. Kai and | can¡¯t stand the scent of that disgusting Beta on you another

    minute, so I¡¯m going to put one of my shirts on you instead. If you¡¯re mad at me about it my little guardian, I''d be happy to have

    you get up and fight me.¡±

    | feel him unbuttoning the shirt | have on, before removing it. Then he pulls a soft shirt over my head and pushes my arms

    through the arm holes. I¡¯m surrounded by the scent of brownies fresh out of the oven. It¡¯s the most

    +15 BONOS

    comforting smell | can imagine. It feels like home. It makes the rhythm of my heart slow, and | feel safe again. Once he pulls the

    shirt down and covers me the best he can, he leans the seat back, straps me in and closes the door.

    | fall back into unconsciousness. | don¡¯t know how long we drive. | periodicallye to some level of consciousness and hear

    my rescuer talking quietly to someone on the phone. Sometimes, it seems like he¡¯s talking to me, telling me where we are or that

    everything will be ok, holding my hand. His thumb rubbing over the back of my hand sends soothing tingles into my body which

    rxes me and lulls me back to sleep.

    The next time | wake, my brownie¡ª-smelling man has me in his arms again. | smell the scent of antiseptic and cleanser. ¡°Where

    do you want her?¡± My rescuer asks.

    ¡°You can put her on the stretcher, we''ll take it from here Alpha.¡±

    ¡°No, I''ll carry her. Where is she going?¡±

    ¡°This way, follow me.¡±

    Before long, I¡¯m beingid on a bed. There are several people surrounding me, attaching things to me, putting needles into my

    arms.

    ¡°Alpha, what can you tell us?¡±

    ¡°Not much. When | found her she was unconscious.¡± | hear a snarl before he continues, ¡°Her neck is bruised and has multiple

    puncture wounds, but it doesn¡¯t appear that the attempt to mark her worked.¡±

    ¡°Where is she? Where is my daughter?¡± | hear my father bellow before the darkness takes me again.

    Cooper Author

    Cara is home! Hopefully all those bite marks will heal.

    23

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 71

    . Chapter 0071

    She will be in an amazing amount of pain. Venom, when rejected like this, basically acts as a poison in the system. Her whole

    body will feel like it¡¯s on fire. She will need rest after she regains consciousness. Her training will have to take a back seat to her

    recovery.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°As | said, we''ll know more once the results of the blood worke back.¡±

    | don¡¯t take my eyes off Cara. ¡°Thank

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Mr. Nelson repeats.

    you doctor.¡± | say.

    We sit in silence as Dr. Harris leaves, both lost in our own thoughts.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Nursese and go, checking her vital signs, and the tubes in her arms. My fatheres in and puts a reassuring hand on my

    shoulder while looking at Mr. Nelson. ¡°Your daughter is strong Clint. Stronger than any other wolf I¡¯ve ever met. Stronger than

    you and Lily. She''ll pull through this.¡±

    Mr. Nelson just nods. His eyes, as he watches his daughter, are filled with an agony and grief that I¡¯m sure are reflected in my

    own.

    My father pulls up a chair and waits with us. It isn¡¯t long after that Dr. Harris

    returns.

    He nods his head at each of us. ¡°Alpha, Alpha, Guardian. | have the results of Cara¡¯s blood work.¡± He stops and looks at all of

    us. ¡°Bad news first. Her body is flooded with the Beta¡¯s venom. It has spread throughout her system. The good news. It is being

    rejected. In every instance of blood that we tested, it is being rejected.¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 0072

    | take a deep breathe, breathing out heavily for what feels like the first time in hours.

    ¡°So, what does this mean, long term.¡± | ask. | need to know if there is still hope for our bond.

    Dr. Harris looks at me as he answers. ¡°We''ll have to take more samples and continue to test her blood, but it means two things.

    First, it¡¯s very likely that she will recover and not have any bond or link to the Beta. And second, it would exin why Kai cannot

    feel Artemis very strongly. She will be reserving her strength to fight the venom.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing to help her? You said you would do everything to help her.¡± Mr. Nelson asks.

    ¡°Yes, and there isn¡¯t much, but there are some things we can do on our end. We will continue to give her IV fluids to help Artemis

    flush the venom from her system. We will also be giving her liquid vitamins and nutrition until she wakes up to help her regain her

    strength. She is not only dehydrated but also weak fromck of food. It doesn¡¯t appear that she has eater

    since she was taken.¡±

    ¡°No, she wouldn''t.¡± Mr. Nelson confirms. ¡°It¡¯s part of her training. Drink a

    much as possible when safe, but never eat anything that can be used to drug you.¡±

    Dr. Harris nods in understanding. ¡°If all continues to go well, we may see her

    wake as early as tomorrow but more likely not until Tuesday.¡±

    My eyes close and | drop my head forward. The relief | feel at these words is overwhelming. She will be okay. She will wake up.

    Everything else will take time, and time is something | can give her.

    ¡°Thank

    you doctor.¡± My father says.

    After he leaves, my father looks at me. ¡°Son, you need to go take a shower and get something to eat.¡±

    ¡°lm fine dad.¡±

    ¡°Rik.¡± His tone is sharp. | look at him. ¡°Son, you are covered in blood from a battle that happened hours ago.¡± | look down at

    myself, having totally forgotten that | was in a battle. My father is right, | am covered in blood. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want her to wake up

    and see you like this.

    | nod and stand. Looking at Mr. Nelson | say, ¡°I''ll be back shortly, if she wakes...¡±

    1/2

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    ¡°You''ll be the second person to know.¡± He says.

    | head out with my father. After showering, | change and head downstairs, ready. to go straight back to the hospital. ¡°Rik.¡± My

    mother calls me from the kitchen.

    | walk into the kitchen and see that she has made me a sandwich. ¡°Have a seat and eat something. You won''t help her or

    yourself if you aren¡¯t at full strength. She¡¯s going to need your strength when she wakes up. It will only take another 10 minutes

    and your father is keeping in contact with Mr. Nelson.¡±

    | sit and take a bite of the sandwich my mother made as she sits down next to me. She doesn¡¯t say a word, she just rubs my

    back in that soothing way that mothers. have as | eat. The gentle kindness of it brings tears to my eyes. This is why every Alpha

    needs a Luna. Someone to look after them when they go all in, full throttle on whatever it is that needs their attention. My mom

    isn''t just a great mom, she¡¯s an amazing Luna. She looks out for every member of her pack.

    When I''m done, | put my te in the sink and go back to my mom. ¡°Thanks Mom.¡± | say as | reach down and hug her. My hug

    lasts longer than a normal hug as | try to impart how grateful | am to her in that one gesture.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    When | return to the hospital, Liam has joined Mr. Nelson in Cara''s room. He has taken the time to get cleaned up beforeing

    to see her. | give him a nod of acknowledgement, even as | realize he¡¯s taken my seat and is holding Cara¡¯s hand. It takes

    everything in me to not growl out loud

 Chapter 73

    | look at Mr. Nelson, ¡°Anything?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Nothing new. They are giving her extra fluids as Dr. Harris said and they took more blood to check her venom levels.¡±

    | pull up another chair so | can be closer to her. | reach out a hand to touch her leg, just so there is a connection.

    | don¡¯t know how much time passes before Liam stands. ¡°I have to go. | need to try to find Eli before the trail goes cold. | just

    wanted to check in on Cara before | went back out.¡± Good, now | can get back to holding her hand again.

    He reaches down, brushing her hair way from her face before cing a gentle kiss on her lips. | can¡¯t help the growl that

    escapes my lips as Kai pushes me to my feet.

    Liam straightens up and looks at me, growling back. ¡°Stand down Rik. We had an agreement.¡± 2

    | move to the end of her bed, meeting him as he ising around. ¡°She is my mate. You agreed not to touch her. | don¡¯t want

    your lips on her ever again.¡± | snarl at him..

    His eyes darken as Cyran pushes forward. | know Kai is forward as well. ¡°She hasn¡¯t made her choice yet. She may decide to

    reject you and take me as her chosen mate. That will be for her to decide.¡±

    I''m about to get in his face when both of us are jerked down. Mr. Nelson is between us, having grabbed us both by the front of

    our shirts. ¡°Outside NOW!¡± He orders, his aura heavy, before releasing us.

    Liam and | continue to re at each other as we walk outside. | hadn¡¯t noticed earlier but the waiting room is full of wolves from

    both packs waiting to get news

    on Cara.

    As Liam and | turn to face off again, Mr. Nelson gets in between us. ¡°Now you listen to me pups.¡± He stresses the word showing

    both of us exactly how little he respects us right now. ¡°If the two of you want to measure the size of your dicks, do it somewhere

    other than my daughter¡¯s hospital room. Neither one of you is showing me that you deserve her as a mate. A mate would put my

    daughter first, ahead of everything and everyone else. A worthy mate would not be so busy showboating as an Alpha that he is

    ignoring the fact that she¡¯s unconscious right. next to him!¡± He¡¯s shouting now and the entire hospital has gone dead quiet.

    +16 BONOSCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Mr. Nelson''s voice goes dark and deep. ¡°So until you two can show me that you are worthy of my daughter, you will not be

    allowed to visit her again.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± | exim. ¡°She¡¯s my mate!¡±

    ¡°Then you should have thought about that before you started a pissing match in my daughter''s room.¡±

    My breath is heaving in my chest. | can¡¯t believe he¡¯s banning me from Cara. | can see Liam out of the corner of my eye. His

    muscle in his jaw is twitching with how hard his jaw is clenched.

    ¡°And if either of you pups,¡± He stresses the word again, to get his point across. ¡± think that you can get past me to get to her?¡±

    Donovan pushes forward and Mr. Nelson¡¯s eyes glow nearly solid gold, ¡°I''d like to see you try.¡± He snarls thest part at us. 2

    He waits a minute before he turns and rolls back into Cara¡¯s hospital room. | feel my dade up behind me and put one arm

    around me and the other around Liam.

    ¡°And that, my young Alphas, is why Clint Nelson used to be known as the Big Daddy Badass.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Whoa! Big Daddy going feral on the alphas! Was he right to go off?

    923

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 74

    There is so much pain. It¡¯s everywhere, overwhelming me and my senses. | try reaching out to Artemis, but she is fighting her

    own battle. | can feel her struggle but cannot reach her. We will need to fight this from opposites sides and meet in the middle.

    While I¡¯m conscious, | can¡¯t open my eyes or move my body, so | use my other senses.

    At some point, | smell brownies again. The scent helps my body rx. | feel hands holding mine. My right hand begins to feel

    normal, the pain pushed away by the hand holding it. |tch on to that feeling. The only ce in my body that isn¡¯t screaming in

    pain.

    | periodically hear voices, | can¡¯t make any of them out, but | think one is my father¡¯s.

    When | awaken the next time, the hand holding my right one no longer pushes the pain away. The scent of brownies is faint now

    and my body feels tight. | try to focus on the scent, hoping it will help me rx.

    | feel a draft and the scent of brownies floods my senses again. | mentally sigh. The scent calms my aching nerves and gives me

    some peace. | hear the sounds of a chair scraping

    on the floor and then a sudden release of the pain in my leg. The hand that was holding mine before is now on my leg. My mind

    rxes and | let myself fall into blissful sleep.

    The sounds of growling and snarling wake me. The scent of brownies is still strong, but the pain in my leg is back. It does seem

    less intense, but | prefer having it gone.

    The sounds leave and | hear shouting from far away. | wish | knew what was going on. | wish | could open my eyes and let

    everyone around me know I¡¯m awake and they don¡¯t need to worry about me. | hear the sound of whirring wheels and know my

    father is here. | also hear soft footsteps and soft voices, before | feel myself being pulled under again.

    | don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m out, but the next time | wake, | am feeling better. | still feel pain throughout my body, but it¡¯s not as

    strong. | force my eyes open and immediately close them against the bright lights of the room. | moan softly as the light hurts my

    head.

    ¡°Cara? Honey, can you hear me? Go get the doctor.¡± My dad is talking. | try again to open my eyes only to feel the burn of the

    light again.

    ¡°Turn off the overhead lights. Hang on Cara, let us darken the room for you.¡±

    | hear the light switch and can | hear the light switch and can see the light dim behind my eyelids. | try opening my eyes again

    and this time, | let them adjust. It still feels bright, but it¡¯s bearable.

    ¡°Dad.¡± Ites out as a croaking sound. My throat feels as dry as the desert, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.

    ¡°Here honey.¡± | feel a straw press against my lips. | greedily drink and then. choke as the water sticks before going down my

    throat. Coughing, | close my eyes andy back, feeling like | just ran a marathon rather than taking a simple sip of

    water.

    ¡°Try again Cara. They are giving you fluids, but they want you to have a lot so you can help Artemis fight the venom in your

    system.¡± That gets my attention and | open my mouth again. This time the water goes down easily and | drink until it¡¯s gone.

    ¡°I''ll get some more.¡± | think it''s Lacey¡¯s voice. | open my eyes again and see that | am right. She is taking the ss from my

    father and leaving the room to get

    more water.

    ¡°Cara.¡± My father¡¯s voice pulls my attention back to him. ¡°How do you feel honey?¡±

    ¡°Like shit.¡± | give him a weak smile.

    ¡°How long have | been out?¡± | ask, having no concept of time. It could be one hour or one year, | have no idea.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°Well, I''m not sure how long you were out before Rik rescued you, but you¡¯ve been out for a day and a half since he got you back

    here. You''re in the pack hospital now.¡± So, Rik rescued me. | wonder if he¡¯s the one that smelled like brownies.

    | feel a draft and open my eyes to see Jason, a doctor and Lacey bringing up the rear with a ss of water in one hand and a

    pitcher in the other.

 Chapter 75

    The doctores over to me. He begins checking my vitals, shing his light in my eyes, looking over the machines as he talks.

    ¡°Cara, I¡¯m Dr. Harris. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Terrible.¡± | reply.

    He nods. ¡°Can you be more specific. Do you feel burning? Aching? Sharp pains?¡± ¡°Burning, yes. Aching, yes. No sharp pain, just

    a general, all over pain.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know if your father has had a chance to tell you, but I¡¯ll give you a quick overview of your health. Your body was flooded

    with the venom of your kidnapper. Your body and Artemis are rejecting the venom making it act like a poison. Artemis is fighting

    the venom¡¯s spread in your body, so don¡¯t be rmed if you can¡¯t hear her.¡±

    I nod, ¡°I can feel her, but | can¡¯t hear her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, and to be expected. You are healing faster than | anticipated.¡± He smiles, ¡°Or maybe | should have expected it

    since you are a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°The pain you feel should lessen as time goes on. I''d like for you to continue to try to drink fluids in addition to what we are

    putting into your system. I¡¯d also like for you to try to get some sleep and when you wake again, try to eat something. Do you

    think you can do that?¡±

    | nod, already feeling exhausted by this interaction. My eyes start to close but before | fall asleep | hear my father telling me he''ll

    be right here when | wake up.

    The next time | wake up, | feel better, stronger. It must be the middle of the night because Lacey is asleep in one chair and Jason

    is asleep in the other. My dad isn¡¯t in the room and | smile because he''ll be pissed that he wasn¡¯t here when | woke after he told

    me he would be.

    | must make a noise because Jason¡¯s eyes open and then he jolts up from his chair. ¡°Cara.¡± He loudly whispers trying not to

    wake Lacey.

    He stands beside me. ¡°I''ll go get the doc and I''ll mind link your dad, he¡¯s gonna be pissed that you woke up. It took him hours to

    finally agree to leave to go get a shower and some food.¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡± | ask, my throat scratchy again.

    He checks his watch, ¡°About 2am. Here.¡± He puts the straw against my lips and 1 drink the entire ss. Lacey stirs and sees me

    awake.

    ¡°Hey! There she is.¡± She gets up and Jason leaves to go get the doctor.

    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± She asks while refilling my ss.

    ¡°Yes. Not great, but definitely better than before.¡± She starts to put the straw up to my mouth, but | reach out my hand and take

    the ss, holding it for myself.

    Jason returns with Dr. Harris. ¡°Hey doc.¡± | say as he walks in.

    ¡°Hey! How''s my favorite patient?¡± | arch an eyebrow at him. ¡°Am | your only patient?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Well, shifters aren¡¯t exactly known for spending long periods of time in a hospital room, shifter healing and all, so yes, you are

    currently my only patient.¡±

    He begins going through the list of doctor questions and is about done when my dad breezes into the room. ¡°Cara. | knew |

    shouldn''t have left.¡±

    ¡°It''s fine dad, you need to eat, sleep and shower too.¡±

    He wheels himself over and looks at me. ¡°Your eyes seem brighter. How are you feeling?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Better than before. | still can¡¯t hear Artemis, but even she feels stronger than she did thest time | was awake.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great news honey.¡±

    Anursees in with a tray of food. She puts it on a stand with wheels and pushes it up to me across the bed.

    Dr. Harris looks at me, ¡°I know you may not feel much like eating, but | want you to try.¡±

    | look at the food, all nd, boring hospital food. ¡°I''ll try. Whatever it takes to get stronger and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°After that, you all will let her get back to sleep. No keeping her up talking.¡± He¡¯s focusing his attention on Jason and Lacey.

    They both nod in agreement and Dr. Harris and the nurse leave us in peace.

    | eat as much as | can. Lacey and Jason tell me some stories about what | missed at school, but it isn¡¯t long before fatigue takes

    me and I¡¯m falling asleep again.

 Chapter 76

    When Mr. Nelson kicked Liam and | out of Cara¡¯s hospital room, | was furious. | had made promises to her. She may not have

    heard them, but that didn¡¯t mean | didn¡¯t want to keep them.

    | head back to the packhouse and up to my room. I¡¯m pacing around, trying to figure out how to get back to her when my father

    mind links me and tells me to meet him in his office.

    | head down immediately and walk into his office without bothering to knock.

    ¡°Can you believe what he did dad?¡± | ask.

    My father watches me as he sits in his seat behind his desk. ¡°Son, in this, | think | can rte to Clint¡¯s reaction, and | can¡¯t

    disagree with him. You and Liam were wrong. But you potentially have a bigger problem.¡±

    | stop my pacing. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He looks at me for a long moment. ¡°You don¡¯t realize what you said in the hospital, do you?¡±

    | wrack my brain. ¡°I said a lot of things. What specifically are you referring to?¡±

    He raises his eyebrows at me. ¡°Well, son, do you remember the part where you announced, very publicly, that Cara is your

    guarantee

    mate? You can pretty much that that bit of gossip has spread like wildfire and the only person who doesn¡¯t know is Cara herself.¡±

    | feel my

    heart clinch. My father is right. | sit down, hard, putting my head in my hands. This is not how | wanted her to find out. | wanted to

    let her fall for me before the mate bond went into effect. | wanted her to want to be my mate because she respects me. But now,

    it will be impossible for her to not find out. Someone will tell her or ask her about it.

    | look up at my father. ¡°Shit! What can | do?¡±

    My father smiles at me. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not a lot you can do with the Shadow Falls Pack members since I¡¯m guessing Alpha Liam

    isn''t your best friend when ites to Cara. But, you are the future Alpha of Canyon Ridge. An Alphamand. would keep

    anyone in this pack from saying anything to Cara.¡±

    I stare at my father. It¡¯s brilliant! An Alphamand would force everyone in our pack to follow themand and they would

    physically be unable to disobey.

    When | look back at my father, he is watching me intently. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Yes, | want to give the pack the Alphamand to keep quiet and not say a word to her.¡±

    He nods his head never taking his eyes off me. ¡°Do you want themand toe from me or you?¡±

    | hadn''t expected that | would give themand. I¡¯m not technically Alpha of the pack, even though | will be soon. However, |

    was born to lead and be the pack¡¯s Alpha, so | know mymand will be just as powerful as my father¡¯s.

    | think about it, then look at my father. ¡°I think it shoulde from me. Tell me how to do it properly.¡±

    My father smiles proudly at me before exining the requirements of giving an Alphamand. You have to be specific, you

    have to be clear, and you have to open your mind link to everyone that you intend tomand. In this case, my entire pack.

    Once we discuss wording and I¡¯m ready. | open up the pack link. ¡°Attention all Canyon Ridge pack members. This is Rik Forte,

    your future Alpha. Many of you may have been at the hospital earlier and overheard my conversation with Warrior Nelson.

    Others may have heard rumors of what was said. | forbid any member of this pack to discuss my being mated to Cara Nelson.

    You will not speak of it to anyone until Cara discovers the truth for herself. This is my Alphamand.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    | could feel themand going through the pack link. My father nods his head letting me know he can feel themand going

    out and that | did well.

    After leaving my father¡¯s office, | head to training. When | arrive, | search for Lacey and Jason. | let them know my n and get

    their agreement. | am willing to approve both of them missing school, work and training, to sit with Cara until she is released from

    the hospital as long as they provide hourly updates to me.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Lacey stops me. ¡°You want hourly updates all day AND night.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡±

    Lacey and Jason look at each other. ¡°No, no problem.¡±

    ¡°Good. Dismissed. | expect updates starting within the hour. | want to know anything and everything that happens. Changes,

    updates, good or bad.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± They say in unison.

    ¡°I''ll let your parents know.¡± They nod and head out. | mind link both of their parents and let them know that | have them watching

    over Cara for me and if

    +15 BONOS

    they have any concerns about them missing training or school, to speak to me directly about it. They assured me that they did

    not have any issues.

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 0077

    True to their word, Lacey and Jason provided hourly updates.

    Several hourster, | get my first bit of good news. Cara woke up for a short amount of time and the doctor said he¡¯s impressed

    with her healing ability. | can¡¯t help the smile that spreads on my face as | head to dinner in the pack house dining room.

    | meet up with Chase and give him the good news. ¡°That¡¯s great Rik! I¡¯m happy for you.¡± We find a spot to sit and before | know

    it, the smell of rosewater assaults my nose again. | see Chase wrinkle his nose before She sits down next

    tome.

    She doesn¡¯t say anything, she just sits down, looking down at her sped hands.

    ¡°She.¡± | greet her.

    ¡°Is it true Alpha?¡± She looks up at me.

    ¡°Is what true?¡± | know that she¡¯s asking about Cara being my mate, but | was very clear that this topic was not to be discussed

    with anyone. Kai is growling in my head, ready to put this she¡ªwolf in her ce.

    | watch her struggle to say what she¡¯s trying to say and work around mymand. ¡°About Cara?¡± She finally spits out.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She looks at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°But what about me?¡±

    | truly have no idea what she¡¯s talking about. There was never anything more than sex between us. ¡°What about you?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°| thought you cared about me.¡±

    ¡°Of course | care about you She.¡± | see her face brighten and | know | have to shut this down right now. ¡°You are a member of

    this pack and | care about all of my pack members.¡±

    Her face falls again. ¡°I thought we had something special.¡± She whispers.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°She, you are a nice girl that will find her mate someday. When you do, you will understand that there will never be anyone for

    me but her.¡± | try to be nice, but firm.

    She sniffles, ¡°If you ever change your mind¡±

    I cut her off before she can continue. ¡°I won''t.¡±

    She nods and leaves.

    +15 BONOS

    more.

    | look at Chase. He watches her leave thoughtfully. ¡°You know there will be They will think that having sex with you meant that

    you wanted them to be the future Luna.¡±

    ¡°They would be wrong. | never promised any of them anything. I¡¯ve always nned to make my mate the pack¡¯s Luna. Now that |

    have found her, | won''t give her up.¡±

    After dinner, | head up to my room. | want to get some rest while | can. I¡¯m hoping to get another update overnight, and I¡¯m not

    disappointed.

    Around 2am, | get a mind link from Jason. Cara is up again. She is feeling stronger, and she is eating, but Dr. Harris wanted her

    to go back to sleep to continue to get her strength back. | go back to sleep feeling better that she is getting stronger.

    The next morning, I¡¯ve had quick updates saying that Cara is stable and still sleeping. Dad is doing training again, so | join in. It¡¯s

    not as difficult as Mr. Nelson¡¯s training but | go all in, working to build my strength. I¡¯m back to the Cara Nelson sparring training¡¯ |

    take down each of my warriors one after the other. There is a lot of grumbling. The group thought they would get a break without

    a Guardian in the training.

    On my way from training to breakfast, | get another mind link, from Lacey this time. Cara is awake, feeling stronger and had a

    short conversation with Artemis. All of the attempted mate marks are gone. Artemis is still weak and fighting the venom, but it¡¯s

    working and they are both getting stronger.

    Jason links me to tell me that Mr. Nelson is headed to the pack house to get food for Cara. | walk over to the lead omega in the

    kitchen and ask for two to-go boxes. | go around and pick up a little of everything, making sure to get protein, carbs and

    something sweet since I¡¯ve noticed my girl has a sweet tooth.

    When Mr. Nelsones in, | walk up to him. His lips set into a thin line, but | ignore it. ¡°Sir, | heard you were on your way to get

    some food for Cara. | took it upon myself to prepare two breakfasts to go, so you wouldn''t have to waste time putting them

    together.¡±

    | put the to-go boxes in hisp and turn back to the kitchen omega to get a carafe of coffee. ¡°Here you go sir.¡±

    | turn to head back into the dining room. ¡°Thank you Alpha.¡± Mr. Nelson says to

    4

    +15 BONOS

    1.me.

    ¡°Please, call me Rik.¡± He nods and rolls out of the pack house, headed back to my

    girl.

    Cooper

 Chapter 78

    The next time | wake up, not only do | feel stronger, but | have a minute where Artemis is forward. She let''s me know that she¡¯s

    countering the venom but it will be another week before she¡¯s back to full strength, but she has effectively eliminated his mark

    from our neck. The bruises will take longer as she has been focusing on healing other things first.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    When | open my eyes, Lacey, Jason and my father are in the room. Dad''s attention immediately snaps to me. ¡°Honey, you''re

    awake. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I''m better. Artemis says she¡¯s winning the battle of the venom and that Eli''s mark is gone. Is that true?¡± | pull the hospital gown

    to the side and see everyone''s eyes go wide. Lacey jumps up, pushing my neck to one side before pushing it to the other, and

    pulling the other side of my gown away from my body. ¡°Oh my goddess! Your wolf is amazing! All the marks are gone!¡±

    ¡°Wait. ALL the marks? How many were there?¡±

    They all look at each other ufortably. It¡¯s my dad that answers my question. ¡°Honey, you had multiple puncture wounds on

    both sides of your neck. It appears he was trying to put as much of his venom into your system as possible to force your body to

    shut down so he could cement the mate bond.¡±

    I''m shocked, although | shouldn''t be. ¡°I''ll remember to tell Artemis how awesome she is then.¡±

    | ask about what has happened in my absence, how they found me and | listen as they fill me in on all the details, Liam¡¯s and

    Rik¡¯s roles in helping to find me and bring me home.

    50...

    My dad leaves to go get me some real food from the packhouse. | take the opportunity to ask Lacey and Jason what has been

    weighing on my mind. I''m a bit surprised to hear that Liam and Rik yed such a central role in my return but | haven¡¯t seen

    either one of them. | know they are busy, but | thought that Rik at least, after everything that happened, would havee by.¡±

    They look at each other. 1/

    ¡°What?¡± | ask.

    It''s Jason that responds. ¡°Well, your dad may have gone all Guardian on them.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lacey picks up the conversation, ¡°They

    apparently had some sort of pissing match in your room and your dad kicked them out and told them they weren''t allowed to

    come back.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Jason jumps back in, ¡°Yeah and that if they wanted to get to you, they¡¯d have to go through him.¡± He says with awe in his voice.

    | don¡¯t know what to say. First, that whatever happened between Rik and Liam in my room seems to be simr to what happened

    in school on the day Liam brought the bear. And that my dad got all protective and basically pulled rank on two Alphas.

    ¡°Alpha Anders didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    ¡°Nope, he gloated that his old Guardian was back. Did you know that your dad is training warriors?¡±

    ¡°What?? What else did | miss?¡±

    Lacey responds, ¡°You mean besides the fact that your father is trying to kill us all with his ridiculous training? I''ve never been so

    sore in my entire life.¡±

    I''mughing when my dad and Dr. Harris walk in. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a great sign.¡± Dr. Harris says seeing meughing.

    ¡°Hi doc. So, what''s the verdict? When do | get to leave?¡±

    He begins checking over vitals and nurse notes. He looks back up at me. ¡°You and Artemis are pretty amazing. | can¡¯t believe

    that you are healing so well. At this rate, | think you can leave tonight.¡±

    lam so excited. | don¡¯t want to spend another minute in bed. | need to be outside. smelling fresh air, sleeping in my own bed,

    healing in my own home. ¡°What do | have to do?¡± | ask.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°I need to take some more blood and | need you to eat a full meal.¡±

    ¡°Deal. What are you looking for in my blood?¡±

    ¡°We''re checking to see how Artemis is doing getting rid of the venom.¡±

    ¡°She told me it¡¯s working and that the marks are gone.¡±

    Yeah,¡± Lacey interrupts, ¡°Look at her neck, doc. It¡¯s still bruised but the puncture wounds are all gone.¡±

    Dr. Harris checks my neck on both sides and seems very happy with what he¡¯s seeing or isn¡¯t seeing. ¡°Ok, let me get this blood

    work run, eat the dinner your father brought, and I''ll see about getting you out of here.¡±

    I''m actually famished and easily finish the food dad has brought me. It¡¯s better than the nasty, boring food fromst night. After

    eating | feel even stronger, so when Dr. Harris returns, I¡¯m ready to get released.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he tells Dad and |, ¡°I¡¯m going to release you, but you muste back tomorrow for more blood work and maybe on

    Thursday as well. We''ll see how tomorrow goes.

    Lacey stays to help me get changed as Dad goes to get the car and Jason heads off to afternoon warrior training. | look at Lacey.

    ¡°Won''t you be in trouble for missing training?¡±

    She gives me a devious smile. ¡°Nope. When your dad banned Alpha Rik from your room, he gave us a free pass to miss as long

    as we were here with you and provide him updates on your progress.¡±

    | stop mid-way pulling my shirt over my head and get stuck with my head and arms inside as | take in what she said. ¡°Wait.

    Alpha Rik said you could miss training to be with me?¡±

    ¡ªwe fill him in on

    Lacey helps me get untangled as she replies. ¡°Yep. As long your status every hour, which we have done, even overnight.¡±

    I stare at her. ¡°So, he really means it. He was really staking a im?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s your...¡± She stops abruptly, her brow furrowing. She opens her mouth a couple more times and looks like a fish out

    of water before she finally rolls her eyes and says, ¡°Yes, he means it. He¡¯s very serious Cara. You need to know that before you

    see him again.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Good to know. And | won¡¯t be seeing him until Dad agrees to let him see me, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what | hear. | wasn¡¯t actually in the hospital when it all went down, but Jason was, and | trust him as a source. But | also

    heard it from several others, and it was the same, so, yeah.¡±

    | finish getting ready and then follow Lacey out to the room where a nurse is waiting with a wheelchair. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± | ask

    her.

    ¡°Sorry, hospital rules.¡± | sigh but sit in the chair.

    As we leave the room, there are several warriors from both Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs. They gather in two lines onThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    either side of the walkway cheering me on as | leave the hospital. I¡¯m stunned. | had no idea this many people were here waiting

    to see how | am doing.

    Just before we exit through the automatic sliding doors, | ask the nurse to turn me around to face the crowd. ¡°Thank you all, so

    much. | really appreciate all of your support, and I''ll be back to fighting strength in no time.¡±

    Acheer goes up as the nurse turns me back around and helps me into dad¡¯s van. As we pull away, and head home, | see Rik

    standing near the packhouse,

    watching. | lock eyes with him and | lift my hand in a wave. He smiles and lifts his hand back as we pass by.

    aleat mu fathar ¡°our long before you lift the ban on Liam and Rik?¡±

 Chapter 80

    My dad gives me a side¡ªeye nce. ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d make itst longer, but it¡¯s up to you, now that you are back on your

    feet.¡±

    | smile at my dad and as we pull up to the house, he turns to face me. ¡°And...you may be willing to forgive them much faster than

    lam.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Liam left a gift for you on Sunday when he was here. Well, | guess it is the final product of the gift Cyran gave Artemis.¡±

    | frown as we walk into the house. ¡°What are you talking about Dad?¡±

    He wheels over to thergest gift bag I''ve ever seen. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Open it and see for yourself.¡± Dad says.

    | do and it¡¯s the bear. Or should | say, it¡¯s the bearskin rug that needed to be processed. It¡¯s soft and thick and will be perfect on

    the hardwood floors in my bedroom. ¡°Whoa!¡± | look at my dad. ¡°This is amazing!¡±

    ¡°I''m going to take it upstairs and call him to say thanks.¡± | take the bearskin upstairs andy in on my floor. Then | stand on it

    barefoot, closing my eyes and feeling the softness of the fur on my feet. Even Artemis purrs in my head. ¡®Nice, right?¡® | ask her.

    ¡®I can¡¯t wait until | can shift and roll around on it.¡® She replies. Now | have that image in my head. ¡®Eww.*

    She snickers beforeying down in my head.

    I call Liam and it goes to voicemail. | let him know that | got released and that | got the bearskin, which is now a rug on my

    bedroom floor and Artemis can¡¯t wait to roll on it. Who knows, maybe Cyran will appreciate that little nugget of information.

    | stare at my phone. Everyone in the pack has the phone number for both our Alphas. | look at the clock and see that it is after

    6pm. Rik will be done with warrior training. | take a chance and send a text.

    Me: Hey Alpha Rik. | hear | owe you a big thanks for rescuing me.

    Rik: Cara. | was surprised to see you leaving the hospital. How are you feeling?

    Me: I''m better thank you and in part thanks to you

    +15 BONOS:

    Rik: What kind of an Alpha would | be if | left you at the hands of that murderer.

    Me: Why do | feel like there¡¯s more to that story than | know?N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Rik: Maybe a conversation for another time.

    Rik: You should focus on getting healthy and strong. | hear you keep taking out my warriors in training and | think it¡¯s time we go

    head-to-head.

    Me: Alpha Rik, are you sure you want your pack to watch as | show you your ass?

    Rik: It takes more than a little Guardian to bring me down.

    Me: Well, then, challenge epted. Although, if you want a fair fight, it will have to be a few more days. Artemis is still healing.

    Rik: | will absolutely wait. And, in the meantime, your father is training us in the mornings. We can both work on getting stronger

    before the big matchup.

    Me: Well, don¡¯t say | didn¡¯t warn you when you end up crying like a little girl in front of your pack Alpha.

    Rik: Get some rest my Little Guardian. | hope to see you soon.

    Me: Thanks again Alpha. | really do appreciate everything, and that includes all those gifts from before as well.

    Rik: Call me Rik and anytime.

    | set my phone down. My heart was lighter.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 0081Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Thank you to everyone who is reading my book. A fan let me know that chapter44 loaded twice and the Rik perspective did not load as I meant for it to. I apologize for the inconvenience and I¡¯m working with my editor to get it fixed.

    Once it is fixed, I will upload a bonus chapter. Thank you for your patience! I really appreciate everyone who is reading my book and following Rik and Cara¡¯sstory.

    This book should wrap up in the next couple of weeks and the second book, Alpha¡¯s Guardian Angel, will start soon after this one ends.

 Chapter 82

    After Mr. Nelson leaves, | grab breakfast and head upstairs to get ready for

    I

    school. I¡¯ve missed a week, so | know that | will have a lot to catch up on. But that gives me an idea.

    When | get to school, 1 head straight to the office. One of the benefits of being an Alpha at an all-werewolf school is that | can

    pretty much get anything that | need. | don¡¯t pull rank often, but today | will if | need to.

    ¡°Mrs. Connors.¡± | greet the woman who may be the oldest wolf I¡¯ve ever met. My father said she worked at the school when he

    was here decades ago. ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of one of my pack members, Cara Nelson. She missed schoolst week and I¡¯d like

    to get her schoolwork for her so she can get caught up while she recuperates.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha.¡± She taps on her keyboard and pulls up Cara¡¯s schedule. ¡°I will get with her teachers today and get her

    missed assignments. | can have everything for you by the end of the day. Just stop by before you leave and I''ll make sure you

    have everything she needs.¡±

    | smile at Mrs. Connors and thank her before heading out to ss.

    | get through the day thinking about the possibility of seeing Cara this afternoon. | know Mr. Nelson has forbidden me from

    seeing her until he agrees, but he can¡¯t disagree with me bringing her homework to her. At least, | hope so.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    As Chase and | are heading to the pack house afterschool, | get a mind link from Lacey. Cara is being released tonight. That is

    great news, but it means that | won¡¯t be seeing her. She''ll have to get home, get settled and probably go to bed. early.

    As | unload both of our schoolwork, | realize | can see her today, | just can¡¯t talk to her. | grab Chase before he can head to his

    room.

    ¡°Do you

    mind starting training without me? Cara is getting released and | want

    to see her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, go see your girl. We''ll be in training when you''re done.¡± | run upstairs to drop off my things and change quickly. | get the

    mind link from Jason that he¡¯s heading to training because Cara is getting released.

    | head downstairs and walk outside. They will have to pass the pack house on their way back home. | find a ce in the sun. |

    want to stand out so she will see me as they pass.

    | see their van heading my way. I¡¯m watching her in the passenger seat when she looks up and locks eyes with me. She waves

    and | can¡¯t help the smile that

    spreads across my face. It¡¯s like everything that has been wrong just righted itself, and the heavy weight I¡¯ve been feeling for the

    last couple of days lifts. | lift my hand and wave back. a

    Once they pass, | head out back to join training. My heart is lighter than it has been in over a week.

    After training, | decide to eat dinner in my room. | have a lot of schoolwork | missed and | need to get caught up if | have any

    chance of spending time with Cara this weekend. | don¡¯t care if she is doing work while I¡¯m sitting in the room with her, as long as

    | get to be close to her.

    I''m in the middle of some difficult math problems when my phone pings. At this point, | don¡¯t care who it is, | couldn¡¯t be happier

    for the interruption.

    I''m a little shocked and a lot excited to see that it¡¯s Cara and she¡¯s initiating a conversation with me, even if it is to say thanks for

    rescuing her. | tell her how | was surprised that she was released from the hospital and ask her how she¡¯s feeling.

    I''m not surprised that she picks up that there is more information on Eli, but | don¡¯t want to ruin our first text chat by discussing

    him. | decide to try to be flirty by asking her to go head-to-head with me. But it¡¯s also my way of letting her know that I¡¯m keeping

    tabs on my little guardian.

    I''m thrilled when she starts joking back, talking about how she¡¯s going to show me my ass. Oh, my Little Guardian, you have no

    idea how much | cannot WAIT for that. But of course, | want her healthy. | want our first sparring match to be fair so | can see just

    how amazing she really is.

    As much as | want to talk to her all night, | know she needs her rest. | end our conversation with a heart emoji. Just my little way

    of showing my love. It¡¯s too early for her to feel the mate bond, but Kai and | are all in.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 83

    The next morning, | show up for training at the Nelson¡¯s home with all the other warriors. The scent of vani is stronger now and

    it calms both Kai and | to know that she is so close and that she¡¯s safe.

    Mr. Nelson puts us through a rigorous training again this morning before sparring. He¡¯s like a military drill sergeant, barking

    orders at us and calling us pansies. | distract myself from the pain by wondering if he calls his daughter a pansy when she works

    out and if she everined about these difficult training sessions. I¡¯m guessing she didn¡¯t. Not my little guardian.

    | work to help my warriors through the obstacles that we have to get through for the first hour then | get to my ¡®Cara Nelson

    sparring training¡¯ and take down all of my warriors. I¡¯m getting better at it. | really can¡¯t wait to go one on one with my girl.

    At the end of training, we are all getting feedback from Mr. Nelson before he sends us off. Right before | head out, | feel eyes on

    me. | look up and see Cara sitting in a window on the second floor. Even from here | can see her blush at being caught. | wink at

    her before heading home. | like knowing she was watching me and wonder what she thinks of me taking a page from her book

    and taking down all of our, yes | think I''ll start calling them our, warriors.

    All day at school, I¡¯m distracted by the thought of being able to finally talk to her in person this afternoon. | have all her

    schoolwork and books in my car ready to take to her. When school is done, | drop Chase off at home then drive to her house. |

    collect her course work and books that | picked up yesterday and head to her door. | knock and wait.

    Nothing.

    | knock again, and tune into the house. | don¡¯t hear a sound. They aren¡¯t home. My mind immediately starts going down every

    possibility of where they could be and why they wouldn¡¯t be home. Did Cara rpse? Did Eli Gunnar somehow get onto our pack

    lands and kidnap her again?

    Before | let myself get too crazed with ideas of her being held hostage again, | mind link my father. ¡°Dad, do you know where the

    Nelsons are? I''m at their home and neither of them are here.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    He must have picked up on the panic in my tone because he reassures me before answering. ¡°Cara had to have some blood

    work tests again today. The doctor

    +16 BONOS

    wants to make sure she continues to heal. | think they decided to give her another bag of IV fluids and vitamins while she was

    there waiting for her test results. | don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ve been gone, but the appointment was supposed tost a couple of

    hours.¡±

    I sigh in relief. At least she is safe. ¡°Will you let me know what the results are when you find out?*, | ask him. As the Alpha, he is

    always informed of every pack member¡¯s medical condition and any impact it may have on the pack. My father tends to find out

    when a she-wolf is expecting before the pup¡¯s father finds out. ¡°Of course, son, but | don¡¯t expect to hear any bad news. Clint

    said that she rested today and is looking better. She¡¯s strong and will recover.¡±

    | nod my head before realizing that he can¡¯t see me. ¡°Thanks Dad.¡±

    | put her schoolwork on the porch and run back out to my car. | was hoping to see her, but I¡¯ll leave her a note instead. It¡¯s kind of

    be my thing for her. The thought makes me smile.

    | grab a piece of paper from my notebook and a pen.

    My Dearest Cara,

    | was hoping to see you today, even if it was only a brief visit

    However, | understand that you are at the hospital getting checked

    | don¡¯t know how much energy you will have toplete your schoolwork

    But | didn¡¯t want you getting bored and having nothing to do.

    | also know how important your studies are to you

    So | hope it makes you smile to know that | was thinking of you

    | miss your beautiful smile and of course, your smart mouth.

    Until | see you again,

    Yours, Rik

    Minking of her | miss her

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 0084

    | slept well Tuesday night. It was nice being back in my own bed after so much time.

    When | wake up in the morning, | hear the sounds of training outside. | head over to my window seat and sit. Rik had said that

    dad was training the warriors now, but | didn¡¯t realize he meant here in our personal training facilities.

    My eyes are immediately drawn to Rik. He is strong and fast. As | watch, | see him helping his warriors, assisting them when

    they might give up. I¡¯ve never trained with him and | didn¡¯t realize how much of a leader he is. He leads by example. He doesn¡¯t

    comin about anything that my dad throws at them and he¡¯s throwing a lot. He¡¯s yelling at them, calling them pansies and

    basically acting like he¡¯s a drill sergeant.

    After they finish with the obstacles, | watch as Rik begins sparring with each of his warriors. His technique is different than mine,

    as it should be. As a warrior, you y to your strengths. Rik¡¯s are muscle strength, height and speed. Mine are agility, speed and

    endurance. Although, based on how easily he seems to be putting his warriors down, endurance isn¡¯t a weakness of his either.

    | guess I¡¯m cheating a bit, watching his technique before we spar, but | can¡¯t look away. For all his size and strength, he is grace

    in motion. There¡¯s an elegance in his movements that you don¡¯t normally see in warriors who expect to use their strength to

    defeat their enemy. As | watch, | see him pulling his punches with his weaker warriors. | do the same. You want them to learn and

    get better, not feel defeated by being beaten every day. However, he goes all out with his stronger warriors. Trevor gives him the

    toughest battle, but he still wins.

    Artemis begins purring in my head.

    ¡®Really? Are you wasting your strength on watching Rik sparring? Shouldn¡¯t you be resting or doing something to get your

    strength back?¡¯ | ask my wolf, although I¡¯m secretly happy to have her active in my head, even if it¡¯s because she¡¯s drooling over

    an Alpha.

    ¡®Watching Alpha Rik makes me feel stronger. Maybe we should ask him to give us personal lessons, I¡¯m sure I''d be feeling much

    better very quickly.¡±

    | shake my head in disbelief. ¡°Artemis, are you kidding me? You''re crushing on our Alpha? And I¡¯m not asking him to give you

    special sessions so you can ¡°feel better¡°. Forget it.¡±

    She huffs at me. ¡®If you loved me, you''d do it.¡¯

    +IS BONO

    ¡°Wrong! | do love you but I¡¯m not making a fool of myself to Rik.¡¯ She sits back in my head but continues to watch, purring softly.

    As we''ve been having our conversation, I''d lost track of time and realized btedly that the training had ended.

    | watch as Rik listens to dad¡¯s feedback for every warrior. Just as he was about to turn to leave, he looked up into my window

    and right at me. His mouth tipped up at the edges in a small smile and he winked at me before turning and heading back toward

    the pack house.

    After the warriors leave, | head downstairs to make breakfast. Dades in and sees me in the kitchen. ¡°Sweetheart, are you

    sure you should be doing that?¡±

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not an invalid. Yes, | know I¡¯m still healing. I¡¯m still sore, but | can make breakfast. | promise I''ll take it easy today.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going to shower and I''lle join you. Did you happen to see any of the training?¡±

    ¡°| did. And | have to know, what did those poor warriors ever do to you?¡±

    He gives me a wicked smile. ¡°Oh, | haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± And he rubs hist hands together like some evil viin in an

    animated movie.

    |ugh. ¡°I pity those poor unfortunate souls,¡± singing in Urs¡¯s voice. Dad shes me a grin as he wheels himself into his room.

    My appointment is at 3pm. When we arrive at the pack hospital, | find out Dr. Harris not only wants to check my blood, but he

    wants to give me an IV while we wait for the results. He has a nurse draw my blood and hook up the IV, and Dad and | sit and

    wait.

    | decide to ask the question that Rik didn¡¯t want to discussst night. ¡°Dad, what don¡¯t | know about Eli Gunnar?¡±

    Dad looks at me intently. ¡°What makes you think there is something you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I''m not stupid Dad, something is going on, what is it?¡±

    Dad sighs and leans his head back, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure | should be the one telling you, but | do think you

    should know.¡± He looks back down at me. ¡°When you were taken and we realized that it was Eli that took you, Liam gave us

    some surprising information.¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 Chapter 85

    ¡°What kind of information?¡±

    Dad looks me straight in the eye when he answers. ¡°Eli is the one that killed Liam¡¯s mother.¡±

    My hand flew to my mouth and I gasped. ¡°What? How does he know that? And how is Eli still alive?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, Eli was found with Luna Este in his arms and he was covered in her blood. When he was found, he ran and

    escaped. Apparently, he is good at that, as he escaped our warriors and Liam when they found you.¡±

    He paused before continuing. ¡°He¡¯s been hunting Eli most of his life. Now he¡¯s close and I¡¯m afraid that this will consume him.

    Anders is talking to him daily, making sure he doesn¡¯t lose himself while he searches for Eli. He may need a friend during this

    time Cara.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Liam is a good friend and a great Alpha. | will do anything | can to help him.¡±

    Dad nods just as Dr. Harris enters. The news is good. The amount of venom in my body continues to decrease, Artemis will

    continue to get stronger and | should recover with nosting effects from the Beta¡¯s venom.

    When we return home, there¡¯s a stack of books on our porch. | realize they are books from my school and there¡¯s a note. |

    pause. Could this be from Rik? He¡¯s the one that has been my secret admirer writing notes to me.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    I smile as | read, and |ugh outright when | get to the part where it references that he doesn¡¯t want me to get bored with nothing

    to do. The smiley face lets me know he¡¯s referencing me watching him this morning.

    My heart flutters when he says he misses my smile and my smart mouth. And then he had to go and sign it Yours, Rik. Is that

    intentional? | have to think that it is. He¡¯s been very clear about his im on Artemis and me. He wants me, and while I¡¯m not

    sure exactly what it is that he wants from me, he has surprised me. Not only has he always known who | am, but his respect for

    me and my family warms my heart. He appreciates and values everything that my parents have done for him.

    An idea begins forming in my mind as | pick up my books and take them inside. | think through my n of action before looking

    at my list of assignments that | have to catch up on. Ugh, I''ll be studying all weekend.

    | crawl into bed early. I¡¯m about to turn off mymp when | see the flowers from Rik sitting on my desk. The flowers that started it

    all. They are dead now, but | can¡¯t make myself throw them away.

    | get back out of bed and head downstairs. | find some card stock paper in a funk drawer in the kitchen. | take it back upstairs

    and write out my note.

    When | sleep, my nightmare returns to me. I¡¯m trapped, handcuffed, Eli ising toward me with his canines elongated to mark

    me. Out of nowhere, Kai jumps on him, taking him down and ripping his head off. He then jumps on the bed andys on top of

    me, protecting me.

    When my rm goes off, | find myself tangled in my bed linens. | must have been tossing and turning when | was dreaming of

    Eli. | get up and go to my window. | want to watch Rik again. | want to see if he¡¯ll look for me, if he¡¯s missing me as he said.

    He doesn¡¯t disappoint. As soon as he arrives, he looks up into my window. When he sees me, he smiles and nods his head in

    acknowledgement. | smile back at him and then watch him in training again. He really is good. A natural leader, a natural fighter.

    When training is done, he waits while the other warriors leave ahead of him. He stays, watching me before pointing at me then

    making a fist with his hand and thumping it over his heart. The message is clear. | have his heart.

    He walks backward, keeping his eyes on mine, his fist remains over his heart until he reaches the forest line. He stands still for a

    moment just looking at me before turning and running into the woods headed home.

    I rush to get ready for school. | know my father wanted me to take this week off, but | have no intention of sitting around the

    house for days. | need to get back into my routine, get back to my normal life.

    As expected, Dad argues with me, but he¡¯s always taught me to push through, to fight whatever is making me weak so |e

    out stronger on the other side. That¡¯s what | intend to do. After he finally concedes that going to school shouldn¡¯t cause any

    regression to my recovery, and | promise that if | start to feel bad at all, I''ll call him, | grab my things and head to school.

 Chapter 86

    | have to stop at the front office first to let them know I¡¯ve returned. The school is aware of my situation, and happy to have me

    back. | get a note for my first ss, since it¡¯s already started.

    It''s mid-morning before | see Rik. He¡¯s in his usual position of being surrounded by every female on the. A twinge of

    jealously tries to rear its ugly head. It¡¯s Artemis that tamps it down. ¡®He¡¯s shown us and everyone here that we are important to

    him. He is an Alpha. Wolves, both male and female, will always be drawn to powerful wolves. It¡¯s not his fault that they want to be

    around him and what kind of Alpha would he be if he pushed his pack members away. Look closely, he¡¯s not giving any of them

    special attention. He almost looks bored.¡® | look again and realize she¡¯s right. | take a deep breath and strengthen my resolve. |

    start to walk toward him when his head whips up and he makes eye contact with me. He immediately pushes through the throng

    of females and hurries over to me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    his

    ¡°Cara! What are you doing here? Are you ok? How are you feeling? Shouldn''t you be at home resting?¡± His hands are going up

    and down my arms, eyes tracking over my body as if checking for bumps, bruises or breaks.

    |ugh at his barrage of questions. ¡°I¡¯m here going to ss, yes I¡¯m ok, I¡¯m feeling better everyday and if | have to stay home and

    rest another day, it won¡¯t be good for anyone, least of all me.*

    He smiles down at me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you today. This is a really nice surprise.¡±

    | hand him the card | wrote up for himst night. ¡°What is this?¡± He asks, taking the card in one hand but leaving the other on my

    arm.

    ¡°It''s an invitation.¡±

    ¡°An invitation?¡± He asks and looks down at the card then back at me, his brows pulling together.

    I''m second guessing myself and this whole idea. Maybe it was stupid. ¡®Just ask him.¡± Artemis pushes me.

    He¡¯s watching me intently, waiting for me to answer.

    ¡°Well,¡± I''m squirming under his gaze. ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯ve always

    wanted to have dinner with our fathers but your father would never let you. So, that¡¯s an invitation for tonight if...¡±

    He didn¡¯t let me finish. ¡°Yes! A thousand times yes.¡± His smile lights up his face. He looks down at the card, his frown returning.

    ¡°Will your father let me in?¡±

    I smirk at him. ¡°Are you afraid of my father Alpha?¡± | ask him teasingly.

    ¡°Fuck yeah. Your father¡¯s a beast! I¡¯m not stupid enough to take him on.¡±

    ¡°Then, lucky for you, I¡¯m YOUR Guardian. I''ll protect you from my father.¡±

    The smile remains on his face, but the look in his eyes bes hungry, intense. ¡± Yes, I¡¯m a very lucky man.¡±

    | feel the blush spreading across my cheeks. ¡°Well, | have to get to ss...¡± | point my thumb over my shoulder in the general

    direction of my ss, but I¡¯m locked in his gaze, unable to look away.

    He skims his fingers across my cheek, gently pushing my hair behind my ear. His voice is low and deep, ¡°I''ll walk you to your

    ss Cara.¡± Him saying my name in that voice sends shivers up and down my spine.

    | lick my lips and | see his eyes darken as they move to my mouth. He leans in and whispers in my ear. ¡°Unless you want me

    kissing you senseless in front of everyone in this school, I¡¯d suggest you stop licking your lips.¡± He pulls away but makes sure to

    graze his nose across my cheek. When he stands up, he smirks at me. Oh, how the tables have turned.

    He slides my bag off my shoulder and pulls it over his own. ¡°Let''s go. | don¡¯t want you to bete my Little Guardian.¡± He puts his

    hand on the small of my back as | lead him to my ss.

    | realize I¡¯m no better than my wolf. I''ve be a puddle of desire for my Alpha.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Cara¡¯s invitation?

    Daily updates until the book ispleted.

 Chapter 87

    The next morning, I¡¯m up early, adrenaline pumping through my veins. | expect to see Cera this morning. It is my only time to see

    her today and | can¡¯t wait.

    As soon as | arrive at her home, | look up at her window and see her. She was waiting for me. | smile up at her and nod my

    head, letting her know I¡¯ve seen her. Maybe | work extra hard in training to show off a bit for my girl. She¡¯s watching and | want

    her to see me as a strong and powerful leader.

    When training is done, | wait for everyone to head out. I¡¯m enjoying the view, just watching her in her window. When Mr. Nelson

    quietly tells me to ¡®move along Alpha¡® | point up at her, without ever losing eye contact then bring my fist to my chest. She has my

    heart. That will never change.

    | walk backward toward the forest line, never breaking eye contact or moving my fist from my heart. I¡¯m thrilled that she doesn¡¯t

    look away. She sits by her window and watches me until | know | have to leave. | don¡¯t want to, but if | don¡¯t right now, | may just

    skip school altogether and stay the day with her.

    When | get back to the pack house, | eat breakfast with my pack members before getting ready for school. All morning, I¡¯m trying

    to think of ways that I can see her, or at least, let her know I¡¯m thinking of her.

    It''s mid-morning and we''re in between sses. Chase and | are surrounded by a group of females again. I¡¯m not really paying

    attention. I¡¯m still trying to figure out how to see Cara this afternoon, when my favorite scent in the world hits my nose, vani

    and honey with a hint ofvender.

    My head whips up and there she is. For a moment, | can¡¯t believe it. What is she doing here? | push through the people around

    me to get to her.

    When | do, | look over her body, making sure that she doesn¡¯t have any residual injuries. | can¡¯t help but notice that the puncture

    wounds around her neck are gone. Jason and Lacey told me they were, but it makes both Kai and | feel better actually seeing it.

    When sheughs at my litany of questions, | can¡¯t help but smile back. She¡¯s here. | was just wondering how | could see her

    today and she¡¯s here, right in front of me. My whole day just got so much better.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    When she gives me an invitation to dinner, there is only one response. Yes! | love her teasing me about being afraid of her father.

    But I¡¯m pretty sure his threat was a serious one and I''d be stupid to ever underestimate him.

    12

    | love how she says that I¡¯m lucky that she¡¯s MY Guardian. I¡¯m much more

    serious when | agree, because I¡¯m not joking. | feel like the luckiest man in the world with the way she¡¯s looking at me.

    As soon as she licks her lips, I¡¯m done. All of my thoughts of spending time with her turn to having her in my arms, tasting her,

    touching her, finding ways to make the mate bond sparks travel over both of our bodies. | lean in so | can smell her delicious

    scent while | give her fair warning. If she doesn¡¯t stop licking her lips, | won¡¯t be able to control myself and | don¡¯t care who sees,

    I''ll kiss her senseless. | slide my nose across her cheek, breathing in her scent before standing up and smirking at her. Her eyes

    have gone a little ssy and dazed. Perfect!

    When we arrive at her ssroom, it takes everything in me to not kiss her before | walk away to get to my ss.

    The rest of the day, | make a point to meet her after ss and walk her to her next ss. After the second time, she is looking for

    me and smiles when she sees me walking up to her. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to carry my bag to every ss.¡± She says to me

    as we walk.

    ¡°What if | want to?¡± | look at her. | want to look and act like her mate. | want to take care of her, treasure her, treat her like my

    queen. So, yeah, | want to carry her bag for her.

    At lunch, | follow her to her table. Jason and Lacey look mildly surprised, but don¡¯t say anything. Chase joins us and our usual

    table of girls looks like they could spit nails. Don¡¯t care. My life is changed now that | have found my mate. Conversation over

    lunch is easy.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET

 Chapter 88

    Chase tries his luck flirting with Lacey. ¡°So, Lacey, got any ns for tomorrow night¡±

    ¡°Yep, the usual, headed to Dark Moon.¡±

    ¡°Want somepany?¡± Chase asks her.

    She gives him a fake smile and shuts him down. ¡°I have some already, but thanks.¡±

    She¡¯s giving him the barest of answers when she responds, bordering on being rude. | can see Chase¡¯s intrigue with her

    increasing. Chase is true to his name, and he loves the chase. Lacey doesn¡¯t realize it, but she¡¯s only making him more intent on

    getting close to her.

    | focus my attention back on Cara. ¡°Do you need a ride home today?¡±

    She smiles at me. ¡°No, I¡¯m good, but thank you.¡±

    Thest few sses are the same. | walk her to her ss, carrying her books. When the day is finally done, | walk her to her car.

    She unlocks it and with her hand on the door, turns to me. I¡¯ve moved in close, desperately wanting to kiss her, but knowing she

    won''t want that here in such a public ce. So, instead, | step into her space, forcing her to lean back against her car and | lean

    down to whisper in her ear. ¡°Thank you for my invitation. | can¡¯t wait to see youter my little guardian.¡±

    | blow on her neck and gently nip her ear lobe as | listen to her heart rate increase. She swallows hard before answering, her

    voice a bit squeaky, ¡°Well, it¡¯s just dinner, nothing fancy.¡±

    | lean my forehead against hers. ¡°It¡¯s more than just dinner. It¡¯s time with you. love.¡± | kiss her nose before stepping back and

    walking away. When | get to my car, | turn and see that she hasn¡¯t moved. | wink before getting into the car with Chase.

    After | get home, | rush to my room to shower and get ready. I¡¯m not going to tell my father that I¡¯m joining them. | don¡¯t want him

    to tell me to note. | put on a pair of jeans, a ck sweater and pair it with work boots.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    | walk out of my room and nearly run into my mother. ¡°Hey mom.¡± | greet her and start to walk past her.

    ¡°Rik, are youing with me to Lily¡¯s memorial tonight?¡± | stop short. | was so

    excited about dinner with Cara that | didn¡¯t even remember that it would mean | wouldn¡¯t go with my mother. | turn and take her

    hands in mine. ¡°Mom, | can¡¯t tonight, | have a date.¡± | smile waiting for her to be excited for me.

    I''m surprised when | see her frown. ¡°A date?¡± Ok, that was an unexpected reaction.

    ¡°Yes, | have a date, I¡¯m heading out now.¡±

    ¡°But sweetheart...¡± she stops, looking upset.

    ¡°Mom? Why do you look like that? | can go to Lily¡¯s memorial another day.¡±

    ¡°It''s not that honey. | just....! thought that you were serious about Cara Nelson. You made such a statement at your birthday with

    that dance and then you were so distraught when she was missing. | guess | just thought that maybe you¡¯d found your mate in

    her.

    I smile and hug my mom, before leaning back and looking at her. ¡°Mom, my date is with Cara. She invited me to dinner with her,

    Dad and Mr. Nelson.¡±

    My mom¡¯s eyes go wide and her mouth opens in a ¡°O¡± before her smile spreads across her face. ¡°So she is your mate, isn¡¯t

    she?¡± z

    ¡°Yes mom, she is. Only she doesn¡¯t know it yet, but | think she¡¯s feeling the beginnings of the bond, even now.¡±

    She puts her hands on either side of my face. ¡°I¡¯m SO happy for you. I''ll make sure to tell Lily when | go see her tonight that her

    daughter and my son are mates. She¡¯d be so pleased!¡±

    ¡°Thanks mom. Oh, and don¡¯t tell dad. He doesn¡¯t know and I¡¯m not letting him ruin this for me.¡±

    ¡°Only if you promise to tell me all about it tomorrow.¡± She bargains.

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    With that, | head out. Before, going to Cara¡¯s, | stop at a florist and pick up another dozen roses. This time, | get her red, for love.

 Chapter 89

    uch attention Rik is giving me the rest of the day. He is there after every ss and insists on carrying my bag for me, walking me

    to my next ss. | don¡¯t know if he realizes how many people are watching us, but | do, Maybe it¡¯s because everyone has figured

    out that he was my mystery man. It was a very public im.

    It''s very ttering that his attention, when he¡¯s with me, is solely on me. The arrogant Alpha that I¡¯ve seen all my life is gone. This

    man is something | never expected. He¡¯s all in, and he¡¯s making sure | know it.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not all in, but he could be.¡® Artemis purrs seductively.

    ¡®ARTEMIS! | thought we agreed we were saving ourselves for our mate!!

    ¡®We are.¡® She says but she sounds like she¡¯s rethinking her decision.

    ¡®Is that a question? Because it sounds like a question, not a statement.

    ¡®| like him. | like Kai. | like how they treat us, respect us.¡±

    | honestly don¡¯t know what to say. While she always liked Liam and Cyran, she never considered doing anything to risk our mate

    bond. Her interest in having a physical rtionship with Rik and Kai is shocking.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m sticking to my guns on this one. We are NOT going to risk offending our mate by having a physical rtionship with

    Rik. Not when our birthday is so close.¡¯

    Artemis sighs in my head. ¡®I agree. But you have to admit, he is a fine specimen. When we can shift again, | wonder if Kai would

    want to go for a run with me.

    ¡®lm sure he would. The question is, can you behave?¡±

    ¡®Maybe? She snickers.

    | push her out and refocus on the conversation at lunch. Chase seems to be hitting on Lacey and she¡¯s not biting. In truth, she

    and | have always been in agreement when ites to men. We have no interest in being anyone¡¯s bed warmer or a notch ona

    bedpost. Chase doesn¡¯t exactly have a good reputation when ites to being with women. If | had to guess, I''d say he has

    notches on all four of his bedposts and is probably running out of room for more. He¡¯s barking up the wrong tree with Lacey.

    When Rik walks me to my car at the end of the day, | turn to him intending to tell him how much | appreciate his attention today.

    Instead, | realize that he has

    +15 BONOS

    moved so close that my brain stops functioning. | lean back and look up at him. He leans down to whisper in my ear, sending

    shivers down my spine. When he blows on my neck, heat slides down my core, and when he nips my ear, it¡¯s like little shock

    waves going through my system. | try to get my voice under control, but it doesn¡¯t work when | tell him that it¡¯s only dinner. And

    when he leans his forehead against mine and tells me that it''s so much more, | feel like a piece of my heart just got branded with

    his name.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    No one and nothing will ever be able to take that bit of my heart away from him. No matter who my mate may be. | realize that

    I''m falling in love with Rik Forte and the thought has me so stunned that | just stand there, watching him walk to his car. He turns

    and winks at me before getting in his car and driving away.

    Well shit, my wolf and | are totally screwed. We''re falling in love with our Alpha The one that we are sworn to protect with our

    lives and we don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s our mate.

 Chapter 90

    Since | don¡¯t have training when | get home, | decide to take some extra time and get ready for tonight. | take a long soak in my

    tub, using the scents that Rik got me as one of my gifts. | light the candles and when I¡¯m done, | rub the vani lotion into my

    skin. | take some time blow drying my hair into big thick curls and | put a bit of make up on. Not too much, | don¡¯t want it to be too

    obvious that I¡¯m making an effort.

    | put on an olive colored long-sleeve sweater dress with a cowl next and ck leggings before adding brown knee-high faux

    suede boots.

    Last night when | had my idea to invite Rik for dinner, | had nned out my side dishes to go with our steaks. Since dad always

    grills steaks on Thursday, | decided to add some truffle butter to melt on top when they firste off the grill. Dad had gone to

    the store today and gotten everything on my list, which included what | needed to make lobster mac and cheese and a wedge

    sd. It''s not

    still decadent.

    Ethereal but by my home cooked standards, it¡¯

    When dad rolls into the kitchen, he stops in his tracks. ¡°Cara?¡±

    | turn to look at him, ignoring his questioning stare. ¡°Thanks for getting the lobster and truffle butter dad.¡±

    ¡°Cara? Why are you so dressed up?¡±

    | could pretend | didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about, but I¡¯m still a terrible liar. ¡± | invited Alpha Rik to join us for dinner tonight.

    Apparently, he has been asking his father to join him at these dinners for years but Anders would never let hime.

    Supposedly this is ¡®your time*.¡± | make air quotes when | say your time.

    ¡°Is that why we''re having a fancy dinner tonight?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Well, it''s his first time eating dinner here.¡±

    Dad interrupts me. ¡°And you''re first time inviting a man toe over for dinner.¡± z

    ¡°He saved my life dad.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. Is that the story you''re going with Cara?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have some steaks to be prepping or something?¡± | try to change the subject.

    Aknock came at the door. | sucked in a breath and looked at my dad. ¡°I''ll get it.¡±

    +15 RONDSThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    | walked to the door and brushed my hands down my dress. Why am | so nervous? | opened the door, a smile stered on my

    face.

    ¡°Oh, Anders. Hi. Come in.¡±

    He raises a brow at my wee. ¡°You were expecting someone else?¡±

    | just smile and point to the kitchen. ¡°Dad''s just getting the steaks out. If you hurry, you might be able to help with something.¡± He

    laughs and moves toward the kitchen. | close the door and lean against it. | feel like my nerves are already shot.

    | walk back toward the kitchen, and | hear Anders asking dad about our lobster mac and cheese. ¡°Did | do something amazing to

    deserve such treatment?¡± He asks, just as | hear another knock at the door.

    Anders head whips up and his brows furrow. He must be able to smell Rik¡¯s scent at the door. ¡°I''ll get it.¡± | say and turn on my

    heel heading back to the door.

    When | open the door, Rik is standing there, holding a bouquet of roses, a smile on his face. ¡°Hey beautiful. These are for you.¡±

    He says, and hands me the flowers.

    | take the flowers and step out of the way. ¡°Red this time.¡± | say.

    He walks up to me, kissing my cheek, ¡°Mmhmm, red has a different meaning than white.¡± He looks at me and for a moment and |

    forget how to breathe. ¡°Son? What are you doing here?¡±

    Cooper

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 0091

    ¡°Son? What are you doing here?¡± Anders interrupts our moment.

    | immediately step in front of Rik. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m protecting him or nning to take any wrath thates from Anders, but |

    did this, so I''ll be the one

    responding.

    ¡°Alpha Anders. | invited Rik to dinner tonight. | understand that you feel that this is your time with my father, and if you choose for

    Rik to not be here tonight, then he and | will go somewhere else while you and dad have your time.¡±

    He raises his eyebrow at me. ¡°You and Rik will go somewhere else?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡± | can feel Rik trying to move around me so that I¡¯m not in such a protective stance, but I¡¯m subtly moving to

    keep him where he is. Behind me. Anders eyes moving back and forth between us.

    ¡°Anders,¡± my father calls, rolling toward us. ¡°Haven''t you learned your lesson yet about taking on Guardians?¡± Anders looks at

    me another moment before a smile spreads across his face. ¡°You''re right Clint. Taking on your little badass once was enough for

    me.¡± And he turns and follows my father outside to the grill. | turn back to Rik. ¡°Well,e on in then.¡± As he passes me, he

    leans in and kisses my cheek again, causing me to blush.

    As we head to the kitchen, | point to the stairs. ¡°I''ll be right back, | only have one vase and it¡¯s upstairs.¡± He takes the flowers

    from me while | run up the stairs to my room to get the vase filled with the now dead roses. | bring them downstairs and see that

    Rik is looking around the house.

    When | reach the bottom stair, he turns and smiles at me. ¡°It¡¯s cozy, it has a homey feel to it, | like it.¡± | stop and look around. I¡¯d

    never given much thought to how cozy our house is. It has been my home for most of my life, so it¡¯s always felt like home to me.

    ¡°Yeah, | guess it is.¡±

    He nods his head at the vase of dead roses in my hand. ¡°You still have them?¡±

    ¡°| couldn¡¯t bring myself to throw them out, so...yeah, | still have them.¡±

    He walks over, taking the vase from my hand, giving me the roses in his. ¡°I''ll be happy to rece them any time you need fresh

    ones. Where is your garbage can?¡± | point to where our garbage is and he throws out the old flowers, going to the sink to rinse

    out the vase and put fresh water in it. He takes the flowers from me and puts them in the vase. ¡°Where do you want them?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°How about the dining room table for now. I''ll probably put them in my roomter.¡±

    ¡°Dining room table it is. So, what¡¯s for dinner? Something smells delicious.¡±

    ¡°Our dads always have steak on Thursday. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s be a tradition or if they just really like steak and make sure

    they get it once a week, but Thursday is steak night in this house.¡±

    ¡°Steak is good. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m smelling.¡±

    ¡°Oh, | made a lobster mac and cheese. | hope you like that sort of thing.¡±

    He walks over and puts his hands on my hips, gently pulling me toward him. You made me lobster mac and cheese?¡±

    ¡°Well, it...it¡¯s for everyone.¡± I''m so nervous around him that I¡¯m stumbling on my words. | don¡¯t know what to do with my hands,

    and they end up on his chest. | can feel the heat of his body through our clothes. His chest under my hands is firm and muscr.

    | wonder what it would feel like to run my hands over his chest, down his abdomen to the line of his jeans. I¡¯m overwhelmed by

    the scent of him. Like most shifters, he smells like the forest. But more than that, he smells strongly of brownies. It¡¯s the same

    comforting scent | smelled when he rescued me. He said our house felt homey, but he smells like home. Like the ce you

    come to at the end of a long, hard day when you need to rx and unwind. Your ce of safety andfort.

 Chapter 92

    | hadn¡¯t even noticed that I¡¯d leaned into him, drawing his scent into my nose until he leaned down nuzzling into my hair. ¡°Little

    Guardian, | would love nothing more than to know what is going on in the beautiful head of yours, but | think we need to redirect

    your thoughts before our fatherse in and smell your arousal.¡±

    It was like a bucket of cold water was dumped on my head. | leaped out of his arms as he chuckled softly. ¡°Perhaps we can

    focus on dinner? How can | help?¡± He asks me.

    | know my face must be scarlet in embarrassment, but | look around and get my bearings. The mac and cheese is almost done,

    so it¡¯s time to make the sd. | get everything out to start chopping and ting the sds. | give Rik what he needs to set the

    table.

    Dad and Anderse back in with the cooked steaks. They eye the two of us and Rik was absolutely right. It would not have

    gone over well if they had thought | Was

    getting turned on by my future alpha.

    | put a pat of truffle butter on each steak and after bringing everything to the. table, we sit. Anders and Rik sit beside each other

    opposite Dad and |, so I¡¯m facing Rik. ¡°This looks and smells delicious. Thank you both for including me tonight.¡± He says to both

    of us, but his smile is only for me.

    I smile and duck my head as | focus on my food.

    My Dad clears his throat before turning his attention to Rik. ¡°So. You are mystery man, eh?¡±

    Rik turns to Dad and replies, ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    Cara¡¯s

    ¡°Did your father ever tell you what he had to do to get your mother to date him?¡± My father asks with an evil grin on his face.

    My head whips up to Anders. ¡°You had to convince Luna Calista to date you?¡± | can tell that this story is news to Rik as well

    because his attention is now on his father.

    Anders is ring daggers at my father who just smirks back. ¡°Not like Lily wanted anything to do with you either Clint.¡± He throws

    a jab at my dad.

    Dad just nods his head. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± He turns to Rik. ¡°Your father and | weren¡¯t exactly known for having a chaste dating history.¡±

    Anders scoffs. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call what we were doing ¡®dating¡¯.¡±

    ¡°True. So, do you know this story Rik?¡±

    Rik looks at his father before turning to mine. ¡°No sir, | don¡¯t believe | do.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Dad and Anders are having another one of their silent conversations, almost like they are reliving the moment together while my

    father tells the story.

    ¡°Well, your

    mother and Lily were best friends. One day your father notices Calista at school. And...¡±

    Anders interrupts him, ¡°It was like everything in the world just righted itself.¡± A small smile on his lips at the memory.

    Dad continues, ¡°Right. So your father, being the future Alpha, saunters up to Calista and Lily.¡±

    ¡°| didn¡¯t saunter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you sauntered.¡± My father jokes with Anders before picking up the story again. ¡°And he asks your mother out on a date.

    Now, mind you, your father didn¡¯t ask girls on dates. I¡¯m sure you know how it is, they just flock to the strong males in the pack.¡±

    Rik looks from my dad to me but, intelligently, doesn¡¯t acknowledge my father¡¯sment.

    ¡°So, imagine your father¡¯s surprise when your mother turns him down t.¡± Anders picks up the story line again. ¡°I was so

    shocked, | didn¡¯t even know what to do or say, and just watched the two of them walk away.¡± He looks over at me. Your father

    wasn¡¯t any help at all, basicallyughing at me saying something like ¡®tough luck buddy*.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 93

    | looked between the two of them. | don¡¯t know why adding Rik to the group has changed the entire dynamic of their conversation

    tonight, but this is hrious.

    ¡°So, what happened? How did you win her over?¡± | ask.

    ¡°| convinced your father to pull a Top Gun bar-singing routine with me.¡± Anders says and my father startsughing so hard he

    has tears in his eyes. He¡¯s stillughing when he says, ¡°We were so bad, Calista finally agreed to go out with him if we would

    stop singing.¡±

    We''re allughing now, and Anders says, ¡°Hey, it worked.¡±

    ¡°And the rest is history?¡± | asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. | had to show her that | meant it, that | wasn¡¯t trying to make her one of my conquests. | think she finally realized

    how serious | was when | had a jewelry set made for her.¡±

    Rik jumps in. ¡°The aquamarine surrounded by sapphires?¡± He asks and Anders nods. ¡°Yep, who do you think had it made for

    her?¡±

    Rik looks thoughiful. ¡°That¡¯s where | got the idea to make Cara¡¯s. | always loved that they looked like abination of Mom¡¯s

    and Shali¡¯s eyes.¡± He looks at me as he says this and Artemis, the hussy, pushes forward so her eyes show in mine. Kai, not to

    be outdone, pushes forward for a moment too, making Rik¡¯s beautiful eyes bleed to sapphire. He must get his eyes from his

    mother.

    ¡°Like father, like son.¡± My father says. ¡°You may not have sung her a song, but grand gestures are definitely a Forte trademark.¡±

    ¡°Not just a Forte trademark. | don¡¯t remember you cking in the grand gesture department.¡± Anders says to dad.

    ¡°Mom didn¡¯t want you at first either?¡± | ask, stunned because all I¡¯d ever heard was how in love my parents had been.

    ¡°Your mother shot me down several times. Only made me want her more.¡±

    ¡°So, what was your grand gesture?¡± Rik asked.

    ¡°Not to be outdone by your father,¡±

    e looks at Anders who smirks back at him,

    LC

    | found a song called September Lily and | learned how to y it on the guitar. | practiced for months, every day.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it was EVERY day. | thought my car drums were going to burst.¡±

    +15 DONOS

    Anders interrupts, chuckling.

    Dad smiles and continues. ¡°On Anders 18th birthday, we arranged for me to get on stage. It was meant to look like a toast to him.

    But instead, | grabbed my guitar and sang my song to her. Walking through the crowd of pack members until | was right in front

    of her.¡±

    He smiles wistfully at the memory, reliving it as he tells the story. ¡°At the end, | got down on one knee. | think she thought | was

    going to propose, but we were both too young. And | asked if she¡¯d be my date to the prom.¡±

    ¡°It was a bold move.¡± Anders states. ¡°She could have shut you down in front of the entire pack.¡±

    ¡°But she didn¡¯t.¡± Dad says softly.

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t¡± Anders repeats.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°So, we went to prom, all four of us together, and had a great time. And the rest, as they say, is history.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Double Cara update. What did you think of the glimpse of Clint and Anders back story? | loved writing

 Chapter 94

    When | arrive at the Nelson¡¯s home, | can tell that Cara is dressed up for me. She¡¯s always beautiful, but her hair is in bigger

    curls than normal and there is light amount of makeup on her face. She¡¯s so stunning it takes my breath away.

    When my father asks why I¡¯m there, I¡¯m not surprised and ready with my response. What does surprise me is that Cara turns to

    stand in front of me, like she¡¯s protecting me. And then she basically challenges my father letting him know that if he has a

    problem with me being here, that both of us willCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    somewhere else.

    go

    While | appreciate that she¡¯s willing to spend time with me, I¡¯m punched in the gut with a harsh reality. In concept, the idea of

    having a Guardian is exciting, amazing. Someone who is your equal who will have your back on the battlefield. The reality,

    however, means that my Guardian, who is also my mate, will be putting her life on the line for me. | can¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯m the

    Alpha. It¡¯s MY job to protect the pack, including and most importantly, protecting my mate and

    Luna.

    When | try to move out from behind her, she continues to shift her body so it''s impossible for me to step around her without

    pushing her out of the way. My dad is watching the interaction and realizes what she¡¯s doing. Thankfully, Mr. Nelson arrives at

    that moment to diffuse the situation and Cara invites me in.

    While she goes to find a vase for the flowers, | take a look around. The ce feels like home. It¡¯s different than living in a pack

    house, and | wonder if she¡¯d want to live in a house of our own when we¡¯re mated. Especially when we are ready to have pups. |

    had never really considered living outside the pack house, it¡¯s always been my home, but this could be even better. Just us.

    After putting the fresh flowers in the vase, | ask her what the delicious scent is. | already know what itis, it¡¯s her. The beautiful

    smell that is all hers. The smell that calms my nerves, rxes my mind and brings me peace. She brings up the steaks and I

    can¡¯t help but tease a bit when | say that¡¯s not it. When she says it¡¯s the lobster mac and cheese, | realize she went out of her

    way to make this a nice dinner for me.¡±

    My need to be near her overwhelms me and | walk to her, pulling her hips against me. I¡¯m not sure she realizes that she moans a

    little as her handsnd on my chest and she leans into me. I''m confident that she¡¯s not immune to the pull of the mate bond

    when | smell the sweet scent of her arousal and know that if we don¡¯t shut this down now, | may not want to stop and that¡¯s not

    good when both

    +15 BONOS

    our fathers are just outside the door.

    We finish prepping for dinner just in time to have Dad and Mr. Nelson return with the steaks. The smell of dinner is making my

    mouth water. No wonder my father doesn¡¯t want to share his time on Thursdays. If I¡¯d known he was eating this well, I¡¯d have

    forced my way in a long time ago.

    | had expected to be grilled by Mr. Nelson, so when he asks me about being Cara¡¯s mystery man, I¡¯m ready. However, the turn of

    conversation after that takes me by surprise. Watching the interaction between my father and Mr. Nelson is new and interesting.

    My father doesn¡¯t have many close friends. Being the Alpha is a lonely position. It¡¯s yet another reason why the Luna is so

    important in the pack. She provides the partnership that the Alpha doesn¡¯t get from others, expect possibly his Beta if they are

    close.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET

 Chapter 95

    The rtionship between Dad and Mr. Nelson is practically a brotherhood. talk together as equals,ughing and joking at the

    other''s expense, exactly as you would expect brothers to do. It¡¯s a new and different side to my father that | haven¡¯t seen before.

    [like it.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Cara is as surprised as | am that my father had to convince my mother to date him, and | silently curse Mr. Nelson for bringing up

    the way she-wolves are drawn to powerful wolves. Cockblock much Clint?

    When my dad says he had the jewelry set made for mom that gave me the idea for the jewelry set for Cara, | can¡¯t believe it. |

    hadn''t really thought about where it hade from, it just always reminded me of mom¡¯s eyes which gave me the idea for

    Cara''s.

    | love that while I¡¯m talking, Artemis pushes forward to show off the allu eyes that I¡¯m talking about. Kai pushes forward too. He

    wants to make sure Artemis knows he¡¯s all in with me.

    Mr. Nelson¡¯sment about ¡®like father, like son¡® makes me proud. My father is a good Alpha, a good mate and a good father. |

    really do hope to live up to his high standards when I¡¯m Alpha.

    Listening to Mr. Nelson talk about how he had to convince Lily Nelson to date him too, gives me hope for Cara and I. | know

    we''re mates, even though she doesn¡¯t. They would have known before Mom and Lily as well, and it all worked out in the end.

    There¡¯s a brief pause while we clear tes and get dessert. Dad brought a pie that Mom made. ¡°What kind of pie did Mom make

    this week?¡± | ask.

    Cara pulls it out of the fridge and sniffs it. ¡°Smells like peanut butter?¡± It¡¯s a question, not a statement.

    | walk up behind her, sliding my arm around her waist as | lean in. ¡°Yep, peanut butter. | love Mom¡¯s peanut butter pie. Should we

    make some coffee?¡±

    She shows me where everything is for coffee and | start a pot brewing, while Cara starts washing up dishes. Our dads have

    stayed in the dining room, continuing to reminisce about the good old days, so it¡¯s just the two of us in the kitchen.

    There is something almost intimate about us moving around each other, being together like this. | realize, | want this. This life,

    this domesticity, this intimacy with Cara. For a moment, | can hear the sound of the tv in the other room with

    +15 BONOS

    cartoons, hear the pitter patter of little feet running through the kitchen as we move around them and each other cleaning up. |

    want it all and | want it with this woman.

    | so overwhelmed with the feelings inside me, | can¡¯t help myself. | go to her, take her soapy hands in mine and turn her to me

    before cupping her cheek and kissing her with passion. | pour everything that I''m feeling into that kiss. | want her to feel how

    much | want her, not just today or tomorrow, but forever, for always.

    I''m lost in her scent, her taste, the feel of her lips against mine. | nip at her bottom lip seeking entrance until her lips part and I

    slide my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. One hand slides into her soft hair, while the other pulls her tightly against

    me. | never want this kiss to end.

    I''ve forgotten everything but her until | hear the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat. I¡¯m suddenly brought back to

    reality and realize that I¡¯m kissing Clint Nelson¡¯s daughter with a passion no parent wants to see right in front of him. And not just

    him, my father as well.

    | slowly pull my face away from Cara¡¯s, only now realizing that her hands are gripping the front of my shirt, holding me close and

    one of my legs has slid in between hers. We''re practically wrapped around each other. Cara opens her eyes. They are dazed

    and her lips are puffy from my kiss. She¡¯s never looked more beautiful.

 Chapter 96

    | turn my head and see both dads looking at us. ¡°Perhaps you can stop kissing my daughter iong enough to let us have some

    dessert Rik.¡± Mr. Nelson scolds me.

    Sorry sir, your daughter is just too amazing to let moments like this one pass me by.¡±

    He nods his head in understanding. ¡°Just as long as you understand that my daughter is still underage and saving herself for her

    mate.¡± He gives me a knowing look. I¡¯m her mate, he knows it, but he wants me to wait until she knows it as well.

    ¡°| understand sir, and | respect that decision.¡±

    ¡°Son, if you¡¯re going to be kissing my daughter like that in front of me, you¡¯d better start calling me Clint.¡±

    YES! Finally! ¡°Thank you, Clint.¡± | can¡¯t help but smile.

    Cara has gone back to finishing the dishes, hiding her face while she gets herself back under control. | grab the pie and a cutter

    and head back to the table. Cara gets the tes and coffee. While we¡¯re eating dessert, | have a question I¡¯ve been wanting to

    ask.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m dying to know how you got the nickname Little Badass, Cara.¡± I¡¯m looking at her as | say it, so | see the smile that

    shes on her face before she forces it back down. She looks up at my father. | look between them, finally registering what

    happened.

    ¡°She pinned you, dad?¡± | ask, stunned. My father is one of the strongest Alpha¡¯s in the country. He used to be the strongest, but

    younger Alphas like Liam and | are taking that title now.

    Mr. Nelson, Clint, gets a smug look on his face. ¡°She not only pinned your father, she did it in, what was it Anders? Fifteen

    minutes?¡±

    His antagonistic tone has my father scowling. ¡°Yes, fifteen minutes. | guess in your family it¡¯s ¡®like mother, like daughter.¡±

    | look at Cara in awe. She¡¯s that good? | mean, I¡¯ve watched her with my warriors, she¡¯s the best we''ve got. But good enough to

    beat my dad that quickly? Maybe | need to rethink going head-to-head with her.

    As | watch, Cara¡¯s brows furrow. ¡°What do you mean? Did my mother pin you as

    well?¡±

    +15 BONGH

    Dad¡¯s head swings back and forth between Cara and Clint. ¡°You never told her?¡± Clint looks surprised, then looks at his daughter

    thoughtfully. ¡°I guess not. | guess it never came up.¡± He smiles at Cara. ¡°You don¡¯t just look like your mother; you also have her

    mouthiness and her toughness. She took Anders down in just under fifteen minutes in her day as well.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Cara looks thrilled. | guess, considering how young she was when her mother died and everything her father went through

    afterward, she probably doesn¡¯t know as much about her mother like most people do. The thought made me sad for her, and |

    want to find a way to give her the information about her mom.

    ¡°So, wait,¡± | jump in. ¡°She got her record in kicking Alpha butt from her mom and her new nickname from you?¡± | ask Clint.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Clint says, still smiling proudly at Cara.

    ¡°My nicknamees from you? What is yours?¡± Cara asks. Seriously, how do | know more about her family then she does?..

    It''s my father than answers. ¡°He was the Big Daddy Badass, at least until your mother came along and knocked him down a peg

    or two.¡±

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 0097

    This has been a fun evening. It¡¯s been great watching my father look so happy almost youthful again.

    When Rik asks what kind of ple his mom made, | had to sniff it. It smells good, like peanut butter. But, if I¡¯m being honest, the

    room now smells like Reese¡¯s Peanut Butter Cups between the pie and Rik¡¯s brownie scent. My mouth is watering and if a nose

    could orgasm, mine would be. When he wrapped his arm around my waist and leaned in to sniff the pie, | had to fight the urge to

    lick his neck. It was right there, | could just lean in.....

    Coffee! Yes, we need coffee. Thankfully, he doesn¡¯t seem nearly as distracted as | am. | begin to wash the dishes, trying to get

    my head out of the gutter while he¡¯s making coffee. But then, he¡¯s there, taking my hands and he kisses me like I¡¯ve never been

    kissed before. It¡¯s possessive, passionate, loving, and so full of promise that all | can do is grab hold of his shirt and let myself

    get lost in the sensations of his mouth and his choctey smellmanding my attention.

    I''m so lost in the onught to my senses, that | have totally forgotten where we are. When | hear someone clear their throat, |

    can¡¯t be bothered to care. | am blissed out on Rik. Even after opening my eyes, I¡¯m in his trance. | give my head a quick shake

    trying toe to my senses.

    When he asks, I¡¯m astonished to learn that Rik doesn¡¯t know about my nickname. Dad, of course, proudly announces that |

    pinned Anders in fifteen minutes.

    | did not know that my mother had done the same thing in her time. It reminds me that | need to go to her memorial. Maybe Rik

    would want to go with me. | know this is usually his night to go with his mom, but maybe | can convince him to go with me this

    weekend.

    Imagine my surprise, when | also find out that my nicknamees from my dad. In hindsight, it was the older warriors that

    started calling me that, so it was intentional. | just didn¡¯t understand it at the time. Now I¡¯m proud of my

    nickname. It means I¡¯m like my father, and there is no one in the world I''d rather be like than my amazing father.

    When we finish, Rik helps me clear the dishes again. When we''re done, | look at him.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Can | show you something?¡±

    His face lights up, like I''ve just told him he¡¯s won the lottery. ¡°Of course.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | take his hand, intending to guide him to my room. ¡°Dad, Anders, we¡¯re going upstairs. If | miss you Anders, have a good week.¡±

    They both stop talking and turn to look at me like I¡¯ve got two heads. Dad¡¯s eyes track to my hand holding Rik¡¯s. ¡°The door stays

    open Cara.¡±

    ¡°Dad! Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Door. Open.¡± This time, he looks at Rik and there is a clear warning there.

    ¡°Fine.¡± | roll my eyes and pull Rik along. | grab my flowers on my way upstairs. | want them back in my room where they belong.

    When we get to my room, | let go of his hand and put the flowers back where the other ones were. | begin to clean up the dead

    flower petals that litter my desk. When | turn back, Rik is taking in my room. | see his brows furrow as he looks at my new

    bearskin rug. But, as | watch, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. | sniff, but don¡¯t smell anything. | wash my sheets

    every week, so it can¡¯t be that. When he turns, he has a beautiful smile on his face. Ok, so maybe my room smells good? Maybe

    he smells the lingering scent of the candles he bought me? | point to the loveseat against the window where I¡¯ve watched him in

    training.¡± Have a seat.¡±

    He goes over and sits down. | walk around my desk and pull The History of the Guardian from a drawer in my desk. | don¡¯t know

    how many people know | have it, but | think it¡¯s better to keep it out of sight, just in case.

    | have read some passages and want to share what | had found with Rik. It seemed only fitting since he was the one that got me

    the book.

    | lug the giant tome over to the loveseat and sit beside him,ying the book on both of ourps. He wraps his arm around my

    shoulder, his warmth seeping into me. The smell of brownies bes overwhelming again, and | turn into his chest. and sniff. |

    tried to be inconspicuous about it, but, of course, he notices.

 Chapter 98

    ¡°Do | smell?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. But....¡± | don¡¯t want to sound stupid, and | start biting my lip thinking | should just keep my mouth shut.

    He takes his thumb and pulls my lip out of my teeth. ¡°But?¡±

    | just blurt it out. ¡°Did your mom make brownies today?¡±

    He looks at me, confused. Yeah, | know. Seriously random question.

    ¡°Not that | know of, why?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    | take another sniff. ¡°It¡¯s just that you smell like her brownies. Like fresh out of the oven brownies.¡±

    His smile goes mega-watt. ¡°Is that so?¡± His thumb starts making circles on my shoulder. It sends distracting tingles through my

    body. He leans in and brushes his nose in my hair. ¡°I heard my mother¡¯s brownies are your favorite.¡±

    | close my eyes. I¡¯m falling into his trance again. Artemis is no help at all, she¡¯s been under the Rik and Kai spell for a while now.

    He chuckles and kisses the spot just above my ear. ¡°Was there something you wanted to show me?¡±

    My eyes fly open. Dammit, there was a reason | brought him up here. | turn back to the book, opening it to the page | wanted to

    show him.

    ¡°So, I''ve been reading the History book that this amazing Alpha got for me. | smile and give him a side eye nce, seeing him

    echo my smile. ¡°And | found this interesting passage.¡±

    | point to where | am reading.

    Since the inception of the Guardian

    There have only been two in existence at any time

    Created by the Moon Goddess herself

    The spirit of the Guardian will reincarnate

    When the current body of the Guardian passes.

    | look at Rik. | can see that he¡¯s trying to work through what | want to know.

    When he looks back at me, | ask my questions.

    | ask my questions. ¡°There is nothing about a

    Guardian being born. But here | am. For five years, there were three Guardians Do you think that it shifted the bnce and may

    have put events into motion that caused my mother¡¯s death?¡±

    His arm wraps tightly around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. | tuck myself into him, feeling calmer just being around him.

    This question had been weighing on me but getting kidnapped overshadowed it and I¡¯m just now able to get back to working

    through this question.

    He begins running his fingers up and down my arm. I¡¯m not even sure he realizes he¡¯s doing it. He looks lost in thought. Finally,

    he answers.

    ¡°No. | don¡¯t think that your birth caused an imbnce. There had to be a possibility of two Guardians being mated at some point

    in time. So...¡±

    He let¡¯s the question hang in the air before looking at me. | ask the lingering question. ¡°Where is my mother¡¯s wolf spirit?¡±

    We look at each other for several minutes before it alles tumbling out of me. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s been 13 years. Don¡¯t you think

    we''d have seen her, heard from her, something by now? Even if she didn¡¯t recognize Dad and |, we would have known that

    another Guardian had awakened. I¡¯m sure that knowledge would have been passed among the Alphas. You haven¡¯t heard of

    anything, right?¡±

    He leans over and kisses my temple. ¡°No, we can check with my father, but | think | would have heard if another Guardian had

    awakened. He would have told your father.¡±

    ¡°Let me think about this. | have an idea, but | don¡¯t want to say anything more until | know for sure that | might be able to get us

    some answers.¡± He turns to look at me, turning my chin so that I¡¯m looking at him. ¡°Can you give me a little time and trust that |

    will see what | can do on my end?¡±

    my

    I give him a sweet smile. ¡°Yes. | trust you.¡± His answering smile is full of hunger as he rubs his nose against mine. The action so

    sweet, so tender, it makes heart melt. Even Artemis, who has been very quiet tonight, begins purring softly in my head.

    He closes the book and gently puts it on the floor before turning to me, pulling me to him. One hand goes into my hair the other

    slides down my back pulling me closer as his lips take mine in a kiss so dominating, | can do nothing but submit to his passion.

 Chapter 99

    When we get to Cara¡¯s room, | take a moment to close my eyes and just breathe In her scent. It¡¯s intoxicating. Kai wants to jump

    on her bed and roll around. If It wouldn''t be creepy, | would do it. The thought of being surrounded by her scent and leaving ours

    on her sheets makes us both happy.

    When she asks if I¡¯ve been around my mom and her brownies, | can¡¯t help the smile that breaks out across my face. | smell like

    her favorite dessert? | lean in, running my nose through her hair. | smell like brownies to her, and she smells like vani and

    honey to me.

    When she shows me the passage from the book, it¡¯s curious. If there have only ever been two Guardians, how was Cara born? If

    Guardians are reincarnated versions of the same wolf, Artemis shouldn¡¯t be a Guardian. And more

    importantly, where is the Guardian that would have taken on her mother¡¯s wolf spirit?

    She''s right. After 13 years, someone would have heard of a Guardian awakening. News like that travels like lightening. But |

    haven''t heard of anything, and | know my father would have mentioned it if he had. If nothing else, he would have let Clint know.

    There is someone that may have the answers she seeks, but | don¡¯t know if he¡¯d be willing to meet with us. King Ailduin would

    most likely have some answers. He did, after all, have the book with this information in it.

    | don¡¯t want to get Cara¡¯s hopes up, so | just ask her to trust me and give me some time so | can get in touch with Ailduin and

    convince him to meet with us.

    Her soft response telling me she trusts me is more than | can ignore. | move the book out of ourps. | have to taste her. | take

    her mouth in a show of dominance, growling my pleasure at finally having the taste I¡¯ve wanted all night. | want her to feel my

    Alpha aura. In the past, I¡¯ve chosen to curb the power of my aura, not wanting she-wolves getting too attached to me. But | know

    Cara can handle it, and | want her submission. | want to feel her trust. | want her and Artemis to give themselves to me and Kai

    freely.

    Her arousal is perfuming the air and mixed with the scent that is all hers, | can feel how easy it would be to lose control. But |

    harness my desire for her. This is my time to see if she can truly give herself to me. She¡¯s too young to im but that doesn¡¯t

    mean | can¡¯t leave my mark on her neck. Her soft moan of pleasure elicits a growl from me.

    +15 BONOS

    Pulling her into myp, | begin trailing kisses down her jaw to her neck. ¡°You smell so fucking good.¡±

    | continue to nip at her, pulling her neck to the side to give me better ess. My love bites may heal by the time we get to school

    tomorrow, but my scent will still linger on her. And I¡¯m making sure it¡¯s all over her.

    | slide my hand up her thigh continuing my assault on her neck. | need to feel her, touch her skin, make here undone for me.

    | want to watch as she lets go of the control she always has over herself. My beautiful, strong, powerful mate. | want everything

    with her, but tonight, | want to see if she will surrender herself

    tome.

    |y her on the loveseat so | have better ess and a better view. | slide her leggings down and slip a finger underneath her

    panties, running it between her lips, feeling her wetness before sliding it up and rubbing circles on her clit. A growl rumbles in my

    chest as | feel how wet she is for me. My sweet little mate. Kai pushes forward as | slide a finger inside her. Watching her as she

    lets us strum her body like a precious guitar. She is so responsive, so receptive. As | watch her, Artemises forward. Both of

    them have given themselves to Kai

    and I. Now it¡¯s time to see her lose herself in the pleasure we are giving her

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 100

    Her moans grow louder so | take her mouth again with mine, swallowing the sound. | run my finger back between her folds,

    kissing my way to my ear.

    Spread your legs for me love.¡±

    She does as | ask, and | pull back to look at her as | slide my finger in and out. | feel her body tense as she gasps. | hold her

    gaze watching her eyes darken with desire and need. The heat | see in them must be reflected in mine. | feel Kai shining in my

    eyes just as Artemis is shining in hers.

    | slide my hand in her hair holding her as | ravage her mouth possessively. | slip a second finger inside her and begin to slide

    them in and out at a faster pace. Her body begins to tighten around my fingers, as she arches her back, searching for her

    release. | pull back so | can watch as shees undone.

    | can feel the intensity of my eyes on hers and my Alpha auraes out. ¡°Cum for me my little guardian.¡± The sounding

    from my mouth is so raw and hungry with my need to see her give herself to me. The moment | say it, | curl my fingers inside

    her, hitting her sweet spot and her body mps down on me.

    Kai loses control. ¡°MINE!¡± He states, iming her.

    | kiss her with every bit of feeling that | have for her; love, passion, desire, respect, | give it all to her in my kiss while | swallow

    her moans, helping her ride. out her orgasm on my fingers.

    We''re both breathing heavily, as she begins toe down from her high. | lean my forehead on hers, watching her. | gently

    brush her hair away from her face, continuing to slide my fingers slowly in and out of her as she trembles with aftershocks.

    | need to taste her. | want to know if she tastes as good as she smells. | already know her mouth tastes deliciously sweet. So,

    while | hold her gaze, | slide my fingers out of her and put them in my mouth. She tastes so fucking good my eyes roll back into

    my head and | can¡¯t help the growl that leaves me. So. Fucking.

    Good.

    ¡°Rik. Time to go. Cara has school tomorrow.¡±

    I sense Cara stiffen, as my father bursts our bubble. But | take my time licking all of her off my fingers. This is the most decadent

    taste I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of savoring, and | do savor it. Everyst drop.

    ¡°Be down in a minute.¡± | finally respond to my father. | don¡¯t want this moment

    +16 BONOS

    to

    end. And soon, very soon, it won¡¯t have to. She will be mine and | can take as much time loving her and making love to her as |

    want.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    When I''m done, | help Cara get her clothes back in order. While | don¡¯t care who knows what we do together, | do care that no

    one should see my girl¡¯s body but

    1.me.

    | want to kiss her again, so | lean down, letting her taste herself on my tongue. Then | rub my nose against hers. It¡¯s more an act

    of love and affection and | want her to feel that too. This isn¡¯t something that means nothing. It means

    everything and | hope that I¡¯ve conveyed that tonight.

    I stand and hold my hand out to her. ¡°Walk me to my car?¡±

    When | help her up, she¡¯s unsteady at first. I¡¯d be lying if | said | didn¡¯t love having her body pressed against mine. My dick is so

    hard it¡¯s painful, but | can deal with that when | get home. Right now, | need to make sure my little mate is good.

    When she is able to stand on her own, | touch her face again, because | can. beautiful.¡±

    ¡°So

    And she is. Her eyes are still a little zed after her orgasm, her hair is a little messy, her lips are puffy from my kisses and her

    neck is riddled with my marks Nothing and on one has ever been more beautiful to me.

    When we get downstairs, | say goodnight to the parents. Dad mind links me tha he wants to chat tomorrow. Whatever it is, it¡¯s

    not ruining my night. I¡¯m flyin high and | intend to stay that way.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 101

    When we get to my car, | lean against it pulling her against me. I¡¯m sure she can feel my arousal from our time in my bedroom.

    My dick is pressed against her stomach. No hiding that.

    | pull her hands up, wrapping them around my neck before moving my hands to her hips, holding her against me.

    ¡°| want you to be my girlfriend.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You and me. | want us to be together. | want everyone to know that you¡¯re mine.¡±

    ¡°| don''t...¡±

    | cut her off. ¡°I know you''re waiting for your mate. And | won¡¯t push you past any limits that you have. But, for the next seven

    weeks, | want us to be exclusive. You don¡¯t see anyone else, and | won''t see anyone else. It¡¯s just you and me. We''re together. |

    get to take you on dates. We hold hands in school. | can kiss you in public. The whole nine yards.¡±

    | know her stance on waiting for her mate, she just doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s waiting for me. That''s okay. We can both wait, but | need

    be able to spend time with her. Kai needs to be close to her. I''ll find little ways to make sure that we have time together every

    day.

    ¡°Can | think about it?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Of course. But I''ll say it now. | want you. You, Cara Nelson, the woman; not Cara Nelson, the Guardian. | want the mind, body

    and soul, not just the fierce protector that you are.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°Okay. I''ll pick you up for school tomorrow?¡± | ask, hoping to start my day with my girl.

    When she nods yes, | give her a tender kiss. | make a mental note to adjust any conflicts to being able to pick her up and drop

    her off daily, because I''ll be driving her the rest of the school year.

    ¡°Goodnight love. Sleep well.¡±

    | watch her wave to me as | pull away. | head back to the pack house. I¡¯m in

    desperate need of a release and a cold shower.

    Anders

    When Cara walks back inside, and says goodnight, | watch as she climbs the stairs headed to her room.

    ¡°What''s on your mind Anders? Are you concerned about the two of them together?¡± My oldest and dearest friend asks me.

    Tonight had been a wonderful walk down memoryne. Seeing our pups going through the same life experiences we have been

    through just brought it all back. | haven¡¯t seen Clintugh as much as he did tonight since, well, not since Lily''s death. It felt really

    good to have my friend back.

    ¡°Not concerned in the way that you are thinking Clint.¡±

    ¡°Concerned in what way?¡±

    I turn to my friend. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what it will feel like for Rik to have a Guardian that is also his mate. My bond to you is so

    strong, and I¡¯ve hated every battle we were ever in, knowing that you would give your life for me. But, at least, | didn¡¯t have the

    same bond to you that | have with Cali. I¡¯m not sure | would have been able to handle it if Cali had been a Guardian. My need to

    protect her is overwhelming sometimes.¡± a

    Clint looks up to where his daughter is moving around in her room. ¡°It¡¯s not something we can choose Anders. It¡¯s in our gic

    code, our being, our soul. The pull to protect our Alpha is impossible to ovee.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°| understand that. It¡¯s the same with being an Alpha. It¡¯s in my genes to protect my pack members. All my pack members.¡± | turn

    to look at Clint. ¡°That always included you as well.¡±

    | look back up to where Cara¡¯s light has switched off and the sounds of her moving around her room have quieted. ¡°I just wonder

    how the two of them will find themon ground they need as mates. If they don¡¯t, they may just kill each other trying to save

    each other.¡±

 Chapter 102

    Overnight, | tossed and turned, thinking of Rik¡¯s question. | really want to say yes. | want to get to know him. It¡¯s a risk, if we

    begin dating. If he¡¯s not my mate, it may cause issues with my mate in the future. But, as of now, | will be his

    Guardian. Getting to know him is important. And I''ll make sure to maintain my boundaries.

    | finally fall asleep early in the morning but wake at my normal time. It¡¯s time for me to get back to training. | know my father will

    not agree, and possibly Rik won''t either. But | can¡¯t continue to sit around.

    | get dressed and head outside just as the other warriors begin to show up. Rik isn¡¯t here yet, so | walk up to the others and greet

    them. | get a lot of high fives, wee backs, good to have you back on your feet, the usual greetings when someone has been

    out for a while.

    ¡°Cara? What are you doing out here? You should be resting.¡± My father asks.

    ¡°Dad, | need to get back to training. | need to start building my strength again.¡±

    ¡°There will be plenty of time for that next week. For now, you need to rest.¡±

    I turn to face my father head on. ¡°No. This is not how you trained me, sir.¡± | use sir instead of calling him dad as an

    acknowledgement of him leading the training and me being a trainee. | need him to think like a warrior, not a father.

    ¡°Cara.¡± Ites out as a warning. He¡¯s telling me not to argue with him. Well, guess what dad. You didn¡¯t raise me to give up or

    give in.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Sir.¡± | reiterate the word. The training field has gone silent. The warriors are watching to see which Guardian will win this battle.

    have trained me all my

    life to fight through weakness. ¡®The enemy won''t give you a break if you¡¯re hurt or injured Cara.¡® Those are your words, not mine.

    That is how I¡¯ve been taught. That is how | train. Push through the pain, push through the weakness, push through until you can

    get back on your feet. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m going to push through, starting today. Sir.¡±

    My father is staring holes into me. His anger palpable. | feel heat at my back and smell the scent of brownies. Rik has arrived.

    I''m not sure if he is supporting me, or preparing to argue with me, but right now, my focus is on my father.

    Alpha Anders walks up to my father and puts his hand on his shoulder. ¡°She doesn¡¯t just look like Lily, she acts like her too, don¡¯t

    you think Clint?¡± He asks my father.

    My father doesn¡¯t say anything, and Anders continues. ¡°Better to have her in training and under your supervision than to have

    her go off and try to train on her own, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    | see my father give in, his shoulders slumping in defeat. ¡°You''re right old friend. She¡¯s as tough and stubborn as her mother.¡± His

    next statement is for me. ¡°As your trainer, if | think you¡¯ve had enough, you listen, do you understand me Cara? And no sparring,

    only obstacles today.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± | smile at my dad before turning to Rik. His brows are furrowed. ¡°Are you going to argue with me about training too?¡±

    He puts his hands up in a surrender and takes a step back. ¡°Nope, not me.¡± Then he grins at me.

    ¡°Okay you bunch of pansies, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got. Rik. Cara. You''re up first.¡±

    Dad has us on the outdoor ninja warrior course today. We are running the course in pairs. I¡¯m familiar with it which will give me

    an advantage over Rik. He still has the overall advantage though because I¡¯m definitely not up to my usual fighting strength.

    When dad shoots the starter gun, we go. About halfway through, | realize Rik is holding back, making sure | can get through the

    course. He stays close until we finish, beating me by only a couple of seconds. I¡¯m panting much more than | should be and my

    time is terrible, but | did finish.

    | look at Rik, ¡°You slowed down for me, why?¡±

    He shrugs handing me a bottle of water. ¡°I know you''re not at the top of your game, and | just wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t

    need any help. You didn¡¯t, but | wanted to be there if you did.¡±

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 Chapter 103

    It''s sweet and something that | wouldn¡¯t have expected of the old Rik. The one 1 used to think he was. Now, having watched him

    in different scenarios, in different ways, being supportive and being a leader, I¡¯m not surprised.

    We turn and begin cheering for the other warriors. We make appropriate ¡®ohhhh¡® and ¡®ahhhh¡® sounds when they fall or get hit by

    flying objects. Even in my weakened state, | still finished third behind Rik and Trevor.

    ¡°You bunch of pansies! You call yourselves warriors? My daughter, who was on her deathbed a couple days ago, still beat most

    of you? What kind of warriors do you think you are?¡± My father barks in his drill sergeant voice.

    When it¡¯s time for sparring, | walk around to help train the warriors with my dad. He¡¯s focused on the weakest warriors, so | move

    to work with the warriors that are taking on Rik. ¡°Listen up.¡± | call the warriors who will be sparring with Rik to attention. ¡°Can

    anyone tell me what Rik¡¯s signature move is?¡±

    Not surprisingly, it¡¯s Trevor that answers. ¡°He uses is height and speed to bring you to the ground. Depending on his opponent''s

    height, he may use an uppercut he to knock a shorter opponent off his or her feet. Or if it¡¯s someone tall like me, likes to sweep

    the legs to bring you down. Once you''re down, he uses his strength to pin you.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    ¡°Exactly. So, what is the key to defending against our Alpha¡¯s signature move?¡± Silence. They don¡¯t know the answer. Rik is

    watching me, he seems just as eager to hear my response.

    | look at the warriors in our circle. ¡°Anticipate the move.¡±

    Trevor scoffs. ¡°That¡¯s your big suggestion, anticipate his move? | already do that.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t.¡± | tell him. ¡°I¡¯ve watched you, it¡¯s the same way you are with me. You know my moves, but | still best you with

    them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because he¡¯s an Alpha and you''re a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡± Rik jumps in. ¡°It¡¯s because you expect to lose, and you get caught up in the fight and forget to anticipate the move.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± | pick up the train of thought. ¡°Think back. When¡¯s thest time either one of us used our signature moves on you in the

    first five minutes of sparring?¡± Rik and | have ended up shoulder to shoulder facing the warriors, as if we are

    teaching the ss together. United. It¡¯s a good feeling.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see you give it a try.¡± | step back and Rik steps up. | whistle for them to start and watch as Trevor begins to get lost in

    the fight. The other warriors are watching too, waiting for the signature move.

    ¡°Jump!¡± | shout just as Rik goes to swipe Trevor''s legs. He does, but not fast enough and Rik still takes him down. ¡°Good job,

    Trevor. Do you see the difference now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He replies and takes Rik¡¯s extended hand to stand.

    ¡°What | want to know is when do we get to see you two go head to head?¡± Trevor asks, and the other warriors agree.

    ¡°Monday.¡± | say, just as Rik says ¡°Not for another week or so.¡±

    We look at each other. ¡°No.¡± He says to me. ¡°You need to be back at full

    strength.¡±

    ¡°Hey Dean.¡± | call out. ¡°You''d better get your betting odds ready.¡±

    I step up to Rik. He¡¯s shaking his head at me, but | know exactly how to get what | want. And I''ll be close enough to full strength

    on Monday. And in this, even if | lose, I¡¯ll win.

    ¡°I''ll tell you what Alpha. You spar with me on Monday and if you win, the answer to your questionst night is yes.¡±

    He stares at me for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s fighting dirty little Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Just using the weapons in my arsenal, Alpha.¡±

    He holds out his hand. ¡°Deal.¡±

    | shake it. ¡°Deal.¡±

    | hear Dean starting to take bets on who will win on Monday.

    My dad calls the end of training and the warriors all start to head to their homes. Rik looks at me. ¡®I''ll pick you up in 45 minutes

    Cara.¡±

    ¡°See you soon Rik.¡± | start to turn away to head inside. ¡°Oh.¡± | turn back and realize he hasn''t moved at all. He was watching me

    walk away. ¡°Remind me | want to ask you something on our way to school.¡±

    He

    Ins at me. ¡°Can''t wait.¡±

    | turn and walk inside. | can feel his eyes on me the entire time.

 Chapter 104

    When my father and | arrive at training on Friday morning, the first thing | see is Cara dressed for a workout. The second thing |

    notice is that everyone is quiet and Cara is verbally shing with her father.

    |e to stand behind her. If she wants to train, | will train with her. | can make sure that she doesn¡¯t push herself too much. I¡¯m

    proud that she¡¯s out here and ready to go, but | also don¡¯t want her pushing too hard too fast.

    When it¡¯s time for sparring, I¡¯m thrilled that Cara takes up a position to help work with the warriors that are going against me. |

    love her teaching method. She¡¯s making my warriors think. It¡¯s no surprise that Trevor has the answer to her question about my

    signature move. I¡¯m surprised she knows what it is, but | guess | shouldn¡¯t be. She¡¯s been training to be a fighting machine her

    whole life.

    Her fighting intelligence is superior. Her simple answer stumps Trevor and | can see by the look on their faces, that it stumps the

    rest of the warriors too. But she¡¯s absolutely right. The only way to ovee a move that someone uses again and again, is to

    anticipate it and be prepared to counter it.

    When Trevor gives her the flippant response that her answer isn¡¯t helpful, | jump in. | move to stand beside her, showing a united

    front. She¡¯s right about this and they need to know we are in total agreement.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    The pack already knows that she¡¯s my mate, so they will be looking at her as their future Luna. Showing them that we are in

    agreement will make the pack feel safer, stronger. It¡¯s something that is important in pack dynamics. The Alpha and Luna should

    always show that they are unified. Dissention among the two leading wolves causes dissention among the pack, weakening

    them.

    Cara is able to point out to Trevor where he made a mistake. Next time, | think I''ll have a harder time taking him down, which is

    good. | n to make him my lead warrior.

    When Trevor asks when Cara and | will spar, we answer at the same time. | have no intention of sparring with her so soon, until

    she offers to give me what |

    want. Her.

    It''s a low blow. | quickly think over the possibilities of sparring with her. | am a strong enough fighter that | can wear her out and

    not hurt her. I¡¯m confident enough in my skills. Normally, | wouldn''t try to wear her down, but if this is what it takes for her to say

    yes to being my girlfriend, then I¡¯m in.

    When Clint calls the end of training, | enjoy the view of Cara¡¯s rounded ass as she

    +15 DONOS

    walks inside. Then, | head back to the pack house. My father falls into step with

    1.me.

    ¡°Son, do you think it''s wise to spar with Cara on Monday? | know she¡¯s tough and strong, but it seems too soon.¡±

    ¡°| agree dad, but apparently, she has put her willingness to be my girlfriend on oue of that battle. So, yes, I¡¯d rather wait, but

    I''m going to win and she

    will be mine.¡±

    He looks at me thoughtfully. ¡°Just be careful. You don¡¯t want the next several weeks to be spent helping her recover.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry dad, | got this.¡±

    When | get to Cara¡¯s house, she¡¯s walking out the door before | have a chance to get to her. | jog over and collect her bag, taking

    the opportunity to give her a quick kiss on her nose.

    Her cheeks turn a pale shade of pink. Damn, my girl is adorable. So tough on the training field, so sweet and innocent over a

    little kiss.

    When we get to my car, she stops. ¡°Is this your birthday present?¡± She asks me.

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 Chapter 105

    | look sheepishly at her as | open her door. ¡°It is, but to be honest, | didn¡¯t expect It. I''d been looking at it for a while, nning to

    buy it for myself one day, but apparently nothing gets past my mother.¡±

    She slides in and | close her door. On my way around the car, | put her bag in the trunk then join her. My car already smells like

    vani and honey. The small space making her smell that much more intense.

    When | start down her long driveway, | remember her request. ¡°What did you want to ask me?¡±

    She turns to me. ¡°First, you can say no.¡± | already know that I¡¯d never deny her anything, unless she asks me to stay away from

    her. Then I''ll definitely say no.

    | look over at her as she hesitates. She¡¯s rubbing her hands together in a way I¡¯ve never seen from her before. | realize, she¡¯s

    nervous. | reach out and put my hand over hers, causing her to turn her gaze back to me. ¡°I haven''t been to my mother¡¯s

    memorial in a while, and I¡¯m nning to go this weekend. | was wondering if you would like to go with me.¡±

    ¡°You want me to go with you to your mother¡¯s memorial this weekend?¡± | confirm. I¡¯m thrilled. She wants to spend time with me,

    time that she will be spending with her mother. But it also means that it¡¯s one less excuse | need to find to see her this weekend.

    ¡°Yes, but feel free to say no...¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± | cut her off. ¡°On one condition.¡± | stipte.

    She eyes me warily. ¡°What condition?¡±

    | wait until I¡¯m stopped at a light before turning to her. ¡°I want you to go on a date with me tonight.¡±

    | can see her hesitancy, so | continue. ¡°I know that it won¡¯t be as my girlfriend, but we can still go out to dinner together, right?¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. The car behind me honks for me to go, so | turn and start driving again.

    We''re in the school parking lot before she responds. ¡°Yes, I''ll go out with you tonight.¡±

    It''s like the sun just broke through the clouds on a rainy day. She agreed to go out with me. | have her all to myself for the

    evening. Now, | have to make sure that |

    +15 BONOS

    have a perfect night nned. My smile is so wide my cheeks hurt.

    | hop out of the car and around to her side, rushing when she starts to open her door for herself. ¡°I got that.¡± | tell her and finish

    opening the door, giving her my hand to help her out. When she stands up, | can¡¯t help but pull her into me. ¡± Thank you.¡± | say

    softly so only she hears.

    ¡°For what?¡± Her voice sounds breathy, her eyes shining up at me.

    ¡°For saying yes. You just made my day.¡± | give her a quick kiss on her lips. Oh yeah, I''ll be sneaking those in all day and all

    weekend if | can.

    | grab our bags from the trunk, then risk taking her hand in mine as we walk into school. She doesn¡¯t pull away,

    So | walk her to her lockers. Mine are on the other side of the walkway, but | don¡¯t want to leave her side. Thankfully, once she

    gets what she needs, she asks if | need anything from my locker. | smile as | grab her hand and lead her to my locker, letting go

    only when | must in order to exchange my books for ss.

    Then | walk her to her ss, stealing another kiss from her lips before turning to head to my ss, whistling as | go.

    Cooper

    AuthorCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    She agreed to the date! Where do you think Rik will take her?

 Chapter 106

    Rik picks me up, right on time. | head out to meet him and he seems perturbed, jogging up to me and taking my bag. He kisses

    me on the nose and | blush.

    Romantic Rik is bewitching.

    He opens the door for me. Ok, | can totally get into Gentleman Rik as well. I''d be lying if | said | didn¡¯t like the attention.

    As we head out, he reminds me to ask my question. | don¡¯t know why it¡¯s important to me that he joins me when | visit my mom,

    but | want him to say yes. My desire for him to join me only makes me feel insecure in asking him, so | start off by telling him he

    can say no. | swear | hear him scoff.

    | get so nervous, | can¡¯t get the words out. I¡¯m rubbing my hands together, looking out the window, trying to find the words, when

    | feel his hand on mine. | look up at him and he¡¯s got me locked in his intense gaze. Without thinking, | ask

    him.

    As he repeats it back to me, like he can¡¯t believe | would ask that, | hear how dumb it sounds and immediately start

    backpedaling, telling him he can say no.

    When he says he''lle with me, | feel relief, until he adds the stiption of a date.

    Here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯ve been focused on my training and my studies my entire life. Two hours of training in the morning, school, two

    hours of training at night, dinner, homework, sleep, repeat. Even my weekends are focused on training and studies. You see

    where I¡¯m going? There has never been room for dating in my life. Ever. The most I¡¯ve ever done over thest year, is go

    dancing on Friday nights and more recently Liam would drive me home. Sometimes we''d stop for food, like thest time. But,

    that¡¯s not a date. I¡¯m nearly 18 years old and | have no idea how to act or what to do on a date.

    I''m not used to feeling insecure, but | do now. What if Rik thinks I¡¯m too immature to date? What if | do it all wrong and he

    realizes he¡¯s wasting his time on me. He says it¡¯s not as his girlfriend and he just wants to go to dinner. | can do dinner, right? |

    mean, we had dinnerst night with our parents and it was fine. How hard can it be having dinner at a restaurant, just the two of

    us?

    As I''ve been contemting all of this, we¡¯ve arrived at school and | realize | haven''t given him an answer. ¡®Just go. It can¡¯t be that

    hard.¡® Artemis pipes in and makes up my mind. When | say yes, | get Rik¡¯s mega¡ªwatt smile. I¡¯m not sure there is anything in the

    world more amazing to see then when he turns that smile

    on you, and right now, it¡¯s aimed at me. | feel my heart flutter in my chest.

    When he thanks me because | agreed to our date, that piece of my heart that already belonged to Rik, got a bitrger. His quick

    kiss on my lips makes me feel special, so when he takes my hand as we head into school, | don¡¯t say anything.

    When we get to my ss, he kisses me again. | know | told him we could do this if 1 agreed to be his girlfriend, but I really like

    this side of Rik. He doesn¡¯t care who sees us. He doesn¡¯t care who may be watching. All he seems to care about is me. It¡¯s

    intoxicating.

    The rest of the day is exactly the same. He walks me to all my sses, sneaking in kisses before he leaves to go to his ss.

    At lunch, Chase is still giving it his best shot with Lacey. Her icy exterior doesn¡¯t seem to have thawed overnight and | swear it¡¯s

    only making Chase try harder. Good luck with that.

    When we leave the lunchroom and get to my next ss, | decide to turn the tables and before he can sneak in a kiss, | reach up

    grab the cor of his shirt and pull him to me. | don¡¯t just peck his lips, | go all in and it only takes him a second to respond.

    Before | know it, I¡¯m pushed against the wall beside my ssroom, his lips bruising in their passion. | run my tongue across his

    lips and he opens them giving me entrance. | only have a minute before he takes control, dominating the

    kiss.

    When he pulls back, his eyes look as zed as mine feel. | give him a smug look, pecking his lips again before sliding out from

    under his arm. | look at him over my shoulder. ¡°See you after ss Alpha.¡± And | walk into my room. Before the door closes, |

    hear a growl of pleasure rumble in his chest.

    At the end of the day, we walk to our lockers, get our work for the weekend and then walk hand in hand to his car. He pulls me to

    the trunk to put our bags in and then walks me to the passenger door. He pushes me against the car and takes my mouth ina

    kiss so possessive that | can do nothing but try to keep up. When he pulls away, he leans his forehead against mine. ¡°That''s for

    getting me so turned on in the middle of the school day little guardian. | thought | should return the favor.¡±

    He smiles and pulls back, opening my door. | feel unsteady on my feet. The man seems to steal my sense of reality every time

    he kisses me.

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    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 107

    | am having the best day! Every time | see Cara, I¡¯m stealing a kiss. She doesn¡¯t seem bothered by it and actually seems to start

    waiting for me to kiss her.

    By lunch, I¡¯m on a high. I¡¯ve grabbed a couple of minutes to make ns for dinner tonight and | called in a favor with my mom to

    make Cara¡¯s favorite brownies. Chase is still, well, chasing Lacey. | can tell he¡¯s enjoying the hunt. | know my friend. The longer

    she holds out, the more he¡¯s going to keeping after her. If Dean had a bet going, my money would be on my boy. He won¡¯t

    lose. After lunch, | walk Cara to her ss. I¡¯m thinking about our ns tonight and about ready to steal another kiss when she

    takes me totally by surprise and pulls me down, kisses me like I¡¯ve been dreaming she would. I¡¯m stunned for about one second

    before | respond, pushing her against the wall outside her ssroom. When she runs her tongue against my lips, wanting to

    deepen our kiss, | feel the heat flowing straight to my dick. Instinct kicks in and | take control. | want so much more, but we are in

    the middle of our school day with everyone watching. I¡¯ve heard snickers from some guys and huffing from some girls as I''ve

    been kissing Cara. Don¡¯t care. Let everyone see that she¡¯s mine.

    When | pull away, | feel drugged. By her scent, by her taste, by her. Her eyes are zed for a moment before they be filled

    with mischief. She pecks my lips, ducking out from under my arm and then turns and shes me a sizzling look that has my dick

    going from semi hard to rock hard. My girl is flirting with me, very publicly. My growl is all satisfied pleasure. Damn this girl. If this

    is any indication of what our life will be like, I¡¯m a goner. One hundred percent,pletely over the moon. And | couldn¡¯t be

    happier about it.

    | turn to head to ss, not getting more than a few steps before Chase is beside me. ¡°Might want to take care of that tent you¡¯re

    popping before walking into ss Alpha.¡± | look down. Shit! Shifting myself around isn¡¯t going to hide this

    one.

    ¡°Thanks man.¡± | say to Chase before detouring to the bathrooms. Again, this girl has me so out of control | have to relieve myself

    at school. A thought urs to me about how to punish my little guardian for getting me this worked up during my school day. The

    thought alone has me cumming so hard and fast | still make it to

    ss on time.

    | meet her after ourst ss. When | walk her to the passenger door, | push her against the car before she can get in. | put

    everything into the kiss, every bit of passion, desire, love, possessiveness. Everything. | hear the softest, sweetest

    moan from her before | pull away and put my forehead against hers. | let her know that this is the punishment she gets for

    working me up during the school day before stepping back and opening her door. | feel very smug when | see her wobbling on

    her feet. Mission aplished.

    | hold her hand on the way home. I¡¯m bing addicted to the tingles that are only getting stronger as her birthday gets closer. |

    can¡¯t imagine how much more intense the feeling will be when she recognizes me as her mate and then once we''vepleted

    our bond? Euphoria.

    When we get to her house, | jump out of the car and walk around to open her door for her. She¡¯s my girl and | want her to know

    that this is the kind of treatment she can expect from me. I¡¯m pleased that she waits for me this time and | help her out of the car

    before grabbing her bag. | put it over my shoulder and take her hand, walking her up to the front door.

    ¡°I''ll pick you up at 6pm, okay?¡± | turn to her, taking both of her hands in mine.

    ¡°Okay. What should | wear? | mean, how should | dress?¡±

    ¡°Dress nice. I¡¯m wining and dining my future girlfriend tonight.¡± | smile at her and kiss her nose. | start to tilt my head to kiss her

    lips when | hear Clint clear his throat behind me. | pull back and turn to greet him.

    ¡°Good afternoon Clint.¡± | reach out to shake his hand. ¡°I¡¯m nning to take your daughter out for dinner tonight.¡±

    He raises an eyebrow and looks past me to Cara before looking back at me. ¡°I expect you to take care of my daughter while

    she¡¯s in your care Rik. If anything at all happens to her, you''ll answer to me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir. She''ll be safe with me.¡±

    I''m not used to having fathers threatening me. In the times when | have taken a girl out, the parents are usually so happy that

    their daughter is going out with an alpha that they practically throw her at me.

    ¡°Do | need to remind you of the rules Rik?¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡± Yes, | remember that she¡¯s waiting for her mate. Her mate being me. But I''ll respect that she doesn¡¯t know that yet, even

    though | know she¡¯s already started to feel the mate bond.

    Chapter 0108

    ¡°Dad. Have you forgotten that I¡¯m HIS Guardian, not the other way around? Shouldn''t you be threatening me to keep him safe?¡±

    | can¡¯t help my smirk. Cara can¡¯t see it, but Clint can. He looks past me at Cara again. ¡°First, you''re not back to full strength yet.

    Second, he¡¯s taking you out as a date, not as his Guardian so he damn well better treat you with the respect and protection that

    he would provide any other woman on a date.¡± His gaze shifts back to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely correct Guardian.¡± | use his title since he used mine. ¡°And | will treat your daughter with the utmost care and

    respect this evening.¡±

    His gaze returns to Cara. ¡°Go get ready for training, | want to do some light strength building today.¡±

    ¡°Okay dad, be right there.¡± Cara replies.

    I start to turn to say goodbye to Cara, when Clint stops me. ¡°Rik. Why don¡¯t you n to start joining us for our afternoon training

    sessions starting Monday.

    | think my mouth fell to the floor. ¡°It would be my honor sir.¡±

    He nods once before wheeling himself inside.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    I''m still staring after him when | feel Cara¡¯s finger under my chin, closing my mouth for me. She moves to stand in front of me.

    ¡°Guess I''ll be seeing a whole lot more of you Alpha.¡±

    | focus my attention back on her. ¡°Well Little Guardian, after | defeat you on Monday, you''ll be spending more time than just

    training with me. Now get going and be ready by six. | can¡¯t wait to have you all to myself.¡±

    | pull her to me and give her a scorching kiss before heading back to my car. When | look back at her, she¡¯s still watching me, her

    fingers touching her lips. Yeah, I''ll be spending as much time as possible with my girl.

    When | get home, | check in with my mom. She has the brownies baked and set aside for me. She took it a step further and put a

    pic basket together and added some wine and sses. | thank her giving her a hug and a kiss on the top of her

    head.

    ¡°Where''s dad? He wanted to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in his office.¡±

    | head up to my father¡¯s office and knock, waiting for him to tell me toe in

    When he does, | walk in and go to sit in front of his desk. He looks tired. | ask th most important question. ¡°Any news from Liarn

    about Eli Gunnar?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet. He¡¯s found traces of him, but he¡¯s good at hiding. He¡¯s been doing It for years.¡±

    I nod. | knew I''d have heard if Liam caught Eli, but | was hoping for better news.

    ¡°Son, | wanted to talk to you about Cara.¡±

    | sit up straighter, this was unexpected. ¡°What about her?¡±

    He folds his hands together and leans forward resting his arms on his desk and he looks at me. ¡°Have you given any thought to

    what it will be like to have a Guardian as a mate?¡±

    It has urred to me, and | have to admit, | don¡¯t like it. Kai and | already feel protective of Cara. Losing her to Eli, even fora

    week was maddening. And this is before we have a solidified bond. It will only be harder once she epts us and we¡¯ve

    marked and mated her.

    ¡°| have. I¡¯m not really sure how to handle it Dad. | can¡¯t give her amand to stand down, and | don¡¯t want tomand her. |

    want a partner. | want her to stand beside me, not in front of me. | should be the one protecting her, not the other way around.

    That¡¯s my job as her Alpha, as her mate. But, | think we''ll have to have a serious conversation about what that means for us and

    our future.¡±

    He nods his head. ¡°I¡¯m d you''re already thinking about it. | don¡¯t know that | have any advice for you. My bond with Clint made

    it hard enough to have him putting his life on the line for me. If it had been your mother...¡± He stops, shaking his head. Yeah, it¡¯s

    not afortable thought and one that I¡¯ll need to think about more before tonight. | want to have a n to discuss with her.

    She¡¯s stubborn and fierce, but | need for her agree with me on this.

    ¡°That was all, son. | wanted to make sure that you were thinking about the potential consequences

    of the future.¡±

    | smile at my father. Thinking about the future is what good alphas do. And my father has raised me to be a good alpha.

    I stand to go. ¡°Thanks Dad. | appreciate it.¡±

    As | turn to leave, he asks, ¡°Where are you taking Cara tonight?¡±

    ¡°Ethereal.¡± | smile. ¡°I want her to have the true dining experience. Then I¡¯m taking her to the overlook to see the stars and eat

    brownies.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good night. Enjoy son.¡±

    ¡°| will.¡± And with that, | head out to get ready for my date.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 0108

    ¡°Dad. Have you forgotten that I¡¯m HIS Guardian, not the other way around? Shouldn''t you be threatening me to keep him safe?¡±

    | can¡¯t help my smirk. Cara can¡¯t see it, but Clint can. He looks past me at Cara again. ¡°First, you''re not back to full strength yet.

    Second, he¡¯s taking you out as a date, not as his Guardian so he damn well better treat you with the respect and protection that

    he would provide any other woman on a date.¡± His gaze shifts back to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely correct Guardian.¡± | use his title since he used mine. ¡°And | will treat your daughter with the utmost care and

    respect this evening.¡±

    His gaze returns to Cara. ¡°Go get ready for training, | want to do some light strength building today.¡±

    ¡°Okay dad, be right there.¡± Cara replies.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I start to turn to say goodbye to Cara, when Clint stops me. ¡°Rik. Why don¡¯t you n to start joining us for our afternoon training

    sessions starting Monday.

    | think my mouth fell to the floor. ¡°It would be my honor sir.¡±

    He nods once before wheeling himself inside.

    I''m still staring after him when | feel Cara¡¯s finger under my chin, closing my mouth for me. She moves to stand in front of me.

    ¡°Guess I''ll be seeing a whole lot more of you Alpha.¡±

    | focus my attention back on her. ¡°Well Little Guardian, after | defeat you on Monday, you''ll be spending more time than just

    training with me. Now get going and be ready by six. | can¡¯t wait to have you all to myself.¡±

    | pull her to me and give her a scorching kiss before heading back to my car. When | look back at her, she¡¯s still watching me, her

    fingers touching her lips. Yeah, I''ll be spending as much time as possible with my girl.

    When | get home, | check in with my mom. She has the brownies baked and set aside for me. She took it a step further and put a

    pic basket together and added some wine and sses. | thank her giving her a hug and a kiss on the top of her

    head.

    ¡°Where''s dad? He wanted to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in his office.¡±

    | head up to my father¡¯s office and knock, waiting for him to tell me toe in

    When he does, | walk in and go to sit in front of his desk. He looks tired. | ask th most important question. ¡°Any news from Liarn

    about Eli Gunnar?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet. He¡¯s found traces of him, but he¡¯s good at hiding. He¡¯s been doing It for years.¡±

    | nod. | knew I''d have heard if Liam caught Eli, but | was hoping for better news.

    ¡°Son, | wanted to talk to you about Cara.¡±

    | sit up straighter, this was unexpected. ¡°What about her?¡±

    He folds his hands together and leans forward resting his arms on his desk and he looks at me. ¡°Have you given any thought to

    what it will be like to have a Guardian as a mate?¡±

    It has urred to me, and | have to admit, | don¡¯t like it. Kai and | already feel protective of Cara. Losing her to Eli, even fora

    week was maddening. And this is before we have a solidified bond. It will only be harder once she epts us and we¡¯ve

    marked and mated her.

    ¡°| have. I¡¯m not really sure how to handle it Dad. | can¡¯t give her amand to stand down, and | don¡¯t want tomand her. |

    want a partner. | want her to stand beside me, not in front of me. | should be the one protecting her, not the other way around.

    That¡¯s my job as her Alpha, as her mate. But, | think we''ll have to have a serious conversation about what that means for us and

    our future.¡±

    He nods his head. ¡°I¡¯m d you''re already thinking about it. | don¡¯t know that | have any advice for you. My bond with Clint made

    it hard enough to have him putting his life on the line for me. If it had been your mother...¡± He stops, shaking his head. Yeah, it¡¯s

    not afortable thought and one that I¡¯ll need to think about more before tonight. | want to have a n to discuss with her.

    She¡¯s stubborn and fierce, but | need for her agree with me on this.

    ¡°That was all, son. | wanted to make sure that you were thinking about the potential consequences

    of the future.¡±

    | smile at my father. Thinking about the future is what good alphas do. And my father has raised me to be a good alpha.

    | stand to go. ¡°Thanks Dad. | appreciate it.¡±

    As | turn to leave, he asks, ¡°Where are you taking Cara tonight?¡±

    ¡°Ethereal.¡± | smile. ¡°I want her to have the true dining experience. Then I¡¯m taking her to the overlook to see the stars and eat

    brownies.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good night. Enjoy son.¡±

    ¡°| will.¡± And with that, | head out to get ready for my date.

 Chapter 109

    Dad goes easy on me in training, but it still feels good. As | work to get my body stronger, it is helping to make Artemis stronger

    as well. She¡¯s back in my mind full time, but not yet strong enough to shift.

    After training, | skip the bath for a shower, knowing I''ll need time to do my hair and makeup. Since I¡¯m not exactly sure where we

    are going, but he said to dress nice, | decide to go with an off the shoulder long sleeve red sweater dress. | pair it with a thick

    brown belt to give it dimension and matching brown knee-high boots. | pull my curls into textured waves, with a single braid on

    one side that | pin back. | go light on makeup, adding more color to my eyeshadow and a softer glossy tint to my lips. Light

    eyeliner and a swipe of mascara finishes off the look.

    Just as I¡¯m finishing up, | hear the knock at the door. | grab my jacket and purse and head downstairs. When | open the door, I¡¯m

    greeted by my gorgeous date who is holding another bouquet of flowers, tulips this time.

    Before | can say anything, he whistles low, looking me up and down. ¡°Damn. I¡¯m going to have to fight off all the other male

    wolves tonight.¡±

    | roll my eyes, even though | know I¡¯m blushing. ¡°Tulips this time? And in their own vase?¡±

    | reach for the flowers, taking them as he leans in and gives me a light kiss on my lips. ¡°I thought | would do something different

    and surprise you. And you mentioned that you only had the one vase.¡±

    He follows me as | walk into the kitchen. Dad looks up from the living room. Rik.¡± He nods his head in acknowledgement before

    looking at the tulips and looking back at Rik. ¡°Tulips, huh?¡±

    44

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Rik responds and he has a smirk on his face. | look between the two of them. ¡°Do tulips have a meaning as well?¡± | ask,

    feeling out of the loop.

    Dad turns back to the TV, ignoring me. Rik leans down and gently kisses my lips. again. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    | shake my head, putting the flowers on the bar before calling out a goodnight to my father.

    Rik takes my hand and leads me out to the car. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± | ask. He opens my door, but before | can get in the

    car, he presses his body against mine, kissing me properly. My hands slide into his hair, pulling him closer. | hear a soft groan

    before he pulls back, watching me as he licks his lips. ¡°Delicious.¡± He

    says.

    I smile. ¡°Must be my lip gloss.¡±

    He chuckles, shaking his head. ¡°Nope. Definitely not the lip gloss.¡±

    | get in the car and we pull out. ¡°So...?¡±

    He looks over at me, taking my hand and kissing the back of it before putting it on his thigh, intecing my fingers with his. ¡°I

    wanted to give you the real dining experience at Ethereal.¡±

    I''m startled. My very first date is going to be at the most expensive restaurant around?

    | look down at myself. ¡°Am | dressed okay?¡±

    | take inventory of what he¡¯s wearing. A sapphire blue button-down long- sleeved shirt that fits him like it was made for him. The

    cuffs are turned up showing a white underside giving it an edgier look. He¡¯s left it untucked over his ck cks and he¡¯s

    wearing ck dress shoes. His long hair is down tonight. It¡¯s sexy, hanging down to his shoulders. He usually pulls it into a man

    bun, so it¡¯s a different, almost wilder side to him.

    He looks over at me, squeezing my hand. ¡°You look beautiful. Perfect, as always.¡±

    We arrive at the restaurant, and he drives up to valet parking. The valet opens my door and | step out. The restaurant lives up to

    his name. It feels like we¡¯ve entered a fairynd. There are no buildings in the near vicinity, so it gives the impression that you

    are in the middle of the forest. Twinkling lights are everywhere, making you feel that you are far away from the stresses of the

    world. The music that is lightly ying outside is gentle and rxing, adding to the overall atmosphere. From here, | can see

    inside the floor to ceiling windows. The interior is dark with dim lights, giving it a romantic feel and this extends out the front

    entrance to the valet. Even though | can see that there are people inside, the dim lighting provides privacy. It just feels,

    well....ethereal.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 110

    Rik walks up, smiling at my expression. I¡¯m sure | look like | am in awe, and | am. It¡¯s beautiful. He takes my hand and walks us

    inside. I¡¯m surprised and happy to see Tamara at the hostess stand.

    She smiles as we walk in. ¡°Alpha, Lu...Cara, wee to Ethereal.¡±

    ¡°Tamara.¡± | smile at her. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you again.¡±

    She smiles at me and gives Rik an apologetic look. | wonder what that¡¯s about.

    ¡°Please, follow me.¡± She says and leads us to a private booth in the back. As we walk through, | notice that the restaurant, which

    wasn¡¯t exactly loud to begin with, goes silent as diners watch us pass. Everyone nods their head in deference.

    to Rik.

    We are seated in a semi-circr booth giving us the ability to sit side by side and also look out over the surrounding forest. ¡°If

    you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to let me know.¡± Tamara says as she hands us our menus.

    Rik takes my hand in his as we begin to look over our menus. ¡®Is it always like that for you?¡± | ask, never having spent time with

    Rik in public like this.

    He turns to me. ¡°Like what?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Like it was when we walked in here. Everyone getting quiet and watching you walk by.¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°I think it was for both of us, not just me.¡±

    | scoff. ¡°Why would people show deference to me?¡±

    He looks at me as if I¡¯m missing something important. ¡°You''re a Guardian.¡± He says as if it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°But...¡± I¡¯m cut off as our waitresses over. ¡°Alpha.¡± She says and while she gives me the barest of looks, just enough to not

    be considered rude, she makes a point of looking Rik up and down, practically salivating over him. Yes, he looks. gorgeous, but

    really, he¡¯s on a date and you''re working. Have some respect.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    | feel Artemis push forward. She¡¯s feeling disrespected too and wants to put this she¡ªwolf in her ce. But before | can say

    anything, Rik looks up, giving her a brief nce and smile. ¡°Hey Jessica.¡±

    He turns to me. ¡°Do

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    you want wine?¡±

    ¡°| say. He turns back to the wine menu. ¡°Red, right?¡± He asks me..

    SONCES-C

    ¡°Do you drink red?¡± | ask, because | honestly don¡¯t know.

    He turns and smiles at me. ¡°I do tonight.¡±

    ¡°Rik...¡± | start to tell him not to order it if he doesn¡¯t drink it, but it¡¯s toote.

    He looks at Jessica and orders a bottle of red for us and water as well. She gives him what | assume is her best, seductive smile.

    He doesn¡¯t seem to notice as he turns back to me. | see her smile slip a little as she turns to go get our wine.

    It''s like there is no one else in the world for Rik, except me. It¡¯s heady, and | feel myself getting sucked into the Rik vortex.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 111

    I can¡¯t wait to see Cara¡¯s face when we get to Ethereal. I¡¯ve only been here a couple of times with family. I¡¯ve never brought a date. She doesn¡¯t disappoint. The look of wonder on her face is worth it.

    When we see Tamara, I¡¯m thankful I gave my Alphamand as she almost called Cara ¡®Luna¡¯. Thankfully, themand made it impossible for her to say it and she covered quickly.

    When Jessica shows up at the table, I cringe internally. I¡¯m polite, but again, I need to make it clear that there is only one person in this room who has my attention tonight, and she¡¯s sitting right next to me. I give Jessica the barest amount of attention possible to get our order and then dismiss her.

    I turn my attention back to my girl. I see Artemis has pushed forward. Cara quickly pushes her back down. Interesting. I wonder if I missed some subtle queue that Jessica gave off. I need to pay more attention.

    ¡°So, what do you think of this ce?¡± I ask her.

    She turns to look outside, her eyes go wide. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t even fathom how they made this ce look like a fairy tale, but they did. They¡¯ve done a great job. And even though I know the restaurant is busy, it¡¯s so quiet.¡±

    Fairy tale. Yeah, that¡¯s a good way to describe how I¡¯m feeling right now. I feel like I¡¯m in a fairy tale with my princess.

    She looks back at me, her eyes so full of wonder. I can¡¯t help but lean in and kiss her sweet lips. Her taste and her scent are getting stronger every day. It¡¯s going to be harder and harder to resist her as we get closer to her birthday. I move my hand to cup her face, her hand pressing gently against my chest. I don¡¯t stop kissing her until I hear someone clearing their throat.

    I take my time pulling away, keeping my eyes on Cara, until I finally turn to see Jessica standing there with the bottle of wine. She looks like she just ate a lemon. Good. Let the word spread that I¡¯m publicly kissing my girl. I¡¯ll keep making public disys like this until she wears my mate mark on her neck. I want everyone to know she¡¯s mine.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Jessica shows me the wine bottle, asking if I want to taste it. I look at Cara. ¡°Do you want to do the honors?¡±

    She looks at me and I see a moment of hesitation before she looks at Jessica. ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s my girl.

    Jessica pours her a taste and she takes the briefest amount of time, sniffing and tasting it before agreeing that it is eptable. Jessica pours our wine and then asks if we¡¯re ready to order. Cara starts to look at the menu, but I jump in.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be taking our time this evening. You can bring us some bread and a charcuterie board to start us off.¡± Jessica looks startled but recovers quickly and gives us a small, fake smile. ¡°Of course Alpha.¡±

    When she¡¯s gone, I turn back to Cara. I pick up our wine sses and hand her one. I lift my ss in salute. ¡°To the first of many evenings together.¡± I say.

    Cara clinks her ss against mine. ¡°Cheers.¡±

    We both sip our wine, our eyes staying locked on each other. The electricity in the air is palpable. Yep, the next several weeks are going to test my patience.

    ¡°So,¡± I say after we set our sses down, ¡°tell me something no one else knows about you.¡±

    She arches an eyebrow at me. ¡°Something no one else knows?¡±

    I nod, watching her.

    ¡°Well,¡± she starts, thinking. I see her cheeks turning pink. Oh, this will be interesting. She looks at me through her loweredshes. ¡°It¡¯s not something no one knows, but only my father knows. Does that count?¡±

    ¡°I think it counts.¡±

    She starts pulling at the napkin in herp, not making eye contact with me. ¡°Umm,¡± Her blush has gone from pink to scarlet and it¡¯s moved up to her ears and is starting to head toward her chest.

 Chapter 112

    What in the world has my girl this embarrassed? | reach out to take her hand. | don¡¯t want her to be embarrassed or

    ufortable telling me anything. Ever. | want her to feelfortable sharing every part of her life with me. | certainly had no

    idea such a simple question would elicit this response from her and now I¡¯m desperate to know what it is. In the past desperate

    to know what it is. In the past when I''ve used this as an ice breaker on dates, the answer | get is something like, ¡®I got my first

    kiss at seven.¡® Or ¡®I

    walked in on my parents having sex in the kitchen.¡® Silly things. Whatever this is, it¡¯s important to Cara. And now | really, really

    want to know.

    She continues to look down at her napkin. ¡°Promise that you won¡¯t make fun of me?¡±

    | know | sound intense when | reply. ¡°I would never!¡±

    Asoft smile breaks out across her face before she lifts her eyes to mine. ¡°This is the first date I''ve ever been on.¡±

    I''m stunned. | blink. Once. Twice.

    How is this possible. She¡¯s nearly 18. She¡¯s a Guardian. She is known to have spent time with Liam, but she¡¯s never been ona

    date? | thank the Goddess that | chose this restaurant as our first date. Her very first date ever.

    I can see myck of response has made her ufortable and she¡¯s looking down again. | reach my hand under her chin and

    lift it up so she¡¯s looking in my eyes. | lean in so our lips are barely touching. ¡°I¡¯m honored to be the first man to take you ona

    date. | don¡¯t know how or why | got this lucky, but | don¡¯t care. And | hope that this is one of many firsts that we get to share

    together.¡±

    | can see her eyes go shiny with unshed tears. Did she really think | would be mad or rude about it. I¡¯m thrilled! It means I¡¯m not

    measuring up to anyone. | get to be all of her firsts.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    This time it''s Cara that bridges the distance between our lips, kissing me with a passion that | will one day stoke to a roaring fire.

    But for now, | enjoy her passion, listening to her quiet moans and enjoying the taste of her sweetness.

    Acough interrupts us again. Jessica is getting on my nerves.

    ¡°Here are your appetizers. Can | get you anything else right now?¡±

    It''s Cara that replies. She hasn¡¯t removed her hand from my face and she doesn¡¯t take her eyes off me. ¡°No, we''re good for now.¡±

    122

    +15 BONDS

    | see Jessica leave out of the corner of my eye. | smile at Cara and take her hand, sliding it to my mouth so | can kiss her palm.

    Watching her, | take my tongue and make slow circles on the inside of her hand. Her eyes darken and her mouth falls open as |

    hear her sharp intake of breath. Keeping her hand in mine, kissing her palm again, | look at our food. | take a piece of cheese

    and bring it to her mouth. | watch as she bites into the cheese, her eyes closing and a groan leaving her lips. ¡°Take a sip of

    wine.¡± | tell her softly. ¡°It will be even better with the taste of the cheese.¡±

    She does as | request, watching me over the rim of her ss as she sips her wine. ¡°You''re right. It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    She sets her wine down and looks at the te. She takes the hand that I¡¯m not holding and puts a piece of prosciutto on a slice

    of bread before bringing it to my lips. | keep hold of her hand but move it in between us and open my mouth, letting her feed me.

    We go back and forth like this until our appetizers are gone. There is something so intimate and sexual about feeding each other.

    | have a moment of absolute rity when I realize, not only do | want this the rest of my life with this woman. That no matter what

    happens, | will make sure that we have it. Together.

    OF

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 0113

    My jealousy toward Jessica is gone pretty quickly. Hard to be jealous of someone that is clearly getting shafted because of you.

    When Rik asked about something no one else knows about me, the only thing that came to mind was this date. I¡¯m sure there

    are other things, but my brain and my senses are being overwhelmed by Rik and | can¡¯t think of anything beyond this moment.

    So, at the risk of him finding me foolish, | tell him.

    Rather than himughing at me or making some brusquement about it, he almost seems happy. When he says he hopes

    that this is one of many firsts we''ll share together, | know exactly what he means. Artemis begins purring in my head again.

    Apparently, she¡¯s on board. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m there yet. His previous reputation still sits heavily in my mind and while this whole

    evening seems very out of character for him, it doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s changed.

    My concentration ispletely distracted again when he runs his tongue over my palm. I¡¯d be lying if | said that eating

    appetizers has ever been this intense or so much fun.

    This time when Jessicaes back, | look at Rik. ¡°What do you suggest for dinner?¡±

    He smiles. ¡°You''ve already had my favorite. Filet and lobster tail.¡± | return his smile. So my gift was his favorite dish.

    | look at Jessica. ¡°Do you have any specials this evening?¡±

    She looks a bit like she¡¯s feeling ill when she responds. ¡°There¡¯s a Wagyu Beef Chateaubriand for two.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. We''ll take that.¡± Rik jumps in. He looks at me. ¡°Anything in particr you want for side dishes? Theye a carte.¡±

    ¡°| trust your judgement, Alpha.¡± | get his mega watt smile as he orders our sides.

    When Jessica leaves, | redirect our conversation. | want to know something about him that he¡¯s never told anyone.

    ¡°What is something about you that no one else knows, Rik?¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    He slides his fingers across my cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. When he looks back into my eyes, he smiles.

    ¡°Well, I''m not sure that no one knows this, but I¡¯ve never brought a date to this restaurant before. I''ve only ever been with my

    family.¡±

    Okay, that¡¯s a shock. This whole romantic feel makes this ce seem like a perfect ce to have a date night.

    ¡°Why?¡± | whisper.

    He cocks his head to the side, a frown starting in between his eyes. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why me?¡± | can¡¯t help but ask. Why am |

    getting special treatment? If this is just about me being a Guardian, he doesn¡¯t need to make it this romantic. And Artemis and |

    are both starting to fall hard and fast for this man and his wolf. If this is only about a lifetime of being in close proximity, | need to

    know sooner rather thanter so | can tame my expectations. My feelings for this man that seem to be on a roller coaster ride

    that has almost reached the pinnacle and is at the moment just before the ride falls over the peak to the gut clenching drop.

    Once you crest the top, there¡¯s no going back.

    ¡°Haven''t you figured it out yet Cara? You''re very special to me. | have every intention of making sure that you know just how

    special you are to me, every day.¡±

    And just like that, I¡¯ve crested the top and the roller coaster is in free fall, while I¡¯m just hoping to make it to the end without losing

    myself.

    I''m saved from responding when our food arrives. We move to easier topics for the rest of dinner. The food is amazing and

    Tamara¡¯s mate, Jared,es out to see how we like it.

    ¡°Did you make our dinner tonight?¡± | ask, remembering that he made my lunch. He smiles at us. ¡°I did. Did you like it?¡±

    We both tell him how amazing our dinner was and what a great chef he is. Tamara joins us and smiles proudly at her husband.

    ¡°This whole venture was because of my very talented mate. It was all his idea.¡± She says proudly. His look, when he looks at her,

    is full of love. ¡°It may have been my idea, but it¡¯s this beautiful woman at my side that made it into a reality.¡±

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 0114

    Rik answers for both of us. ¡°You¡¯ve both done an amazing job here. The

    atmosphere, the food, the ambiance, it¡¯s all perfect. | thank you both for making my date with this remarkable woman

    memorable.¡± | nod my agreement and they ask if we''d like dessert. Rik tells them we have other ns, and we''ll take our check

    when it¡¯s ready.

    ¡°We have other ns?¡± | ask when they walk away.

    ¡°We do, our date isn¡¯t over and | hope you enjoy our dessert ce just as much as you¡¯ve enjoyed our dinner spot.¡±

    ¡°Well, I''ve been pleasantly surprised at your ingenuity and unde sure of

    what | like. If it¡¯s anything like what you''ve done for me so far, I¡¯m sure I''ll love it. And of course, thepany is beyond

    compare.¡±

    ¡°| couldn¡¯t agree more about thepany.¡± He says, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles.

    When we leave, he heads in a different direction, farther away from the pack house. He takes us to a spot that I¡¯ve never been

    before. He opens the door for me and as | look around, he goes to the trunk and pulls out a pic basket.

    ¡°We''re having a dessert pic?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Something like that.¡± He says as he takes my hand and we begin walking down a dirt walkway. We don¡¯t have to walk long

    before wee to a ce where the ground gives way. The cliff overlooks the nearest human city. The city lights twinkling in the

    night, but far enough away that you can see every star in the sky. It¡¯s beautiful.

    Rik finds a spot near a tree andys out a nket before pulling a bottle of wine out of the pic basket.

    ¡°Compliments of my mother.¡± He says raising the bottle of wine.

    ¡°How is Luna Calista?¡± | ask. It¡¯s been too long since I''ve spent any time with her.

    ¡°She¡¯s good. She¡¯d love it if you¡¯de by the packhouse. And, if I¡¯m being honest, I''d love it too. You''re a part of this pack Cara,

    but you never do anything with the pack.¡±

    | shrug at that. ¡°I¡¯ve never really had time. | mean, | train with the warriors in the morning, and have been for years. But between

    training, school, homework, I¡¯ve just never had time for things like pack runs or dating.¡± | look at him and give.

    +15 BONOS

    him a sheepish smile.

    ¡°Hmmm, we''ll have to change that.¡± He says and hands me a ss of wine.

    He reaches into the basket and pulls out a covered te. The smell hits me before he pulls the cover off.

    ¡°Oh man! Are those the best brownies in the world?¡± | ask and am rewarded with

    Rik¡¯s smile.

    ¡°| may have put in a request and when mom realized they were for you, she was more than happy toply.¡±

    | bite into the gooey goodness and moan softly. Seriously, what does she put in these brownies?? Mine never taste this good.

    When | open my eyes, | realize Rik is watching me. Even in the dim light, | can see his eyes have gone dark. He

    looks....predatory. A shiver of excitement runs down my spine. What would it be like to have him hunt me and Artemis? Artemis.

    purrs so loud at the thought that even Rik can hear it.

    ¡°Want to share with the group?¡± He asks with a devious smile. | shake my head no and finish my brownie.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    He finishes his brownie and leans back against the tree. ¡°We need to talk Cara.¡°

 Chapter 115

    This evening could not have gone any better. The dinner, the ambiance, the amazingpany, it¡¯s been perfect. Now we''re here

    at the overlook and the night is gorgeous. It¡¯s a little cool, but that just means I''ll have an excuse to pull Cara closer to me.

    I''m really interested in what has Artemis purring so loudly | can hear her, but when Cara says she doesn¡¯t want to tell me, | let it

    slide. | have something that | need to discuss with her. I¡¯ve been thinking about it sincest night, and while we¡¯re here, together

    and alone, | think it¡¯s time.

    | lean against the tree and pat my leg. ¡°Come sit with me?¡± | ask. I¡¯ve been touching her all night and now with her sitting away

    from me, the space around me feels unpleasantly empty.

    She moves over to me, ready to sit beside me, but | grab her by the waist and turn her, sitting her in myp, so she¡¯s facing me. |

    want to see her face and have her see mine for this conversation.

    She yelps a bit when she settles in myp. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s never been in a situation where she¡¯s straddled a man that she

    wasn''t pinning to the ground in training.

    ¡°| want to talk aboutst night, and what that means for our future.¡±

    | see her brows furrow when she starts thinking aboutst night, so rather than let her ask questions, | jump right in.

    ¡°When you thought my father was going toe down on me, you stepped in front of me. You acted as my Guardian, even

    though | didn¡¯t need you to. Even without thinking about it, you were protecting me.¡± She starts to interrupt but | put my finger to

    her lips to silence her.

    ¡°Let me say this, please.¡± She nods and | remove my finger, sliding my hands down her arms to her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time to

    think about what happened in the woods with Eli. Time to think about what it would have meant if something had happened to

    you after you sacrificed yourself for me. And I¡¯m going to tell you now Cara, | can¡¯t live with myself if something were to happen

    to you because you were taking a bullet, an arrow, a dart, whatever it is, if you take the hit for me. | honestly don¡¯t know how my

    parents have been able to live with that guilt. But | can tell you, | won''t be able to do it.¡±

    | take a deep breath before continuing. This is key. | need her to agree to this.

    ¡°| want us to have a partnership, not Guardian and Alpha. | know I''ll never be able to keep you out of the fight, but | want you

    standing by my side, not in front of me. If we¡¯re fighting together and something happens to one of us, then it does, and we live

    with that. But please, don¡¯t ever put yourself in a position where you give your life for mine.¡±

    | take her hand and | put it on my heart, holding it there with both of mine. ¡°I¡¯m strong Cara. I¡¯m a strong Alpha that, in truth,

    probably doesn¡¯t need a Guardian. But since the Moon Goddess decided to bless me with a fierce and powerful protector, who

    am | toin? But,¡± | pause to make sure she¡¯s hears me. Your life means more to me than just a pack member, more than

    just a Guardian. So, promise me, please, that when the timees for us to fight, because we both know it wille, that you

    will stand beside me, not in front of me.¡±

    | watch as a series of emotions y across her face surprise, frustration, anger, gratitude. She takes her other hand and slides it

    up my chest. Her face is still thoughtful when she responds. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that | will be able to stop myself if ites to

    saving your life. Being a Guardian is like being an Alpha. It¡¯s in my blood and | can¡¯t fight the gics. But,¡± She pauses before

    finishing. ¡°I would love to be your partner in life.¡±

    | know my smile is huge and without thinking, | lean up and kiss her. It¡¯s fast and

    ¡°Thank you.¡± | say with fierce before | pull away, looking into her eyes. everything I¡¯m feeling in my heart.

    She smiles at me then leans in and rubs her nose against mine, her eyes closing in contentment. ¡°Can | tell you something?¡±

    She whispers.

    ¡°| want you to tell me everything Cara Nelson. Anything, everything. So yes, tell me something.¡± | chuckle.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    SONOS SLI

 Chapter 116

    She slides her nose across my cheek to my ear. | feel her breath a moment before she speaks, and | can feel myself going hard

    underneath her. ¡°I think you smell better than your mother¡¯s brownies.¡± Yep, rock hard.

    | run my nose under her ear before responding. ¡°Can | tell you something?¡± | whisper. | feel her body shiver and know she¡¯s

    feeling this just as much as | am. She nods against my cheek. ¡°You smell of the most delicious vani and honey. Every time I¡¯m

    near you, it¡¯s hard for me not taste you. And when | do?¡± | moan softly in her ear, and I¡¯m rewarded with the scent of her arousal

    drifting up from between us. | nip her earlobe before finishing. ¡°You taste even better than you smell.¡±

    Her neck lifts slightly, just enough for me to know that she¡¯s submitting to me. | don¡¯t waste any time kissing her neck, licking and

    nipping my way down to her mate mark. | want her to feel the pleasure that will one day soon be permanently etched on her

    neck.

    | continue my gentle assault on her neck, working my way down. The minute my tongue slides across the space where her mate

    mark will be, her body goes rigid. | stop and | can hear her heart rate has increased, her breaths have be gasps, and not

    the good kind.

    | pull back and look at her and the look in her eyes terrifies me. | put my hands on either side of her face. ¡°Cara.¡± She doesn¡¯t

    respond. ¡°Cara!¡± | say it louder and see her eyes refocus on me. ¡°That''s right. Look at me. I¡¯m right here.¡±

    I...1...¡± She stammers. It takes me only a moment to understand my mistake. While | had left love bites on her neckst night,

    between her sweater and my desire to watch her, I¡¯d never gotten down to the area where her mate mark would be. The area

    where Eli had plunged his canines over and over. | had just inadvertently thrown my girl back into her worst nightmare.

    ¡°Cara. Look at me.¡± When she does, | hold her gaze. ¡°I will never mark you against your will. Do you hear me? You are safe. |

    won''t hurt you. She nods stiffly and | pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her, rocking her gently.

    | continue to hold her until | feel her body rx and her arms go around me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispers./

    | put my hands on her shoulders and push her back so | can look at her. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for love. It¡¯s my fault. | got

    carried away and | didn¡¯t

    think. | should be the one apologizing to you.¡±

    Her face is still pale. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ruin...¡±

    | interrupt her. ¡°You didn¡¯t. Here.¡± | pick her up by her waist, turning her around and readjusting us so that she¡¯s sitting in between

    my legs, leaning her back against my chest. | wrap my arms around her andy my chin on her shoulder. ¡± Did you know that I

    know every constetion in the sky?¡± | ask.

    She shakes her head before giving me a weak ¡°No, | didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± | point to a spot in the sky. ¡°You see those three stars that look like they make a triangle?¡± She nods. ¡°That¡¯s Dory. And

    that,¡± | start to point to anotherT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    set of stars.

    ¡°Dory? As in the little blue fish from the Disney movie?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes, the very same one.¡± | reply in my most serious voice.

    She turns her head and looks at me arching an eyebrow. ¡°There is no Dory constetion.¡±

    ¡°Sure there is.¡± | tell her, pointing to the triangr stars again. ¡°You see the front star is her nose, the back star is her tail, and the

    top star is her dorsal fin. Dory.¡±

    | feel her body start to shake with her chuckle. That''s better. | continue making up stupid constetion names until she joins in

    and we end upughing and joking before finally settling in to rx and just enjoy the night.

    ¡°I need to get you home. You''re still recovering and | want to see you again tomorrow. | don¡¯t want your dad banning me again.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t ban you while I¡¯m conscious, so | think you''re safe. And can we go see my mother tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°| would love that. But can | ask a favor of you in return?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± She says.

    ¡°Come have dinner with me at the packhouse afterwards?¡± When she agrees, | know tomorrow is going to be a great day!

 Chapter 117

    | can¡¯t believe | freaked out. Everything was fine and then it was like it all came flooding back. The fear, the pain, and | got lost in

    the memory. Rik was great, helping me get centered. But it makes me worry. What will happen when the timees and | do

    find my mate? He will want to mark me. What if | freak out? What if can¡¯t go through with it?

    These thoughts kept me awake most of the night. When it¡¯s time for training,

    Dad goes light on me again, but it still pushes me. When we''re finally done, I¡¯m sore and decide to take a long, hot bath to

    soothe my aching muscles and hopefully clear my head. | still have some of the muscle soak from Rik¡¯s gift and | pour that into

    the tub. When | slide in, | lean my head back against the edge of the tub and just soak until the water goes cold.

    | should pick up some flowers to take to my mother¡¯s memorial. | have no idea what Luna Calista and Rik bring as far as flowers

    but we¡¯re heading into spring, and some color would be nice, | think.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Rik said he would pick me up at 3pm. That gives me plenty of time to go get some flowers and get caught up on my missed work

    from school. Graduation is in 3 months and | need to make sure there is nothing that keeps me from getting out of high school.

    | have lunch with dad and let him know my ns for the afternoon and evening.¡± Good, I¡¯m d you''re going to see your

    mother,¡± is all he said.

    Around two, | head over to the florist. When | walk in, | don¡¯t really know what to look for. There is an older woman behind the

    counter. ¡°Can | help you?¡± She asks

    1.me.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. | want to take some flowers to my mother¡¯s memorial, but | don¡¯t really know what to get.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what kind of flowers your mother liked?¡± | shake my head no. She died when | was young.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± She looks around at the flowers. ¡°Well, there are different ways to choose flowers, but no wrong

    way. You can choose by the color that speaks to you, the shape of the flower itself, the meaning of the flower or by the

    month.¡±

    That reminded me. ¡°Do you happen to know what tulips mean?¡± | ask her. | had forgotten to look up the meaning of my tulips

    this morning.

    15 BOHOL

    ¡°Oh tulips. They are my favorite! They mean ¡®perfect love¡¯. Isn¡¯t that beautiful?¡±

    She asks.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really beautiful!¡± Perfect love. And Rik knew exactly what they meant. It makes me smile. | can¡¯t wait to see him

    today.

    ¡°What is the flower for May? That is when my mother was born.¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡± She takes me over to some white flowers. ¡°These are Lily of the Valley. They are the flower for May.¡±

    | slide my hand down the stem of one. ¡°Lily of the Valley. | wonder if that¡¯s where her name came from?¡± | say more to

    myself than the florist, but she heard me.

    anyway.

    ¡°Oh, was your mother¡¯s name Lily?¡± She asks looking at me more closely.

    ¡°Yes. Lily Nelson was my mother.¡±

    Her hand goes to her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re Cara Nelson?¡± She asks.

    | have no idea why she would know who | am, but | respond tentatively. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goddess. I¡¯m so happy to meet you. My name is Dorothy.¡± And she puts her hand out. | shake it.

    ¡°Did you know my mother?¡±

    ¡°Only on the periphery. I¡¯ve known our Luna since she took her position, and your mother and Luna Calista were great

    friends, so | knew her that way.¡± She looks around again. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, might | make a suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± | reply, happy for the help.

    ¡°If you like these, | think they will be great, but Luna Calista has been getting mostly red and white flowers through the

    winter. Since it¡¯s March, we have the March flowers in as well, daffodils. Those are yellow and you could pair those with lily

    of the valley and have a nice bouquet for your mother.¡±

    | agree and she takes what she needs to make up the bouquet for me. While I¡¯m waiting, | hear the bell above the door ring

    with another visitor and a momentter, my nose is filled with the scent of brownies.

 Chapter 118

    | turn and see Rik. He hasn''t seen me, but | see his nose go in the air and he starts sniffing. | duck behind arge nt, waiting

    to see if he''ll sniff me out. ¡®Yes, let him hunt us.¡® Artemis snickers in my head.

    I''m peeking around the nter trying to find him, when he grabs me from behind. ¡°Gotcha.¡± He says, nuzzling my ear.

    | giggle turning in his arms and wrapping mine around his neck. ¡°Artemis thought it would be fun to hide from you.

    ¡°Oh believe me, Kai was all kinds of ready to hunt you.¡± He smiles before kissing me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I''m getting flowers for my mother. What are you doing here?¡±

    He smiles and takes my hand, heading over to where Dorothy is finishing with my bouquet. ¡°I¡¯m picking up the flowers | ordered

    yesterday for your mother.¡±

    | look at him out of the corner of my eye. ¡°You mean when you were here getting my tulips?¡±

    He turns and smiles at me. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Do these flowers have any special meaning | should know about?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Nope. There is only one person that | get flowers for based solely off their meaning.¡± He reaches down and kisses my nose.

    ¡°Perfect love?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Yes, you are.¡± He says smiling before turning to Dorothy.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Dorothy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good afternoon Alpha. Give me one minute to finish with our future Lu..... erm, our future Guardian¡¯s flowers and I''ll get

    yours.¡±

    ¡°No problem Dorothy. | was headed over to pick up this beautiful woman before going to Lily Nelson¡¯s memorial, so now I¡¯m

    saved a trip.¡±

    ¡°| have my car outside Rik, I''ll have to drive it home.¡±

    He takes my hand. ¡°I''ll have someonee by and get it for you. Unless you need to get home for another reason?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | look down at myself. | had nned to do another once over on my appearance, but that seems silly since Rik is standing here

    now and has already seen me. ¡°No,

 Chapter 119

    | didn¡¯t want to bete to pick up Cara. | really wanted to be early, like hours early, but | restrained myself. She has things to do

    today and | don¡¯t want to overwhelm her.

    When | can¡¯t wait any longer, | head over to the florist to get the flowers | ordered. yesterday. Dorothy had suggested that | start

    adding some color to Lily¡¯s memorial, so it¡¯s violets today. I¡¯m surprised when | walk in and immediately catch my favorite scent,

    vani and honey. | look around and don¡¯t see her. ¡®Let¡¯s hunt her down.¡® Kai says to me, and | can feel his excitement. He¡¯s

    been wanting to chase our mate for real. Unfortunately, Artemis isn¡¯t yet ready to shift so Kai has had to be patient.

    I stalk around some nts, following my nose. When I see her peeking around a nter, | know that she hid from us so we

    would have to find her. Oh my little guardian, you can never hide from me.

    Wrapping my arms around her and hearing her yelp of surprise has made my day. | take a deep breath of her amazing scent and

    feel everything that was out of sorts in mind and body today settle immediately. She has be the balm to my stress and

    worries, and she doesn¡¯t have to do anything but be in my presence.

    | suddenly have a sh of Liam, having gone so many years without his mate. For someone that is as alone as he is, he really is

    a great Alpha. He doesn''t let his own emotions impact how he runs his pack. At least not yet. Alphas have been known to go feral

    if they don¡¯t find their mates. | really hope he finds his, but I''ll be damned if he thinks he can have mine.

    After convincing Cara to leave her car, we head to the memorial. | can tell when we arrive that she¡¯s nervous. Never having had

    to live without my parents, | can¡¯t imagine what it is like for her. But | n to be by her side and support her in any way she

    needs.

    When we walk up to the memorial, Cara stops and looks around. ¡°You and your mother ced all these flowers?¡± She asks me.

    | point over to a section just off to the side of the memorial. ¡°I believe that group in front is from your father. And those around the

    back are probably from other pack members giving their respects. These on the sides are from my mother and I.¡±

    | begin to walk toward the memorial, taking her hand and pulling her along with me as she takes it in. There are many people in

    the pack that loved Lily Nelson.

    From what my mother said, she was a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. She touched so many lives in our pack.

    | let go of Cara¡¯s hand and walk up to the memorial. Following in my mother¡¯s footsteps, | ce my hand on the angel''s folded

    hands. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Nelson, for your sacrifice. Mom told you we¡¯d never forget, and we never will.¡± | add my own part to the

    end. ¡°l am keeping my promise to you. | will make sure that she is always safe.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Cara walks up to me. ¡°What was that? What promise?¡±

    Before answering, | take my flowers and make room at the foot of the stone statue for both of our vases. | ce the flowers and

    stand, looking back up at Lily¡¯s angel.

    My mind takes me back to that moment as | tell Cara. ¡°The day your mother died, we were under attack and my mother tried to

    get us to the bunker, but we didn¡¯t make it. We were cut off and were about to be attacked. Your mother came out of nowhere,

    taking out the other pack¡¯s warriors. | can remember it so clearly. She was incredible. I''d never seen anyone as fierce as her.¡± |

    stop and look at Cara. Until you.¡± | swallow hard as | go back to the memory.

    ¡°She took down so many wolves, but they just kepting and at one point, she was so severely injured, that she shifted back. |

    think she knew that she wasn¡¯t going to make it. My mother had shifted and was fighting as well. However, you know my mother,

    she¡¯s not a warrior. But she was holding her own to protect me. Your mother looked me right in the eye.¡±

    My mind takes me back in time and I¡¯m there, in the battle, seeing Lily dying in front of me, hearing my mother¡¯s wolf snarling

    from somewhere behind me. I¡¯m trusting you to watch out for her. Take care of her and keep her safe for me. Promise me Rik.

    Promise me you''ll always look after my little girl.¡±

    Cara¡¯s gasp pulls me out of the memory. ¡°It was thest thing she ever said. I¡¯m not even sure my mother knows she said it to

    me. | never told anyone. It scared me. But before her eyes dimmed, | promised her. | promised your mother that | would always

    keep you safe.¡± | chuckle humorlessly. ¡°I¡¯m guessing she didn¡¯t realize her daughter would be a Guardian too.¡±

    | turn to Cara and take her hands in mine. ¡°So you see, | have a promise to keep. | must ensure your safety. It¡¯s not just the

    Alpha in me, or the love that | feel blossoming in my heart for you, but | must keep my promise to your mother.¡±

    | cup her face in my hand, loving that she leans into my touch. | lean forward and gently kiss her lips. | can feel the tears hanging

    in the corners of her eyes. | take my thumbs and wipe them away before they can fall. | pull back to rub my nose.

    +15 BONOS

    against hers. ¡°Don¡¯t cry love.¡±

    She sniffs and pulls herself together. She sets her flowers down beside mine. ¡°Do you mind if | take a moment with my mother

    alone before we leave?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I''ll wait for you at the car.¡±

    When | get to the car, | lean against it waiting for Cara. | think back to that day. There was something in Lily''s eyes, in the way

    she told me to take care of Cara. It was like she knew. Like she knew that Cara and | would be mates. There¡¯s no way she could

    have known, but somehow, | think she did.

 Chapter 120

    When Rik heads back to the car, | take a moment to look at my mother¡¯s memorial. ¡°I miss you mom. | really wish you were here

    so | could talk to you about everything that is going on. | don¡¯t know what to do. | don¡¯t know what the right choices are. Dad is

    great, but he¡¯s not you.

    | close my eyes and imagine that she¡¯s standing here next to me. What would she say?

    ¡®Follow your heart. It won¡¯t steer your wrong.¡¯

    | swear it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s standing beside me. Like | can feel her presence. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because | want to feel it so badly, but

    it''sforting. | open my eyes. Thanks mom. | love you.¡±

    | head back to the car. Rik kisses my head as he opens my door. | slide in and we head to the pack house. Now I¡¯m nervous for a

    different reason. I¡¯ve never eaten at the packhouse. From what | understand, it¡¯s always full of pack members getting together.

    Even those that don¡¯t live in the packhouse are wee to join in at any meal. The result is a very loud, very busy cafeteria type

    atmosphere, simr to what we have at school.

    When we get out, Rik takes my hand. | know | haven''t epted being his girlfriend officially, but no matter what happens on

    Monday, I¡¯m going to say yes. I¡¯m going to listen to my mother¡¯s advice and follow my heart. But since | really want to spar with

    him, I¡¯m not going to tell him that until after our match up on Monday.

    When we walk into the dining hall, the room goes quiet. | immediately regret agreeing toe here. Why is everyone staring at

    me?

    ¡°Cara!¡± | look up to see Luna Calista beaming at me. She has started walking toward us.

    ¡°Luna Calista, how lovely to see you.¡± | force a smile on my face, but | know it must look fake. I¡¯m just hoping | don¡¯t look like |

    feel, like | want to throw up.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    | feel Rik¡¯s thumb making circles on the back of my hand and | look up at him. He¡¯s smiling down at me. | instantly feel better. I¡¯m

    not on my own trying to navigate this new experience. He¡¯s here and | know he''ll stay be my side until | feelfortable.

    Luna Calistaes up and hugs me. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you. Rik said you¡¯d being by tonight, but | wasn¡¯t willing to believe

    it until | saw it with my own

    312

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    eyes. Will you join us at our table?¡±

    She points to a table where Anders, Chase, Charles and some other ranked wolves are sitting. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Luna Calista pulls me away from Rik, who rolls his eyes. She steers me to the table and sits me next to her. ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t

    hog her for the whole meal.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. If you want to sit closer, have Chase move.¡± Chase stops mid-bite, looking up at Rik like he¡¯d be nuts to make him

    move. Rik jerks his thumb and Chase huffs before moving down a seat. Now I¡¯m seated between Rik and Luna Calista.

    An omegaes over and asks what I¡¯d like for dinner. ¡°Ummm, what are my options?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Anything you want dear, our kitchen staff are adept at making everything.¡±

    | look at Rik, but he¡¯s just smiling at me. | turn back to Luna Calista. ¡°What would you rmend Luna?¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Calista or Cali like your mother did. And I¡¯m a sucker for Italian.¡± | see the omega smiling behind her back.

    Apparently, it¡¯s well known that our Luna has a weakness for Italian food.

 Chapter 121

    ¡°| love chicken parmesan and our chef makes the best I¡¯ve ever had, isn¡¯t that right Anders?¡± She says looking at her husband.

    He also has food halfway to his mouth, obviously not expecting to be pulled into the conversation.

    ¡°Well, it''s not steak with truffle butter, but it¡¯s pretty good.¡± He says giving me a knowing smile. | smile back. ¡°Chicken parmesan it

    is then.¡± | tell the omega.

    Conversation over dinner is easy. Calista seems very excited to have me around and Donna, Charles¡® mate, also seems happy

    to have another female in the mix. Looking around the table, it does seem dominated by males.

    After dinner, | excuse myself to find a restroom. Rik points me in the direction they are in, and | go off to find it. | did need to use

    the bathroom, but | also really needed to just catch my breath. This had been a lot. And while it has been fun and unexpected, |

    was getting a lot more attention that | was used to.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    When | step out, there is another she¡ªwolf waiting. ¡°All yours.¡± | say and move to step around her.

    ¡°You know he''ll get bored with you, right?¡±

    I stop and look at her. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s acting all into you now, but he''ll get bored with you. He always does and then you''ll be nothing but another one of his

    conquests.¡±

    She''s hit a nerve. It is the one thing that I¡¯ve been worrying about. What if this isn¡¯t real? What if he isn¡¯t as into me as | am with

    him?

    ¡®She¡¯s just a jealous she¡ªwolf.'' Artemis chimes in. ¡®We are above this.¡®

    Artemis. The voice of reason. | take her advice and choose the high road. ¡°You know, green really isn¡¯t your color.¡± | say to her.

    She sneers at me. ¡°Are you color blind? I¡¯m not wearing green.¡±

    | give her what | hope is a kind smile. ¡°Green. It¡¯s the color associated with emotions like envy and jealousy. They aren''t

    attractive on anyone, and that includes you.¡±

    ¡°And why would | be jealous of you?¡± She practically spits out.

    Suddenly, she¡¯s looking behind me and her entire demeanor changes. | don¡¯t have to look to know it¡¯s Rik. Great.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± She practically purrs. ¡°I was just weing Cara here to the pack

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    house.¡± | raise my eyebrow at her. Seriously?

    Rik wraps his arms around me, pulling me to him so my body is surrounded by his scent and heat. It calms me immediately. ¡°Is

    that what you were doing She? Because it sounded like you were being rude to my future girlfriend.¡±

    Her face registers shock before she begins stumbling for an exnation. ¡°I...1...

    He interrupts her. Nuzzling his nose in my hair he says, ¡°Did you know that Cara pinned my father in a sparring match in 15

    minutes?¡± | watch her eyes go wide as she shakes her head, no.

    He continues. ¡°Or that she is immune to wolfsbane?¡± Now her eyes are as big as saucers when she looks at me.

    ¡°Rik.¡± | try to convince him to stop, but ites out much breathier than |

    wanted. His proximity, his deep voice and his face breathing against mine were turning me to mush.

    ¡°Or,¡± He continues, sliding his nose up my.neck, ¡°that she can mind link her father from a distance where | can¡¯t even feel mine?¡±

    He moves to the other side of my neck and begins his gentle assault on that side. ¡± Or that even when she is restrained by silver,

    she can still speak to Artemis?¡±

    I can see the defeat in her eyes. Did she think | was a normal she¡ªwolf? She had to know at least some of the strength of being

    a Guardian. Or maybe not. She¡¯s not a warrior after all.

 Chapter 122

    | suddenly realize the room behind us has gone silent. Everyone listening to our exchange. Rik raises his voice to take in the

    entire room. ¡°If anyone is foolish enough to take on my Guardian, good luck, you''ll need it. And after | defeat her in our sparring

    match on Monday, she''ll officially be my girlfriend.¡±

    | tense up at his deration. | wasn¡¯t going to say anything, but | should have known. He¡¯s been very public with his im of me

    all along, and this is no different.

    It''s Trevor that responds. ¡°Wait! The answer Cara will give a yes to on Monday if you win is to be your girlfriend?¡± He asks as if

    this has any bearing on the match. | feel Rik turn to him and nod.

    ¡°Well shit! Sorry Cara, | was betting on you, but now....no way Alpha¡¯s losing that one.¡± | see from the corner of my eye that

    She is slinking away to lick her

    wounds.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    I turn in Rik¡¯s arms to look at Trevor directly. And not just him, all the warriors seem to be crowding around Dean. ¡°You can¡¯t all

    bet on Alpha Rik, there¡¯s no betting pool if everyone makes the same bet.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± | ask them.

    Jason''s head pops up. ¡°Sorry Car, we didn¡¯t know you were the prize. No way Alpha¡¯s losing on Monday.¡± | turn to look at Rik¡¯s

    very smug face over my shoulder. He still has his arms wrapped tightly around me, not letting me go.

    ¡°Cara?¡± It''s Alpha Anders this time. | look up and the table of bettors quiets down to hear what is said.

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±

    ¡°You heard the tales the other night. You should know that a Forte never loses when his eye is on the prize. Isn¡¯t that right

    Calista?¡± And he turns the same smug look that Rik gave me to his mate.

    Calista¡¯s lips purse for a moment before a smile reluctantly breaks out. She turns to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetheart, but Anders is

    right. If | were to bet on this one...¡± Every warrior¡¯s head popped up like a group of meercats. ¡°I said IF | was a betting person,

    which | am not,¡± All the heads dropped back down to the betting sheets. ¡°I would have to bet on Rik this time.¡±

    | shake my head. ¡°Fine. If everyone is betting against me, why don¡¯t you pick something you can at least go odds on?¡± They all

    turn to me expectantly. | step

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    away from Rik and walk toward their table. ¡°You don¡¯t really think he¡¯s going to take me down easily, do you? Why don¡¯t you bet

    on how long it will take him to pin me?¡±

    Dean¡¯s face lights up. ¡°Brilliant!¡± He starts writing it up. Trevor looks over his shoulder at me. ¡°Has Artemis shifted yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, I...¡± Artemis pushes forward answering the question. ¡°Tomorrow warrior. | will be shifting tomorrow. And if any of you

    ever bet against me again, you will face me on the training field so | can remind you of who you are dealing with.¡±

    Every warrior¡¯s head turns in deference to Artemis. ¡°Sorry Artemis. It¡¯s just, we know that you''re not yet at full strength and Rik

    and Kai have been pretty clear that they want you and Cara, so....nothing personal, we know how incredible you are, you don¡¯t

    need to remind us.¡± They attempt to cate her.

    It''s Rik¡¯s arms wrapping around me again that finally settles her. His voice is deeper than before, indicating that Kai has pushed

    forward when he asks, ¡°Does this mean we get to go for a run tomorrow little guardian?¡±

 Chapter 123

    Dinner was great. | can see everyone watching us, watching Cara. It¡¯s her first real public appearance and just as | expected, my

    mother circled her with ranked wolves to make sure she feelsfortable. I¡¯ve been going back and forth talking to the others at

    the table while also keeping my attention on Cara and her conversations. I¡¯m ready to swoop in if she starts to feel overwhelmed.

    When she asks where the restrooms are, | point her in their direction. | know she needs a minute to regroup.

    | keep my eye on where she went. If it takes her too long toe back, | will go check on her. | want this to be a positive

    experience, one that she will repeat daily with me. It¡¯s important to the pack and if she¡¯s going to be my Luna, she needs to feel

    comfortable being a part of therge group.

    Because I¡¯m watching so closely, | see She sneak over to the bathrooms. Oh hell no!

    | get up and head over to redirect whatever it is she thinks she is going to say to my girl. This is not going to happen. She has

    walked around a corner and doesn¡¯t see meing. So | overhear their conversation. Cara is even more amazing than |

    expected. She doesn¡¯t get angry and doesn¡¯t react other than to tell She that jealousy isn¡¯t attractive. How can She be stupid

    enough to tell Cara that | would give her up. She knows she¡¯s my mate, so she knows that will never happen. It¡¯s ridiculous and

    borders on being insubordinate to her future

    Luna.

    So, | do what I¡¯ve been doing, | im her publicly. | know everyone is watching me as | begin exining all the reasons why

    Cara is more worthy of my im than any other she¡ªwolf in this room, this pack, or the world. She is remarkable and most of the

    other wolves don¡¯t know her strength outside the training field. But | do. And | make sure everyone else in the pack knows now

    too.

    | knew announcing that our match on Monday meant she¡¯d be my official girlfriend would throw the betting oddspletely

    off, but | also wanted to stake my im yet again. I¡¯m thrilled that my warriors understand the importance of this match enough

    that now no one is betting against me. And Cara¡¯spromise of betting on the length of time is a good one. | know she won''t

    make it easy on me and | don¡¯t n to hurt her, so yeah, it will be a long match with me wearing her down until | can pin her.

    When Artemises forward and announces that she will be shifting tomorrow, Kai pushes me out of the way toe forward.

    He¡¯s been prancing around in my

    +15 BONOST¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    head for days wanting to be with his mate. He¡¯s practically purring in her ear when he asks about going on a run tomorrow. And

    that sassy little minx turns in our arms and smirks up at us. ¡°Do you think you can catch me Kai?¡±

    Alow growl rumbles in my chest. ¡°I will catch you little guardian. No matter how long you run, no matter where you hide, | will find

    always catch you.¡±

    Her eyes sh a brilliant gold before Cara pulls her back and looks up at Kai. ¡°No misbehaving Kai or | won¡¯t let you two out

    together again, got it?¡± She scolds my wolf.

    He rubs our face against hers. ¡°Define misbehaving.¡± He says softly in her ear.

    She scoffs, ¡°You''re as bad as she is.¡± She nips my chin, now give Rik control, he needs to walk me home.

    | pull Kai back and take her hand. She hasn''t stopped me from holding her hand yet, so I¡¯m going to keep doing it. ¡°Let me say

    goodbye to your parents.¡± She says, pulling me in that direction.

    We walk over and mom gives her a hug. ¡°I hope to see you again soon Cara. It was really nice having you here.¡±

    Cara smiles at mom. ¡°Apparently, I¡¯m going to lose my match on Monday and part of my deal with Rik was to spend more time

    here in the packhouse, so | guess you''ll be sick of me before long.¡±

 Chapter 124

    Mom looks up at me and back to Cara giving her a huge smile. ¡°Oh that¡¯s wonderful! And now that your father is training the

    warriors again, maybe we can get him to spend more time here as well. I''ve missed both of you.¡±

    ¡°I''ll see what | can do.¡± Cara says and waves at my father before we walk out back. It¡¯s dusk and the night air is cooling rapidly.

    ¡°Do you need a jacket? | can get one.¡± | start to say and then an idea hits me. ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t youe with me, and I''ll get

    you one of my sweatshirts.¡±

    | pull her back inside and take her up the stairs to my room. She¡¯s never been in my room. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s mostly clean. But

    best of all, when |e back tonight, her scent will still linger. When we walk in, | let go of her hand and walk to my closet. ¡°This

    is your room?¡±

    | turn to see her looking around. | look at it again, thinking of what it must look like from her perspective. I¡¯ve never really given it

    much consideration. It¡¯s always been my room. I¡¯ve updated it over the years and added some personal touches, but mostly, it¡¯s

    covered with awards and trophies from school and Alpha tournaments. I¡¯m not sure what she might find wrong with it, but I¡¯m

    willing to change anything she wants when we¡¯re mated. | don¡¯t care what our room looks like as long as she¡¯s happy and wants

    to be here with me.

    | look back at her. ¡°Its HUGE!¡± She says with awe in her voice.

    ¡°Oh, well, | guess. I¡¯ve never really considered howrge it is. It''s always been my room and one day | will share it with my Luna,

    so, it kind of needs to be big enough for two.¡±

    If | hadn¡¯t been paying attention to her, | would have missed the flinch. Since she doesn¡¯t know that she¡¯s my Luna, | can only

    imagine what''s going through her head.

    Before she goes too far down that rabbit hole, | hand her a hoodie. It smells like me so if she wears it, she will carry my scent. |

    watch as she takes it and tries to subtly sniff my scent. Her eyes close momentarily. A look of utter pleasure on her face. The

    weeks until her birthday can¡¯t pass quickly enough. At this rate, I¡¯ll be taking multiple cold showers a day just to get through.

    She puts on my hoodie and | zip it up for her, pulling the hood up to keep her warm. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    +15 BONOSCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Our walk to her home is mostly quiet. Afortable quiet. I¡¯m enjoying just being close to her, having her scent lingering in the

    air. A sense of calm that I¡¯ve never felt before settles in my bones. As we get to the edge of the forest, my feelings for this woman

    ovee me. | know it¡¯s too soon, but I¡¯m going to tell her anyway.

    I stop and pull her to face me. | take her face in both my hands and look into those emerald eyes. ¡°I love you, Cara Nelson. |

    know that it¡¯s probably too soon to say it and | know that you¡¯re waiting on your birthday before taking this step with someone,

    but | don¡¯t want you to ever wonder if what I¡¯m feeling for you is genuine. | love you and that will never change.¡± | confess to her.

    It''s the most that | can do without telling her that I''m her mate.

    I can see the shock on her face at first and then something else. I¡¯m not expecting her to lean in and gently kiss my lips before

    saying, ¡°I think I¡¯m falling in love with you too Rik.¡±

    Ever heard the story of the grinch who¡¯s heart grew three sizes? Yeah, |

    understand exactly what that feels like right at this moment. My heart just felt like it expanded nearly to bursting. She¡¯s falling in

    love with me.

    | answer her the only way a man in love can. | pull her to me and kiss her with every ounce of love that | have for her.

    Cooper

    Author

 Chapter 125

    Last night when Rik dropped me off after professing his love for me, | thought I¡¯d have a really hard time getting to sleep. | had

    worried when he¡¯d mentioned his room needing to be big enough for his Luna. It had reminded me that it might not be me. And it

    made my heart hurt to think of another woman in his room, smelling his delicious scent, having him to herself. But when he told

    me he loved me, it made me think, maybe all these feelings that I¡¯m having, that Artemis is having, are because WE are his

    mate. The thought had me falling asleep with a contented smile on my face.

    | wake on Sunday feeling refreshed. Turns out, sleeping in Rik¡¯s hoodie and having his scent surrounding me, helped me get the

    best sleep I¡¯ve had in a long time. Artemis is feeling stronger as well and is ready to shift. Rik agreed toe with us and wait

    while | shifted in case it takes longer than normal or is painful. Dad has me swimps today. While that doesn¡¯t sound difficult,

    two hours of back and forth in the pool has my muscles screaming. After a hot shower and breakfast, I¡¯m ready to let Artemis out.

    | walk out back headed to the forest, just as | see Rik jogging up. ¡°Hey beautiful.¡¯ He jogs right up to me and kisses me good

    morning. | don¡¯t hesitate. | wrap my arms around him and lean into the kiss, running my fingers through his hair. My body tingles

    all over from the contact and | feel him getting hard before he pulls

    away.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Little Guardian, unless you want me pleasuring you until you are screaming my name right here, we¡¯d better stop. ¡°I smile at him

    and step away. As tempting as it is and even if | was ready for that, Artemis would never wait that long. She was ready to run

    with Kai.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that | couldn¡¯t tease Rik a little before we shifted. I''d have to be naked in front of him anyway to shift.

    And it¡¯s not like shifters aren''t used to nudity, it''smon to see others when they are shifting. But this feels different. | know Rik

    is attracted to me, and his body is already responding to me just from a kiss. So, yeah, this will be a tease.

    Rather than going behind a tree, | lift my sweatshirt over my head. | wasn¡¯t wearing a bra since | knew I''d be shifting. His swift

    intake of breath is enough for me to know that my n is working. Before he can see my wicked smile, | turn and bend at the

    waist, slowly sliding my yoga pants to my ankles. | might take an extra minute to step out of them when | hear a growl rumble in

    his chest.

    l yelp when hees up behind me, pulling my hips against his now very hard

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    length. His voice is rough and raspy when he says, ¡°Feeling yful little guardian?¡±

    | turn my head, looking at his sapphire eyes, dark with Kai¡¯s presence. Artemis has already pushed forward, enjoying our game.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    His hands slide up my waist, across my stomach and up to my breasts. He takes one in each hand, tugging on my nipples that

    have already gone to hard peaks.

    | gasp and lean back against him, feeling the zings of pleasure pulsing straight to my core, my arousal pooling between my legs.

    He nips at my shoulder before releasing me, pulling back and smacking my ass, hard. ¡°Last warning little guardian. Keep it up

    and I''ll have you on this forest floor screaming my name for everyone to hear.¡±

    I step away from him, unsteady on my feet, before nodding. Damn this man and his ability to turn me to a pool of sloppy desire.

    | crouch down, preparing for Artemis to shift. As Artemis starts to push forward, | see Rik stripping from the corner of my eye. But

    I''m too focused on the pain. It¡¯s harder than it should be to shift. | grit my teeth against the pain.

    ¡®Rx, let ite. We know how to do this, I''ll be as fast as | can.¡® Artemis says. | try to rx, but | can feel each bone breaking

    and rearranging. I¡¯m about to cry out when | feel fur sliding against my body. Kai has shifted and he¡¯s here, giving me support

    while Artemis shifts. Just like when | was in the hospital, wherever he touches me, the pain vanishes. My panting slows and |

    rx enough to let Artemis finish her shift.

 Chapter 126

    When we''re done, wey on the ground, catching our breath. Kaies over and licks her face, rubbing against her face and

    neck, encouraging her.

    When she finally stands, she walks over to him, sliding her body down his, rubbing her scent all over him. Such a hussy. | was

    afraid she was going to present her backside to him, but instead she smacks him in the face with her tail before taking off,

    yipping in excitement.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Kai immediately gives chase, yfully nipping at her heels. They y together for hours, enjoying the run, the feel of the earth

    beneath their paws. Kai eventually mind links that we need to rest and walks us to a pond before walking off. Artemis leans down

    to drink some water and finds a sunny spot toy down. Kaies back carrying a rabbit that he caught and drops it in front of

    Artemis, still giving her gifts. She takes it and begins eating it as heys down next to her.

    | shut it off until she¡¯s done. | love my wolf, but there are some things that | don¡¯t want to participate in, and eating raw animals is

    one of them. When she¡¯s done, she nuzzles him and he licks the blood off her muzzle. It''s the wolf version of a loving kiss as it

    goes on much longer than is needed to clean her. Sheys her head down on his paws and heys his head across her neck

    before she falls asleep.

    When Kai nuzzles her awaketer, we get up and head back home. The pace is slower. Artemis is still tired. When we get home,

    | shift back and reach down to grab my clothes. Rik is suddenly behind me, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Kai had a really good

    time today. He¡¯s been wanting to spend time with Artemis for a while now.¡±

    I turn in his arms, well aware that we are both naked. ¡°Artemis had a really good time as well. She¡¯s also been wanting to run

    with Kai, and it was probably good that we did this before she¡¯s up to full strength. She''ll be giving Kai a run for him money next

    time.¡± | smile looking up into his cial blue eyes.

    ¡°I''m pretty confident that Kai can keep up.¡± He says sliding his hands down my body, over my hips to my ass, holding a cheek in

    each hand. ¡°Have | mentioned how gorgeous you are?¡± He says leaning back and looking over my body leisurely. ¡°I mean, |

    knew you were beautiful, but this,¡± he gestures to my naked body. ¡°This is something beyond.¡±

    He leans in, rubbing his nose across my nose, to my cheek then to my ear. ¡°One day I hope to worship this body to my heart¡¯s

    content, touching and tasting every inch of you until | know every mole, every scar, every freckle on your body.¡± My

    body shivers with his words and his breath against my ear. And | know he can smell my arousal. ¡°Would you like that my little

    guardian?¡±

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    ¡°Yes.¡± | can¡¯t help my breathy reply. | do want it. I''ve never wanted to be with anyone other than my mate and not knowing who

    that is, I''ve never thought about being with anyone. But this man, he makes me feel things that | didn¡¯t know a person could feel.

    He makes my body hum with desire.

    ¡°Good.¡± He steps back and away from me. ¡°But for now, you should get dressed. I''d love it if you¡¯d have dinner with me again at

    the packhouse.¡±

    Talk about a tease. How is he able to shift gears so fast?

    ¡°How do you do that?¡±

    He looks at me, tilting his head in question.

    ¡°Turn it off like that?¡± | ask.

    He gives me a sheepish grin and gestures from is waist to his hips with his hands. ¡°Do | look like I¡¯ve turned it off?¡± He asks and |

    have to admit, | hadn¡¯t actually looked at Rik below the waistline, only felt his hardness pressed against me. The reality seems so

    muchrger than | expected. | gulp seeing him at full attention. I''ve heard alphas are well endowed but Goddess, this is.....big. A

    dangerous piece of machinery if I''ve ever seen one.

    He steps up to me again, his hand cupping my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s meant to bring enjoyment, not the fear | see in your eyes right now.

    One day, I''ll show you how much pleasure it can bring you. | promise.¡± And he kisses my nose. ¡°Now get dressed. | need to get

    you home so you can change for dinner.¡±

 Chapter 127

    | have to admit, Cara¡¯s response to seeing my dick fully aroused was not what | expected. | know she¡¯s a virgin, she¡¯s been clear

    about that, but she¡¯s a wolf. She must have seen the warriors naked before. So, the hint of fear was surprising. But, there was

    also curiosity and that | can work with. It¡¯s a risk to tell her I¡¯ll make love to her one day, that I''ll show her how much | can

    pleasure her. But, she doesn¡¯t seem to recognize I¡¯m telling her she¡¯s my mate.

    | was also pleasantly surprised when she says she wants me touching and tasting her. It will be worth the cold showers and

    spending time with Mrs. Hand and her five daughters for Cara to get used to intimacy with me before her birthday. It will make

    our marking and mating night easier and morefortable for her.

    I''ll have to slowly work on her letting me near her neck too. | knowst night scared her, so we''ll take it slow and get her

    comfortable with me touching her... everywhere. The thought is doing nothing to help my growing problem. I¡¯m so hard it''s

    almost painful and impossible to hide in my loose-fitting clothes.

    When she¡¯s dressed, | stand where | am. ¡°Are youing with me?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Ahhh,¡± | run my fingers through my messy hair. | need a shower after romping in the woods all day and she probably wants one

    too. | gesture down to my pants and the tent I¡¯m popping. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea for Clint to see me with a hard on for his

    daughter.¡± | tell her. ¡°Maybe | should wait here for you.¡± Yeah, maybe there¡¯s a private ce | can take care of this while she¡¯s

    gone.

    ¡°Dad''s at the pack house. He decided to help with warrior training this afternoon and maybe stay for dinner. Apparently, my father

    is a sucker for your mother who called him personally this morning to ask him toe.¡±

    Ok, the Goddess is smiling down on me. | walk up and take her hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    When we get inside, we head straight to her bedroom. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I''ll shower after you.¡± | say, going to sit on the loveseat.

    When she doesn¡¯t respond, | turn to look at her. She has pulled her clothes off and they areying on the floor beside her naked

    body. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me?¡± And my dick, that | didn¡¯t think could get any harder, just went steel rod hard. | gulp. ¡°Are you

    sure?¡± She already looked scared of my dick, I¡¯m not sure | want her to be even more afraid now that it¡¯s probably swelled even

    larger.

    She nods and turns to walk into her bathroom. | watch her heart shaped ass sway

    of as she walks away. She looks at me over her shoulder. ¡°Only if you want to,

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    OMRONOS

    course.¡±

    If this were any other woman, I''d say she knows exactly what she is doing. And maybe she does. Maybe women have an

    inherent ability to turn men on with just a look or a couple of words. But this woman, she will be the death of me. But what a

    fucking amazing death it will be.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I''m up and following her before she gets to the shower. She leans in, turning on the tap, feeling the water to make it the

    temperature she wants. | quickly strip out of my clothes and step in behind her. She turns to face me, the water flowing over her

    hair, dripping down her body, between her breasts, to the beautiful apex between her legs. The sweet smell of her arousal is

    potent in this smaller room with the steam spinning through the air.

    When | look back up, her eyes are on my cock. It twitches in response. | see her fingers flex like she wants to touch me. Yes,

    please goddess, touch me. She looks up at me, asking permission with her eyes. | give her a nod of assent. | don¡¯t trust my

    voice.

    The moment she touches me, it¡¯s like everything I¡¯ve been dreaming about hase true. Her hands are gentle and tentative at

    first, and | close my eyes, a groan of pleasure slipping uncontrolled from my lips. Nothing has ever felt this good. Her fingers are

    sending tingles all over my body, making the feeling so much more intense.

    When she wraps her hand around me, stroking me, my eyes sh open. If she doesn¡¯t stop, I¡¯m going to blow my load right here.

    ¡°Cara. You need to stop.¡± She stops stroking me but doesn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°Am | hurting you?¡± She asks with concern in her voice.

    ¡°No, exactly the opposite. It feels incredible. But | only have so much restraint and I¡¯m dangerously close to losing it.¡±

    Adevious smile spreads across her face. ¡°What if | want you to lose control.¡± She says and she begins stroking me again.

    FUCK!

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 Chapter 128

    ¡°Cara.¡± Ites out as more of a squeak than a warning. And goddess help me, she takes her other hand and wraps it around

    the rest of my length. | press my hand on the shower wall to steady myself.

    I give onest warning. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop, | will blow my load all over you.¡±

    My little guardian doesn¡¯t stop. Instead, she begins stroking me even faster. It¡¯s only a couple of strokes before | lose it. ¡°FUCK!¡±

    | shout as streams of cum start shooting out of me, all over her body. | grab her by her hair, pulling her to me, kissing her roughly

    as she continues to stroke me until I¡¯m done.

    When | finally release her from my kiss, | see her very pleased smile. ¡°That was fun.¡± My little minx has the nerve to say.

    | growl at her before looking down and seeing that she is painted in my cum from her neck to her waist. There¡¯s something primal

    in me, or maybe it¡¯s the wolf in me that loves seeing my im all over her body. It will be days before my scent washes off her.

    No one will touch her while she smells this strongly of me. Kai rumbles his pleasure in my mind. ¡®Ours.¡¯ He says. Yes, they are.

    Cara follows my gaze. I¡¯m afraid she''ll be disgusted or repulsed at seeing the result of my orgasm all over her body. Instead, my

    little minx surprises me again. With a look of curiosity on her face, she slides her finger across the cum on her chest, reaching up

    and licking it off her finger. When she looks at me, her eyes have gone hungry. ¡°Mmmm, you taste like brownies.¡±

    And I¡¯m hard again. Before she can remove her finger from her mouth, | have her pressed against the shower wall. ¡°My turn.¡± |

    say before sliding down to my knees in front of her.

    | take my hands and rub my cum all over her, scenting her even more. Then | put one of her legs over my shoulder before diving

    into the sweetest scent I''ve ever smelled. | lick her from ass to clit, feeling her body jerk as | do. | take my time licking all of her

    sweet juices beforeing back to her clit. She¡¯s right at the edge when | suck her clit into my mouth. She cries out my name as

    she cums, her wetness pooling on my chin. | didn¡¯t think anything could smell or taste as good as she does. I¡¯m drunk on my

    mate. Addicted to her taste and her smell. | never want a day to go by when | don¡¯t get a hit from my new favorite drug. Her.

    As she starts toe down, | increase the pace of my tongue again, sliding two fingers inside of her. Damn she¡¯s tight. No

    wonder she looked terrified before. But she was made for me. She and | will fit together like a glove. And she¡¯s so fucking

    responsive. | make her cum over and over until she¡¯s a whimpering mess,

    her voice having be raw a while ago. I''d be lying if | said that I''m not getting off on hearing her screarn my name in

    pleasure. Just hearing her, tasting her, |e again.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    When | finally release her, she¡¯s leaning against the wall, panting. | kiss my way up her body, reveling in my scent so potent on

    her. I¡¯m careful when I get to her neck, quickly nuzzling near her marking spot, before moving up her neck to kiss her lips. Her

    eyes are zed over. Oh yeah, that¡¯s a look | want to put on her face every day of my life.

    | pull away from her. Gently pulling her to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and moving her under the shower head. |

    wash and condition her hair while she holds on to me. When I¡¯m done, | take her vani body wash, the body wash | got her |

    notice, and | wash her back and shoulders, running my hands down her ass, gently sliding my hand over her body making sure

    she¡¯s clean, before turning her around. She¡¯s able to stand on her own now, but | take my time cleaning her front, sliding my

    hands across her body. She jerks slightly as | run my hands across her breasts, her nipples still pebbled from earlier. So

    responsive. | finish washing her then move her under the water to help her rinse. After leaning down to wash her legs and the

    remnants of her arousal from between her thighs, | open the shower door and grab a towel. | gently push her out of the shower

    and wrap the towel around her, kissing her on her head before turning her toward the door. ¡°Goy down love, I¡¯ll be out ina

    minute.¡±

    | watch as she stumbles to her bed beforeying down. | get back in the shower and wash myself before heading out to get my

    girl dressed for dinner.

    +

 Chapter 129

    | don¡¯t know if there is anything more powerful than holding a man in your hands and stroking him until he loses control. The

    feeling ofmanding Rik¡¯s pleasure was empowering, even if his size is intimidating. When he reversed roles, oh my goddess,

    what that man can do with his tongue. | mean...it''s beyond anything | could have imagined. And he was relentless. | was a

    puddle of goo by the time he was done. I¡¯m pretty sure | forgot my own name.

    And then, his gentle ministrations, his sweet care, making sure | was bathed and clean before we head over to the pack house. It

    was yet another reason why | was falling so in love with this man. Everything about him is beyond my expectation.

    When he gets out of the shower, I¡¯m stillying on the bed. Hees over and leans over top of me. ¡°You okay love?¡± He asks,

    watching me intently.

    ¡°Yes, that was....well, | don¡¯t really know how to put that into words, but it was a bit overwhelming and | just needed a minute.¡±

    ¡°Is your minute up, or...?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°It''s almost up.¡± He smiles at me then heads to my closet. He only has a towel on, wrapped low on his waist. Seriously, no man

    should be this beautiful. The muscles in his back are rippling as he begins going through my clothes. | bite my lower lip. Goddess

    help me, but I really want to give myself to this man.

    He turns and looks at me, smiling when he sees me watching him. ¡°See something you like little guardian?¡±

    Oh yes, yes I do. | see many things that | like. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s asking about my clothes or if he¡¯s asking about my perusal of

    his body, so | decide to assume it¡¯s about my clothes.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    | hop out of bed and walk into the closet with him to get something to wear. That was a mistake. The smell of brownies is

    irresistible in my closet. So now, I¡¯m surrounded by his scent, he¡¯s practically naked, water is dripping off the ends of his hair and

    all | want to do is lick him. ¡®Do it. Walk past him, lick him and then get some clothes.¡® Artemis chimes in.

    | feel Artemis trying to push forward. | need to get myself under control. | look up into his eyes. ¡°Excuse me Alpha. | need to find

    something to wear to dinner.¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°Yes you do little guardian.*

    Before | can move around him, his fingers are in my hair, holding me in ce and his lips have taken mine in a kiss so

    passionate that my knees go weak again.

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    ¡°Get dressed love.¡± He says and smacks my ass hard before walking out of the closet.

    | get dressed in jeans and a sweater, pulling on my knee-high boots before walking out to join him. He has dressed in the

    clothes he wore this morning.¡± Ready?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Ready.¡± He says and takes my hand.

    When we arrive at the packhouse, he pulls me up to his room so he can change into something more presentable for dinner.

    Then we walk hand in hand into the dining room. The room doesn¡¯t fall silent this time, which I¡¯m thankful for.

    ¡°Let''s say

    hello to our parents and then sit with other pack members. Is that ok with you?¡± Rik asks me.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    We walk to the head table where my father is sitting with Anders and Calista. He actually looks like he¡¯s enjoying himself and I¡¯m

    so d.

    ¡°Hey dad.¡± | say and he turns his head toward me. | watch as his eyes narrow and his nose starts sniffing the air. He turns to look

    at Rik who merely shrugs. ¡°Cara. Did you have a nice day?¡±

 Chapter 130

    There¡¯s an undertone to his question that I¡¯m guessing rtes to him knowing what has happened between Rik and I. So, | focus

    on the things that I¡¯m willing to tell him.

    ¡°My shift was more difficult than usual, but Artemis was able to run for a couple of hours before Kai had us rest. Then she was

    pretty tired on our way home and since my shift back, she has been pretty quiet.¡±

    He looks at me, focused on my progress rather than my scent. ¡°What did Artemis say about her day?¡±

    ¡°She loved it. She has wanted to run with Kai for a while. And even though she¡¯s not at full strength, she still had a great time

    running and ying today.¡±

    ¡°We''re going to grab some food. We just wanted toe over and say hello.¡± Rik says

    before my father can redirect the conversation back to my scent. He steers me over to another table with a group of families that

    I''ve never met.

    It''s a fun evening meeting new pack members and talking to some of the younger pups. They are all really sweet and | have fun

    listening to the moms telling stories about them.

    Rik walks me home afterward. He leaves me with a lingering kiss. ¡°Get some rest little guardian. Tomorrow, | n to win our

    match and then I''ll be making sure everyone knows you''re mine.¡±

    |ugh. ¡°Because your scent all over me isn¡¯t enough?¡±

    He just smiles and turns me around. ¡°Goodnight love, sleep well.¡±

    The next morning, | wake up ready for my match up. ¡®How are you feeling Artemis?¡® | ask her. I''m wondering if there is any

    possibility of me actually beating Rik today.

    ¡®Im good, recovered from yesterday, but still not at full strength. Maybe another day or two.¡¯ She replies.

    ¡®Any concerns with me sparring with Rik today? Do | need to worry that this will impact your healing?¡¯

    ¡®None at all. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re strong enough to defeat him, not today. He¡¯s a strong alpha. But we should still give it our best

    shot."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    | head downstairs and walk out back. The warriors are all lining up, ready for the show. | walk over to Dean. ¡°So, what are the

    odds on how long it will take for Rik

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    to pin me?¡± | ask.

    Dean gives me a tentative look. ¡°Well,¡± he gulps. Oh, this ought to be good. ¡° Please know that I¡¯m just the manager of the bets,

    it doesn¡¯t mean that | agree.¡±

    | squint my eyes at him. ¡°And | don¡¯t want Artemis to be offended and take it out on me.¡± He says quickly. Okay, now I¡¯m really

    curious. Do they think Rik is that much stronger than | am?

    Trevor walks over. ¡°Just so you know, my bet is the one saying you''llst the longest.¡±

    I turn to him. ¡°And how long do you think I''llst?¡±

    ¡°My bet is one hour.¡± He says. An hour is respectable, but if his bet is the longest, what is everyone else¡¯s? | turn back to Dean.

    ¡°And the other bets?¡±

    He shifts ufortably. | feel Rik walking up behind me, his hands resting on my hips as he listens in. Dean looks at me. ¡°Just

    remember Artemis, this isn¡¯t my bet. I¡¯m not allowed to bet. But....Trevor is the longest at an hour.¡± Rik nods in acknowledgement

    at that.

    ¡°And the shortest?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Five minutes.¡±

    Rik scoffs behind me. ¡°What idiot thought I''d pin Cara in 5 minutes?¡±

    ¡°Richard.¡± He says.

    Rick the Dick. Of course. Next time | spar with him, I¡¯m going to crush his family jewels for that one.

    My father joins us then and calls us over. ¡°Cara? You sure you''re ready for this?¡± | nod. Let¡¯s do this.

 Chapter 131

    Clint calls us together and the warriors circle around Cara and |. I¡¯m more than ready to spar with my girl. While | know this won''t

    be her strongest showing, | have no doubt that she¡¯s going to make me work for this win. And | will win.

    We start off, sizing each other up. Throwing punches and kicks, testing reach, speed and flexibility. After a few minutes, we start

    going hard. We¡¯re about 20 minutes in before | throw my signature move. Going for the uppercut, | see her anticipate and duck,

    landing a hard blow to my sternum. Damn my girl can throw a punch.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°You''re pulling your punches Alpha.¡± She says, slightly winded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to injure my girlfriend little guardian.¡± | reply as | try to sweep her legs. She leaps to avoid the takedown. She gets in

    a hit but doesn¡¯t take me down.

    We go back and forth, and | can see she¡¯s wearing down. She¡¯s knocked me off my feet several times and I¡¯ve taken her down

    several as well, but neither of us has gotten the pin.

    The fatigue is starting to show as her movements have slowed slightly. Now is the time. | have no intention of prolonging this to

    the point of her exhaustion, so | take an opportunity to swipe her legs and immediately pin her body, my hips pinning hers, my

    feet pinning her thighs as | use my size to pin her arms over her head.

    The warriors begin cheering. Cara is panting heavily as | smile down at her. What | didn¡¯t expect was for Artemis to push forward

    and for them to bare their neck to me. Complete submission. The warriors go still. There is not a sound as Kai pushes forward

    and leans down to gently nip her exposed throat, epting her submission. Then | pull him back and | kiss my way to her mouth

    before kissing her passionately for all to see.

    | pull back, looking into her shining emerald eyes. ¡°You¡¯re mine now little guardian.¡±

    ¡°Want to know a secret Alpha?¡± She asks, a cunning grin on her face.

    I nod. ¡°I was going to agree either way.¡± She whispers so only | can hear her. ¡°I just wanted to spar with you.¡±

    Shaking my head, | get off of her and give her my hand to pull her to her feet. We''re both still breathing heavily, but she turns to

    Dean. ¡°Time?¡±

    ¡°Seventy-five minutes Cara.¡± She smiles. It was a good match.

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    ¡°Alright, the rest of youzy wolves that call yourselves warriors have 45 minutes to run the obstacle course. | suggest you get

    started.¡± Clint shouts out.

    The warriors take off, leaving the three of us alone. ¡°Nice job, both of you. You¡¯re done for this morning Cara. Both of you report

    back here after school for afternoon training.¡±

    | head back to the packhouse while Cara goes to get ready for school. The extra time this morning will give me an opportunity to

    follow up on my n for Cara. When | get to my room, | put in a call to King Ailduin. He doesn¡¯t answer and | leave a message.

    Afterward, | get ready for school and head down to the dining hall just as the other warriorse in from training. They all look

    wiped out but severale up and congratte me on my win. Chase smacks me on the back. ¡°Way to get your girl Alpha.¡± He

    says. And | watch as his eyes track Lacey walking up to get breakfast.

    ¡°Speaking of getting your girl, I''ll catch youter.¡± | watch him go over to Lacey. She still seems resistant, but if | had to guess, I''d

    say she¡¯s gone from icy to lukewarm. Oh yeah, my boy always gets what he wants.

    School is just like it was at the end ofst week. I¡¯m walking Cara to all her sses, kissing her every chance | get.

    After school, I¡¯m really excited to train with Cara having Clint give us individualized training. It¡¯s intense, but Cara is able to hang

    in and so do I.

    The week goes along like this and I''m spending so much time with my girl. Kai is as happy as | am.

    On Thursday at lunch, Cara asks if I¡¯m going toe for dinner. | finally got ahold of Ailduinst night. He was resistant at first,

    telling me his debt was paid and he owed me nothing. But when | told him | wanted to bring not one, but two Guardians with me,

    he changed his tune very quickly.

    +

 Chapter 132

    ¡°Actually, yes. | have something | want to talk to everyone about tonight, so it will be perfect. What can | bring?¡± I¡¯ve started

    pulling Cara into myp during lunch. | can never seem to get enough of her and | love having her scent on me. She was

    resistant at first, but now doesn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Jasonins. ¡°I¡¯m really starting to feel like a Sth wheel.¡± Chase has gotten Lacey to at least talk to him during lunch

    this week. She¡¯s even startedughing at his jokes, so | understand where Jason ising from. But Chase and | talked about it

    last night. | hadn¡¯t nned on discussing it at school, but here we are. | look at Chase and he¡¯s in agreement.

    ¡°Actually, Jason, Chase and | wanted to talk to you about something.¡±

    Jason immediately sits up straighter. ¡°Did | do something wrong Alpha?¡± He asks

    1. me.

    ¡°Nope.¡± Chase jumps in. ¡°You did something right.¡±

    | pick up the conversation, enjoying that Cara is ying with my hair sending tingles down my scalp.

    ¡°You know our Gamma family only had one child, a daughter?¡± | ask him, and he

    nods.

    ¡°Did you know she found her mate and is moving to another pack?¡± Chase asks

    him.

    ¡°What? When did that happen?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Apparently when she went to visit familyst weekend and found her mate in their pack. But anyway, that brings us to this

    conversation.¡± | look at him, making sure I¡¯ve got his full attention.

    ¡°When | take over as Alpha, | want you as my Gamma.¡±

    Cara sucks in her breath, looking from me to Jason. | know they are friends and it will make things easier if she gets along with

    my ranked wolves. Jason is opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

    Cara looks at him. ¡°Jason??¡±

    He shakes his head as if trying to get his focus. ¡°Are you serious?¡± He¡¯s looking between me and Chase. We both nod at him.

    ¡°Yeah. Yes! Yes, I¡¯d love to be your Gamma!¡± Thank you. You won''t regret it.¡±

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    | arrive at dinner with a new bouquet of flowers for Cara. Today it¡¯s pink camellias and daisies, meaning longing and loyal love.

    Who knew flowers could be a lovenguage?

    | help her prepare the side dishes while the fathers grill the steaks. When we sit, | take the lead.

    ¡°| have something to discuss with all of you.¡± All eyes turn to me.

    ¡°Im assuming Cara has shared what she found in the History of the Guardian with you Clint?¡± He nods and | continue. ¡°After

    talking with Carast week and questioning where Andra¡¯s wolf sprirt is, | reached out to King Ailduin.¡± O

    ¡°Why does that name sound familiar?¡± Clint asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s the Fae King. He¡¯s the one that had the book | got for Cara. Do you know him?¡±

    Donovan pushes forward. ¡°I know of him, the name is familiar, but | don¡¯t know why.¡±

    Well,¡± | continue, ¡°He has agreed to have the four of use to his home in Araphyra. He would like to meet both of you.¡± | say

    looking at Cara and Clint. ¡°And he might have some answers to your questions about where your mother¡¯s Guardian spirit is.¡± |

    say, directing thest to Cara.

    ¡°Isn''t there a rift between the werewolves and the fae? Is it safe to go into their territory?¡± Clint asks..

    Dad is the one that responds. ¡°The wolves and the fae used to allies a long time ago. | don¡¯t know what caused the fracture of

    the alliance, but King Ailduin is an honorable elf. He would not invite us to his home if he thought we would be in danger.¡±

    ¡°Dad, this could give us the answers that we need about mom. Don¡¯t you want to know what has happened to her Guardian¡¯s

    spirit?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    He looks at her for a long moment. ¡°Yes, | do.

    Cara turns to me. ¡°When do we leave?¡±

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 Chapter 133

    Anders and Rik left earlier than usualst night. They needed to speak to Charles and Chase since both of them would be away

    from the pack for a few days. We agreed to leave after training as the faend is about 4 hours away.

    We traveled up into the mountains to an area that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. We pulled up to a metal gate that

    looked like it belonged on a farm. When we stop, Rik turns to us. ¡°Stay here, I''ll be right back.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    | watch as he walks up to the gate. He lifts a hand as if to reach out to touch it. Suddenly, a tall warrior steps out, seemingly from

    thin air. Anders tenses from the front seat, ready to act if someone threatens his son. As | watch, Rik speaks to the man,

    gesturing to us. The man looks at us before answering Rik. They both walk back to the car.

    When they get to the car, Dad rolls down his window. Rik leans down. ¡°This is Sael. He is one of King Ailduin¡¯s guards.

    Before we can enter Araphyra, he needs proof that you are the Guardians | say you are.

    Dad looked at Sael. From the back, | could hear his voice deepen as Donovan pushed forward. ¡°Is this the proof you need

    elven guard?¡± He asks.

    Sael lowered his head in acknowledgement. ¡°Guardian. It is good to have you back in Araphyra. He looks at me. ¡°King Ailduin

    said there were two Guardians.¡±

    Artemis pushes forward. ¡°Your king is correct.¡± She says to the guard.

    ¡°Guardian.¡± He nods his head in acknowledgement to Artemis as well. ¡°You are the new Guardian. May | know your name?¡±

    m Artemis, daughter of Andra and Donovan.¡±

    The interest | see in his eyes is unnerving. But it passes quickly. ¡°You may pass Guardians.¡± He nods to Dad and I. ¡°And you as

    well Alphas.¡± And he nods to Anders and Rik.

    Rik gets back in the car and Sael opens the gate for us. As soon as we are through, it¡¯s like we entered an entirely different

    world. | gasp. It¡¯s like something out of, well, out of a fairy tale.

    ¡°What? How?¡± | ask, not really knowing what I¡¯m asking.

    ¡°It''s called mor.¡± Anders says. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the mor is for what is outside of thisnd and what we are seeing is the

    real elvish world.¡±

    ¡°It''s so beautiful.¡± | say and | can¡¯t help the awe in my voice. Even Artemis is

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    impressed.

    ¡°The fae are known to be able to manipte the elements. Their goal is never to destroy, only to improve. I¡¯d say they are

    prospering under their king.¡± This was from my father.

    My eyes are glued to the window, trying to take everything in. Everywhere | look there are trees, nts and flowers all in bright

    colors. It should be overwhelming to the senses, but it has the opposite effect. It feels like....home. Safe and

    comfortable.

    As we turn a corner, | see what looks like a ss castle. It¡¯s so tall, the spires seem to lift up into the clouds. When we pull up,

    another guard is waiting for us. We get out and they take our bags from us. We are escorted to what | can only describe as a

    library. It is thergest room I¡¯ve ever seen. It has floor to ceiling books, and the ceilings must be 15 feet high. The ceiling is clear

    giving the room a natural light, but there is no heat from the sun and no deterioration, that | can smell, of the books from sunlight.

    It smells exactly like what you¡¯d expect an old- fashioned library to smell like ¡ª leather, paper and something like pipe smoke.

    When we walk in, King Ailduin is there to greet us. ¡°Alphas.¡± He inclines his head to Anders and Rik. ¡°And these must be the

    Guardians. | do not believe we have officially met. My name is King Ailduin.¡± He inclines his head to me. ¡°You would be Cara.¡±

 Chapter 134

    ¡°Yes, | am Cara Nelson. It¡¯s nice to meet you, King Ailduin.¡± Do | curtsy? Bow? | have no idea. But luckily he doesn¡¯t seem

    offended by myck of a gesture.

    ¡°May | have the name of your wolf Cara Nelson.¡±

    Artemis pushes forward. ¡°l am Artemis.¡± The king¡¯s eyes brighten and a smile lights up his face. ¡°Named after the Goddess of the

    Hunt | assume?¡± He asks her.

    She nods her head in agreement. ¡°It is my pleasure to meet you Artemis, the first Guardian born of two Guardians.*

    He turns to my father. Donovan has already pushed forward. ¡°l am Donovan, Clint Nelson¡¯s wolf. Guardian to Anders and father

    to Artemis.¡±

    ¡°It is an honor to see you again, Donovan, Guardian of Anders and father of Artemis.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, again?¡± Donovan asks.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°| know you are here for answers. Those will take some time. Please, you must be hungry. Would you join me for lunch and

    afterwards we will begin the journey of finding answers to all of your questions.¡± He looks at Rik. ¡°I assume that everyone is

    staying overnight?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We are prepared to stay two nights if necessary.¡± Rik responds. King Ailduin looks even happier than before if that¡¯s

    possible.

    ¡°That is excellent. Please follow me.¡±

    He takes us down a hallway to a small dining room. An intricately carved rectangr wooden table sits in the center of the room.

    It is already set for us. King Ailduin walks to the head of the table.

    ¡°Please, Alpha Anders, Guardian Donovan, would you do me the honor of sitting beside me?¡± He gestures to the seats on either

    side of his. They both move to their seats. As Rik and | begin to walk to the seats beside our fathers, we hear footfalls running

    down the hall. King Ailduin looks exasperated as a younger version of himes running into the room.

    Rik immediately turns to him. ¡°Aolis!¡± He walks over, lifting him up in a hug and swings the young man around.

    ¡°Alpha Rik. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    Rik puts him down, looking him over. ¡°You as well. You¡¯ve grown into quite a

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    young man since |st saw you.¡± He tells him. ¡°Please,e meet my girlfriend and our fathers.¡±

    Over lunch, | learn the history of how Rik met King Ailduin and of Aolis¡¯s rescue that brought him here. After hearing the story, |

    turned to Rik. ¡°So, you used your favor with King Ailduin to give me a book on the history of my parents?¡±

    If | hadn¡¯t already fallen in love with this man, | would have at this moment. He could have asked for anything, but he used his

    favor to give me something that is invaluable to me.

    ¡°| knew it was important to you, and that made it important to me. | wanted you to have it.¡± His gaze was intense, and | couldn''t

    look away. Artemis pushes forward to show her appreciation as well.

    Someone clears their throat and breaks the spell. | look away, but | see Rik smiling out of the corner of my eye.

    After lunch, we head back to the library. While we were away, it appears that the fae have set us up with a study center.

    Computers, printers, notepads, pens, everything we may want or need as we learn about our history.

    When we reconvene around our study table, King Ailduin starts.

    ¡°First, you should know that the Fae have been the keepers of the Guardians history since the dawn of the Guardians.¡±

    Dad interrupts him. ¡°Then why have | not heard of you before today?¡±

    ¡°It is a good question and one that may best be saved for another day.¡±

    It''s Anders that jumps in this time. ¡°Does it have to do with the reason that the alliance between the Fae and the Werewolves

    ended?¡± He asks.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to do with the reason, it is the reason.¡± King Ailduin says.

 Chapter 135

    I''m d my father is asking about the broken alliance between the wolves and the fae. My interactions with King Ailduin and

    Aolis have been positive to this point. There must be a way to mend the alliance, but we need to know what caused the break to

    begin with.

    Dad looks at Clint. ¡°I would really like to know what caused the rift between our kind. If there is anything that | can do as an Alpha

    or my son, as the future Alpha to mend our alliance, | would like to do that.¡±

    King Ailduin looks between them and nods his head. ¡°I will need to go back in time for you to understand fully, but it happened

    nearly 100 years ago. | had been king for over 50 years...¡±

    Cara interrupted him. ¡°You were king 100 years ago??!! How old are you??¡± As soon as she said it, Cara looked mortified at her

    outburst. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s just, I¡¯ve never met someone as old...¡± She stops mid¡ªsentence, grimacing as she realizes she¡¯s not

    making it any better.

    Thankfully King Ailduin smiles kindly at her. ¡°l am 248 years old.¡± Cara¡¯s mouth drops to the floor. ¡°Whoa.¡± She whispers. Yeah,

    even | was surprised that the fae lived that long. And he sired a child only 8 years ago. Impressive.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He continues with his story. ¡°The first Guardians awakened 200 years ago, Aloysius and Bellona. They were awakened during a

    time of

    great strife among the wolves. Your Moon Goddess was angry at the violence that was killing your Alphas and risking the

    elimination of your species. At the time, there were only two Alphas that she felt were worthy of her gift.¡±

    My father jumps in. ¡°Alpha Rhys and Alpha Deryn.¡±

    King Ailduin nods in agreement. ¡°Yes, they were the first two Alphas to be gifted with a Guardian. At first, we did not realize that

    they would reincarnate and continue the line through the wolf spirit. It was not until the deaths of the first Guardians that the Fae

    were asked to chronicle the lives of the Guardians.¡±

    ¡°It was quickly realized by all the Alphas that having a Guardian made a pack immeasurably powerful. Alpha Rhys and Alpha

    Deryn were unable to be defeated during their reign as Alpha, even though many other packs attacked them. When the next

    generation of Guardian was awakened, they were coveted by the Alphas.¡±

    He looks thoughtful as he continues. ¡°I was brought in as a young man to chronicle the lives of these Guardians. | realized early

    on that just because a Guardian was awakened within a pack, it did not mean that the Alpha was

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    worthy. The Guardian awakened because the wolf who took the Guardian¡¯s spirit was worthy.¡± He nods his head to Clint,

    acknowledging him being chosen as a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°When a Guardian awakened within a pack, the Alphas of those packs were unwilling to lose the strength that the guardian

    provided the pack and refused to let them leave to find their mate. Therefore, it became amon practice for Alphas to force

    their Guardians to take them or their heirs as their Chosen Mates.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense for the female guardians, but not for the male guardians.¡± Clint says, and it¡¯s exactly what | was thinking.

    ¡°Actually, most Guardians are females. You, Donovan, are only the third male guardian in the seven generations of your

    Guardian spirit.¡±

    We were all stunned by this knowledge. ¡°What? Why? How?¡± Clint is stuttering out words, unable to formte a real question.

    ¡°| do not have an answer for you, only spection. Each of the Guardians has special gifts, things that make them stronger than

    a regr wolf. | believe you are from the warrior line that started with Aloysius. He was the first male, but when his wolf spirit

    reincarnated, it was given to a she¡ªwolf. Your line, Donovan, is known for its strength and that is why | think that it periodically

    reincarnates with male wolves.¡±

    ¡°Your line is also known for having a strong ability to mind link from long distances. I¡¯m guessing you are aware of and possess

    that gift?¡±

    Clint nodded. ¡°Yes, Donovan has those abilities.¡±

    King Ailduin turns to Cara. ¡°And did Artemis inherit these abilities?¡±

    Cara nods. ¡°Yes, she did. We also have an immunity to wolfsbane and a lower susceptibility to silver.¡±

    King Ailduin smiles. ¡°That would be from Bellona¡¯s Guardian spirit, which was passed on to Andra. I¡¯m guessing you also have

    enhanced healing ability?¡±

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 0136

    Cara and Clint both looked stunned. ¡°Yes.¡± They say in unison.

    ¡°That is also from Bellona¡¯s line.¡±

    He stands and goes to a shelf gathering threerge tomes. He brings them to the table and sets them in front of Clint. ¡°These are

    the chronicles of your wolf''s Guardian spirit for the first four generations.¡±

    He sits back down, folding his hands in front of him on the table. He stares at his hands before starting again. ¡°It was during the

    time | was chronicling the Guardians that | met Jinelle. She and her Alpha came here to provide her story. | knew immediately

    that she was my mate.¡± His eyes be sad as he thinks back on the memory. ¡°She recognized me as her mate as well. But

    her Alpha refused to release her.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± My father¡¯s anger reflects my own. It¡¯s against everything we believe in for an Alpha to deny a wolf their mate.

    ¡°As | said, Alphas didn¡¯t want to lose their Guardians to other packs. Or, in this instance, to another male. Jinelle and | made a

    n for her to escape, but he found out about it. He caught me trying to get her out of the castle.¡± King Ailduin clenched his

    teeth. ¡°He marked her right in front of me, forcing the mate mark on her.¡±

    Cara gasped, her hand flying to her neck. | was immediately at her side, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her face to my

    chest. | could feel her trembling slightly. This story was much too close to home for her.

    King Ailduin stops, frowning. ¡°It happened a long time ago.¡± He said, not understanding Cara¡¯s response.

    | look up at him. ¡°Maybe for you it was a long time ago, but Cara was kidnapped recently by a male wolf trying to force the mate

    bond on her.¡±

    ¡°And you were able to resist?¡± King Ailduin asks her.

    ¡°I''m not 18 yet, and Artemis is strong. She fought the venom in our system until Rik found us.¡±

    King Ailduin nods. ¡°Jinelle was of age, so the mate bond was forged. The Alpha left immediately, telling every pack he came into

    contact with that | tried to steal his mate and Guardian to obtain power to overthrow the wolves. After that, the alliance was

    fractured. If Jinelle had not pleaded with me, it would have been war. But | was not willing to risk losing her.

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    It was not until you, Alpha Anders, that any pack has done something with or for my kind.¡±

    ¡°| see no reason why we cannot rebuild our alliance, King Ailduin. | think we have much to learn from each other. And I¡¯m certain

    that the two guardians that | have in my pack would appreciate having the Fae return to the days of chronicling their lives.¡± Dad

    looks at Clint as he says this.

    ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯d like to know what I¡¯m missing in my history, and I''d like to know how it applies to Cara.¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Ailduin. | would be honored to renew the chronicles of the

    Guardians. Aolis could learn and be the scribe for you. It would be good for him. As for how this affects Cara and Artemis, |

    have many questions. But today has been a long day and | have given you much to think about. | will have a guard show you to

    your rooms. You are wee to join me for dinner or | can have food brought up to you.¡±

    We all look at each other. ¡°I think food in our rooms would be good. We should regroup and think through everything you''ve told

    us today beforeing with more questions tomorrow.¡±

    Ailduin smiles again. ¡°Very well.¡± He ps his hands, and two guards walk in.¡± My guards will show you to your rooms. If you

    need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.¡±

    We all thank Ailduin and follow the guards to our rooms. There is so much to think about, so much that | didn¡¯t know or

    understand before today. When we ge to our rooms, Dad stops before we can enter. ¡°Let¡¯s take an hour and then mee in my

    room. I''d like to talk through everything that we''ve learned today. We ca do that while we eat.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    We all agree. | check Cara¡¯s room before walking to my own. What a day.

 Chapter 137

    The information we obtained today was overwhelming. When we talked about getting answers to our questions, | didn¡¯t consider

    that it would only bring up more questions. And at this point, we¡¯d barely scratched the surface of the questions that | have. | still

    want to find out if Ailduin knows anything about my mother¡¯s wolf spirit and what he might know about how Artemis is also a

    Guardian.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    | hear the knock on my door a moment before | smell his scent. When | open the door, Rik is looking at me, concern in his eyes.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    | open my door to invite him in. When he steps in, | close the door and go right into his arms. They wrap around me, making me

    feel safe. ¡°I feel terrible for him, King Ailduin. How awful it would be to find your mate and for someone else to purposefully take

    them away from you. And | can only imagine what it was like for her. To be bound to a man that forced their bond against her will.

    No matter how much the bond was forged, that would always be in the back of her mind. It was in mine when Eli was trying to

    force the bond on me.¡±

    He rubs circles on my back, an angry growl rumbling in his chest. | lean my head back and gently kiss his lips. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go

    meet up with our dads.¡±

    We walk to Anders room, just as dad rolls out of his room.

    Over dinner, we talk about our impressions of what we have been told. We are all in agreement that we want to know if Ailduin

    knows anything about my mother¡¯s Guardian line and where the new Guardian might be. We also want to try to get more

    information about me and Artemis. What does it mean that I¡¯m the first Guardian to be born?

    The next morning, we meet for breakfast and then head back to the library. We are all anxious to get information about my

    mother.

    ¡°Before we get started,¡± | say, ¡°I¡¯d like to know what happened to Jinelle.¡±

    Ailduin looks away, his eyes taking on a sorrow that is painful to see. ¡°Her Alpha did not care for her as a mate should. He did not

    value her and protect her as a mate should. He used her as a shield in battle and he was a power-hungry Alpha. She died ata

    young age.¡± | tear rolls down his cheek. ¡°My only satisfaction came when | found out that her death killed him as well.¡±

    ¡°I''m so sorry.¡± | say quietly. | know it was a long time ago, and | know | wasn¡¯t even born when all of this took ce but

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    He smiles kindly at me. ¡°I know you are. Kindness is something all Guardians have inmon.¡±

    Rik scoffs beside me. ¡°You¡¯ve obviously never been in one of Clint¡¯s training sessions. ¡°Kindness¡± He uses air quotes, ¡°isn¡¯t the

    word | would use.¡±

    King Ailduin looks at all of us. ¡°This is the first time, since the beginning of the Guardians, that I¡¯ve seen this type of camaraderie

    among the Alphas and Guardians. Perhaps there is something about you, Alpha Anders, and you, Alpha Rik, that made your

    Moon Goddess gift your pack with three Guardians at once.

    ¡°Before now, Guardians have never awakened in the same pack. You, Donovan and your mate, Andra, were the first.¡± He looks

    at me thoughifully. ¡°I have some ideas about the possible reason for that. But before we talk about Artemis, I¡¯d like to discuss

    your questions about Andra¡¯s Guardian line. My understanding is this is what brought you here in the first ce.¡±

    | jump in, wanting the answer to the question that has been eating at me. Even though Rik said he didn¡¯t think it was the reason,

    | need to know from someone that has been around Guardians for so many years. ¡°Do you think me being born caused my

    mother¡¯s Guardian line to end? Do you think my birth caused her death?¡±

    My father¡¯s head whips around to look at me. ¡°Cara? Is that what you think?¡±

    The tears in my eyes and the thickness in my throat don¡¯t let me respond, so | simply nod my head. Rik takes my hand, rubbing

    circles on the back with his thumb, giving me his support.

    King Ailduin walks to a different wall of books and pulls four tomes out before bringing them to me. ¡°These are the chronicles of

    Andra¡¯s Guardian line. There are six generations chronicled here.¡±

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 0138

    ¡°Six? But you said mine only had four.¡± Dad says.

    ¡°That is correct. | also said that your line has strength. A strength that makes you stronger than an Alpha. Bellona¡¯s line gave the

    Guardian the strength of an Alpha. Therefore, that line has died and reincarnated more frequently than Aloysius¡¯s line.¡±

    ¡°How many times?¡± My father asks.

    ¡°To my knowledge, there are eleven generations to Bellona¡¯s line, while there are only seven in yours.¡±

    He turns back to me. ¡°Now, to your question. No, | do not think your birth has eliminated her Guardian line. | think something has

    happened to the wolf carrying her line. Either that or she is very good at hiding. If | had to guess, I¡¯d say she ran from her pack

    and has been hiding since she found out she¡¯s a

    Guardian. She could even be living among the humans.¡±

    ¡°However, | have been trying to find her for years. | have sent out my best trackers. There was a time when | thought | had found

    her, but they lost the scent and have never been able to find it again.¡± 2

    He looks at all of us sheepishly. ¡°I confess, the Bellona line is the one that my mate was connected to. | have wanted to be close

    to the Guardian that once

    inhabited my mate, so believe me when | say that | have tried very hard to find her, with no sess.¡±

    ¡°But you believe her Guardian line is still alive because you think you found her scent at one point and no other Guardian has

    surfaced?¡± Anders asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He pauses. ¡°I do think that when she is found, she will recognize both of you, not just as Guardians but as a previous mate

    and quite possibly, as her daughter. Not past tense, but current tense. The Guardian spirit continues, and there has never before

    been a Guardian born from another Guardian. So, | believe that she may very well continue to think of you has her daughter.¡±

    Ailduin says looking at me.

    ¡°Even if she¡¯s younger than | am?¡± | ask, because that would be weird.

    ¡°The human side may be younger, the Guardian side is much, much older. The wolf will most likely recognize Artemis as her

    daughter, not you, Cara, as her daughter.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that | am the first Guardian born? Why now?¡±

    +15 BONOSProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Ailduin looks at me for a long moment before responding. ¡°I have a couple of ideas for possible reasons why you have been born

    after so many years. First, this was one of the few times that there was a male Guardian alive to even have the possibility of

    mating with another Guardian. Second, your Alphas have proven themselves to be very different than the Alphas in the past and

    allowed your parents to find their true mates. | believe that the forced mate bond may have created an inability for a Guardian to

    reproduce a Guardian. Having a true mate bond may have opened the possibility of reproducing a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Thest possibility,¡± he continues, ¡°is one that | hope is incorrect.¡± He takes a moment and looks at all of us. ¡°It is possible that

    your Moon Goddess feels there is a need for more than two Guardians and has allowed the creation of a third. If that is the case,

    then | believe there is a war in your future.¡±

    Rik and Anders look at each other. | can see on their faces that neither knows anything about a war or even a battle that is

    coming.

    ¡°| will ask around to see if any of our allies have heard anything.¡± Anders replies. ¡°However, it is also possible that all three of

    your theories are correct.¡±

    Food was brought in throughout the day as we talked and read through the chronicles of the past. | didn¡¯t learn anything new

    about Andra¡¯s wolf spirit, only learned about the packs she had lived in and the fighting that had urred over time. It was

    interesting to learn that the Guardians had been in several battles at the same time but never seemed to connect.

    When my eyes got tired, | told everyone that | was going to bed. Rik got up to walk me to my room. He kissed me goodnight

    before he left. My dreams were filled with scenarios of my mother¡¯s wolf, lost and alone, looking for me and Artemis

 Chapter 139

    After | dropped Cara off at her room, | went to speak to my father. He is as concerned as | am about the potential for aing

    war that Ailduin referenced. We will have to meet with our allies and determine if there is anything we have overlooked. While it

    is possible that this is the first time that two Guardians have actually been fated mates, as werewolves, we are a violent species,

    constantly fighting for power,nd, strength. It makes sense that the Moon Goddess knew that a war wasing and was

    preparing us for it.

    The next morning at breakfast, we begin making preparations to head home when Clint surprises us all. ¡°Ailduin has invited me

    to stay and I¡¯m going to take him up on his offer.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? For how long?¡± Cara asked.

    ¡°He would like to chronicle the lives of your mother and I, or more specifically, Andra and Donovan. | have decided to stay and

    help to put that information into history. Your mother deserved that. She deserved to be recognized for what she did.¡±

    ¡°As do you.¡± My father chimes in. | had noticed that while Clint was speaking Ailduin was watching my father. Did he still think my

    father would deny Clint staying here? | guess given his history, he would. But | know my father. He loves Clint like a brother and

    Cara like a daughter. He will treat them as family, not as amodity to hold on to for his own gain. My father is an honorable

    man.

    My father turns to Ailduin. ¡°If Clint bes too humble, let me know, I''ll tell you the real story of what he did.¡± Ailduin nods.

    Clint rolls his wheelchair over to Cara. ¡°You¡¯re nearly an adult and | know you can take care of yourself, but Anders will be

    checking in on you.¡± He looks over at me. ¡°And | know Rik will be looking after you as well.¡± | nod at him. Of course | will. | won¡¯t

    let anything happen to my mate.

    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± She asks him. | can hear her voice trembling a little.

    ¡°As long as it takes, but | will definitely be home for your birthday. | expect you to continue to train, go to school and make good

    grades.¡±

    ¡°Of course dad.¡± She hugs him and we grab our bags, ready to leave. We thank Ailduin, my father reiterating that we would like

    to rebuild our alliance. | think this weekend has gone a long way towards getting there.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Since Clint drove to the faend, we will have to run home. It¡¯s not a big deal

    except that we have our bags. Ailduin has a guard drive us to the old, rickety looking gate that we entered through. Once we

    pass through the gate, the mor returns and it looks like a forest filled with trees surrounded by a fence.

    We shift and begin our journey. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that Artemis is able to easily keep up with us during the long trek home.

    She seems to be back at full strength. We howl our arrival just before crossing the borders and head straight to the pack house.

    My father disappears and | don¡¯t expect to see him or my mother again for the rest of the night. We''ve arrived in time for lunch

    and as we are getting dressed, | hear Cara¡¯s stomach growl.

    ¡°Let''s eat, then we can head over to your house. Or would you rather stay here while your father is gone?¡± | ask her.

    She looks around the pack house. ¡°I think I''d rather stay at my house, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m going to tell you. | don¡¯t like you being there alone, so I''ll be staying with you.¡± Her beautiful smile draws me

    in and | wrap my arms around her waist.

    ¡°Is that code for you n on working your way into my bed Alpha?¡±

    | kiss her nose. ¡°Nope. | know you''re waiting for your mate and | will respect that. Now, if you choose to spend the night with me

    on the couch...¡± | smile at her before pulling her into the dining hall.

 Chapter 140

    We have lunch with some wolves that are in the packhouse for the afternoon before heading to her house. | grabbed my school

    work before leaving and a change of clothes in preparation for staying the night.

    Over the course of the next month, we fall into a pattern. We mostly stayed at her house, and while we never crossed her line,

    we took advantage of our time to explore each other¡¯s bodies, learning what we like, what makes the othere. undone. It was

    a much more intimate time than | could have ever imagined. There was something about sex not being an option that almost

    made it more intimate. We touched and tasted every part of each other. We became intimately familiar with the other¡¯s body. And

    let me tell you, my girl loves her brownies, and | don¡¯t mean the kind my mother makes. Holy hell, the things that girl can do with

    her mouth.

    It becamemon for us to be seen together everywhere. We went to training twice a day as usual. Now that Artemis was back

    at full strength, our sparring was even. She could pin me as often as | could pin her. We were always looking for new ways to

    take each other down. It was fun and exciting.

    We did our homework together every day and | began to have Cara sit in on my meetings with my father, learning about the pack

    issues. She even started to take on some of the role of the Luna, although she didn¡¯t realize that¡¯s what she was doing. She is

    just a natural at it. She is so perfect.

    And | made sure to take her on at least one date a week. Somewhere different every time. It wasn¡¯t so much that we didn¡¯t have

    alone time, it was more to show her how special she is to me and expose her to new things.

    One night, after having dinner at the pack house, we raced home in our wolf form. Artemis and Kai had also be very close

    and spent a lot of time together, either traveling back and forth from the Nelson home to the packhouse or on the weekends, we

    would shift and let them run together.

    When we arrived at the forest line surrounding her house, we shifted as we usually did. We began walking to her house when |

    caught the scent. She recognized it at the same time | did. | growled, but cut it off quickly. | had agreed to this, and | had to let it

    y out. We are only a couple of weeks away from Cara¡¯s birthday and the decision is hers, but | can only hope that she

    chooses me. And honestly, it has been so long since we''ve seen him, that | had almost forgotten that he was even pursuing

    Cara.

    ¡°Liam.¡± She says as she starts walking toward him. Kai pushes forward and

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    snarls, grabbing her and pushing her behind me as | toss her a t-shirt. | may have agreed to let them spend time together, but |

    didn¡¯t agree to it being with Cara naked.

    He stands from where he had been sitting on the back porch, presumably waiting for us. He must smell my scent all around the

    house. I¡¯ve been here every day for

    a month.

    Before she can walk away, | take her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to go.¡± She starts shaking her head immediately.

    ¡°No, you can stay.¡±

    | take my hand and cup her cheek. ¡°No, | can¡¯t. | know you want to catch up with him, but it isn¡¯t smart to have two strong alphas

    in close proximity who want the same woman. You''re too close to your birthday. That¡¯s a fight waiting toT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    happen.¡± She looks from me to Liam and back. | can see her indecision, so | make it easy for her. | kiss her nose and step back,

    nodding at Liam. ¡°Call meter.¡± | say before heading back toward the packhouse.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 141

    | watch as Rik turns and heads back to the packhouse. | feel like part of my heart. is leaving with him. | watch until | can¡¯t see him

    any longer before turning back to my house and Liam.

    ¡°Liam.¡± | say again. His smile is a wee hello and | walk into his arms and give him a hug.

    ¡°So, you and Rik, huh? What happened to waiting for me?¡±

    | smack his chest. ¡°Yes, Rik and | are dating. And not that it''s any of your business, but he¡¯s been aplete gentleman about

    my limits.¡±

    ¡°Your limits? Is that why his smell is all over you and your house?¡±

    ¡°Did youe here to interrogate me, Liam?¡± | ask, my temper ring. He has been gone and has no right to ask me these

    questions.

    ¡°No. | just wasn¡¯t expecting toe here and smell him all over you. | don¡¯t even smell your father, only the two of you, and it

    kind of set me off. | apologize. Can we start over?¡±

    I smile at him. ¡°Of course. Come in. Are you hungry? I¡¯ve already eaten but | can make you something.¡±

    ¡°I''m good.¡± He says.

    ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± | run upstairs and put on some clothes. When | return, | pull a beer out of the fridge. ¡°Beer?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He says and | pop the top on two beers, and we head to the living room.

    ¡°What have you been up to? | heard you were looking for Eli Gunnar?¡±

    He takes a sip of his beer, resting his hand on my knee. ¡°He continues to elude me. I¡¯ve been so close so many times. But he

    can only run so far so fast, and | have my best trackers out hunting him.¡± He says before taking a sip of beer. Then he looks at

    me. ¡°So, where is your father?¡±

    I give him an update on my time in the Faend, what | learned about my parents and their wolves, and finally end with my father

    staying on to give them the story of Donovan and Andra.

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s a lot. What do you think about your mother¡¯s wolf spirit? Where do you think she could be?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Ailduin thinks she may be hiding in the human world, but | don¡¯t know.

    +15 BONOS

    If Ailduin¡¯s theory is correct, it means that Andra¡¯s spirit knows about Artemis being her daughter. | can¡¯t see her staying away for

    any reason. Not for thirteen years.¡±

    He looks thoughtful as he ponders what I¡¯ve said. ¡°That makes sense. So, what? You think some Alpha has her prisoner

    somewhere? That would be hard to hide. for this long.¡±

    ¡°I''m not sure, but wherever she is, | think she¡¯s being held against her will. | don¡¯t think she could know about Artemis and stay

    away. | know Donovan¡¯s spirit wouldn''t.¡±

    We finish our beers and | get us another round. We continue catching each other up on our life events since ourT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    meeting. ¡°I have to go back out. | have to keep searching for him until | find him.¡± He says. Then looks at me. ¡°But | will be here

    for your birthday. It¡¯s a big day and | wouldn''t miss it.¡±

    He smiles at me then leans in and very gently kisses me on the lips. The feelings that it used to bring to the surface when he

    kissed me don¡¯te. It could be a brother giving me a peck on the lips or my father. There is nothing romantically responsive in

    me for Liam. He feels like family, whereas Rik feels like everything.

    Liam recognizes the change in me. He can see that I¡¯m not responsive to his advances like | have been in the past. He stands,

    giving me his hand to help met up. We drop the empty beer bottles on the ind as we walk to the door.

    As he opens the door, he turns. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on me yet Cara. Please. Wait until your birthday. My feelings for you haven''t

    changed. | would be a good mate to you. Even if we aren''t fated mates, | would take care of you and make you happy.¡±

    | lean in and give him a hug. ¡°I know you would Liam, and I¡¯m not making any decisions until my birthday. | promise.¡±

    With that, he turns and heads out the door. | stand on the front porch and wave as he drives away. The problem is, while my

    head agrees to waiting, neither my heart nor Artemis agree. They both want Rik.

    After Liam leaves, | take a shower. | know Rik wille over. He¡¯s here every night and has been since we returned. | don¡¯t want

    him to be ufortable because | have Liam''s scent on me.

    When | call him to let him know Liam is gone, he arrives as fast as Kai can get him there. When he walks in, he immediately pulls

    me in for a hug, sniffing my

    hair.

    ¡°You showered.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    I smile up at him. ¡°I did. | didn¡¯t want you upset if his scent lingered on me.¡± He nods and | can see the concern in his eyes. He¡¯s

    worried that | still have feelings for Liam. It couldn¡¯t be any farther from the truth.

    ¡°Nothing happened between us. | want you to know that. That¡¯s not why | showered. And you should also know, my feelings for

    Liam have changed. He feels like an older brother. Someone that will always be there for me if | need him.¡±

    | begin walking backward, toward the stairs, pulling him with me. ¡°My feelings for you, however, are anything but familial. What |

    feel for you is....¡± | take his hand and | put it against my heart. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± | take his other hand and | put it against my stomach.

    ¡°And it¡¯s here.¡±

    | take a step up as he watches me intently. ¡°My feelings for you are so deep and so strong that | don¡¯t know how to even put

    them into words. But | know how | can show you.¡±

    | crook my finger at him, asking him to lean in. When he gets close, | run my nose up his neck, to his ear, feeling him shiver as |

    smell my favorite scent in the world. ¡°I¡¯m very hungry Alpha, and | want brownies. Let me show you how much | want you.¡±

    As he growled in pleasure, | turned and ran up the stairs. He catches me just as | get to the door and | proceed to show him

    exactly how much | love the taste of brownies.

    Cooper Author

    +16 BONOS

 Chapter 142

    Clint returned home one week before Cara¡¯s birthday. It was an ufortable moment since she and | walked into the house

    completely naked after shifting from our run. | was carrying her, and she had her legs wrapped around my waist. We were

    kissing, nning to move to her bedroom. That¡¯s the only reason | didn¡¯t realize until it was toote that he was home.

    ¡°Alpha Rik, perhaps you could let go of my daughter long enough for her to say hello to her father.¡± I¡¯m not sure cold water works

    as quickly as hearing your mate¡¯s father¡¯s voice while you are on the verge of pleasuring his daughter.

    Cara immediately let go of me and | tuck her behind me to give her some privacy. ¡°Hi dad. When did you get home?¡± She asks,

    looking around me at her father.

    ¡°A couple of hours ago.¡± He says as she and | move together until she¡¯s close to the stairs, so she can run up to put one

    clothes. ¡°Be right back.¡± She calls over her shoulder.

    Clint looks at me. ¡°I thought you were going to respect my daughter¡¯s wishes.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°| have.¡± | don¡¯t feel the need to exin myself to Cara¡¯s father. What Cara and | have is private, and | don¡¯t care if he is her

    father, it¡¯s none of his business.

    ¡°By the smell, I¡¯d say you''ve been living here.¡± Caraes back down the stairs and walks up beside me, handing me a pair of

    shorts from her room. Yeah, | have clothes here and she has clothes in my room at the packhouse. ¡°Yes dad, he has. Is that a

    problem?¡± Cara answers for me.

    ¡°Cara, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯mfortable having a man sleeping with you in your room that may or may not be your mate.¡±

    She nods her head briefly, then turns to me. ¡°Give me a minute to grab my things and we''ll head back to the packhouse.¡± She

    says.

    Oh shit. I¡¯m not sure if | should cringe or cheer for my girl.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Clint says, raising an eyebrow at Cara.

    ¡°| respect your choice father. But you will also respect mine. I¡¯m old enough to make decisions about who | will and will not sleep

    with. Rik and | have gotter much closer while you were away. | love him. | want to be with him. If that¡¯s not here, then that''s fine.

    But we will be together.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I turn to her. ¡°You love me?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    She smiles at me. ¡°You''re surprised?¡±

    This amazing, beautiful woman, my mate, has fallen in love with me before she knows she¡¯s my mate. | take her face in my

    hands. ¡°I am so in love with you Cara

    Nelson.¡±

    We are staring into each other¡¯s eyes, about to kiss, when Clint clears his throat and reminds us that we are not alone.

    Without breaking eye contact with Cara, | address Clint. ¡°What''s it going to be Clint. Are we staying here or going to the

    packhouse?¡±

    He grunts but agrees to let me stay.

    After Cara and | shower, Clint tells us about his time with Ailduin and Aolis. They wrote the story of Clint and Lily as well as

    Donovan and Andra. | can tell that reliving his time with his mate when she was alive has brought both happiness. and sadness

    to Clint. | also know that once Cara and | are mated, we will move into the packhouse permanently and Clint will be alone. | hope

    he is able to find his way without Cara. Maybe Dad can convince him to move into the packhouse again, or maybe take on

    training twice a day instead of just once so he can continue to train his daughter.

    In the week before her birthday, | find time to sneak away from Cara to order her birthday present. I''ve been thinking about it for

    a while but haven''t had time to go have it made. Between us spending all our free time together, training, school, preparation for

    graduation, preparation for Cara¡¯s birthday and now beginning preparation for my Alpha ceremony, life has been crazy.

 Chapter 143

    Cara doesn¡¯t realize it, but my Alpha ceremony will also include her Luna ceremony. | feel confident after her evening with Liam

    that she will choose me. She is mine and | am hers. It will be official on her birthday.

    The night before her birthday, | tell her I''m sleeping in the packhouse and she should stay in her father¡¯s house. She seems.

    confused, but | want her to see me for the first time as her mate at her party. | use the excuse tha

    | have to help my mother get ready for her party, which isn¡¯t a lie. | want everything to be perfect, special for my mate on her

    birthday.

    On the morning of her birthday, | send her a text wishing her a happy birthday. | don¡¯t want to speak to her in case she

    recognizes us as her mate from our voice. | let her know her first birthday present is waiting for her at her door.

    Mate: You got me another dress?

    Me: This one is for a very special day. Do you like it?

    Mate: | love it. It''s beautiful.

    Me: | can¡¯t wait to see you tonight.

    Mate: Me too. | still say you could have stayed the night. Then we¡¯d know now if we''re mates.

    Me: Are you worried that we aren''t?

    Mate: No, but I''d like to know for sure.

    Me: It¡¯s only a few hours away, love. Enjoy your morning with your father.

    Mate: Ok, see you soon

    Me: | love you Cara.

    Mate: | love you too Rik.

    The dress | got her is a sand color. It will go well with her hair, but it will also go well with the other gift that | am bringing with me

    tonight to give to her. I¡¯m wearing a suit with a button-down shirt that matches her dress. Again, we will look like a couple and

    after tonight, there will be no question.

    | help my mother prepare for the party. Cara agreed to have it at the packhouse. She has met so many of the pack members

    over thest month, that we decided to invite everyone. And since the entire pack knows that she¡¯s my mate, almost everyone is

    coming. It will be a huge event. We''ve set up the inside for dancing

    +15 BONOS

    with food and tables around the dance floor for eating and drinking. Outside, at the back of the packhouse, we have set up

    twinkling lights, simr to what they have at Ethereal. She really loved the look and I think we''ve been able to recreate. it here for

    her special day.

    There are flowers everywhere. Every bouquet has flowers that mean love in them. We''ve also set a bouquet of Lily of the Valley

    on either side of the entrance to the main hall. My mother and | discussed it and we felt this is the best way to include Lily Nelson

    on this special day.

    The guests begin to arrive about an hour before Cara. The packhouse fills up quickly and the atmosphere is filled with

    excitement. Liam arrives. We shake hands and go our separate ways. One of us will have to go off and lick our wounds. tonight,

    and it won''t be me.

    ss.to

    My father clinks his ss to get everyone¡¯s attention. It¡¯s time. Cara and Clint have arrived. | can feel my heart rate increasing.

    My palms are sweating. This is it. The moment that I¡¯ve been waiting months for, the moment when | expect to start my life with

    the love of my life, my mate.

    | hear her walking in the hall and the smell of her vani and honey is almost overwhelming. Her scent is so much stronger now.

    There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t feel it. Kai pushes forward, ready to acknowledge his mate.

    The moment she walks into the room, | know I¡¯m right. Artemis is front and center. Her eyes go directly to mine. ¡°Mate.¡± She

    whispers and her brilliant smile. is the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.

    ¡°Mate.¡± Kai and | confirm together before walking to our mate and taking her in the most passionate kiss we''ve ever shared.

    Cooper AuthorProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    It''s official, she recognized Rik as her mate

 Chapter 144

    | was sad to wake up alone on my birthday. | am expecting to be mates with Rik and | thought it would be a wonderful way to

    wake up, but he has other ns for today.

    The dress he got me is beautiful. It has a flutter sleeve, with a floor length crepe satin ruffle that looks like it is wrapped in the

    front with a tie around the waist. Simple, elegant, beautiful.

    My dad and I have breakfast together and then he gives me my gift. | unwrap the box and inside is a book, simr to, although

    much thinner than, the History of the Guardian. This one is titled ¡®For the Love of a Guardian¡¯. | look up at my dad. ¡± What is

    this?¡±

    He looks at me, and | see he has tears in his eyes. ¡°Ailduin, Aolis and | put together the story of your mother and I. It starts when

    we were about your age. thought you would want to have something that tells you the story of our love.¡±

    | feel the tears in my own eyes now. | run my hand up and down the leather binding. ¡°This is the story of you and mom?¡± He nods.

    and | jump up and hug him tightly. ¡°I will treasure it, always. Thank you, dad.¡±

    Later, | take time for a long soak in the tub to rx. | have time to think about what may happen tonight. I¡¯m pretty sure that Rik is

    my mate. I''ve developed. such strong feelings for him.

    ¡®We''ll know as soon as we see him tonight.

    ¡®Are you nervous Artemis?*

    ¡®No, our mate was made for us by the Moon Goddess. Whoever it is will be perfect. for us.¡®

    | get ready and meet dad downstairs. He is driving us to the pack house. I¡¯m so nervous. Tonight is the night. | don¡¯t know how

    many pack members will be there, but if our mate is in our pack, I¡¯m confident that we''ll find him.

    As soon as | step out of the car, | smell him. Rik¡¯s delicious scent of brownies is so strong, | can smell him from outside.

    ¡®MATE, MATE, MATE! Artemis is jumping up and down, yelling in my head.

    | walk through the doors to the main hall and my eyes meet his. | can see Kai is already present, as is Artemis. ¡°Mate.¡± | whisper.

    ¡°Mate.¡± He confirms before taking me in a kiss so fiery, | feel as if | will

    +15 BONOS

    spontaneouslybust. I¡¯m overwhelmed by the tingles that are shooting all over my body, Rik¡¯s smell is so much stronger, the

    taste of his mouth and tongue, which | had thought was so familiar, is so potent that | can¡¯t think of anything except him. My

    Alpha, my mate, my everything.

    ¡®Mine. Artemis and | must say it through the mind link because we immediately hear Rik and Kai repeat it back to us. ¡°Mine.¡±

    | pull away from him, looking into his beautiful sapphire eyes. I¡¯m lost in the moment until | remember where we are and who is

    here. Remember the man who is not my mate.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    My eyes dart over Rik¡¯s shoulder looking for him. | know my face has fallen. Rik sees and quickly covers for us. ¡°I need a

    moment alone with my mate.¡± He

    announces to the room, receiving cat calls and wolf whistles. ¡°Enjoy the party, we will be back shortly.*.

    As the pping and cheering continues, he leans down to me ear. ¡°He just walked out, we can catch him before he leaves.

    Come on.¡± He walks me out the front door of the packhouse, guiding me to where the cars are parked.

    | see him about to get into his car.

    ¡°Liam!¡± I''m sure he can hear the tears in my voice.

 Chapter 145

    | don¡¯t know what to say to him. He has been so patient with me. So willing to wait and to take me as a chosen mate. But there

    can be no one for me but Rik.

    He turns to me. | move out of Rik¡¯s arms, closing the distance between us. ¡°I¡¯m sor...¡±

    He cuts me off. ¡°Don¡¯t. You were always honest with me. | knew you wanted to find your mate and see if it would work. It was a

    risk | was willing to take.¡±

    He looks at Rik over my shoulder before looking back at me. ¡°You always wanted to find your fated mate. Rik is a good man.

    He''ll be a good Alpha and a good mate to you. And if he isn¡¯t,¡± he looks back at Rik, ¡°You know where to find me.¡±

    He wipes the tears that | couldn¡¯t contain off my cheeks. Then he pulls a box out of his pocket and hands it to me. ¡°Happy

    birthday.¡±

    | unwrap the present and open the box, my hands trembling. It¡¯s a stunning silver locket oveid with silver intertwined vines and

    in the center is an

    emerald. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± z

    ¡°Open it.¡± He says.

    When | do, | see on the left side he has somehow found a picture of my parents. It must have been taken before | was born.

    They look like they are my age. They are looking at each other with so much love in their eyes. On the right side is a picture of

    my mom holding me as a baby in her arms, my father¡¯s arms wrapped around both of us.

    | have no idea how he could have found these pictures. I¡¯m beside myself and the tears start to fall again. ¡°Liam...¡±

    He kisses my forehead. ¡°I have to go away for a while. Take care of yourself.¡±

    He steps back as Rik steps up wrapping his arms around her waist, looking at the locket over my shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He says to Liam. ¡°I know this means a lot to her. To both of us.¡±

    He nods before getting into his car and driving away. Rik and | stand and watch until his taillights are no longer visible.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rik asks turning me in his arms.

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say softly. ¡°As hard as that was, there was no other choice.¡± | look into his beautiful cial blue eyes. ¡°There is only you.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    He smiles tenderly at me before reaching into his pocket. ¡°Would you like to open your gift from me?¡± He says, handing me a

    box.

    | tuck the locket back in its box. Rik takes it and puts it into his pocket to hold for me. | take the gift-wrapped box and open it. It¡¯s

    arge heart-shaped sapphire pendant with a diamond at the top on a silver chain.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | look up at him. ¡°Kai and | wanted you and Artemis to know that you have our heart. | know my eyes turn that color when Kai is

    present, so it represents both of us and the heart is, well, obvious.¡±

    Artemis pushes forward again. ¡°We love you.¡± We say, my voice oveid with hers.

    SHE

    ¡°And we love you, more than anything in the world.¡® Rik¡¯s voice is deeper with Kai¡¯s ovepping.

    ¡°Will you put it on me?¡± | ask, handing it to him and turning around. He reaches in front of me and | lift my hair. As he finishes

    fastening the lock, he leans down and kisses my neck, gently pulling me to him. He continues kissing me until he gets to my

    mate mark, eliciting a moan from me.

    ¡°| cannot wait to make you mine, officially and forever. But first, we have a party. to attend and my mate to celebrate.¡±

    +

 Chapter 146

    The party was amazing. Cara had a great time. | felt the need to continually touch her throughout the night. She seemed to want

    the touch just as much as | did. After the first unmated male tried to give her a birthday hug and Kai snarled viciously, no one

    attempted to touch her.

    After eating, drinking and dancing the night away, we say our goodbyes and head. up to my room. I¡¯ve set it up with flowers and

    when we get there, | light some candles to give the room a soft glow.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    When I''m done, | look at my beautiful mate. She is

    oat!

    with so much. love in her eyes. | open my arms and shees to me, wrapping her arms around waist. She looks up at me.

    ¡°Are you ready to im me Alpha?¡± My mate asks me.

    ¡°I''ve been ready for months little guardian. Tonight, | will make you mine in every way possible.¡± | kiss my way down her jaw to

    her neck, until | get to where my mate mark will soon be on disy for everyone to see. As | lick and suck on the spot, she leans

    into me, moaning softly. The scent of her arousal is already perfuming the air. It''s a heady smell mixing with her scent.

    | reach down and pull her dress up and over her head. Stepping back, | watch the devious smile spread across her face.

    ¡°What the fuck are you wearing?¡± | ask her. I¡¯ve seen her in various states of undress and naked of course over the past month,

    but this...this is meant to drive me wild and it¡¯s working. It¡¯s a nudece bra and panty set that gives the impression that she¡¯s

    not wearing anything at all.

    A possessive growl leaves my lips as my little minx turns slowly, showing me that her panties are thongs. | can¡¯t help but reach

    out and rub my hands down her cheeks, squeezing her ass in my hands. She pushes back into me, and | slide my hands up to

    her bra, unsping it and letting it drop to the floor.

    She turns and my arms go to her thighs, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around my waist. | kiss her as | walk us to the bed

    and gentlyy her down before crawling over her, deepening the kiss, nipping at her lip requesting entrance. Ast soon as her lips

    part, my tongue slides in tasting her absolute sweetness. |y between her legs, running my hands over her breasts as | move

    my mouth to her neck, nipping at her marking spot. She no longer fears me marking her and | can¡¯t control my canines from

    sliding out of my gums. I¡¯m not yet ready to mark her, | want to take my time tonight, make her first time incredible. The marking

    willeter.

    1/2

    | move down to her breast, nipping and sucking until she¡¯s making the sounds. that | love to hear. Her moans of pleasure filling

    the room. Her hand in my hair, tugging me closer as she arches into my mouth.

    | continue my journey down her body, licking and kissing my way down her stomach until | reach my honey pot. The sweet scent

    of her arousal mixed with vani and honey is so strong that | have to taste her. | run my nose over top of her panties, feeling

    how wet she already is for me. When she moves to close her legs, | nip at her inner thigh, loving the gasp and her immediate

    reaction, opening herself to me. Always so responsive.

    I rip her panties off with my teeth, needing to have her taste. Pulling her leg over my shoulder, | lick her juices, sliding my tongue

    inside her to taste all of her. Her moans are getting louder, music to my ears. As | move up to her clit, | look up to see her

    watching me. | smirk before growling softly on her clit. | watch as her eyes roll back and she pushes her hips into my face.

 Chapter 147

    I''m a man who takes what is offered. So, | slide my hands under her, taking an ass cheek in each hand before diving in. Her

    taste is so delicious. Better than. before and | didn¡¯t think that was possible. Her taste, her smell, the sounds she is making are

    everything that | want for the rest of my life. And now, | will have it.

    | feel her pushing to find her release, so | slide two fingers inside her. I''ve been working to slowly stretch her over the past month,

    gently so tonight hopefully won''t be too painful. As | begin to work my fingers inside her, my tongue continuing its assault on her

    clit, she begins to chant my name softly. I¡¯ve

    learned that this is her tell. She¡¯s very close to finding her release. | add another finger, curling them as | slide them out, and |

    suck down hard on her clit, sending her over the top. She screams my name as she cums, her body mping down on my

    fingers.

    | continue to gently bring her down, my fingers slowing as her body jerks with aftershocks. When she¡¯s done, | slide up her body,

    pulling a leg up to my hip. | kiss her, letting her taste herself on my tongue. When | pull back, | put my forehead on hers. ¡°Are you

    ready for me to make you mine forever my love?¡± |

    ask her.

    ¡°Yes Rik. Make me yours and | will make you mine.¡±

    | line my cock up against her entrance. | kiss her again and when | feel her give herself to me, | bury myself deep inside her in

    one thrust. Her hands grip me, her ws extending, digging into my back as | feel her body tense. | pull back and look at her.

    ¡°Rx love, | know it hurts, it will pass. | love you.¡± | kiss the tear drops that have formed in the corners of her eyes. Then nuzzle

    her nose with mine.

    ¡°| love you too.¡± She says, as | grit my teeth. She feels so good and everything in me wants to move, to slide in and out of her

    andplete our mating. But | hold still, letting her adjust to my size until | feel her start to move underneath me.

    When she does, | begin to slowly slide in and out, letting her body adapt to the intrusion before increasing my pace. When she

    begins moaning, her ws raking down my back in pleasure rather than pain, | speed up even more taking myself as deep as |

    can.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Just as she¡¯s on the cusp of her release, | lean down to her ear. ¡°Let me mark you love.¡±

    She turns her head, giving me ess to her beautiful neck and just as her body

    +15 BONOS

    starts to contract around me, my canines extend, and | sink them into her marking spot. Cara screams my name as her orgasm

    hits her.

    | immediately feel the mate bond kick in. A power, like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before slides through me. | go to pull my teeth out but

    just as | begin to retract, | feel Cara¡¯s canines sink into my marking spot. The absolute ecstasy that | feel as her venom floods me

    has me shooting off like a fucking rocket. Rather than releasing her from my bite, | end up milking my canines into her as my

    body jerks with my release. Nothing has ever felt so fucking good in my entire life.

    When | finallye down, | pull my canines from her neck, licking the spot to seal the wound. She does the same on my neck.

    We are both panting as | look at her, still seated deep inside her.

    ¡°You are mine Cara Nelson. Mine forever.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    That¡¯s a wrap for regr chapters. Tomorrow I''ll post two epilogues, one from each perspective

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 0148

    It¡¯s been six months since Cara¡¯s birthday. So much has happened since that time. A month after her birthday, we graduated high school and a weekter, we had my Alpha ceremony.

    The Alpha ceremony was huge because it wasn¡¯t just for me. We inducted an entirely new group of ranked wolves. Cara swore her oath as Luna, then Chase as my Beta. We also instated Lacey as our Beta female, because, yeah, my boy got his girl. Jason took his oath as my Gamma and our lead warrior asked to step down with my father, opening the position for Trevor. It¡¯s been an adjustment. We¡¯ve all taken on a lot of responsibility, but we work well together and have be a cohesive team.

    Clint spends more time at the packhouse now. He trains our more experienced warriors while Trevor takes on the task of training our young pups that have just gotten their wolves.

    I¡¯m currently sitting<strong>in</strong>my office, the office that used to be my father¡¯s. I received a call from the doctor a couple of days ago about Lacey being pregnant. So, I wasn¡¯t surprised when she asked me to give Chase the night off that evening. The smile on his face thest couple of days has been noticed by everyone. He couldn¡¯t be prouder and has told everyone that he¡¯s going to be a father. It¡¯s sweet watching him around Lacey now. As mates, they were always touching, but now, his hands always seem to find their way to her stomach, as if he¡¯s making sure his little one knows who he is.

    I admit, I¡¯ve been feeling jealous about it. It¡¯s not like Cara and I have been trying. Just the opposite really. We¡¯ve had so much on our te, that it wasn¡¯t a great time to bring a new little life into our world. And I¡¯d be lying if I said that it hasn¡¯t been great having time just the two of us. I get to give my little guardian my undivided attention. And I do, every night. I wondered if the euphoria of that first night would die down, but if anything, our bond and the feelings it provokes, have only gotten stronger. Cara is my drug and I¡¯m a happy addict. Although, I have to say my girl sure does have a voracious appetite for the taste of brownies.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Maybe it¡¯s time to start thinking of having a pup. The thought of Cara¡¯s stomach getting rounded with our pup growing inside her has me feeling all sorts of things. And thinking about all the extra effort it¡¯ll require to make sure that my seed takes root is making me hard.

    It¡¯s at that moment that my little guardian chooses to mind link me. ¡°Baby? I¡¯m hungry.¡± Her voice sounds pouty.

    Okay, that¡¯s odd. ¡°Did you miss lunch love, do you need me to bring you something to eat?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry for brownies. And not the kind your mother makes.¡± She says then sends me an image of exactly what she wants to do to feed her hunger.

    I¡¯m standing and walking to the door before I even realize what I¡¯m doing. Maybe we can start that baby making right now.

    I take the stairs two at a time and rush into the room, startling my Luna. She¡¯s standing by her desk, the one that we have added since she moved in officially. She turns<strong>to</strong>me with a hungry look in her eyes, but I¡¯m not having any of it. I pick her up on my way to the wall, pushing her against it as I rip her dress off. ¡°I liked that dress Alpha.¡± She says breathily.

    ¡®I¡¯ll buy you another one.¡± I tell her as I m my cock inside her. I cannot, no matter how many times I have this woman, no matter how many times I touch or taste her, I cannot get enough of her. Even when she was in heat and I thought my dick would fall off from overuse, I still couldn¡¯t get enough.

    I take her roughly against the wall, before carrying her to the bed and taking her again, more slowly and lovingly this time. Afterward, sheys with her head ont my chest, my arm wrapped around her. This is my happy ce.

    ¡°I have something to show you Rik.¡± She¡¯s looking up at me and I see Artemis pushing forward.

    I kiss her nose. Whatever this is, it¡¯s important enough for Artemis to be a part of it. Kai pushes forward as well.

    ¡°What is it love?¡±

    She gets up off the bed and goes over to her desk. She grabs a piece of paper before returning toy on me again. I sit up a little so I can read what she¡¯s given me and tuck her against me again before I look at the paper.

    ¡°You went to the doctor? Are you okay?¡± I look at her concerned.

    ¡°Just read it Alpha.¡± She says with a smile on her face.

    I turn back to the paper and skim it trying to find the reason that she was at the pack hospital without telling me. And then I see it.

    It only takes a split second for the words to register<strong>in</strong>my mind before I¡¯veflipped us over. Cara is on her back and I¡¯mying between her legs, my head in her stomach. Kai is right there with me. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve brought this little one into. being just by wishing for him or her.

    I sniff all around her stomach, trying to find the scent. Cara startsughing. ¡°Dr. Harris said you smell our little one for another week.¡±

    Maybe that¡¯s true for a regr wolf, but I¡¯m mated to a Guardian and ever sincepleting the mate bond, all of my senses are heightened, even more than they were as an Alpha. Kai is desperate to find our pup.

    As we sniff, we get the slightest increase in Cara¡¯s honey scent. Kai pushes our nose as hard as he can into Cara¡¯s t stomach. She¡¯s stillughing, gently running her fingers through my hair.

    We focus on the spot that had the increased scent and there it is again. We found her and I¡¯dy odds with Dean that we¡¯re going to have a girl since she smells like an enhanced version of her mother.

    ¡°Found you peanut. And now that I¡¯ve found you, I¡¯m never letting you go.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 0149

    So much has happened in the two years since Rik and | took over as Alpha and Luna of the Canyon Ridge Pack.

    We found my mother¡¯s wolf''s spirit. Or rather, she found us. She and | have be great friends and I¡¯m so d to have her in

    my life. The only thing that was better than finding Andra¡¯s Guardian spirit, was the birth of our daughter. We named her Lily after

    her grandmother, a strong and loving Guardian.

    Rik has never let me live it down that he was right from the very beginning that we were having a girl. And, although I know he

    wants a son to carry on and eventually take over the pack, he¡¯s been scared of what that might mean for me.

    My pregnancy and birth of Lily were not easy. | was pregnant during a time of great strife, war and loss. The pain of it almost

    caused me to lose my precious daughter and both of us nearly died in childbirth. But Rik was there for both of us, and we

    survived.

    Lily is the apple of her father¡¯s eye. He takes her everywhere, carrying her around on his shoulders. And she is definitely a

    daddy''s girl. Even after she was born, unless she was nursing, she preferred Rik holding her to me.

    Lacey and Chase¡¯s little boy is exactly the same. It¡¯s cute to see the dads having y dates and taking the kids to the park or to

    get ice cream. They are both great fathers.

    | was shocked at first that Lacey gave in to Chase, but when she had her birthday a month after mine and realized that he was

    her mate, it all made sense. He, like Rik, had his birthday first and realized what she was to him. He pursued her relentlessly

    until her birthday, and then everything fell into ce. They had their second child, a girl, a couple months ago.

    Rik¡¯s fear of losing me has kept him from wanting to have another baby. Artemis and | were ready a couple months after Lily¡¯s

    birth to try for another one, but he refused. The fear of losing me or worse, me and our child together was too much for him. But

    the Moon Goddess has her own ns, and we don¡¯t always get to choose when or how many children we will have.

    I''m finishing a shower, putting on a bath robe instead of clothes, anticipating. Rik¡¯s response to finding out we''re going to have

    another child. | hope he¡¯s ast happy as he was with Lily and wants to go peanut hunting again. That¡¯s what | started calling it,

    since he called Lily ¡®Peanut until she was born. He and Kai would sniff my stomach every night beforeying their head next to

    her and

    telling her about their day.

    As I''m walking out of the bathroom, towel drying my hair, Rik walks in with Lily in his arms. Rik¡¯s eyes go dark as soon as he

    sees me in only a bathrobe. My love and desire for this amazing man have only increased with time.

    ¡°Mommy, mommy. Guess what?¡± My daughter squirms until Rik puts her down and she runs over to me. | reach down and scoop

    her up. ¡°What?¡± | ask her as | take her over to the love seat sitting under the window in our room.

    ¡°Kai took for me a ride then Daddy showed me all the constations in the sky.¡± She mispronounces constetions.

    ¡°He did?¡± | ask acting excited looking at my mate who has a sheepish look on his face. | give him the barest of head shakes and

    his grin just gets bigger.

    | turn my attention back to my daughter. ¡°Did you fall off Kai this time?¡± | ask her. ¡°Nope, | held on tight like Daddy said.¡±

    ¡°Did Daddy show you the Dory constetion?¡± | ask and she nods her head in exaggerated excitement. ¡°Yep! He showed me her

    nose and her tail and her...¡± She turns and looks at Rik for help.

    ¡°Her dorsal fin¡± He fills in for her as he sits to take off his shoes. ¡°Yes, that, mommy.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Daddy is really smart, isn¡¯t he?¡± She nods her head in agreement again.

    ¡°Well guess what?¡± | ask my little girl.

    ¡°What?¡± She asks, bouncing up and down in myp.

    ¡°Mommy knows something that Daddy doesn¡¯t know. If | tell you then you''ll know too, and you can share it with Daddy. Do you

    want to know what it is?¡±

    She nods her head. | lean down and whisper in her ear. ¡°Tell Daddy that it¡¯s time to go peanut hunting.¡±

    She sits back and looks at me her brow furrowing, then looks at Rik.

    ¡°Why would Daddy want to go peanut hunting?¡± She asks, blowing the entire surprise. Rik¡¯s head whips around to look at me

    and now it¡¯s my turn to grin at him.

    Without looking away from my mate, | answer my daughter. ¡°Because Daddy will be really happy to know that it¡¯s time to go

    peanut hunting.

    | watch as Rik¡¯s face breaks into my favorite megawatt smile.

    ¡°If you want to make Daddy happy, why don¡¯t you tell him that you have my little

    +15 DONOS

    brother in your tummy?¡±

    My head whips back to look at my daughter. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    She''s looking at my stomach and she pats a spot on my right side, before looking at Rik. ¡°Daddy, wouldn¡¯t you be happier to

    know that Mommy has my little

    brother growing in her tummy instead of going peanut hunting?¡±

    Rikes over to sit on the love seat with us, putting Lily in hisp. ¡°Princess, why do you say Mommy has your little brother in

    her tummy?¡±

    ¡°I can smell him. Can''t you?¡± She says, looking between us.

    ¡°What does he smell like?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Like hot chocate.¡± She says, mispronouncing chocte.

    Rik and | look at each other over her head. Then he sets her in myp on the left side and points to where she was patting my

    stomach. ¡°He¡¯s right here?¡± He asks as Kai pushes forward.

    My daughter takes his finger and points to where she thinks her brother is. Rik leans down and sniffs. He sniffs in a small circle

    around the area and then pushes his nose into my stomach right where Lily told him. When he sits up, he¡¯s looking incredulous.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°She''s right. | can smell him, and he does smell like hot chocte.¡±

    ¡°See Daddy, | told you.¡±

    | look at Rik. ¡°Her sense of smell is stronger than yours? And she doesn¡¯t even have her wolf yet?¡± | look back at my daughter

    then at my mate. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    He picks Lily up and holds her in his arms looking into her eyes and she puts both her hands on his cheeks. ¡°I think it means we

    have another Guardian in our midst.¡±

    The end.

    This series continues in book 2: Alpha¡¯s Guardian Angel

 Chapter 150

    **This is Book Two of the Guardians Trilogy. While it can be read as a standalone book, there are references to events that

    happened in Book 1. It is rmended that you read the first book, The Broken Warrior¡¯s Daughter, before reading this

    one.

    ¡°Liam!¡±

    | was almost to my car, almost didn¡¯t have to face that she chose him over me.

    It had been a long shot. | knew Cara wanted to find her fated mate. It was an even longer shot when | realized that Rik was her

    mate. But | still had to try. She is an incredible woman. She will make an amazing Luna. Just not my Luna.

    I stop. | have to do this. | have to let her know that we can still be friends. Just not

    now, not for a while.

    | turn to her. Even in the dark | can see the tears in her eyes. She just found her mate but she¡¯s worried about me. Of course she

    is. That¡¯s one of the many

    reasons | wanted her.

    ¡°lm sor...¡±

    | cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t. You were always honest with me. | knew you wanted to find your mate and see if it would work. It was a risk |

    was willing to take.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | look up and make eye contact with Rik. He¡¯s

    with me. It¡¯s more than | would be able to do Landing back, giving her this time

    if | were in his shoes.

    | look back at her and put my hands on her shoulders. ¡°You always wanted to find your fated mate. Rik is a good man. He''ll be a

    good Alpha and a good mate to you. And if he isn¡¯t,¡± | look back at him, ¡°You know where to find me.¡±

    She sniffs, trying to rein her tears in. | wipe them off her cheeks with my thumbs before reaching into my pocket and pulling out

    her birthday present. I''d had to really dig to find the pictures for the locket, but | found them.

    ¡°Happy birthday.¡± | say, handing her the box.

    She unwraps her present and opens the box. She pulls out the locket and looks at me. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Open it.¡± | say to her and | watch as she opens it to find the pictures. One of her parents before she was born and one of them

    together holding her as a baby in their arms.

    SONOR $1+

    +15 BONOS

    Her hand goes to her mouth and the tears start to fall again. ¡°Liam...¡±

    | kiss her forehead. ¡°I have to go away for a while. Take care of yourself.¡±

    I step back as Rik steps up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, looking at my gift. | see the surprised look on his

    face. ¡°Thank you. | know it. means a lot to her. To both of us.¡±

    | nod and turn back to my car. Without another word, | get in and begin backing out. They continue to stand there as | pull away,

    but | don¡¯t look back. Now that I¡¯ve lost my Luna, | need to focus all my attention on finding Eli Gunnar. It¡¯s time for the Banished

    Beta to pay for killing my mother.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 0151

    Thirteen Years Ago

    It''s my 10th birthday! I¡¯m so excited! Today is the day that | will get my wolf! I¡¯ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.

    Okay, it¡¯s only 10 years, but it''s my whole life.

    At any point today, | could begin to hear her, but | won''t be able to shift until after dusk. Because it¡¯s a school night, we

    celebrated my birthday over the weekend with my friends and pack members. My father, the lead warrior of our pack, The Great

    River Pack, has taken tonight off so he and my mother can be with me during my shift.

    My mom has kept me home from school today. She is a teacher and also took the day off to spend with me. We''re currently

    sitting at the table, eating my favorite breakfast, french toast.

    ¡°Angel, honey, you need to calm down. She''ll be here when it¡¯s time. All wolves wake at different times of the day.¡± I¡¯m bouncing

    up and down in my seat, barely able to contain my excitement.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| know, but Mom, what do you think she''ll be like? Will she be like me? Will she like me?¡±

    My father walks in, kissing me on top of my head. ¡°Short stack, what¡¯s not to like?¡± My father is a giant of a man. Six foot six

    inches, broad chest, solid muscle. I¡¯m currently only five feet tall. Hence the nickname. My mother is a decent 5¡¯9¡± so I¡¯m hoping

    to hit a good growth spurt in a few years and maybe get to her height or taller.

    ¡°Thanks Daddy.¡± He smiles and sits down to have breakfast with us before heading out to training.

    ¡°So, what are my favorite girls up to today?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Well,¡± my mother starts. ¡°This morning, we¡¯re going shopping for some camping gear, so we can take a weekend soon and all

    go camping in the woods. after Angel gets her wolf. Then because the birthday girl has requested pizza for her birthday dinner

    and chocte chip cookies for dessert, | think most of our afternoon will be spent cooking and baking. And finally, before we go

    out to shift, we''ll open presents. ¡°/

    My father finishes his breakfast getting up. He leans down to kiss my mom beforeing back around and giving me a kiss on

    the cheek. ¡°Sounds like a

    C +15 BONOS

    great day! What time should | be home for dinner?¡±

    Mom has followed my father with her eyes since he kissed her. | hope to one day have someone to love the way they love each

    other. ¡°We''ll n to eat at Spm, then presents around 6 before heading out noter than 7pm.

    ¡°Ok, see you then. Take care of my girls.¡± He says as he heads out. He always says that to us when he leaves for work.

    Mom and | spent the morning shopping. We got all kinds of camping equipment, some extra nkets to fight against the

    Minnesota snow when we go camping in winter. Even with our wolves, the winters get really cold here.

    We''re making cookies and I¡¯m getting nervous. | still haven¡¯t heard my wolf. What if | don¡¯t get her. It happens sometimes. It¡¯s

    rare, but it has happened that a person born of two werewolves doesn''t get a wolf spirit. As the day has gone on, I¡¯ve gotten

    increasingly worried that | won''t get my wolf. What if the Moon Goddess doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy? What if | did something to

    make her mad and now | won''t get my wolf. What if...

    ¡°What if you¡¯re worrying for nothing?¡® A voice says.

    I stop and look at my mother. ¡°What did you say?¡± My mother looks at me, then smiles. ¡°I,¡± she stresses the word, ¡°didn¡¯t say

    anything. Perhaps someone else did?¡±

    It takes only a second for me to understand what she is saying. ¡°Are you my wolf?¡± | say it out loud. My mother has stopped to

    watch me.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m in your head and you don¡¯t actually have to speak out loud, right? ¡®My wolf asks me. | start jumping up and down.

    ¡°Oh my goddess, oh my goddess, oh my goddess. She¡¯s here mom, she¡¯s HERE!¡± I¡¯m screaming at the end.

    My mother hugs me, looking into my eyes. Her eyes darken, her wolf, Rain,ing forward. ¡°What is your name, little one?¡± My

    mother asks with Rain¡¯s voice oveying making it deeper.

    | can feel my wolf push forward, wanting to answer. It¡¯s a strange feeling, like I¡¯m fighting myself for control. ¡®Rx. We are one. |

    will never hurt you.¡¯ My wolf tells me.

    So, | rx and let here forward. ¡°l am Alessia.¡± My mother gasps.

    ¡°Mother? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Why does she look like that?

    She gulps audibly. ¡°Nothing sweetheart. It¡¯s nice to meet you Alessia. We can¡¯t wait to see your wolf form this evening.¡±

    +15 BONDS

    She steps away from me, looking distracted. ¡°Honey, can you keep track of the cookies while | step away for a few minutes? I¡¯ll

    be right back.¡±

    ¡®What do you think that was about? | ask Alessia, watching my mother walk into the next room. I¡¯m already loving having my

    forever best friend in my head. | feel her smile. ¡®I love you too, Angel. And I¡¯m not sure why our mom is acting strange. She

    seemed happy to see me, but something is definitely wrong.

 Chapter 152

    Momes back in the kitchen and tells me that dad will be home early. It¡¯s not 20 minutester that he walks in the door.

    ¡°There¡¯s my birthday girl.¡± He says, but | can see that he looks stressed out.

    ¡°What''s this | hear about you getting your wolf? Alessia is her name?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s perfect Dad!¡± | exim, giving him a hug.

    My father¡¯s wolf, Ward, pushes forward. ¡°Let me meet my pup, little one.¡± He

    says.

    Alessia pushes forward and this time, | am rxed and it goes much faster. | see Dad¡¯s eyes widen before he reaches out pulling

    us to him for a hug. | hug him back, excited to have him home early to celebrate.

    When | pull back, dad is looking at mom. ¡°Alpha Peter asked to us to bring Angel by tomorrow so he can meet the newest

    member of his pack.¡± Mom is looking at dad and there is a weird, silent conversation going on.

    ¡°But!¡± He says, looking back at me and smiling. ¡°I have a great idea! Why don¡¯t we take that new camping gear you got today

    and go somece really special for your shift. We can stay the night out under the stars. | bet Alessia would like that.¡±

    | turn to my mother. ¡°Oh, can we mom? Pleeeeeeeease?¡±

    My mom is still looking at my dad. There is definitely a silent conversation going on. ¡°They are mind linking. They don¡¯t want us to

    hear what they are saying. Alessia says to me. She¡¯s curious about this behavior as well.

    Mom turns to me. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s eat dinner then while you go pack some clothes in a duffel, I¡¯ll pack up some food.¡±

    ¡°Yay! This is going to be so much fun!¡±

    It was nearly dark before we headed out. ¡°Sweetheart, why don¡¯t youy down and take a nap. We''re going to go find a really

    cool ce, out of the way. The first shift always takes the longest and it can be painful, but we''ll be right there with you.¡± My dad

    says. | don¡¯t know if | can fall asleep, I¡¯m so excited, but |y down. in the back of the car and close my eyes.

    When | wake up, | can hear my parents talking. ¡°As soon as we break our pack link, he¡¯ll know something is up. Shouldn¡¯t we

    wait until we¡¯re further away? They can still track us this close.¡± My mother was asking my father.

    ¡°Yes, we should wait until closer to morning, but before he¡¯s awake. If we do it at

    just the right time, he may not wake up and if we''re very lucky, he won''t notice untilter in the day. By then, we''ll have dumped

    the car and hopefully be in the mountains.¡±

    My mother continued to express her concerns. ¡°Won''t she be too tired. We''ll be faster in wolf form.¡±

    ¡°If she gets too tired, | can carry her. She¡¯s still small and Ward can easily carry her for hours, if needed.¡±

    I sit up. ¡°Where are we? Why are we still driving?¡± 1 ask.

    My parents look at each other, not answering me. Now, I¡¯m starting to get angry, this was supposed to be my day to shift for the

    first time and we¡¯re just driving.¡± What''s going on?¡± | ask angrily.

    My mother turns to look at me. ¡°Sweetheart, we had to leave the pack. It was important.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean,

    ¡®leave the pack¡¯? We''re going back, right?¡±

    ¡°Alessia? It¡¯s my father that asks. ¡°Do you know what you are?¡±

    ¡°Yes. | am a Guardian.¡± Alessia replies.

    ¡°Wait. What do you mean you¡¯re a Guardian?¡± | ask out loud so | can figure out what is going on.

    It''s my mother that responds. ¡°When you first let Alessia forward, her eyes glowed a bright golden color. Only a Guardian''s eyes

    are gold sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t understand. Why do we have to leave the pack because Alessia is a Guardian?¡± | ask my parents.

    ¡°You and Alessia will be very powerful, Angel. More powerful than an Alpha when you get older. We were worried that Alpha

    Peter would try to force you into a mate bond with his son. He would not want to risk losing you to another pack. Having a

    Guardian makes a pack infinitely stronger. No alpha has ever willingly let an awakened Guardian leave their pack.¡±

    ¡°In every instance that I¡¯ve ever heard, the Alpha either forced the Guardian into a mate bond with them or their Alpha heir. There

    was only one that did not force his Guardian, but his Guardian is a male, not a female, and the males were friends before the boy

    got his wolf.¡± My father turns to look at me briefly before turning back to the road. ¡°We didn¡¯t want you forced into a mate bond,

    Angel. We want to give you the freedom to find your mate when you are old enough.¡±

    ¡°So, what will we do now?¡± | ask.

    +15 BONOS

    My mother answers this time. ¡°We will stop in another hour or so, when we feel we are far enough away from the pack. Then we

    will let you shift. After you shift, we will renounce our pack and run to the mountains on foot. From there, we will have to wait and

    see.

    Wait, renounce the pack, do you mean...?¡± ¡°We''re going rogue.¡± My father answers.

 Chapter 153

    Six months ago

    As | drive away from Cara¡¯s birthday party, | call my Beta, Dustin.

    ¡°Alpha?¡± His excitement and hopefulness feel like a punch in the gut. Everyone in my pack was hoping Cara would choose me.

    ¡°I''m staying in the city tonight. Have someone clear out my room.¡± I''d had my room decorated with the expectation that I¡¯d be

    bringing my new Luna home. There were flowers and candles around the room, setting the ambience for a romantic night of

    marking and mating. But that won¡¯t be happening, and | can¡¯t bear to see the remnants of my ns. So, I''ll stay in my apartment

    in the city.

    ¡°What''s the n?¡± He asks, his tone considerably more subdued. Everyone knows we need a Luna. I¡¯m nearly 25 and have yet

    to find my mate. Pretty soon, I''ll have to choose a mate. | had chosen someone, Cara, that | thought was worthy of being the

    Luna of my pack. | haven''t found anyone else that met the criteria that she did.

    ¡°We''re going after Eli Gunnar. Meet me at my apartment in the morning and we''ll develop a n.¡± Eighteen years ago, my pack

    was attacked by an Alpha seeking to overthrow my father and take over our pack and packnds. My father defeated and killed

    the Alpha, Alpha Jerome, but not before a teenaged Eli Gunnar, known as the Banished Beta, got to my mother and killed her.

    He was found with her bloody body in his arms. He ran and escaped. My father searched for him for years before he died. | took

    over the search, even before my father¡¯s death 8 years ago.

    Last month, Eli kidnapped Cara and attempted to force the mate bond on her. Luckily, she was underaged and her wolf is strong.

    She was able to fight off the venom he put in her body. But having him in close proximity has only made me more blood thirsty.

    I''ve been waiting a very long time to bring the Banished Beta to justice for what he did.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Do you want somepany?¡± Dustin asks me.

    ¡°No. I''ll be fine. Nothing that a bottle of bourbon can¡¯t fix.¡±

    | end the call and make the hour-long trek into the city. My apartment is in the same high-rise building that mypany offices

    are in. Holstin Enterprises, Inc. has two arms, one in construction and one in security. Both are easy businesses for shifters to

    work in. Since my pack, thergest in the country, is nearly Soo pack members, | need an outside business to employ my pack

    members and keep

    the pack financially stable.

    Thepany is in the human area, and my manager is a human. It¡¯s helpful when there are drifters thate through town for

    short periods of time. | frequently employ bear shifters, fox shifters and once | even hired a lion shifter, although that didn¡¯tst

    long as he tried to create a pride/harem with my clients. When drifterse into town, | hire them and depending on their skill

    set, ce them in one of my businesses. They make the money they want and then take off again.

    | park in the underground parking garage reserved for residents and employees and head straight to the bar. When | sit, the

    bartender looks over at me. ¡°The usual?¡± He asks.

    | nod and when he brings my amber colored liquid to me, | shoot it down and tap my ss on the bar. ¡°Just leave the bottle.¡±

    He does and moves on. My mind drifts back to ces | don¡¯t want it to be. Back to the time when | still had a chance with Cara.

    She¡¯s a Guardian, born from two Guardians. She is strong, powerful, fierce and beautiful. Everything | want in a Luna, except

    she¡¯s not mine.

    I''m drowning my mncholy thoughts in my bourbon when a scent | haven''t smelled in a while hits my nose and a beautiful

    woman sits down next to me. | can¡¯t help but look her over. She¡¯s stunning. Her bronze skin is entuated with jet ck hair that

    looks like silk falling down to her mid back. She¡¯s wearing a skintight animal print dress with a plunging neckline that shows off

    herrge tits and a short length that shows off her fantastic legs. The dress leaves no question that she¡¯s wearing anything

    underneath it.

    She looks me over before meeting my eyes. ¡°Want somepany?¡± She asks and her voice is like a purr.

    | frown at her, my nose tipping up in the air trying to sniff out what she is. Her smile widens as she watches me. Then she leans

    in crooking her finger to get me closer. | lean toward her and she slides her cheek against mine as she whispers seductively in

    my ear. ¡°Panther.¡±

 Chapter 154

    She sits back and smiles at me, taking a sip of her drink before looking over at the bartender, raising her ss in a silent request

    for a refill. She turns back to me.¡± That is what you were wondering, right wolf?¡±

    | set my arm on the bar, leaning into her. ¡°What''s a sexy kitten like you doing here?¡±

    The bartender brings her a refill. | watch as she uses her tongue to y with her straw before answering. ¡°I¡¯m in town for the

    weekend. Work conference.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± | ask her, sliding my fingers up her thigh to the hem of her short dress.

    ¡°Audra. What''s yours, gorgeous?¡±

    ¡°Liam. Want to take this party up to my room?¡±

    Her smile is all feline. ¡°Let me get another drink to go.¡±

    | look at the bartender. ¡°We''ll take a bottle of what she¡¯s having as well. Put it all on my tab.¡±

    The bartender brings the bottle. | grab both bottles, bncing my ss as well, leaving one hand free.

    | put my hand on her exposed back and lead her to the elevator. When we get in, | push the button for the penthouse and slide

    my key in to gain ess before pushing Audra against the wall, taking her mouth roughly and sliding my hand

    up

    her inner thigh until | feel her wet warmth. | was right, nothing underneath her dress. | slide my fingers across her bare lips,

    growling my pleasure. Her hand has gone to my short hair, but she¡¯s found a grip and she pulls hard. Oh yeah, this is going to be

    rough and raw. Good thing she seems to want the same thing.

    When the door to the elevator opens, | step back and let her walk ahead of me. | stalk her like prey as she walks into my suite. |

    set the bottles down as she turns back to me. Her amber colored eyes are full of desire and a hunger | understand well. It¡¯s been

    a long time. | went celibate months ago when | told Cara | intended to pursue her. | wanted her to feel respected when, if, she

    epted me. Now | have a lot of pent-up sexual energy that | n to expend tonight. And this little kitten seems more than

    willing to take whatever | give her.

    As | stalk toward her, she gives me a yful smile and begins walking backward, setting her ss down as she goes. A primal

    growl, a growl of the hunt rumbles.

    my chest. ¡°Here kitty kitty.¡± My voice so deep is sounds like a snarl.

    inN?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    She turns to run and gets one step before I¡¯ve got her, pinning her against the wall. She¡¯s panting as she looks at me. | reach up

    and tear her dress down the center, letting it fall open: ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t like that dress.¡± | say to her.

    Her wse out and she scratches me from shoulder to waist, shredding my shirt. ¡°It was my favorite.¡± She says.

    ¡°| have no intention of being gentle.¡± | tell her as my ws alsoe out and poke into her waist as | hoist her body up.

    ¡°Did | say anything about wanting gentle puppy.¡± She purrs down at me.

    | look up at her. ¡°It¡¯s Alpha to you.¡± And | throw her legs over my shoulders, my hands holding her up by her ass, as | pin her to

    the wall burying my face between her legs. | make her cum over and over until she¡¯s screaming my name.

    When | finally pull my head away, | bring her legs back to the floor before spinning her around roughly, grabbing her hair and

    pinning her to the wall as | undo my pants. When they fall to the floor, | toss them aside before kicking her legs open. | pull back,

    holding her head against the wall and pulling her hips back toward me.

    ¡°Brace your hands on the wall.¡± | order. As soon as she does, | m my dick. inside her. ¡°That''s right kitten, take my cock.¡± | fuck

    her hard, feeling her body responding to mine. Her ws are scratching gouges in my wall but | don¡¯t fucking care. Everything

    that I¡¯ve lost tonight, every deste moment that looms. in my future, a lifetime of loneliness in my past, none of it matters in this

    moment. Right now, there is nothing but this feeling, nothing but this little feline that seems to want exactly the same thing | do.

    One night to forget everything.

    When she screams my name | continue my brutal pace. It isn¡¯t until she begins whimpering ¡®Alpha¡® over and over, | finally let go

    and empty myself inside her.

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 Chapter 155

    The next morning, | wake up at my usual time. I¡¯m surprised since | didn¡¯t get much sleep. Kitten has some stamina that¡¯s for

    sure. | look at her naked body next to mine. She is covered in w marks in various stages of healing. My hand print on her ass

    is lighter than it was when | gave it to her, but it¡¯s still there. My own body is riddled with bite and w marks partially healed.

    I lean over and kiss Audra on the shoulder. She moans, half asleep. ¡°Again already? Are all Alphas like you?¡±

    | chuckle and smack her ass cheek hard enough to leave a new mark. She hisses. with the pain, but doesn¡¯t resist. If anything,

    she pushes her ass toward me, so | lean down and sink my teeth into her fleshy cheek. She moans through the pain and | can

    smell her arousal.

    ¡°Naughty kitten. If you want more, you¡¯d better meet me in the shower. | have a meeting this morning.¡± She groans as she

    watches me walk into the bathroom. I¡¯ve just gotten under the hot water when | feel here up behind me. Her

    hands go dick, stroking me. | was alreadyProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.

    around my waist and slide to, partially hard because of the smack and bite mark so it only takes a moment to be at full attention.

    | turn to face her and she drops to her knees.

    ¡°Hungry little kitten?¡± She nods as | rub my tip across her lips before she licks. from base to tip. I¡¯m not certain, but it feels like

    her tongue is rough like a cat¡¯s. After all the activityst night, it¡¯s almost too much stimtion. Then she takes me in her mouth

    and down her throat. | don¡¯t know if all felines are this good at giving head, but damn she is. After | shoot my load down her

    throat, | pull her up, pushing her against the wall and take her again.

    When we''re done, | finish washing and leave her to finish in the shower. | walk out and hear a knock at the door. Thinking it¡¯s

    room service, | open the door to find Dustin. ¡°Hey, uh,e in.¡± | say.

    He looks at me. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Yeah, I¡¯m covered in cat scratches and bites. He only takes two steps in before stopping dead

    in his tracks. ¡°What the fuck happened here. And what¡¯s that smell. It smells like...¡±

    ¡°Panther?¡± Audra asksing out of the bathroom with nothing on but a towel wrapped around her head, keeping her long hair

    from dripping.

    Dustin just stares. | have to admit, the woman is gorgeous. Even after seeing every inch of that luscious bodyst night, | could

    still look at her all day.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Dustin, Audra. Audra, Dustin.¡± | make introductions.

    ¡®Ummm, hey.¡± Dustin says.

    ¡°Hey¡± she says back before looking at me. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to wear since you felt the need to rip my clothes off.¡± She says,

    putting a hand on her hip.

    ¡°Right. Hang on.¡± | go to get her one of my t-shirts and pair of shorts, getting dressed as well.

    ¡°So, you guys did all thisst night?¡± Dustin asks. The room is a disaster. The bed is broken, the sheets and mattress are

    shredded, the couch is shredded, the coffee table is in splinters, there are holes in the walls, and w marks on almost every

    surface.

    ¡°Yep. You know, you don¡¯t smell like an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°lm his Beta¡±

    |e back out with the clothes. She puts them on and turns to me. ¡°Thanks for the best fuck I¡¯ve had in a really long time. If I¡¯m

    ever in town again...¡±

    | reach my hand out to Dustin and he pulls a business card from his wallet. ¡°Look me up.¡± | finish her sentence. She gives me a

    pleased smile then turns, grabs her purse and heads out.

    | look at Dustin. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the office. We need to get a game n together and | need someone toe clean this ce up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah you do.¡± He says as we head out.

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 Chapter 156

    Chapter 0156

    10 Years Ago

    When we ran three years ago, my father had been right. Our Alpha sent the pack warriors to find us. The first three years had

    been really hard. We had to skirt around other pack territories, we had multiple run ins with rogues and we had to hunt and kill

    our own food or steal what we couldn¡¯t afford.

    Dad would take odd jobs here and there to make money when he could, but we could never stay in one ce for too long before

    he¡¯d get a hint that the pack had found us, and we''d have to take off again.

    When Dad is''nt working, he is training me on how to be a warrior. Since Alessia is a Guardian, he felt that the sooner | learn how

    to fight, the better for me. And he was right. My mother isn¡¯t a warrior, so for a while, it was solely on my father to keep us safe.

    After several months of training, | began to help my father when we¡¯d be attacked by rogues. In thest year, I''ve be a very

    adept killer. | can take on two rogues at a time by myself. Ok, so my dad can take on four at a time, but I¡¯m still only 13. Alessia

    and | will only get stronger.

    Mom has decided that my other studies should not falter just because we don¡¯t have ess to a standard school. So she¡¯s been

    teaching me herself. And | have to admit, | love that the world is, quite literally, my educational oyster. Mom has used our

    landscape to teach me science, chemistry, and even math. Other times, we use our time to gather water or wood for a fire as an

    opportunity to discuss our history, as well as the history of other supernaturals and humans as well.

    Maybe it¡¯s the wolf in me, but I love living in the wild. If it wasn¡¯t for the constant threat of being captured by our pack or

    supernatural hunters, or the risk of me being taken by an alpha who¡¯s pack stumbles across us, it would be amazing.

    All of this changed when Dad got wind that our old pack warriors had found us. again. They¡¯d been pushing us progressively

    south and east. That first night, we had made it into northern Illinois. Since then, we''ve been through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

    Most recently, we had crossed the Kentucky border and were living in the Red River Gorge area. We had to be careful as there

    were several packs in this part of the state, but we¡¯d found a ce that wasn¡¯t owned by any local pack.

    When Dad heard that our pack was close, we packed our meager belongings and ran again. Only this time, one of dad¡¯s

    previous warriors and friends caught up to us. Dad mind linked mom and | to hide in a cave and he shifted before going out to

    confront his previous friend.

    317

    +15 BONOS

    While my mother could not hear, with my Guardian hearing, | listened to their conversation. | had no intention of letting my father

    get killed, so while my mother tried to convince me to move farther into the cave, | refused, ready to help if needed.

    | heard the sound of bones cracking. ¡°Richard You¡¯re a hard man to find.¡± An unfamiliar voice said.

    | heard more cracking bones, then my father¡¯s voice. ¡°Jude. Fancy seeing you here.¡±

    ¡°Let''s not y games Richard. We''ve been searching for you and your family for three years. Why did you run? Why did you

    renounce the pack?¡±

    ¡°My reasons are my own. You need to leave Jude. | have no interest in killing you, but | will if | have to.¡±

    The man named Jude sighs. ¡°Has it reallye to this? Your family deserves more than this life. Just tell me why. Help me

    understand. Everything was fine and then you just left. Alpha and the rest of the pack want you home.¡±

    ¡°I''m nevering back. We''re nevering back. That''s all you need to know. Now move on before you make me do

    something | don¡¯t want to do. It doesn¡¯t matter how close we used to be, my familyes first.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | shifted and Alessia moved quietly through the underbrush so we could see what was happening.

 Chapter 157

    ¡°Rich, I¡¯m here. Alone. The other wolves with me aren¡¯t close. | want to talk. | want to understand. We were friends. Help me

    understand why this¡± Jude gestured around him, ¡°is better for your family.¡±

    He wasn''t lying. | don¡¯t know if my father could smell them, but the other wolves. had gone in a different direction. This man

    seemed honest, and Alessia could not catch a scent of any deceit on him.

    We make the decision and walk out of our hiding ce to stand next to my father. | may still be a fairly short girl, but Alessia is a

    large wolf. Wee up to my father¡¯s waist. | felt more than heard him sigh. ¡°Alessia, you should have stayed put.¡±

    When | look at Jude, his gasp was audible. ¡°Guardian.¡± He whispers it with

    reverence in his voice. His eyes begin tracking back and forth between me and my father. Then he points at me. ¡°This....¡±

    ¡°Is my daughter Angel and her wolf Alessia.¡± My father finishes. ¡°On her 10th birthday, Alessia awakened as a Guardian.¡±

    Jude face breaks out into a huge smile. ¡°But, this is great! Alpha will be so pleased. The whole pack will rejoice...¡±

    He is cut off by my father¡¯s feral snarl. ¡°I will NOT take her back.¡±

    Jude looks at my father as if he hasn¡¯t heard him properly. ¡°But why not?¡±

    My father rubs a hand over his face. ¡°Jude. Think! You have a daughter. What do you think would have happened to her if her

    wolf was a Guardian? What would Alpha Peter have done? What will he do if he finds out my daughter is a Guardian? Would you

    want that for your daughter?¡±

    | watch as the realization of our situation dawns on Jude. He takes a step toward me. My father growls at him.

    Jude looks at him. ¡°I would never hurt your daughter Rich. And no, | would not want my daughter imed by an Alpha that may

    not be her mate just because of who and what she is.¡±

    He crouches down and looks at me. ¡°Hi Alessia. It¡¯s nice to meet you.

    | look up at my Dad, who nods his head, before | walk over to greet Jude. He runs his hands through my fur, so much like my

    father does to me. | can tell that this is how he interacts with his own daughter.

    He pats my head before standing up. | move to stand beside my father again. * Where¡¯s Katie?¡±

    ¡°I''m here.¡± My mother says and walks out from behind some bushes.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look as bad as | would have expected. Obviously, you¡¯re doing something right.¡± He looks at my father weighing his

    options.

    ¡°| have a cabin. It¡¯s in the Appchian Mountains. It¡¯s not on any packndhs. You can hide there. They won''t look for you there

    and I''ll try to divent the hunt in another direction to give you time to get away. You need to hide your scent as much as possible

    on the way to help me out. Do you have something to write on?¡±

    My mother found a piece bark that we''d been using to write with and a piece of coal that we¡¯d found. Jude gives us the address

    and general directions before stepping back. ¡°I need to go meet my group. I''ll send you money when I can. Stay there as long as

    you''d like. Good luck old friend.¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°I expect great things from you Alessia, and you too Angel¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Jude. | owe you.¡± My father says to him as he turns to leave.

    ¡°You''ve saved my life countless times Rich. I¡¯m d | can finally do something to pay you back. Be safe. All of you.¡±

    With that, he takes off in the direction of the other wolves.

    It took us several weeks to find our way to the cabin. When we arrived, mom and | cleaned it up and dad was able to find a local

    job working in construction.

    It became a quiet and peaceful life. We were happy and life was good. Until it wasn¡¯t.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 0158

    7 Years Ago

    Over thest few years, Jude stayed true to his word. He sent us a burner phone after the first 6 months and kept us informed of

    what was happening in the pack, and the on-going hunt for us. Over time, the hunting efforts for us waned, but neverpletely

    ended.

    We were careful, we kept a low profile, but we were happy. Mom continued my education at home, using the surrounding words

    as my ssroom. Dad continued my training. Being a Guardian, | was getting stronger more quickly than others my age. At 16, |

    could defeat my father in training as often as he defeated me.

    It was a beautiful spring afternoon when the call that changed my life came in. Mom and | were walking back from the forest,

    having collected some nts and bulbs that we would use to create salves and tonics my father thought best for helping Alessia

    grow and strengthen.

    Dad came rushing out of the house, a bag slung over his shoulder. ¡°They found us. We have to go, NOW!!

    Mom and | dropped everything and shifted. Dad tossed the bag to me. | caught it in my mouth as he shifted and we took off

    running.

    We have lived here long enough to have learned the lines of the packnds in our surrounding area. My father leads the way as

    we skirt along those lines and head north, going deeper into the forest. We''ve been running for an hour or more when we hear

    the howl. They caught our trail.

    We push harder, running through streams, swimming throughkes as we find them, or ducking under waterfalls. Anything to

    slow them down or get them off our trail. It¡¯s well into the night when my mother begins to slow. My father finds a ce for us to

    stop, tucking us into a cave to rest after checking to make sure it was clear.

    ¡°Angel, stay here and guard your mother.¡± He mind links me. ¡°I¡¯m going to look around and make sure it¡¯s safe.¡±

    It isn¡¯t long before | get a frantic mind link from my father. ¡°Angel, get your mother and run. Run now. We''re in the middle of a

    nest of vampires! Go!¡±

    | turn to look at my mother and see that my father had opened the mind link to both of us. She¡¯s up and moving at the same time

    lam.

    +15 BOHOS

    | sniff the air before leaving the cave, catching a whiff of something sickly sweet. | turn in the opposite direction and begin

    running, my mother on my heels. We haven''t run more than a mile when | catch the same sweet scent again, but much closer. |

    stop, trying to figure out what direction it¡¯sing from before turning and running off in a different direction.

    We haven''t gone far when | smell it again, stronger. | hear my mother whimper behind me. She¡¯s caught the scent now too. | turn

    around in a circle trying to find an area where the scent is weak. When | find it, | begin running, my mother trusting my enhanced

    Guardian senses.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    stop once again when | realize we''re surrounded. | don¡¯t know how many there are, but they are faster than we are and have us

    trapped. | stand in front of my mother as | see a vampire walk out from behind some trees.

    ¡°Well, well, well.¡± He says casually walking towards us. | give him a threatening growl, and he stops. ¡°What do we have here?

    You must be rted to the other mutt we found.¡±

    | watch horrified as two other vampires drag my bloodied and beaten father into the clearing and toss him on the ground at their

    feet. He has shifted back to his human form. | can hear his heart rate, so | know he¡¯s alive, but only barely. My mother makes a

    move to go to him, but | cut her off. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t move.¡± | mind link her.

    The vampire looks at my mother then back at me. ¡°So, one of you is the mutt¡¯s mate, and the other is...¡± He drags out the words

    as if | am going to answer him. He looks over the body of my wolf. ¡°Let¡¯s assume pup.¡±

    ¡°It''s too bad we don''t like the filthy taste of your blood. | do so love them young.¡± The lead vampire says.

    ¡°Kill them.¡±

    In a split second, my father¡¯s head is ripped from his body. The moment of shock is all it takes for another to stand in front of my

    mother, his hands gripping her wolf''s head, ready to decapitate her as well. | turn, grabbing hold of his arm and ripping it from his

    body. | see the shock on his face an instant before | swipe my ws across his throat, slicing his head off.

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 Chapter 159

    My mother is in shock, her high keening howl ripping at my already raw heart for the loss of her mate. But | don¡¯t have time to

    hurt. My mother is in no position to fight, having just lost her mate. So, | begin taking down the vampires.

    My father has trained me well, but I''ve never fought against vampires. While werewolves are the stronger breed, vampires are

    much faster. Being a Guardian gives me an advantage and Alessia is tearing through the vampires, ripping off heads and

    wing out hearts as fast as she can, but it¡¯s not fast enough.

    ¡°WOLF!¡± The lead vampire yells. | turn to see that he has my mother. She has shifted back, her eyes nk in her grief. | know

    she won''t survive without my father. Most werewolves can¡¯t survive the death of their mate. But | don¡¯t want her to die at the

    hands of this leech.

    He has my mother standing in front of him, his hand wrapped around her neck. He is looking at me over her shoulder. ¡°Little wolf.

    If you don¡¯t stop killing my brethren, | will have to kill your mother.¡±

    I snarl at him. He¡¯s already said he is going to kill all of us anyway, so | may as well take out as many as | can on the way.

    He gives me a vicious smile. ¡°You''re right, | am going to kill her anyway. But,¡¯ He holds up a hand to me as | start to bunch my

    legs, ready to attack him. ¡°If you stop attacking my brothers, | won''t give her to Lennix here.¡± He points to one of the other

    vampires that is slowly surrounding me.

    ¡°Lennix has a bit of a deviant nature. While most of us prefer to fuck our food. while we¡¯re eating, he doesn¡¯t seem to care where

    he puts his dick, as long as they are screaming in pain while he¡¯s using them.¡± My stomach turns and | have to fight the urge to

    vomit. ¡°Sometimes if they aren¡¯t loud enough, he finds ways to hurt them so he can enjoy himself more.¡± The vampire Lennix is

    licking his lips, looking at my mothersciviously.

    The leader rubs his nose against my mother¡¯s ear. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to watch. as he makes this sweet little female here scream

    in pain, begging for death, would you?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡®Alessia?¡¯ | ask, already knowing the answer.

    ¡®There are too many. | can¡¯t take them all.¡®

    | shift back, knowing it¡¯s my only possible option to save my mother. | watch as her eyes gain some rity as she sees me shift.

    She tries to shake her head no, but

    the vampire¡¯s hold is too strong.

    ¡°Good choice.¡± He says as he rips my mother head from her body. | scream as | watch her body slump to the ground. | crumble

    to my knees. My parents are dead. | have nothing and no one in this world. | am about to die, alone.

    The leader walks slowly toward me. ¡°I didn¡¯t say | wouldn''t kill her. | said | wouldn¡¯t let Lennix have her, and | didn¡¯t.ma

    vampire of my word.¡± He stops. in front of me, gently sliding his fingers in my hair before grabbing it roughly and yanking my

    head up to look at him.

    ¡°Now, what are you?¡± He snarls at me.

    | look at him like he¡¯s crazy. He¡¯s just watched me shift from a wolf to a human. He must know I¡¯m a werewolf.

    He leans down, sniffing my neck before jerking back, looking at me more closely. He pulls my hand to his face, slicing my finger

    with his fang. When he tastes my blood, the look on his face makes me sick again. It¡¯s pure ecstasy. ¡°Custos regni.¡± He says

    reverently.

    He snaps his fingers and one of the vampires bring him handcuffs. He binds my wrists with silver before lifting me to my feet.

    ¡°You will be a gift to my prince. He will reward me handsomely for bringing you in.¡±

    He binds my ankles in silver, and I¡¯m thrown over the leader¡¯s shoulder. As he walks away, | take onest look at my parents*

    lifeless bodies, lying broken on the forest floor.

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 Chapter 160

    Chapter 0160

    Trigger Warning: The chapter contains scenes of violence and sexual abuse.

    The vampire leader carried me to a car and put me in the trunk. He duct taped my mouth before closing me in.

    Once | am alone in the dark, | let the tears fall. | have no idea what I¡¯m going to do, but | know no one ising to help me. My

    parents, my heart aches as | think them, Alessia howling mournfully in my head. My parents are dead. The only person that

    knows about me is Jude, and if my previous pack finds my parents, they will assume that | am dead as well.

    | have no idea why this lead vampire thinks the prince of vampires would want me. It¡¯s well known that vampires do not like the

    taste of werewolf blood, generally keeping us safe from them, unless we stumble into their territory. But when that vampire tasted

    my blood, he didn¡¯t seem repulsed. Just the opposite. And | don¡¯t know what it was that he said, but the way he said it gave me

    goose bumps. Whatever it is, it can¡¯t be good for me.

    | don¡¯t know how long we drive before we stop. When the trunk opens, I¡¯m ready to jump out, not that I''ll get far with my arms

    and legs bound, but | have to try. However, the vampire anticipates me and snatches me out of mid-air.

    ¡°Not so fast, my tasty treat. | have big ns for you. And if you y your cards right, perhaps Prince Keenan will keep you alive

    as a blood bag.¡± A blood bag? Death would be preferable.

    He carries me over his shoulder again. We walk toward a building that you would expect to be owned by vampires. It¡¯s dark,

    gloomy, and gothic looking. Gargoyles at the corners of what looks like an old castle. The only lights that | can see from inside

    look red and cruel, like what I¡¯d expect in a low-ss brothel.

    When we walk in, the screams that areing from somewhere in front of me make my blood run cold. It¡¯s the sound of pain

    and fear and death. Along with that sound is the sickening sound of lustful grunting, slurping and flesh being ripped apart

    presumably by sharp teeth.

    | don¡¯t know what to expect, but when I¡¯m put on my feet, I¡¯m in a room filled with vampires and humans. The smell of blood and

    death is nearly overwhelming to my sensitive nose. The fear is so palpable that it feels like you could cut it with a knife.

    I''m turned to face a vampire on a throne. Again, it feels so clich¨¦ that if | wasn¡¯t disgusted by what is going on around me, I''d

    laugh. The throne is metal the color

    12

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    of pewter covered in a blood red cushioning across the back, seat and arm rests. | can¡¯t tell how tall the vampire is, I¡¯m assuming

    he¡¯s the prince, but the chair back sits about six inches higher than his head.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    It takes the vampire prince a moment to acknowledge us. His eyes are closed and he is sucking on the wrist of a young man who

    is going pale and having trouble standing while a female, | can¡¯t tell her age, is being forced to go down on him. He has a grip on

    her head and is shoving himself into her mouth at a brutal pace. | can see her fists punching against his legs as | watch his body

    tense up and he holds her there until she stops fighting. Once he¡¯s finished, he pulls her off and she drops to the floor, dead. |

    realize he just suffocated her while he orgasmed in her mouth.

    His eyes track to mine as he continues to suck on the wrist of the man that is now on his knees, his eyes going dim as the

    vampire drains him of his blood. He pulls his lips off the man¡¯s wrist, his mouth making a sickening suction sound. The man also

    falls to the floor, dead.

    The vampire prince takes a linen napkin and wipes his mouth as if he just finished dining in a fine restaurant. He looks at the

    leader behind me.

    +

 Chapter 161

    ¡°Sebastian, what have you brought me?¡±

    ¡°Sire¡± He kneels, dragging me to the floor with him. He looks up at the prince. ¡°I have found one.¡±

    The prince¡¯s eyes dart back to me, going wild with lust. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asks,

    his voice covetous.

    Sebastian grabs my arm, holding it out to the prince. ¡°Taste her for yourself. | only had enough to ensure | was right about her.

    She took out four of our coven before | was able to stop her. That¡¯s how | knew.¡±

    Without taking his eyes off me, the prince stalks over, grabbing my arm and running his nose across my wrist. His eyes close but

    not before | see the hunger in them. His fangse out and almost gently, he slides them into my wrist.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The moment he tastes my blood, his eyes go red and his grip on my arm tightens painfully. He begins to groan lewdly while

    sucking my blood. He finally tears himself away.

    ¡°She is untouched, pure.¡± His vulgar purr has bile rising in my throat. He raises his voice over the cacophony in the room. ¡°No

    one touches her but me.¡±

    He looks back at Sebastian. ¡°We have a new batching in tomorrow. You may have first choice of the feeders. For now,¡± He

    runs a finger down my cheek. | attempt to pull away but Sebastian holds my head in ce. ¡°I will take you to your room. | want to

    keep you close.¡±

    He grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. He looks at Sebastian. ¡°You did well, go find something to eat and take your pleasure.

    Find me when you are done.¡±

    Sebastian nods and as I¡¯m pulled away, | see him to go to a cage | hadn¡¯t noticed before. There are humans cowering and

    whimpering inside. He opens the door and finds a boy, he can¡¯t be older than 5, pulling him out. The boy screams as Sebastian

    sinks his fangs into his neck, practically ripping his head off before throwing him aside and grabbing an adult woman this time.

    The prince takes me to a room that is beautifully decorated. It¡¯s so different than the rest of the dark and gloomy castle. This

    room is white and airy. ¡°This will be your room from now on. Do not try to leave. The walls are lined with silver.¡± He walks up to

    me, sliding his hand down my hair, pulling the duct tape off my mouth. ¡°You will be treated well here. | will not allow others to feed

    on you, | will not allow anyone to defile you. | want your delicious blood to remain untainted as

    +15 BONOS

    it is today, just for me.¡±

    He gestures around the room. ¡°While you are in this room, you may do as you like. If you want books, you need only to ask. You

    will be provided three meals a day, heavy on the iron as | will require your blood daily. You will have everything you want or need

    within reason.¡±

    ¡°And if | refuse?¡± | ask him. Does he think that this is some great honor for me?

    He turns to look at me. ¡°I am putting you here in recognition of your status as a Guardian. The elite of the werewolf and in some

    ways, even more elite than other supernaturals. But do not think that | will not take all of this away and keep you.

    the cells with the other blood bags if you offend me. Your life can be much worse than it will be. Cross me and maybe | grow tired

    of you and give you to my coven to allow them to feed on you. | promise, they will not be as gentlemanly as | am.¡±

    With that, he tosses me a key to my restraints and walks out the door, locking me in my well decorated prison.

    The trauma of the day and the mental echos of the screams from the feeding room have exhausted me and | fall onto the bed.

    The horrible sounds and things | have witnessed today will haunt me for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 0162

    One month agoN?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Five months. Five months I¡¯d been searching for Eli Gunnar and | finally have him cornered. He¡¯s wily, I''ll give him that, but he

    won''t get away from me this

    time.

    I''m sitting outside a seedy hotel off of Interstate¡ª10 in fucking No Where¡¯s Ville Texas. I¡¯m ready to snag this asshole and finally

    get him back home. We have the ce surrounded. We''veid eyes on him and we¡¯ve made up a story to the 15 year old human

    idiot running the front desk about us being US Marshalls and this guy being on the run. Whatever. That¡¯s just so the cops aren¡¯t

    called giving him a chance to sneak away like he did thest time.

    As | watch, hees out his door, looking around before closing it behind him. He has his bag over his shoulder. Looks like he¡¯s

    about to move again. We caught up to him just in time.

    My guys move in and surround him. He throws his bag to the ground and prepares to fight, but they shoot several darts of

    wolfsbane and it only takes a minute for him to drop. | get out of the car and walk over to him. He¡¯s still conscious when | grab his

    hair pulling his face up to mine. ¡°Got you, you sack of shit. Now you will pay for what you have done.¡±

    I''ve had Eli in my dungeons for nearly a month. For the first week, | didn¡¯t even ask him anything, just used him as a punching

    bag. | have so much pent-up

    anger

    and frustration and he¡¯s the perfect asshole to take it out on. All of my rage of being alone most of my life, my frustration at losing

    Cara, my annoyance at having to choose a Luna that | don¡¯t feel is worthy of the title because | can¡¯t find my fated me, all of that

    comes out when | walk into that dungeon room.

    It''s surprising, really, that | haven''t killed him yet. The man can take a beating, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯ve started to wonder if he has

    some alpha blood in him. I¡¯m not sure my own Beta could havested this long.

    | wipe his blood from my hands and turn to him. ¡°Why did you do it?¡±

    It''s the same question I¡¯ve asked him every day for the past three weeks. Why did he kill my mother?

    His answer is always the same. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill her.¡±

    | look at him, his arms are restrained by silver cuffs over his head to a bolt in the

    ceiling. He is hanging, his feet dragging on the ground, unable to hold himself up.

    ¡°Wrong answer. You were found holding her dead and bloodied body. Why did you do it?¡±

    He lifts his head, one eyepletely swollen shut, the other barely a slit. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. i told you, | didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Right, because you¡¯re such a stand-up guy. Is that why you tried to force Cara Nelson into a mate bond? Because you''re such

    a great person?¡±

    ¡°What | did to Cara was wrong and | admit that. She didn¡¯t deserve what | did to her and | will pay my penance for that, but |

    didn¡¯t kill your mother.¡±

    | punch him in the gut. ¡°Kind of hard to deny what you did to Cara. You were a little too obvious about that one. But you were

    found with my mother¡¯s body in your arms. Her dead body.¡± | grab his hair, pulling his head up so he has to look at me. ¡°So just

    admit it. After all this time, aren¡¯t you tired of denying what you did? Just admit it and | can end this torture. I''ll give you a quick

    death. Continue to deny it, and this,¡± | gesture around the room, ¡°will continue.¡±

    He looks at me, spitting blood at my feet. ¡°I. Did. Not. Do. It.¡± He enunciates each word.

    ¡°Fine. Have it your way.¡± |y into him for another 20 minutes before he¡¯s unconscious.

    ¡°Unhook him, give him enough food and water to keep him alive.¡± | tell the guards watching him. ¡°Contact me if anything

    changes.¡±

    | head upstairs. The dungeons are in the basement under the packhouse. They have reinforced walls and ceilings so that

    anything that happens down here cannot be heard outside these walls. Werewolves are violent by nature, but that doesn¡¯t mean

    that pups and pregnant mothers need to hear me beating the shit

    out of someone.

    When | get to the top of the stairs, | find Dustin waiting for me. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± | ask.

    He looks me over before turning. ¡°I''ll walk with you to your room, looks like you could use a shower.¡± | look down at myself. I¡¯m

    covered in blood. | hadn¡¯t even realized it. | quickly look up to see that there is no one in the part of the

    packhouse. | would need to be more careful.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 0163

    Dustin gives me an update on warrior training, patrols, and rogue attacks as we walk to my room.

    | still feeling like something is crawling under my skin. The feeling has been getting worsetely. | had thought that capturing Eli

    would help. When it didn¡¯t, | had hoped that beating the shit out of him and getting a confession would help. The confession

    hasn''te but the beatings have done nothing to ease this feeling.

    | hop in the shower as Dustin continues to update me on the pack status. When | get out, he¡¯s looking at me and | don''t like the

    look in his eyes. ¡°What?¡± | ask.

    ¡°You know what. You¡¯re crashing Liam. You''re starting down the road to going feral. You need to choose a Luna and take a mate.

    You can¡¯t continue this pace alone.¡±

    ¡°| had a Luna.¡± | snarl at him. ¡°She didn¡¯t want me.¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡± He says. He¡¯s the only member of my pack that is able to challenge me and get away with it. It¡¯s because he''ll

    challenge me that he¡¯s my Beta. ¡°She chose her fated mate. If he hadn¡¯t been her mate, you don¡¯t know what her choice would

    have been. It¡¯s been six months Liam. It¡¯s time to start thinking about who would make a good mate for you and Luna for this

    pack.

    I turn to him, mming my fist on the bathroom counter. ¡°You don¡¯t think | know that? You don''t think I¡¯ve looked? That I¡¯ve tried

    to find someone who | think is worthy to run this pack with me? | started running this pack long before | became Alpha. | know

    the pressure, the responsibility thates with this job. Do you think there is a she¡ªwolf in this pack that could handle that?

    Handle me?¡±

    ¡°What about Alpha Christopher¡¯s daughter? She¡¯s an alpha by blood. She¡¯s been trained to be a Luna all her life.¡± He says

    quietly.

    | look at him like he has two heads. ¡°That meek, mild little thing? How the hell am | supposed to take someone like that to my

    bed? | need a partner, someone that can match me in strength, someone who is fierce, not just a Luna who orders. napkins

    when we run out.¡± | push past him, walking into my closet to get dressed.

    ¡°I''m going into the city to find someone to stick my dick in. Someone not from our pack. Tomorrow...¡±

    I''m cut off as the patrols mind link both Dustin and me. ¡°Alpha, Beta. We have a breach at the border.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Rogues?¡± Dustin asks.

    ¡°Well, it''s A rogue, but you need toe.¡±

    ¡°Xavior, you can¡¯t handle a single rogue on your own?¡±

    ¡°It''s not that Beta. Please, can one of you juste, or better yet, both of you.¡±

    Dustin and | look at each other. ¡°I''ll take care of it.¡± He says, but I''m already shaking my head.

    ¡°Tile.¡±

    We head out, jogging to the border where the breach has happened. We¡¯re almost there when the most delicious scent of

    raspberries and cream hits my nose. Cyran, who has been mostly quiet since Cara¡¯s birthday, sits up in my head. Cyran?*

    He doesn¡¯t say anything, but | can feel his interest in this rogue. As we walk to where they have the prisoner, | can see that one

    of my men has a woman in his arms. As soon as | see her, a vicious snarl erupts from of my chest. Cyran pushes forward taking

    an aggressive stance pack mate. Dustin moves in front of me. ¡°Alpha?¡± He asks.

    Et Our

    ¡°Mate.¡± Cyran says before pushing past Dustin and snatching her out of Xavior¡¯s

    arms.

    | look down at the small, frail girl in my arms. Her skin is so pale it''s almost opaque. Her white hair is in tangles around her face.

    Her face is gaunt as if she hasn¡¯t eaten in too long. From what I can see around the jacket that is her only clothing, her body is

    riddled with puncture wounds.

    ¡®Cyran, is she human?*

    | pull her closer, inhaling her scent. ¡®No, she¡¯s not human, but her wolf is silent, absent.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter if she was human. She¡¯s my mate, the one the Moon Goddess made for me. | don¡¯t care who or what she is,

    she¡¯s mine now.

    Her scent, her delicious scent, has immediately eased the ufortable feeling that has been eating at me for months. It¡¯s like

    my body just remembered that it belongs inside my skin and has stopped fighting against itself. A peace that I¡¯ve never felt

    before washes over me.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mate.¡± | repeat.

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 Chapter 164

    Chapter 0164

    Current Day

    I¡¯ve lost track of how many years | have been in this hell. The feeding room, aptly named on my first night, is where | am taken

    every night. Every night the humans are brought in to feed on. Every missing person that is never found, every runaway child,

    even many of the individuals that are trafficked are captured and killed by vampires.

    The night after | arrived, Sebastian chose his feeder. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t kill her. She has been here as long as | have.

    Unfortunately for her, he has no problem raping her while he¡¯s feeding. She stopped crying a long time ago. Most of the humans.

    don¡¯t survive the first night. If they do, they never survive the second. I¡¯ve been forced to watch every day as men, women,

    children, elderly, it doesn¡¯t matter, they are brought in, used, fed on and in some instances when the vampires be ovee

    with bloodlust, ripped apart.

    The sounds of screaming, crying, pleading, and dying have be the music that | am forced to listen to day after endless day.

    There was only one time when I was given a reprieve from being fed on. When another vampire coven came to visit, Prince

    Keenan thought to share me with the royalty of the visiting coven. | nearly died from the loss of blood. Prince Keenan had to kill

    the other vampire in order to get him off me, ripping him away from my neck, barely missing my carotid artery.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    | was given three days to rest. The only three days of rest I¡¯ve had since | arrived here so many years ago. Sometimes when I¡¯m

    being fed on, | wonder what it is that I''ve done to deserve this. My life has been anything but easy. Alessia is rarely in my head

    anymore. In the beginning, she was strong and able to heal me quickly. Over time, my bite marks have started to scar, and she is

    only able to heal the worst of my puncture wounds. The marks are everywhere on my body, wherever Prince Keenan chooses to

    feed on me. They are on my arms, my legs, my breasts, my inner thighs, my backside. Anywhere and everywhere he has

    wanted to feed on me he has.

    | learned early on not to fight it. If | fight him, he kills someone. He won''t hurt me, he won¡¯t kill me. In some ways he¡¯s be

    addicted to my blood. So, he won''t do anything to me. But he makes sure | know that whatever he does to someone else is

    because | defied him. So, | learned not to defy him.

    It doesn¡¯t mean he doesn''t kill. He does, almost every night. | just know that there is nothing that | can do to prevent it.

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    The massive orgies that take ce nightly are disgusting to watch. Vampires really do love to have sex with whoever they are

    feeding on. They don¡¯t care how much they hurt them. Most seem to prefer it if their food is in pain. The crying and screaming

    seems to only incite them in their blood lust.

    Sebastian¡¯s girl is the only one that is different. She and | have created a bond. After the second night, | realized that Sebastian

    wasn''t going to kill her. He didn¡¯t mind hurting her, he raped her nightly as he fed on her, but he never injured her so badly that it

    killed her. She eventually ended up in a room simr to mine. I¡¯ve seen her as we are being escorted to the feeding room at

    night.

    She had been there several months before we made eye contact. Maybe it was because | needed a distraction, maybe because

    she was the only one to have survived so long. Maybe we were both curious about the only other person in the room that was

    left alive night after night. She had given up crying and pleading. She, like me, learned to take it and get through it.

    On this night, Prince Keenan was between my legs, feeding on my inner thigh, hist disgusting tongue licking me. He had

    someone bent over and was raping them as he fed on me, one hand holding them down, the other holding my thigh to his

    mouth. | could hear the sounds of their pain and suffering as he continued his relentless pounding, grunting his pleasure as he

    fed on me.

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 Chapter 165

    | was searching for an escape from the madness, when my eyes locked with hers. Sebastian had her up against the wall,

    feeding on her while he pounded into her. We stared at each other, holding onto the others¡® gaze like a lifeline. As she looked at

    me, she silently said, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± My heart fluttered and | returned her words with my own silent words, ¡°You''re not alone.¡±

    It became our nightly routine. We''d lock eyes and when our vampires were busy, we¡¯d mouth those words to each other. | think

    that may have been the only thing that kept me alive, kept me going. Especially once | could no longer hear Alessia. | felt so

    alone until that moment.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Guardian.¡± Prince Keenan purrs in his vulgar way. ¡°I require more blood

    tonight, take off your top.¡± While the prince did not ever rape me, and he did not let any of the other vampires touch me, he did

    find repulsive ways to make his feeding sexual. Tonight would be no different. He had an insatiable appetite, some nights taking

    three or more humans, usually killing all of them as he fed.

    | do as he asks, removing the ridiculous excuse of a top. It barely covers me and is see through. When | take it off, he grabs me,

    pulling me to him, sinking his fangs into my breast so that his foul tongue can lick my nipple while he feeds. He grabs another

    female and forces himself inside her mouth. | know how this will go. | saw it the first night | was here. And it¡¯s something he

    seems to get off on.. Strangling a woman by suffocating her during his orgasm. When his eyes close in his lust, | look for my

    friend, my only lifeline in this hellhol

    | find her, her eyes had already found me. We mouth our words back and forth to each other. Our eyes locked on each other, our

    only sanity.

    Just as the prince is about to finish, there is a loud bang at the front of the castle. The doors fly open and gas canisters are

    thrown into the room.

    The vampires are immediately up and running to counteract the intrusion. Wooden darts and bullets go flying across the room.

    Vampires start dropping, aging and turning to dust in front of my face. I¡¯m too shocked to move. | stay where | am waiting for

    death toe. I¡¯m surprised when someone throws a jacket over my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re okay now. We''re here to rescue you.

    You cane with me. You''re safe.¡±

    The man says this even though there is still screaming all around the room. | see others gathering up the humans and helping to

    get them out, the vampires running, trying to escape the bullets that are still whizzing around the room.

    +15 BONOS

    I''m taken outside and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been outside in all the years I''ve been here. | was able to open the window in my

    room, but it had silver bars and | wasn¡¯t able to escape. Tears well up in my eyes, as | realize that I''ve been released from my

    hellish prison. The man that has escorted me out of the building helps me into a truck. I¡¯m given some oxygen andid ona

    stretcher.¡± The medics will be here to check on you in a minute. Just stay here, you are safe now.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± | say, wanting to know who these people are that have saved me. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He smiles kindly at me. ¡°We''re from a guild of hunters. We hunt the supernatural and kill them. You don¡¯t have to worry, we''re

    very good at what we do.¡± He pats my hand before stepping out of the truck.

    Hunters? I¡¯ve gone from one hell to another. If they find out what | am, they will kill me, or worse, imprison me and keep me as

    theirb rat. | need to get out of here.

    | go to stand and see another person on a stretcher next to me. She reaches out her hand and sps mine. She pulls her

    oxygen mask away from her face. It''s my friend. ¡°Go, | don¡¯t know what you are, but | know you¡¯re not human. Ill cover for you.

    Go.¡±

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 0166

    ¡°What''s your name?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Sarah. Now go, your secret is safe with me, Guardian.¡± She stresses the word. Guardian is the only thing that anyone called me

    here, so that is what she knows

    meas.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | thank her before checking to see if anyone is around. It¡¯s chaos and everyone is running, either hunting vampires or bringing

    people out to the trucks. | hop out. of the truck and skirt around several others, keeping to the shadows until | get to a forest line.

    Once | hit the forest, | run.

    I''ve been running for days. I¡¯ve found water easily, rinsing off the smell of the vampires and the left over blood from myst night

    with the vampires. Food, however, has been impossible for me to find. Without Alessia to hunt for me, and in my weakened state,

    | haven''t been able to catch anything. I¡¯ve found some berries and some other nts that | can eat to keep me alive, but nothing

    substantial enough to keep up the pace that | need in order to get far away from

    my past.

    At night, | find caves or trees to climb trying to keep myself safe fromrge predators or vampires that may be out running from

    the hunters as well.

    Based on the direction of the sun rising and setting, I¡¯m heading south. | remember all those years ago, that my family had been

    heading north and that is what brought us into vampire territory. | don¡¯t know where the coven was in rtion to where we were

    found, but south seemed as good an option as any, and I¡¯ve kept to that direction. Eventually, I''ll get to the ocean, if | survive that

    long.

    I''ve been walking today. It¡¯s been a day since | had water and too many days to count since I¡¯ve had a real meal. I¡¯m ready to sit

    down and rest when | hear the sound that | haven¡¯t heard in years. The howl of a wolf. It¡¯s not just any howl, it¡¯s the sound of a

    wolf on the hunt.

    | don¡¯t know if it is hunting me, or if I¡¯m just in the vicinity of where it is hunting, but when | hear others taking up the hunt, | begin

    to run. | know | can¡¯t outrun them, but maybe, maybe if | can find ake or river, | can swim to safety.

    How do | keep getting into these situations? First vampires, then hunters, now werewolves. I¡¯m so tired, maybe it¡¯s not worth the

    fight anymore. | could be with my parents again. There would be no more pain, no more suffering.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    | hear the pounding of paws closing in on me. I''m running as fast as | can, darting around tress and bushes until | run right into a

    clearing. | only get a couple of steps when three wolvese out of the woods from the other side. | stop dead in my tracks. I¡¯m

    about to turn and run in a different direction when | hear another twoe up behind me.

    ¡°Please.¡± | beg. | don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m begging for, | just know that | don¡¯t want to be caught and imprisoned again. ¡°Please,

    no.¡± | say before exhaustion takes over and the darkness sinks in.

    +

 Chapter 167

    | carry my mate to the alpha floor. I¡¯ve been the only person living on this floor since my mother died when | was 6 years old. My

    father wouldn¡¯t set foot up here again after her death and moved into a dwelling away from the packhouse. He gave me the

    choice and | stayed here, preferring to live in familiar surroundings to living with my grieving father.

    I''ve mind linked the pack doctor to meet me here and | make my way to the room across the hall from mine. | don¡¯t know if she

    will recognize me as her mate, so | want her to have her own space until she is healed and we can talk.

    |y her down on the bed as Dr. Phillips knocks. ¡°Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Dr. Phillips,e in.¡± Shees over to the bed and takes in the state of my mate. She immediately begins setting up her

    medical supplies. ¡°Alpha, can you take off her jacket and any other clothes she¡¯s wearing while | get set up?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | see Dustin hovering in the doorway and | growl at him. ¡°No males on this floor until | say so.¡±

    He backs away and Dr. Phillips looks at me curiously.

    | take off the jacket and see that she¡¯s not wearing anything else underneath. A vicious snarl rips from my mouth when I see the

    state of her body. She is covered in bite marks. | hear the doctor gasp behind me and turn to her. ¡°Are those...?¡± | ask.

    She nods. ¡°Vampire bites.¡± She walks slowly to the bed, taking in the multiple scars and punctures in various stages of healing.

    They are everywhere. ¡°Oh this poor woman. Where did you find her?¡±

    ¡°She stumbled across our border and passed out.¡±

    She looks at me. ¡°Do we know of any active vampire covens in the area?¡± | shake my head. As she begins her initial exam, |

    mind link Dustin. ¡°Find out everything you know about vampires in a hundred mile radius.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± | cut the mind link as the doctor looks at me. ¡°Help me roll her over.¡±

    I snarl again when | see that her back is no better than her front. Cyran is thrashing in my head that someone would do this to

    our mate.

    Dr. Phillips puts an IV into her arm and begins giving her fluids. She takes blood and looks at me. ¡°I need to test her blood and

    see if it can tell us anything. On

    +15 BONOS

    examination, | can tell you she¡¯s dehydrated, malnourished and | would guess anemic and low on blood telets.¡±

    She looks at my mate and then at me. ¡°Dos

    know if she has a wolf?¡±

    ¡°Cyran said her wolf is dormant.¡± | answer her without taking my eyes off this frail girl. How can this small woman be my fated

    mate. She looks like she will break if | touch her.

    ¡°Is she...?¡± Dr. Phillips asks, wanting to know if she¡¯s my mate. | nod my head before looking at her. ¡°Yes, but only a few people

    know that, and I want to keep it that way.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says before packing up her things. ¡°I''ll take her blood, test it and be back when | have results and will check

    her again then. Contact me if anything changes in the meantime.¡±

    | nod and pull up a chair. I''ll be staying here tonight, keeping watch over my girl. As she leaves, Dr. Phillips turns to look at me.

    ¡°Congrattions Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Let''s wait to congratte me until we save her.¡± | tell the doctor. Looking at her, I¡¯m not sure this woman will survive the night.

    As | settle in to keep vigil over my fragile mate, Dustin mind links me. ¡°Alpha.¡±

    ¡°What did you find out?¡± | ask, wanting to know how close the risk is to our pack. If she escaped a coven, they may be looking for

    her and | want to be ready. Vampires and werewolves don¡¯t cross paths very often, but when we do, it usually ends in a bloody

    mess.

    ¡°There are some covens in a one-hundred-mile radius. | didn¡¯t hear anything in particr about them searching for a missing

    girl.¡± | sigh, | was hoping for more. ¡°However, | expanded the search and nearly 170 miles north of us, there was a coven that

    was raided by hunters about nine days ago. From what | hear, they were killing a lot of humans which put them on the hunter''s

    radar. From the little | have gotten so far, it sounds like the coven prince had a favorite blood bag.¡± He stops, | wait him out. ¡°It

    sounds like this girl.¡±

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 0168

    ¡°Do we know the status of the coven and if this prince escaped the hunters?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Not

    yet, | just wanted to let you know what | found. Are you still going into the city tonight?¡± He asks me. | look at my mate. | won¡¯t be

    going into the city looking for someone to warm my bed ever again. | finally found her and no matter what | have to do, I¡¯m going

    to make sure that she never leaves...

    ¡°No, I''ll be staying here. If you find out anything else, link me.

    13

    After a couple of hours, the doctor returns. Her initial assessment was correct. ¡± Alpha. We can give her blood but we¡¯ve never

    had to do that with a werewolf before. | don¡¯t know if she will ept it.¡±

    | shake my head. ¡°Let¡¯s see what her body will do to heal her before we take those drastic measures.¡±

    Aweek goes by, and my little mate hasn¡¯t opened her eyes. Dr. Phillips says that she is healing slowly. Having me by her side,

    even if she doesn¡¯t feel the mate bond, is helping her.

    I''ve barely left her side. I¡¯ve had Dustin bring me anything that needs my attention. | only allow him and Dr. Phillips on this floor. |

    still haven''t decided what to tell the pack, but until she wakes up, | don¡¯t want anyone disturbing her.

    When Dr. Phillips arrives for her morning check, | leave to shower and change clothes. | mind link Dustin asking if there is

    anything that needs my attention.

    ¡°What do you want us to do with Eli Gunnar?¡±

    | haven''t been back down to the dungeons since my mate arrived. | don¡¯t want to leave her right now. Her medical condition has

    been tenuous, and | wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if something happened while | was away from her.

    ¡°Let him sit for now. | need to focus on her. Make sure he¡¯s got enough food and water to stay alive, otherwise he can wait.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± He doesn¡¯t close the mind link, so | know there¡¯s something else.

    ¡°What is it, Dustin?

    ¡°| got more information on the vampire coven up north. The vampire prince and some of his top men escaped the hunters. From

    what I''ve heard, he and his nest

    +15 BONOS

    mates took over a weaker coven and that he is gaining in power.¡±

    He hesitates again and | growl at him through the link. ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°The word is that they are looking for two women. One is described as pale with white hair. The bounty on her safe return to the

    vampire prince is 5 million dors.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    | stop mid¡ªstep. Five million dors? For a werewolf? Vampires don¡¯t even like. our taste. They don¡¯t feed on us at all. I¡¯ve heard

    they describe our taste as muddy garbage. So then, why is a vampire prince after my mate?

    ¡°Double the patrols. | want to know the instant anyone picks up a strange scent.¡± | think about it. ¡°Have you ever smelled a

    vampire before?¡± | ask my Beta.

    ¡°Just once, and it¡¯s not a smell you forget. It¡¯s a disgusting sickly sweet smell.¡±

    ¡°Did you happen to smell it on my mate when we found her?¡±

    ¡°No offense Alpha, you didn¡¯t really let any of us get close enough to her, but I¡¯ll ask Xavier if he noticed anything off about her

    scent before we got there.¡±

    ¡°Alert the patrol to be on the hunt for that scent. If theye across it anywhere near our territory or the human city, they are to

    inform you and | immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±

    The mind link closes, and | finish getting dressed, trying to figure out why a vampire would be so interested in my mate. What is it

    about her? Cyran can feel that she has a wolf, so her taste should be repugnant to the vampires.

    My mind is filled with these thoughts as | return to her room, my nameless mate. Because I¡¯m so deep in my thoughts, it takes

    me a moment to realize that her eyes are open and she¡¯s staring at me wide-eyed. As | watch, the fear | see is reced with a

    look of dread and resolve.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 169

    I''m back in hell. The screams, the fear, the blood, it surrounds me. How did I end up back here? | thought I had escaped. |

    thought | was free. | try to remember what happened, but | can¡¯t. My senses are overwhelmed by the sounds and smell of the

    feeding room.

    The panic | feel only intensifies as | look around and | don¡¯t see my friend. Sarah. How do | know her name? | can¡¯t remember,

    but she¡¯s not here. It¡¯s only me and all of the dying humans. Maybe I¡¯m dead. This isn¡¯t where | expected to end up. | thought I''d

    be with my parents, somece safe.

    Almost as if the Moon Goddess heard me, | catch the scent of the forest. The scent. that | loved so long ago when mother and |

    would walk around, gathering nts and herbs. The scent gets stronger when suddenly, it surrounds me and | am no longer in

    the vampire¡¯s den, but I¡¯m back in the woods.

    I''m still alone, but it feels safe here. It reminds me a better time, when things were good in my life. | begin walking around, not

    really knowing where | am or where I¡¯m going. | find a sunny spot andy down in the sun. I¡¯m so tired, and the sun feels so good

    on my skin that | fall asleep.

    | wake up again in the forest. | look around me. I¡¯m still alone but the feeling safety is still here. | take a deep breath. | forgot how

    much | love the smell of the forest. The fresh air, the slight scent of pine, the clean scent of the earth after a rain. | can smell it all

    and it makes my heart soar.

    If I''m dead, shouldn¡¯t my parents be here? | stand and begin calling for them. | walk around continuing my search. Buy they are

    not here. There are only the sounds forest, birds chirping, a stream nearby bubbling as the water passes over rocks, crickets and

    frogs singing their songs in the grass.

    Peace. It¡¯s a feeling I¡¯ve forgotten. But now that | am feeling it again, | don¡¯t ever want to lose it.

    | don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m here, sleeping when I¡¯m tired, enjoying the forest around me when I¡¯m awake. Nothing changes, it¡¯s

    just me and nature.

    Then one day, | hear something. A voice, from far off. | quietly follow the sound trying to find the source. It¡¯s a masculine voice

    and it¡¯s the most attractive voice I''ve ever heard. There is something about it that draws me in.

    | hear a soft purring sound in my head. ¡°Alessia?¡± There is no response, but the purr increases a bit. ¡°Oh Alessia. If you can hear

    me, I¡¯ve missed you so much. | love you. I¡¯m trying to figure out where we are and maybe you can get stronger.

    +15 BONOS

    As I''ve spoken to Alessia, the masculine voice has stopped and Alessia¡¯s purring stops as well, leaving me alone again.

    This continues off and on, until one day, | hear a feminine voice talking to the masculine voice. Alessia growls in my head. ¡®What

    is it girl? Is it danger?¡® | ask my wolf.

    It doesn''t feel like danger, it feels like....jealousy. That¡¯s odd. Why would Alessia or | feel jealous over two people talking. The

    masculine voice stops and the smell of the forest around me dims. The feminine voice continues, and | feel a strange tugging on

    my arms. When the tugging has stopped and the sounds of the woman are gone, Alessia quietly says ¡®Wake up.*N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡®Alessia? Alessia are you back?¡±

    ¡®Not yet, my sweet Angel, but I¡¯m getting there. You need to wake up so | can get. even stronger.¡¯

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 0170

    ¡®lll do anything for you, just tell me what I need to do.¡¯

    ¡®Open your eyes.¡¯

    | didn¡¯t realize that my eyes were closed, but as soon as she says it, | open them. I¡¯m no longer in the forest. I¡¯m in a room, lying

    on a bed. As | look around, | see that | am attached to some sort of line that is dripping something into my body. | immediately

    reach up and rip it out. | pull it to my nose. It smells like saline. | don¡¯t smell any poison or wolfsbane in it.

    | feel weak, but | need to figure out where | am. This room isn¡¯t the one I¡¯ve been living in at the vampire coven. This one feels

    softer, nicer...safer. What a weird word for a bedroom. Clean, tidy,fortable, those are words to describe a room. Safe is not

    one of them and | am not safe. | don¡¯t know where | am, but | know that | have to get out of here before someone finds me

    awake.

    I start to get up when | realize that | am naked. Yep, definitely not safe. Looking down at my body, | can still see the remnants of

    thatst night in the feeding room. The wounds are healing and don¡¯t look like they will scar as badly as some of the others.

    Maybe Alessia is getting stronger and is helping me to heal.

    Before | have a chance to figure out what | want to do, | hear footsteps in the hallway. | immediatelyy back down, pulling the

    nkets back up and over me to cover myself as much as | can. | have no intention of meeting a stranger naked.

    When he walks in, he is a giant of a man. His size and build immediately remind me of my father. His hair is a sandy blond color.

    It probably gets lighter when he¡¯s in the sun. His eyes are a beautiful shade of green. It reminds me of when my mother and |

    would find wild sage in the woods. And his scent. Oh goddess, his scent is of the forest. It¡¯s the same scent that pulled me out of

    my hellish nightmare and ced me into the forest. It¡¯s wild and clean and familiar. | take a deep breath, wanting to smell more

    and that¡¯s when | get the scent. The scent of an alpha.

    | catch the whiff of his alpha aura just before his eyestch onto mine. | immediately grab hold of the fear that is threatening to

    drown me and pull it back. | know how to manage fear. I''ve be adept at managing my terror. | shut it down. | pull all

    emotions back and wait for what is toe. | know | can handle it, no matter what it is.

    He has stopped walking and is just looking at me. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    It''s not a question, so | don¡¯t answer him. | continue to wait, to see what fate has

    +15 BONOS

    in store for me now.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He watches me as he slowly moves toward me, as if he¡¯s afraid to spook me. ¡°My name is Liam. You stumbled into my pack over

    a week ago. You were near death and my doctor has been taking care of you.¡± His eyes track to my arm that is bleeding from

    where | ripped the catheter out. | swear | can hear him sigh.

    ¡°We were giving you IV fluids and some liquid nutrition as you were dehydrated and malnourished when you arrived. You were

    also low on blood and your blood. telets were low, which is probably why your blood isn¡¯t clotting. Here.¡± He goes to take my

    arm and | instinctively jerk it back, holding it against my body...

    He growls softly at me. ¡°I¡¯m not a leech. Your blood is of no interest to me, except | don¡¯t want you bleeding out after I¡¯ve

    expended so much energy to keep you alive.¡± He puts his hand out. ¡°Give me your arm.¡± It¡¯s not a request and | don¡¯t really have

    any other options.

 Chapter 171

    | put my hand in his, palm up. Tingles immediately flow up my arm, causing me to jerk and look up at him. The smirk on his face

    does nothing to ease my difort.

    Gently, he pulls my arm up to his mouth, keeping his eyes on mine. When he looks down at my arm, | see his aggravation at the

    state it¡¯s in. ¡°Did you have to rip it out so violently?¡± It seems like a rhetorical question, so again, | don¡¯t

    answer.

    He leans down and licks the wound, sealing it closed. I¡¯m only just able to stop the moan that tries to leave my mouth. What the

    heck? His tongue on my skin feels nothing like the vampire prince¡¯s tongue. His felt dirty and disgusting. This man¡¯s, Liam¡¯s,

    feels pleasurable. It''spletely unexpected and very much unwanted.

    He sits

    down in a chair that is next to the bed. He looks at me a moment before asking, ¡°Can you talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± | try to say, but my mouth is so dry and ises out in a choking cough. Liam is immediately back on his feet, grabbing

    me a ss of water. He gently puts it to my mouth so | can drink it. The cool water soothes my raw throat and | close my eyes a

    moment as | enjoy the feeling.

    | open my eyes and pull back. Liam¡¯s eyes are on me, watching me. ¡°Drink the rest of it.¡± He says as he puts it back to my lips. |

    watch him as | drink the rest of it down.

    ¡°Better?¡± He asks me. | nod and he raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°Yes.¡± | reply and this time | don¡¯t choke on the word.

    ¡°Good.¡± He puts the ss down and returns to his chair. ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Angel.¡±

    He smiles. ¡°That''s fitting, you look like an angel.¡±

    ¡°Where are you from?¡± He asks his next question. | shrug, | don¡¯t really know how to answer that one.

    ¡°Were you always a rogue?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°What pack were you from?¡± His rapid fire questions are getting answers out of me before I¡¯m ready, but this one stops me short.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Are you going to send me back there?¡±

    ¡°No. You won''t be going back there.¡±

    ¡°Then what difference does it make?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°Why were you running from your pack?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think | was running from them?¡± | answer back.

    ¡°No wolf goes rogue without a good reason. Did you kill someone in your pack and run?¡±

    | scoff at him. | know rogues aren¡¯t well liked by packs, and many are violent offenders kicked out of their pack if they aren¡¯t

    killed, but not all rogues are bad. Sometimes they leave their pack to escape their alphas, like my family did.

    ¡°No, | didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Didn''t kill someone or didn¡¯t run?¡±

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± I¡¯m getting aggravated. His questions are making my head spin.

    ¡°As Alpha, it is my duty to ensure the safety of the pack. | need to know if you are a danger.¡±

    ¡°I''m no danger to your pack. I''ll be happy to leave just as soon as | get something to wear.¡± | retort.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You''re not going anywhere.¡± He states and | know my face goes pale. He

    doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m a Guardian yet and he¡¯s already unwilling to let me go. | need to find a way to escape before Alessia gets

    back up to full strength and it bes obvious what she is.

 Chapter 172

    +15 BONOS

    When | walk back into the room and see my mate awake, Cyran immediately

    starts purring in my head. The sound is so unexpected that it takes me a second to respond. ¡°The fuck Cyran?¡±

    ¡°What? She¡¯s our mate. She''s beautiful, perfect.¡¯

    Great, my wolf is already head over heals for this tiny girl. I¡¯m not there yet. | have a lot of questions.

    | don¡¯t know how much she remembers, but | figure an introduction and quick update would be helpful. I¡¯m annoyed when | see

    that she¡¯s pulled out the IV. I''m desperately trying to keep her alive and the first thing she does when she wakes up is try to undo

    what I¡¯ve been working so hard to do.

    I''m even more pissed at her response to me wanting to heal her. | know | shouldn¡¯t be. She¡¯s been in a vampire coven for who

    knows how long. It¡¯s a

    question | intend to get the answer to today. Her scars make it seem like it¡¯s been a long time, or maybe the whole fucking coven

    was feeding on her at once, who knows.

    | can¡¯t help but smile when she tells me her name is Angel. Yeah, that¡¯spletely fitting, at least on the outside. | have no idea

    what this girl is like, but physically, she looks like an angel. ¡®Our angel.¡¯ My annoying wolf chimes in.

    One important thing | find out, she doesn¡¯t want to go back to her pack. Not only does she not want to go back to her pack, but

    she wants to leave mine. Not going to happen. Even if she wasn¡¯t my mate, the bounty on her head would force me to keep her

    here. | don¡¯t like how pale she gets when | tell her she¡¯s not leaving. Did something happen to her in her old pack to make her

    run?

    I''m about to ask when there is a knock on the door. | immediately growl at the interruption. The door starts to open then stops.

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    The scent of food drifts in from the partially opened door and Angel''s stomach immediately growls in response. | look at her,

    damn | forgot she hasn''t eaten in who knows how long. ¡°Bring it in Dustin.¡±

    He walks in stopping short when he sees she¡¯s awake. He smiles at her and | want to snarl at him, but | rein it in. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re

    awake.¡± He says to her.

    | watch as she pulls the nkets closer to her, holding them to her chest. I¡¯m starving her and making her feel vulnerable having

    no clothes to wear. ¡®Way to show her we can take care of our mate Liam.¡® | mentally facepalm. Cyran is right.

    +15 BONDS

    | was so focused on getting answers to my questions that | wasn¡¯t thinking about

    our mate.

    ¡°Dustin, can you find some clothes for Angel here.¡± Dustin looks at me before turning back to Angel.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Angel. It fits. I¡¯m Dustin, obviously.¡± She nods her head at him. He goes to put the tray down on herp. Oh, hell no! He¡¯s not

    getting anywhere near my mate when she¡¯s not wearing anything under that nket. My growl stops him short, and | grab the

    tray from him.

    ¡°Clothes Dustin, and another tray for me.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± He says before leaving.

    | turn back to my little mate, and damn is she small. I''m seriously hoping the Moon Goddess didn¡¯t make a mistake choosing her

    for me. How can this little girl be my mate? Although, she has survived being a vampire¡¯s blood bag, so she¡¯s got resilience.

    And who am | kidding? First, Cyran would never let me reject her. Second, I¡¯ve been waiting my entire life for her and third, my

    other options are to turn feral or take someone unworthy to be my Luna. | don¡¯t know if I''ll find her worthy of me, but the Moon

    Goddess did, so | will have to trust that.

    ¡®Fucking right you will. I¡¯d go feral the moment you rejected her. Don''t forget that.

    The thought of Cyran going feral turns my blood cold. He¡¯s an amazing, vicious fighter. If he were feral, we¡¯d have to be put

    down. He¡¯d be a killing machine and | know there are only one or two wolves that could take us down, Rik and Cara. |

    wouldn''t want to put either of them in that position.

    ¡®Rx, I¡¯m not going to, | just...thinking.¡® | tell Cyran.

    ¡®Well turn that train of thought off. Not going to happen.*

    | get the tray of food settled on Angel''sp and watch as she slowly takes her first bite. | can see her sniffing the food before

    putting it in her mouth. | sit back down, ready to continue my questions while she eats.

    #pid

    you leave the pack on your own?¡± | start my questions again.

    She swallows her bite before responding. ¡°No, | left with my parents.¡±

    Interesting, so it was her parents¡¯ idea to go rogue.

    ¡°Where are your parents now?¡±

    She stops. | can see her throat bobbing up and down as she tries to get ahold of

    +15 BONOS

    her emotions. Shit! | know the answer before she tells me. ¡°Dead.¡± She whispers it.

    | nod my head, giving her a minute. She puts her fork down but I lean over and put it back in her hand. ¡°You need to eat. I¡¯m

    sorry for your loss. How old were you?¡±

    ¡°| was sixteen when they were killed.¡±

    | keep my voice gentle, hoping she''ll eat while we talk. ¡°Did the vampires kill them?¡± She nods. | can see the tears welling up in

    her eyes.

    ¡°You fucking asshole. You made our mate cry? What is wrong with you. Let me out, | can do a better job of taking care of her.

    You''re going to scare her off.¡¯ Cyran is ranting in my head.

    ¡®Calm down Cyran. If the vampires killed her parents, she may never have had a chance to grieve for them.¡® He settles but is still

    pacing in my head.

    ¡°How long ago were they killed?¡± My voice still gentle. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m used to, being gentle, but with her, it feels natural. |

    also need to know how old she is. It''s impossible to tell. She¡¯s so fucking small, she could be twelve, but ording to her, they

    died when she was sixteen. Maybe she¡¯s still a minor.

    She looks at me, her brows furrowing. ¡°What year is it?¡±

    | tell her and watch as she gasps, her hand going to her mouth. The tears start falling now as her eyes close. Cyran starts

    snarling in my head. What. The. FUCK? How fucking long did those leeches have her?

    | reach over and take her hand. | don¡¯t know if she wants my support, but right now, she has no one else. | know exactly what

    that feels like, so | want her to know that she¡¯s not alone.

    ¡°Seven years.¡± It¡¯s barely a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s been seven years.¡±

 Chapter 173

    Seven years? | lived in hell for seven years? Those horrible vampires took so much from me. If | ever find them...

    ¡°| will kill them.¡® Alessia finishes my thought.

    | don¡¯t know how | feel about more violence. | feel like I¡¯ve lived a lifetime of violence and I¡¯m only 23.

    | didn¡¯t realize Liam was holding my hand until he gently squeezed it. | want to pull it away, but it feelsforting to have him

    holding it.

    ¡°| know this is hard. Can you eat any more? You need to get your strength back. We can talk about something else while you

    eat.¡± Liam says to me.

    | look down at the food when there''s another knock at the door. | smell Dustin this time and know it¡¯s him. | hope he has clothes

    for me.

    ¡°Come in Dustin.¡± Liam responds, not releasing my hand.

    Dustines in carrying a second tray and a bag, presumably with clothes. He hands the tray to Liam who puts it on hisp, still

    not releasing my hand. Dustin notices but doesn¡¯tment, turning to me.

    ¡°| wasn¡¯t sure about your size. You''re awfully small, so | got a couple different sizes and hope something fits.¡± He says putting the

    bag at the foot of the bed.

    ¡°We''ll go shopping when you are strong enough and get you your own clothes.¡± Liam says. | turn to look at him. My brow

    furrowing. | don¡¯t want to owe him. anything. | need to leave.

    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± | ask him.

    He raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°Would you prefer walking around in kid¡¯s clothes?¡± He asks.

    | look at the bag, then back at him. He taps his nose. ¡°I know the smell of my pack members and that includes the pups. You''re a

    tiny little thing, so I¡¯m guessing kid¡¯s clothes were the best Dustin could do on short notice.¡± He turns to look at Dustin who is

    nodding in agreement.

    ¡°| had hoped to be taller.¡± | mumble it, but Liam¡¯sser focus on me let''s me know he heard it. ¡°My father was tall like you.¡± | say

    to Liam. ¡°And my mother was considerably taller than me, but...¡± | let the sentence go unfinished, shrugging. Being a rogue and

    a blood bag didn¡¯t exactly help my growth.

    +18 BONDS

    ¡°Well, | know some she-wolves that are fierce even though they are small. Size isn¡¯t everything.¡± Dustin says, smiling at me. |

    can¡¯t help my answering smile. He seems nice. Liam¡¯s low growl startles me and | try to pull my hand away, but he holds it firmly

    in his.

    ¡°That will be all Dustin.¡±

    Dustin smirks behind his Alpha¡¯s back and walks to the door before turning. ¡°See. you soon Angel.¡± He says and skirts out the

    door before Liam can growl at him again.

    Liam''s focuses back to me. He is intense. It¡¯s hard to look away from him. It''s like his eyes are mas for mine, forcing me

    to look at him. ¡°Eat.¡± He says. it, more gently that | would have expected.

    He releases my hand and begins to eat his own food while | dig back into mine. The interruption from Dustin has helped settle

    me enough to eat again.

    ¡°I need to know something.¡± Liam starts in again. | just know I¡¯m about to get the rapid-fire interrogation again.

    I sigh. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°When you escaped the coven, I¡¯m assuming you escaped and weren¡¯t released?¡± He pauses and | nod. ¡°When you escaped,

    was it because they were attacked by hunters?¡±

    | stop eating and stare at

    ¡°How did you

    know that?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    He nods but instead of answering my question, he asks another one. ¡°And were you the blood bag of a vampire prince?¡±

    Okay, I¡¯m getting scared now. Is he going to give me back to the prince? Are they in some sort of an alliance?

    | set my fork down. If I¡¯m going back, | don¡¯t want to eat. I''ll just vomit it.ter. ¡°Yes.¡± | say quietly. ¡°Are you going to send me back

    to him?¡±

    up

    He shakes his head. ¡°No, but you need to know that he¡¯s put a bounty on your head. Five million dors for your safe return to

    him. Every vampire and bounty hunter in the US is going to be searching for you.¡±

    My hand flies to my mouth. | may just vomit anyway.

    He reaches out and takes my hand again. ¡°You are safe here. | will keep you safe.¡± | begin to shake my head. He doesn¡¯t

    understand.

    He stands, moving his tray from hisp before taking mine and moving it as well.

    +15 BONOS

    He sits on the edge of the bed, taking my head in between his hands. ¡°Angel. Listen to me. | will keep you safe. | will not let him

    or anyone else hurt you. | know you don¡¯t know me and obviously don¡¯t trust me, but | have thergest and second strongest

    pack in the country. The pack bordering mine is the strongest pack in the country and we are allies. They will help me keep you

    safe if ites to a war. No one will get to you.¡±

    I''ve started hyperventting. | can¡¯t do it again. | can¡¯t go back there. The only reason | survived was because of Sarah and she

    got away with the hunters. Liam pulls my face toward his, forcing me to look at him. ¡°Breathe Angel.¡±

    I''m trying to breathe but I just can¡¯t seem to take a breath. | can¡¯t stop thinking about going back.

    The next thing | know, Liam has put his lips on mine. | have a moment where his scent overwhelms my senses and calms me

    before I¡¯m so startled that | suck in air, gasping. ¡°What are you doing?¡± | ask him.

    He pulls back and looks at me. ¡°You weren¡¯t breathing, and you got stuck in your head. You needed a shock to get out of your

    head so you could breathe. | gave you one.¡± He says, shrugging.

    Great, my very first kiss and it was nothing more than some sort of medical diversion.

 Chapter 174

    Seven years? No wonder I¡¯ve never found her. My mate has been a blood bag since | came of age. If she hadn¡¯t escaped when

    she did, | still wouldn¡¯t know she exists. And because of how much time had passed, | was willing to take a chosen mate. My

    hatred for the vampires is overwhelming. They have kept my mate from me and they will pay for it.

    When Dustin returns, he flirty interactions with Angel piss me off. | know he¡¯s doing it intentionally, and | know a Beta should care

    for and respect his Luna, but he¡¯s pushing my buttons.

    It bothers me that Angel thinks | would give her back to the leech. | can tell she doesn¡¯t recognize the mate bond, but she has a

    very skewed idea of that an Alpha¡¯s role is in a pack. She may not be one of my pack members yet, but | would never send her

    back to the hell she must havee from. No self- respecting Alpha would. Which makes me wonder what exactly her ideas are

    of Alphas. Knowing that her parents left their pack, it had to be because of the Alpha. Either he was the problem, or he wasn¡¯t

    willing to fix the problem. Either way, he¡¯s given my mate a very bad impression of what an Alpha should be.

    I''ve been running this pack since | was 10 years old. Even though my father was technically Alpha until his death, his ability to

    manage the pack died with my mother. His Beta, Dustin¡¯s father, helped me to run the pack. He made sure that other packs did

    not take advantage of our weakness and taught me everything | needed to know.

    When | turned 16, it was almost as if my father was d that he could finally let go and be with my mother. So, taking over as

    Alpha was seamless. | kept Dustin¡¯s father on as Beta until Dustin turned 18 then made his position official.

    | take the role of Alpha and my responsibilities as a pack leader very seriously. | always have. So to know that there are Alphas

    out there that mistreat their pack members, and | do know they exist, it pisses me off. | refuse to be in an alliance with any Alpha

    that has a bad reputation with their pack members. And given that my pack is the strongest in the country, at least for now, most

    packs want some sort of an alliance with me.

    | do think at the next Alphapetition that happens every four years, like the human Olympics, that Rik¡¯s pack will emerge as

    the strongest. | am slightly stronger than Rik, but he has two Guardians in his pack, one now being his Luna. Clint being in a

    wheelchair may keep him frompeting, but that doesn¡¯t mean he wouldn''t win if he did. And Cara is a force to be reckoned

    with. | may be

    -15 BONOS

    stronger than Rik, but I¡¯m not stronger than Rik and Cara. So | expect next year when thepetition is held that my standing as

    the strongest pack will fall, and I¡¯m okay with that. While | haven''t spoken to Cara since her birthday, | have contacted Rik

    periodically to let him know what is happening with Eli. | will also be filling him in on the risk of a vampire attack. Our alliance

    remains strong and that won''t change if the Canyon Ridge Pack takes over as the strongest pack.

    When | tell Angel about the bounty on her head, | knew it would upset her, but | didn¡¯t realize how much. | need her to

    understand that she can¡¯t leave. Not only will Cyran and | not allow her to leave, but now it¡¯s a matter of safety. There will be too

    many people hunting her and | need her to stay where I can keep watch over her.

    | realize when | can¡¯t get Angel to focus and breathe that | need to do something to shock her system. ¡®Kiss her.¡¯ Cyran says and

    it''s as good an idea as any.

    The minute my lips touch hers, | can taste it. Raspberries and cream. Her taste is even sweeter than her smell.

    I''m quickly beginning to understand Rik¡¯s ferocity about me touching Cara after he identified her as his mate. If the roles were

    reversed, | would have been hard pressed not to take his head off. No one will touch my mate. No one! She¡¯s MINE.

    She''s finally settled when Dr. Phillips walks in. ¡°Oh look, our patient is awake.¡±

    If | hadn¡¯t been watching her so closely, | would have missed it. And I¡¯m not even sure | saw what | think | saw. It¡¯s not possible. It

    can¡¯t be. But it was there, a moment, where Angel''s eyes shed golden. The golden eyes of the Guardian.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I''m Dr. Phillips.¡± She introduces herself to Angel.

    ¡°Angel.¡±

    ¡°Angel, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯ve been looking after you since you arrived here in Shadow Falls Pack. Do you mind if | take a

    look at...¡± She stops, looking at the IV that is no longer attached to Angel¡¯s arm.

    ¡°She ripped it out.¡± | say, watching the exchange.

    Dr. Phillips looks at me then back to Angel. ¡°The IV only has saline and some vitamins and liquid nutrition in it. Nothing that

    would hurt you. As your doctor, I¡¯m not sure that it¡¯s a good idea to remove it yet. Would you be willing to have me reinsert it in

    your other arm?¡±

    | watch as Angel''s eyes track back and forth between the doctor and me. It¡¯s obvious what she¡¯s thinking. She doesn¡¯t trust me

    and doesn¡¯t want to be restrained in any way. But, she also isn¡¯t willing to say so. Fear shes in her eyes

    201

    +15 BONOS

    momentarily before she gets it under control again. | want her healthy, but | also want her to start trusting me.

    ¡°Is there another option doctor?¡± | ask and | see Angel¡¯s shoulders rx slightly.

    Dr. Phillips turns to me, looking pensive. ¡°Well, if Angel can agree to drink 8 ounces of water every hour, and | mean every hour,

    then | could be okay with it. And she will need to eat small meals every three to four hours. Can you agree to that Angel?¡±

    Her response is immediate. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to put a form together so you can track your fluid and food intake. Alpha, who will be assisting her?¡±

    ¡°| will.¡± | can see her shock at my statement, but she covers it quickly.

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±

    She finishes her evaluation, then prepares the form for Angel to track her water and food. ¡°Angel, if you do not follow my orders, |

    will reinforce the need for the IV tomorrow, so if you don¡¯t want the IV, you need to be diligent in your fluid and food intake

    overnight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you doctor.¡± | say to her and walk her to the door. She looks at me like she¡¯s about to say something but changes her

    mind. ¡°See you in the morning Alpha.¡±

    After | close the door, | turn to my little mate. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you would like a real bath, am | right?¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 175

    When the doctor first walked in and spoke to me, | recognized the voice as the one from when | was unconscious. She had been

    talking to Liam while | was out. | was surprised when Alessia pushed forward, ready to snarl at her. | quickly pulled her back. |

    can¡¯t have her give us away. | noticed Liam looking at me, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    When the doctor tells me she wants to hook me back up, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have another panic attack. | don¡¯t want to be

    tethered anywhere. I¡¯m surprised but thankful when Liam asks if there is another way. I''ll do just about anything to not be tied up

    again. I¡¯ve had enough of that in thest seven years.

    When the doctor leaves, | rx until Liam asks about me taking a bath. If I¡¯m honest, nothing sounds better right now than a long

    soak in a tub with hot water. Showers in the coven were cold because the vampires don¡¯t feel the cold. So, | would get in and get

    out as fast as | could. | haven¡¯t had a warm bath or shower since my family and | left the pack so many years ago.

    | look at him weighing my desire to take a bath with the possibility that this is a trick or there is some requirement that | have to

    meet if | ept.

    He sighs heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you. | can just tell that you were running in the woods for a while before you got to

    my pack and before that you were in a coven for seven years. You don¡¯t have to, and there is a shower in there as well, | just

    thought a bath would feel better, and I¡¯m honestly not sure you''re strong enough to stand long enough to take a shower, so the

    bath is probably safer.¡±

    | look to where he pointed. | really, really want a bath. ¡°Okay.¡± | say.

    He smiles at me as if | just gave him the best gift in the world, and my breath catches. The man is attractive, but when he

    smiles? Wow! He should definitely smile more often.

    ¡°Do you need me to help you to the bath?¡± He asks me.

    Nope, sure don¡¯t. ¡°I think | can manage on my own, thank you.¡±

    He nods and moves into the bathroom. In a moment, | hear the water start to run. | sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed. | pull

    the sheet until | can wrap it around myself then slide off the bed until my feet touch. When | try to stand, my legs won''t hold my

    weight. | start to go down, my hands reaching out to catch me. Before | hit the floor, strong arms wrap around me and I¡¯m lifted

    into Liam''s

    arms.

    +15 BONOST¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He looks at me, aggravation clear on his face. He carries me bridal style to the bathroom. ¡°Are you determined to undo

    everything I''ve done to help you heal? You could havended on your face, broken your nose and all the healing powers of

    licking won''t fix that. Not to mention, your blood levels are still low and an injury like that could set your recovery back who knows.

    how long.¡±

    I''ve tucked myself against his body because when he picked me up, the sheet did note with us. I¡¯m naked in his arms, so

    I''ve curled up as best | can to maintain some modesty. He shifts me in his arms, holding me with one arm while he reaches in

    and tests the water. Seriously? How strong is he? He¡¯s holding my entire body with one arm like I¡¯m a child who weighs nothing.

    When he¡¯s satisfied, he gently sets me down in the water. | can¡¯t help the moan that leaves my lips. It feels so good. The heat

    makes my newer punctures feel sensitive, but it immediately starts working on my sore muscles.

    When he sets me down, | pull my knees to my chest, again trying to hide myself from him. However, when | look at him, he isn¡¯t

    even looking at me. He¡¯s gone to the shower and is searching through the bottles on the shelf. When he turns around, | see his

    eyes are zed over. | remember that as the look of the mind link. He sets the bottles beside the tub and walks to the door.

    | thought he was leaving, but he pushed the door closed, leaving it cracked a bit. Hees back, turning the water off and

    coming to sit behind me. ¡°Lean back.¡±

    | turn to look at him over my shoulder. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I''m going to wash your hair, it¡¯s a mess, lean back.¡±

    | turn away from him, not sure what to do. | hear him sigh loudly before | feel his hands on my shoulders. | flinch at the touch, but

    he leans in to me and quietly says, ¡°I will not hurt you. You are under my protection now and | take that very seriously. Rx.¡°

 Chapter 176

    I can¡¯t rx, but | do listen, and |y back. | look up to see if he¡¯s giving my body the same lecherous looks the vampires did, but

    he¡¯s not. He¡¯s focused on my hair. | frown, weird.

    He puts his hand under my head, holding it above the water then takes his other hand and begins cupping water into it before

    pouring if over my head. | feel myself start to rx as | watch him focus on his job. He looks into my eyes. winks at me before

    returning to his work.

    ¡°Your eyes are a striking shade of gray. I¡¯ve never seen eyes that color before, like a stormy sea.¡±

    and

    He pushes gently on my head. ¡°Sit up.¡± He says and reaches for one of the bottles. | watch as he sniffs several, the frown

    between his brows getting deeper until he huffs and finally picks one. He puts the shampoo in his hand, rubs it into his other

    hand then begins massaging it into my head. This time it¡¯s a whimper that leaves my mouth. His fingers rubbing against my scalp

    feel better than anything I¡¯ve felt in more years than | care to remember. It¡¯s utter bliss.

    | hear a noise outside the bathroom and my whole body goes stiff. Liam never stops running his fingers across my scalp. ¡°Shhh,

    they are just changing the sheets while you are in here. | didn¡¯t think you''d want to get back into dirty sheets after getting clean.¡±

    His voice is low, as if he¡¯s talking to an injured, trapped animal, and maybe that¡¯s how he sees me.

    ¡°Lay back.¡± He says and gently pushes on my shoulders. Again, he holds my head as he rinses my hair clean of the shampoo.

    When he pushes me back up to sit, he grabs a bottle of conditioner and rubs it into my hair. Then he grabs a brush and starts to

    gently work his way through the tangled mess in my hair.

    ¡°Your hair is beautiful. I''ve been wondering how long it really is. | can¡¯t wait to

    see it.¡¯

    ¡°Thest time | looked at it, it was past my waist. | haven¡¯t had it cut in years.¡± |

    tell him.

    ¡°Do you want to cut it? | can have someonee cut it for you. Although, | like long hair, so | hope you''ll keep it long.¡±

    | turn and look at him over my shoulder again. He seems mesmerized by my hair. He turns his gaze to me, winking at me again. |

    frown. He¡¯s a strange alpha.

    Without taking his eyes off my hair, he reaches down and grabs a washcloth. ¡±

    +15 DONOS

    You can bathe yourself while | do this if you want. This may take some time.¡± He hands the washcloth to me.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    | peer over the side of the tub, looking at the bottles. | can¡¯t see what they are, and | start to reach for one, but he grabs a

    different one. ¡°Here, try this one.¡± | open it and it smells like vani. It''s a nice smell but when | used to choose my own scents, |

    always went for more fruity scents, like berries.

    While he¡¯s busy with my hair, | pour some body wash into the washcloth and begin rubbing it over my body. I¡¯m careful as | go

    over my wrists. It was a favorite. spot of the prince¡¯s and they feel scarred over on the top but still sensitive underneath. | move

    up my arms and over my shoulders feeling the bumps of scarred¡ªover puncture wounds. | must look repulsive to Liam. My body

    is a disfigured mess.

    | can¡¯t help the tears that begin to fall. What if Alessia can never heal these and | look like this for the rest of my life. What if |

    have to carry the reminder of my time with that monster forever.

    | hadn''t realized that Liam had stopped brushing my hair until he gently takes hold of my chin and turns my face to look at him.

    ¡°Scars are nothing more than proof that you are stronger than you know. They show that you have lived. through difficult times

    but you¡¯re still here, still fighting. Don¡¯t be ashamed of your scars. You should wear them proudly. Not many could have survived

    what you did.¡±

    | nod my head at him and go back to washing as he continues to brush out my hair. The water begins to cool and he starts to let

    it out, turning on the faucet and adding more hot water as the cooler water runs out of the tub, clearing the sudsy

    space.

    ¡°Better?¡± He asks me as he turns off the faucet.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. It¡¯s been a long time since I''ve had warm water.¡±

    ¡°Can | ask you something?¡± | need to know why he¡¯s being so nice. What''s in it

    for him.

    ¡°You can ask me anything.¡± He replies.

    | turn to look at him over my shoulder again. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 177

    When | take Angel into the bathroom, | know she¡¯s expecting me to do something sexual or lewd. So, | make it a point to not look

    at her, well, not much. I¡¯ve already seen her body, several times while she was unconscious. It¡¯s already etched into my mind. |

    know that you can see every rib, that her hips bones jut out too sharply, that her shoulders have more bone than meat on them.

    She''s not only a small girl but she¡¯s been starving for a long time. | can¡¯t wait to see what her body looks like when she fills out.

    Cyran and | will make sure she eats and gets enough food. She will never go hungry again.

    When | tell her toy back so | can wash her hair, | can feel her eyes drilling holes into myProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    head. So | fight the urge to look her over. | know her body won''t have changed, she¡¯s only had one small meal. So instead, | look

    into her eyes and wink at her. Her jerk of surprise almost made me smile. The whimper of pleasure when | began washing her

    hair definitely had me smiling. It feels good taking care of my mate. Even Cyran is purring in my mind as we massage her head

    and | feel her body begin to rx under my ministrations.

    | want to ask her more questions, but | don¡¯t want to ruin this moment. She¡¯s calm and doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s ready to bolt at the

    slightest hint of an opportunity. So, | wait.

    Her question about why I¡¯m doing this is dangerous. | don¡¯t want to tell her I¡¯m her mate. I¡¯m not sure how she will react,

    especially since her wolf isn¡¯t yet at full strength. So, | decide to go with my gut. I¡¯m pretty sure her experience with Alphas is bad

    and | want her to know I¡¯m not like that.

    ¡°You have been injured and are in danger. You stumbled into my pack practically. on your death bed. While you are a rogue and |

    have to take that into

    consideration, you have also been through a lot and need my protection. An Alpha¡¯s job is to protect those that cannot protect

    themselves. While that mostly applies to my pack, it also applies to others that may cross my path. So, I¡¯m helping you because

    it''s the right thing to do. And as an Alpha, it¡¯s my responsibility.¡±

    | watch her frown at my response, but she remains silent.

    When | hear the omegas leaving the room, | mind link them thanking them and asking that they make two trays of food. | mind

    link Dustin asking him to bring them up when they are ready.

    | didn¡¯t realize she was crying until | smelled the saltiness of her tears. When | looked, | could see her assessing her body. There

    is almost no part of her that

    +15 BONOS

    isn''t marred with the bumpiness of her scars. To me, it makes her look like a warrior. What has she endured and ovee to

    survive it? I¡¯m serious when | tell her that not many could have survived what she has. It¡¯s a testament to her strength. And while

    she may not be physically strong, her scars tell a story, loud and clear, about her inner strength. Something | need to remember

    so | don¡¯t underestimate my little angel.

    When | finish untangling her hair, | can¡¯t tell how long it is, but | know it¡¯s long and so silky. | run my fingers through it longer than

    | need to because | love the way it feels. | know she said she wants to cut it, but | really hope it¡¯s not too short.

    Everything about her is unique. Her hair is so white that it can¡¯t even be considered blond. Her eyes are a pale gray, so pale that

    it''s hard to really determine what color they are. It¡¯s not until | looked at her, so close to me while. rinsing her hair that | finally

    realized that they are gray. Not blue¡ªgray, not green -gray. Just gray.

    When I''m done rinsing her hair again, | stand and bring her a towel. ¡°Do you need more time to bathe?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°No, thank you, I¡¯m starting to prune.¡± And she shows me her shrivled finger tips. | smile and pull the plug on the tub, letting the

    water drain. | hold the towel out and open in front of me, giving her a bit of privacy as she stands before | wrap it around her and

    lift her out of the tub.

    ¡°| can walk.¡± She says quietly. | look at her. ¡°Thest time you stood, you almost some more food in you fell t on your face.

    How about we take it slow and get some more food in you before we try it again?¡±

 Chapter 178

    She nods and as we''re walking into the room, Dustin walks in holding two trays. You can set them over there.¡± | nod my head

    toward the couch and coffee table.

    | watch as Dustin smiles at Angel. I¡¯m going to throat punch him if he doesn¡¯t stop flirting with my mate.

    ¡°Feeling better Angel?¡± He asks her, all smiling happiness.

    ¡°Yes, thank you Dustin.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Dustin, that¡¯s all for tonight.¡± | tell him gruffly. If he doesn¡¯t leave soon, Cyran is going to growl at him and scare our

    mate. He has the audacity to snicker as he turns to leave. ¡°Sleep well Angel.¡± He says before scurrying out the door. Bastard.

    He¡¯s doing this on purpose to get a rise out of me.

    | take her over to the bed first and set her down. | pull out the clothes and look at what Dustin brought her. Nothing in here looks

    like something she can sleep in. | sigh and look at her. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡± | tell her.

    | go to my room and grab one of my shirts and a pair of draw string shorts. It doubt she will be able to wear them even with the

    drawstring, but we''ll give it a shot. I¡¯m kind of d that she¡¯s going to be wearing my shirt. It will ensure that my scent is on her,

    calming Cyran and | a bit since she doesn¡¯t wear our mating mark yet.

    When I return, | pull my shirt over her head, helping her to find the arm holes. She pulls the towel off underneath the shirt and

    pulls the shirt down beneath her. It falls past her knees. | frown and look at the shorts. ¡°I brought these, but | doubt they will stay

    on.

    my

    ¡°This is fine, it¡¯s more than I¡¯ve had to wear in a long time.¡± Cyran growls in head at that, and | watch her wrap her arms around

    herself. She¡¯s swimming in my shirt it''s sorge on her. But she doesn¡¯t seem to care and | catch her sniffing it a couple of times.

    Good, at least she seems to like my scent, that¡¯s something.

    | make sure she eats, even though she doesn¡¯t eat as much as I''d like her to, definitely not as much as a normal wolf, maybe not

    even as much as a human. She drinks more water than required, which is good.

    When she¡¯s done, | put her back into bed, tucking her in. | sit beside her, knowing she won''t be awake long.

    ¡°My wolf, Cyran says he can sense that you have a wolf but she¡¯s dormant. Is that correct?¡±

    She nods at me. ¡°Yes. Alessia went quiet years ago.¡± She looks down, plucking at the nket on her bed. ¡°She worked so hard

    at first to heal me. She saved my life. once when | was nearly killed by a visiting vampire and he didn¡¯t want to stop. feeding on

    me. But over time, | became weak and it weakened her as well. | only hear her on rare asions now.¡±

    I nod. ¡°As you get stronger, she should get stronger too. We''ll work on getting you both back in good health, okay?¡±

    Her smile is sad. I¡¯m not sure if she doesn¡¯t believe me or if there is something. else concerning her.

    | wait until she falls asleep and then | head downstairs. | need to let Cyran out. He¡¯s been fighting me and pushing to be closer to

    our mate. We''re both disturbed at the state our mate is in. I¡¯m hoping a run will ease his frustration as well as

    mine.

    | see Dustin as | head out. ¡°Let me know if anything happens. She¡¯s asleep and | want to know the minute she wakes up if she

    does.¡± He nods and | strip and jump off the back porch of the packhouse shifting mid-air.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    We run for hours. It feels good to be out and running. We check up on the patrols. and see that everyone is taking the vampire

    threat seriously. That reminds me that | need to contact Rik and let him know about the possibility of a vampire

    attack.

    When | get back, | shift and start to change. The packhouse is quiet, most

    everyone is asleep. As | start to walk inside, | hear a blood curdling scream. Before | can even think, Cyran has taken over and

    shifted back, tearing up the steps of the packhouse to get to our mate.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 0179

    After the bath and the food, I¡¯m exhausted. I¡¯m so thankful that Liam doesn¡¯t

    start peppering me with questions again. It scares me that Alessia will start to get stronger and we might be found out, but I¡¯m

    also thrilled at having my wolf back. She¡¯s been more active since we woke up, much more so than she has been in the past

    couple of years, so I¡¯m hopeful that she can get strong and we can leave before Liam realizes what she is.

    | don¡¯t remember falling asleep, but I''m suddenly back in the feeding room. The screams, the smells, all of it batters my senses

    again. Somewhere in my mind, | know this is a dream but it feels so real. When Prince Keenan turns his gaze to me, his eyes

    are blood red, his fangs are extended.

    ¡°Did you think you could escape me? Did you think | wouldn''t find you and bring you back? You belong to me. You''re mine!¡± He

    snarls it at me before grabbing my head, pulling my neck to the side and sinking his fangs into my neck.

    I''m scream, sitting up in bed, still feeling the pain of his fangs savagely plunging into my neck. I¡¯m still screaming when a huge

    sandy colored wolf breaks through the door to my bedroom, bounding onto the bed, covering me in his warmth and filling my

    nose with the scent of the forest, the scent | love.

    | grab hold of his fur, burying my face in his neck. Heys down on top of me. ¡°Is she okay Alpha?¡± | hear Dustin from

    somewhere over by the door. | can¡¯t move, | can¡¯t let go. This wolf has be my lifeline.

    Liam must have mind linked him because | hear his footsteps moving away, down the hall.

    | feel Cyran¡¯s chest rumbling with something that sounds like a purr. The sound is calming and helps me to get my breathing

    back under control. He begins rubbing his face against my face and neck, letting me hold on to him with my death grip.

    When the warmth of his body starts to prate the cold fear of mine, | finally rx my grip on him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± | whisper it into

    his fur, iny face still pressed against his neck.

    | feel more than hear him chuff at my words. As | get my bearings and begin to rx, | realize that this wolf is really big, bigger

    than my father¡¯s. His body is longer than mine in my human form. | wonder how tall he stands. I¡¯m short, so he may be as tall as |

    am. | guess it¡¯s because he¡¯s an Alpha.

    | pull back and look at him. His dark eyes shining back at me. ¡°You must be

    +15 BONOS

    Cyran.¡±

    He licks my nose and | can¡¯t help but giggle. | look him over as best | can in the dark. ¡°You''re a huge wolf, you know that? And

    beautiful.¡± | run my fingers through his fur. ¡°Your fur is so soft.¡± He pushes his face against my hand. | chuckle, ¡°You like that,

    huh?¡± A soft bark is my answer.

    We sit like that for a minute. He¡¯s heavy, but the weight of him helps me to feel grounded. His whine makes me look at him. He

    wants to know what happened.

    | shake my head. ¡°Just a nightmare.¡± | feel tears forming in my eyes, and | sniff.¡± | was back there in the feeding room,¡± | look at

    Cyran, ¡°That''s what | called it, the feeding room. And he was there, Prince Keenan. He said he¡¯d found me and that | belong to

    him, that I¡¯m his.¡± Cyran growls low and menacing against me.¡± | don¡¯t want to go back there.¡± | say it in barely more than a

    whisper, but | know he can hear me.

    He begins licking the tears off my face. He continues until my tears stop falling and | settle. My hands are still running through his

    fur. There is something calming about running your hands over an animal, the repetitive motion rxing you over time. Cyran is

    patient with me, allowing me the time | need to calm down.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I''m okay now. You don¡¯t have to stay.¡± | tell him. He lifts his head and looks at me, huffing at me before licking my nose again

    andying hisrge head back. down on my chest.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 0180

    I smile, my handsing to rest on his neck and chest. ¡°Thank you.¡± | say and | drift back to a dreamless sleep.

    When | wake in the morning, he is gone but the nkets still have the warmth of his body on them, so | know he hasn¡¯t been

    gone long. | sit up, realizing | need to use the bathroom and hoping I¡¯m strong enough to get myself there.

    | slowly slide off the bed until my feet are on the floor. This time, | hold on to the bed as | stand. My legs feel a little bit stronger

    and | use the bed as a crutch as | walk to the end. From there, | have about five steps until | get to the door of the bathroom. ¡®You

    can do this, you can do this¡¯, | chant to myself.

    Just as I¡¯m about to take the first step, the door opens and a freshly showered Liam walks in. ¡°Whoa, whoa, what are you

    doing?¡± He¡¯s in front on me in threerge strides, scooping me into his arms.

    ¡°need a

    to use the bathroom.¡±

    ¡®Geez, | wasn¡¯t gone that long and you were out when Cyran finally jumped down.¡± He says as he walks me to the bathroom. He

    sets me down in front of the toilet. Okay, | don¡¯t care how weak | am, I¡¯m not peeing in front of this man.

    He looks at me, his eyes squinting. ¡°I¡¯m going to step outside, but the minute you are done, you let me know and I''lle back

    and get you, deal?¡±

    | smile, ¡°Deal.¡±

    He walks out but leaves the door open. | sigh, it¡¯s more than | expected but | would have liked the door to be closed. Thankfully, |

    have to go so badly that it doesn¡¯t matter. | finish up, and stand, using the counter to get to the sink. I¡¯ve just turned the water on

    before he¡¯s right behind me, hands on my hips holding me steady.

    ¡°Doc Phillips will be by soon. | have food being sent up for you. You will need to stay on bedrest again today and continue to

    drink and eat to regain your

    strength.¡±

    It sounds like he¡¯s giving instructions before he leaves. ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± | ask.

    ¡°| have to go into the city. Mypany offices are there, and | have to take care of some things that have been sitting while | was

    waiting for you to wake up.¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry, | didn¡¯t...¡±

    +15 DONOS

    He cuts me off. ¡°It was my decision to stay here, and | have been able to do some things electronically, but today there are things

    that | have to do in person. Dustin will be here and he will check up on you periodically while I¡¯m gone. What can | get you to

    keep you entertained while I¡¯m gone? Books, music, crochet?¡±

    I look at him in the mirror. ¡°Crochet?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°Just trying to cover all the bases.¡± He smiles and my stomach flutters. Seriously, this man is dangerous when he

    smiles.

    ¡°Books and music sound good.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He nods. ¡°All done here?¡± When | nod, he picks me up and walks out of the bathroom. He stops frowning. ¡°Bed or couch?¡± He

    asks.

    ¡°Couch.¡± | can see he¡¯s not terribly pleased with my choice. ¡°Or the bed if that¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°No, this is fine.¡± He says before gently putting me on the couch. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡±

    Before he gets to the door, it opens and Dustin walks in with a tray of food. ¡°Good morning, Angel. You gave me quite a scare

    last night.¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry about that.¡± | say, not wanting to talk about it again.

    ¡°Nothing to apologize for.¡± He says, putting the tray in front of me and sitting down beside me. His arm goes around the back of

    the couch behind me. ¡°So, | hear we''re going to be spending the day together.¡±

    Liam''s growl has my head shooting up to look at him, but his eyes are on Dustin. | see his eyes ze over and look at Dustin to

    see his have as well. They are mind

    linking and don¡¯t want me to know what is being said. I¡¯m surprised when Dustin¡¯s smile gets bigger and Liam stomps out.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 181

    Dustin is seriously pushing my buttons. He knows that I¡¯m feeling possessive of my unmarked mate. Deep down, | know he won''t

    do anything, but it¡¯s still hard to keep that in mind when he¡¯s antagonizing me. ¡®He touches our mate and I''ll kill him.¡® Cyran

    snarls.

    My wolf, who has already fallen head over heels in love and is wrapped around the finger of that little slip of a girl. My wolf, who

    is the most fierce and savage beast | have ever met on the battle field, is a puddle of sloppy adoration for our

    mate.

    ¡®How many times do | have to say it, she¡¯s perfect.

    ¡®And you''re ridiculous. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t roll over and ask her to rub your stomach.¡± | retort back to him. Although, | have to

    admit, he got more out of her in a few minutes than | have in several interactions.

    ¡®She likes me better. And if she wants to rub my tummyh

    for her.¡® | roll my eyes.

    be d to roll over

    Her fear of the vampire prince, Keenan she called him, is profound. Her grip on Cyran was painful, but he didn¡¯t care, he was

    d to able to take care of our mate. And she didn¡¯t resist. If anything, she was receptive to his attentions and happy to have him

    sleep with her, guarding her all night.

    I''d be lying if | said | didn¡¯t enjoy it as much as Cyran. Being surrounded by her scent, hearing her heartbeat and watching her

    sleep peacefully because we were near, had my heart soaring. | hope one day she''ll look to me, the man, not just

    wolf for that kind offort.

    my

    I''m unhappy that | have to go into the city. But it can¡¯t be put off any longer.

    There are a couple of individuals that | need to screen before we can set them up to work for thepany. | could send Dustin,

    but it¡¯s my job.

    She should be okay as long as she stays in bed. Both Dustin and Dr. Phillips have been told to call me if anything happens.

    | bring Angel a spare phone with my Spotify ylist on it. | have no idea what kind of music she likes, but I''ll find out and create a

    ylist for her. | grabbed several books from the library in the packhouse. Again, I''ll figure out what she likes and make sure we

    have it here for her. | show her how to listen to the

    ylist and then help her figure out the speaker so she can listen before | head.

    out.

    +15 BONOS

    I''m gone longer than expected. It¡¯s been a long day and both Cyran and | have been anxious being away from Angel this long. |

    called Dustin several times to check in and he reported that she had been eating, drinking and resting as required. He said she

    was standing on her own now and had been able to get herself to the bathroom. I¡¯m surprised, she hadn¡¯t seemed that strong

    this morning, but maybe getting some food in her system was making a difference.

    It''s nearly dinner time when | finally get back to the packhouse. When | walk in, several pack members greet me and want to talk.

    I''m polite but quickly find a reason to remove myself from them, wanting toy eyes on my mate.

    | swiftly jog up the stairs, walking directly to her room. When | open the door, she¡¯s not on the couch or the bed. | start to panic

    before | see her sitting by the window looking out.

    ¡°Did you want to go outside?¡± | ask. | can see her jump, | startled her and as she turns, | suck in air. Her eyes. They are shining

    golden behind the gray, making the color of Angel''s eyes turn to an olive color. It¡¯s gone almost immediately, but | saw it. | know

    exactly what it means. She¡¯s a Guardian.

    My heart starts racing. Not only did the Moon Goddess literally drop my mate at my doorstep, she also mated me with a

    Guardian, the strongest, most fierce of all werewolves. I¡¯m overwhelmed by this, but also confused. How can this small, timid girl

    be a Guardian?

    | see her looking at me and she looks scared. Scared for me to know what she is? I¡¯m not sure, so | pull myself together. ¡°I can

    take you outside if you''d like to go

    out.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m ok, thank you. How was your day?¡± She asks and | walk into her room, moving closer to her. Her scent in my nose like a

    balm after a day without it.

    ¡°My day was good. | was worried about you. | didn¡¯t like being away from you for so long.¡± | tell her honestly, but my mind is

    spinning. She¡¯s a Guardian, I¡¯m almost positive. There is one way for me to know for sure.

 Chapter 182

    ¡°Dustin said you checked on me several times. That¡¯s very nice of you, unnecessary. I¡¯m feeling better.¡±

    ¡°So | see. You''re able to stand and walk on your own now?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Only short distances, but yes,

    I''m able to walk.¡±

    but

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news. Have you eaten dinner?¡± She shakes her head, no.

    ¡°I''ll ask them to bring up two trays, and I''ll eat with you, is that okay?¡±

    ¡°| was going toy down for a bit first. Maybe after that?¡± She says.

    Perfect. ¡°That sounds good. I''ll go get a shower and see what''s for dinner.¡± | watch as she walks back to her bed. She¡¯s a bit

    wobbly but she¡¯s able to do it. | help her get up into the bed and tuck her in before heading to my room.

    | grab my phone dialing a number | haven¡¯t called in over six months. She answer

    on the second ring.

    ¡°Liam.¡±

    ¡°Hey Cara. | need your help.¡±

    ¡°Of course, anything within my control, you know that.¡±

    ¡°I need you toe to my packhouse. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°Now?¡±

    ¡°I''ll see you in forty-five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Cara.¡±

    ¡°Liam, | hope you know that even after everything, | still count you as one of my closest friends.¡±

    | smile. Of course she does, she¡¯s amazing like that. ¡°See you soon.¡±

    | shower and head downstairs after poking my head back in on Angel. Her eyes are closed, and her breathing is heavy.

    I check on the options for dinner, ordering something for three now, knowing Cara may also be hungry. Right on time, | hear a

    knock at the front door of the packhouse. | open the door to her smiling face.

    ¡°Hello Liam.¡±

    ¡°Hey Cara. Come in.¡±

    She steps past me into the foyer then turns opening her arms in invitation. | pull her into a hug. | had expected it to hurt, to feel

    the pain of the loss that | felt months ago. But there is none of that. There is only the familiar feeling of the care that | always had

    for this woman. She feels like family, not like a lost love.

    | sniff her hair and realize her scent is different. | take her by the shoulders and push her back, smiling down at her.

    ¡°Congrattions?¡± | ask, unsure if I¡¯m supposed to know.

    Her smile brightens the room. ¡°Thank you! We''ve only just told the pack. My scent started changing and we didn¡¯t really have a

    choice.¡± She tells me, all bubbly energy.

    ¡°Is ita boy or a girl?¡± | ask.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, but Rik is certain it¡¯s a girl. He says she has my honey smell.¡±

    I smile down at her. ¡°I''ll take his word for it.¡±

    Height wise, she¡¯s not much taller than Angel, but in size, she¡¯s a good two sizesrger, and Cara is ripped. She trains four hours

    a day every day. | once had the opportunity to train with her and it kicked my ass. To know that even ripped. she¡¯s so much

    bigger than Angel, gives me hope that my girl will fill out.

    ¡°So, what is this about Liam? How can | help you?¡±

    ¡°| want you to meet someone. She came into my borders a couple of weeks ago, on her death bed. She¡¯d been held hostage by

    vampires and will take some time to recover, so just know that going in.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She draws out the word as we begin heading upstairs. ¡°But why am | here?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s special Cara. | need to know if you get any feelings from her. | don¡¯t know, maybe your Guardian senses will tell you

    something that | can¡¯t figure out.¡±

    She grabs hold of my arm and pulls me to a stop just as we reach the Alpha floor. ¡°She¡¯s your mate, isn¡¯t she Liam?¡±

    I turn to her. ¡°She is, but she doesn¡¯t know it yet. She¡¯s very weak and her wolf is just slowly returning. She hasn¡¯t recognized the

    mate bond.¡±

    ¡°Alright, so what am | looking for?¡± She asks me as we get closer to Angel¡¯s door.

    2/3

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°I''d rather not say anything until after you¡¯ve met her. If I''m wrong, | don¡¯t want to taint your interaction with her.¡±

    When we walk in, | intentionally stand in front of Cara, not letting Angel see her at first. Angel is awake and sitting up in bed. ¡°Hey

    Angel, | brought someone to see you. This is my friend Cara.¡±

    | move out of the way and let Carae in. The minute she sees Cara, Angel¡¯s eyes sh to gold. ¡°Artemis.¡± She whispers.

    | look at Cara and see Artemis shining in her eyes. ¡°Mother.¡±

    Cooper

    AuthorProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.

    in Cara again?

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 183

    After Liam leaves, | try listening to some of his music. It¡¯s all very angry and loud. | only try a few before | give up. | don¡¯t know

    how to find songs and | don¡¯t want to do something I¡¯m not supposed to do, so | set it aside and turn to the books. | read for a

    while before getting tired and moving to the bed toy down. Dustines in while | am trying to get on the bed, and he helps

    me up.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m going to be in trouble if something happens to you on my watch, right?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Sorry, | was just getting tired and was ready toy down.¡±

    | sleep for a while then Dustin brings me food. | am starting to feel stronger, so | make sure to eat as much as | can. They are still

    giving me more food than | used to get in a week at the vampire coven, but maybe once Alessia is back to full strength, this won''t

    seem like a huge amount of food.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    After lunch, | hear some noises outside and | go to sit by the window. | watch as the warriors train in one area behind the

    packhouse and mothers and pups y around the pool and yground that is in another area of the grounds. Everyone seems

    so happy. Maybe Liam is a good alpha as he has said he is. Although, | thought Alpha Peter was a good alpha, but mom and dad

    thought that me being a Guardian would change that.

    ¡®| think Liam is a good Alpha, and | like Cyran. It was nice having him sleep with usst night.¡¯

    ¡®Alessia! How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Stronger every day. I''ll have us back at full strength again soon.¡±

    ¡°Alessia, we need to leave here before Liam and Cyran realize what we are. | don¡¯t want us forced into a mate bond.¡±

    She''s quiet for a long time. ¡®I don¡¯t think they would force us. | want to stay.

    ¡°What? Alessia, | don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡®Let''s see what happens, okay? Let¡¯s not rush it. Didn¡¯t Liam tell you there¡¯s a bounty on our heads? It feels safer here than it

    would be running from vampires and hunters with nowhere to go.¡±

    She has a point. I¡¯m still thinking about this when | hear the door open. | turn without thinking and see Liam standing there. | see

    him stop when he notices Alessia in my eyes. | immediately pull her back.

    *SKAYA

    | wait to see what he will do but he continues as if he didn¡¯t see anything Maybe he didn¡¯t or maybe he doesn¡¯t know what a

    Guardian''s eyes look like.

    When he asks about dinner, | realize that I''ve been up for a while and I¡¯m tired, so | want to rest first. He seems fine with that, so

    |y down and fall asleep.

    Not long after | wake, | hear Liam in the hallway, talking to someone, a female. | can feel Alessia standing up in my head.

    ¡®Alessia, calm down, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡®

    She doesn¡¯t answer. When Liam walks in, | don¡¯t see anyone until he moves.

    Alessia¡¯s response is instantaneous. She pushes forward. ¡°Artemis.¡±

    What | don¡¯t expect is the response from Cara, or actually, it''s Artemis that is responding. ¡°Mother.¡±

    Mother? What? The next thing | know, Artemis has pushed across the room and is hugging me, or Alessia.

    ¡®Alessia, what''s going on?

    ¡®Artemis is my pup.¡®

    Cara/Artemis is sobbing in my arms. | awkwardly pat her back and take control.

    ¡°Can someone maybe help me understand what is going on?¡± | ask.

    Cara steps back, wiping her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Liam didn¡¯t prepare me. | had no idea that | was going to finally see you.

    ¡°Why is Alessia saying that Artemis is her pup? I¡¯ve never had any pups.¡±

    Cara squeezes my hand. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Can | sit? You have no idea how long people have been looking for you. I''ll exin

    what | can tonight but there is so much you should know.¡± She wipes her eyes and Liam brings over two chairs and some

    tissues.

    Cara sits and Liam sits beside her, waiting.

    When she has pulled herself together, she looks at Liam and scowls. ¡°You really should have warned me.¡± She scolds him.

    ¡°| wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure. But | knew you''d know. | just wasn¡¯t expecting Alessia toe out like that.¡± He turns to me.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s been keeping secrets.¡±

    | look down, not knowing how to answer. He¡¯s right, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been doing.

    +15 BONOS

    Cara reaches over and takes my hand. ¡°You can trust Liam. He¡¯s not like other Alphas. He would never force you. And if you

    can¡¯t trust Liam yet, trust me and trust Artemis. We''ve known Liam for a long time. | know he would never force you into a mate

    bond that you didn¡¯t want.¡±

    Liam turns to me. ¡°Is that what you think? That | would force you?¡±

    I shrug.

    ¡°Wait. Is that why your family left your pack? Did the Alpha try to force you into a mate bond? You were only a child then.¡± By the

    end he was growling out the words.

    Cara turns to him. ¡°It has be amon practice for Alphas to force. Guardians into mate bonds. They obviously bring

    strength to the pack and the only Alpha known in history that didn¡¯t force a mate bond with themselves or their heirs was Anders.¡±

    She turns to me. ¡°Alpha Anders is my mate¡¯s father.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Liam looks at her incredulously. ¡°I wish | could say that no self-respecting Alpha would force a mate bond for power, but it makes

    sense. Having the strongest pack in the country, | don¡¯t need the power. But a smaller pack, a weaker pack, would definitely

    benefit from having a Guardian.¡±

    Cara turns back to me. ¡°So, now that we''ve established that you can trust Liam, let¡¯s get back to your question. Alessia, you

    know you''re a Guardian, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She answers, pushing forward.

    ¡°Do you know that you are from the Guardian line that started with Bellona?¡±

    She asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Alessia responds. ¡°| have some memories from my previous lives. The most important is that you, Artemis, are my

    daughter. You were born of Donovan and Andra. You were the first Guardian to ever be born.¡±

    ¡°Wait, can we back up?¡± Liam asks. ¡°You were Lily Nelson¡¯s wolf before you were Angel''s wolf?¡±

    It''s Cara that answers. ¡°Yes and no. It''s a bit confusing but the way King Ailduin exined it to us, the Guardian spirit

    reincarnates when the human and wolf pass away. The wolf is the one that finds their mate and the humans, of course, have the

    human side of love. So, the mate bond, such as with Andra and Donovan, ends when one of the bonded pair dies. The Guardian

    spirit, however, hast memory of her previous lives. Not full memories, but some. That is why the Fae began chronicling the

    Guardians¡® histories.¡± She stops and a huge smile spreads across her face. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell Ailduin we¡¯ve found you! He¡¯s

    been looking for you for over thirteen years!¡±

    Liam growls softly. ¡°Why would a Fae King care about a wolf Guardian?¡±

    Cara turns back to him. ¡°One hundred years ago, Ailduin was mated to the wolf who carried Bellona¡¯s Guardian line. Her Alpha

    refused to release her and forced the mate bond on her. While he was never able to be with his mate, he has kept. close watch

    on her Guardian line, feeling a connection to it.¡±

    Aknock came at the door and Dustin came in pushing a cart of food. He stops. short when he sees Cara.

    ¡°Luna? | didn¡¯t know you were here. It¡¯s good to see you.¡±

    Cara hops up to greet Dustin. ¡°So formal, Beta. Call me Cara like you used to. It¡¯s good to see you.¡±

    +15 BONOSN?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°You as well.¡± He says, but it doesn¡¯t sound like he means it. His eyes are tracking between Cara, Liam and myself.

    Liam gets up and grabs a tray, bringing it to me. ¡°Here, you can eat while we talk. You are obviously getting stronger quickly, but |

    still want to see you eat more.¡±

    Cara grabs a tray of food and | notice Dustin sniffing the air around her. ¡°Luna? Is there something you want to share?¡±

    She gives him a huge smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Rik won''t mind, since it¡¯s obvious in my smell anyway. We''re expecting our first

    Alpha heir in about five months.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± He says and hugs her. ¡°Please tell Rik we''re very happy for the both of you.¡± He looks at Liam as he says this,

    but Liam is focused on me.

    ¡°You''re not eating.¡± He says to me softly. | quickly pick up my utensils and begin eating. He smiles before turning to grab thest

    tray of food.

    When Dustin leaves, and Cara and Liam have returned to their seats, Cara begins again.

    ¡°| don¡¯t want to overwhelm you, and there is so much to talk about. Dad is going to be over the moon to see you.¡± She looks

    thoughtful for a second. ¡°Alessia, when do you think you''d be strong enough toe over for dinner at our pack?¡±

    She asks.

    Before | can answer, Liam jumps in. ¡°She was on her death bed less than two weeks ago Cara. She¡¯s not ready for dinner

    parties.¡±

    Cara shakes her head at him. ¡°No matter what she¡¯s been through, she¡¯s a Guardian. AND, she has the Guardian line with

    advanced healing. | learned that from Ailduin too. So, she''ll be back to full strength much more quickly than you''d expect.¡± She

    turns back to me. ¡°So, Alessia? How long do you think?¡±

    Alessia thinks about it for a moment. ¡®Are you okay with me answering in front of the Alpha?¡¯ She asks me.

    ¡®He already knows we''re a Guardian and your daughter, that¡¯s so weird to say, trusts him.¡°

    ¡°| will be strong enough for light exercise starting tomorrow. | won''t be strong enough to shift for a couple more days.¡±

    Cara is nodding her head. ¡°That''s how it was with Artemis and | when we were healing. So, tomorrow is Thursday. Rik, Anders

    and | always have dinner with Dad on Thursdays. You shoulde and we can surprise him. He will be so excited that we¡¯ve

    finally found you.¡±

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    | look at Liam. ¡°If you think you will be strong enough, | think it would be good for you to meet the other Guardian. It may also

    help you to get your strength back.¡± He looks at Cara. ¡°And | need to talk to all of you anyway. It is possible. that there is a war

    coming, and | will need your help.¡±

 Chapter 185

    Well, that¡¯s two questions answered. Alessia is definitely a Guardian and because she¡¯s a Guardian, her parents ran away from

    the pack rather than risk having her forced into a mate bond.

    As thankful as | am for some answers, and as excited as | can see that Cara is, Angel is still recovering. She needs her rest.

    ¡°Okay, we''lle by tomorrow for dinner, but | think that¡¯s enough for tonight. Angel still needs to rest and get stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Cara says. ¡°But, before | go, | need to know. Have you been on the run this entire time? Liam mentioned

    something about vampires.¡±

    | look at Angel. It¡¯s her story to tell. ¡°| was held prisoner by vampires.¡± She says. quietly.

    Cara¡¯s enthusiasm immediately ends. ¡°What?¡± She looks between us. ¡°What do you mean ¡®held prisoner¡¯.¡± She uses her fingers

    to make air quotes as she says held prisoner.

    ¡°A vampire prince kept me prisoner as his personal blood bag for seven years.¡±

    Cara gasps, her hand going to her mouth. ¡°But you¡¯re a werewolf. Vampires hate the taste of werewolves.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Angel shrugs. ¡°The one who caught me, his name was Sebastian, called met something like ¡®custos regni¡® when he tasted my

    blood.¡±

    | watch as Cara goes pale. ¡°Cara, what is it?¡±

    She turns to look at me. ¡°Do you know Eatin?¡± She asks.

    | shake my head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Custos Regni, it means ¡®Guardian of the Realm¡¯. It means,¡± her hands going instinctively to her stomach, protecting her unborn

    baby, ¡°that they know of ust and we, as Guardians, must taste good to them.¡±

    ¡°Not just good, | think maybe he became addicted to my blood.¡± Angel says. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let anyone else feed on me. No one

    was allowed to touch me except once when another vampire royal visited. And no one was allowed to taint me. His word. But I¡¯m

    thankful for it, because it meant none of them ever raped me like they did to everyone else in that hellish ce.¡±

    | can¡¯t help the snarl that rips from my mouth. He¡¯s lucky he didn¡¯t rape my mate, but he''ll still pay for what he did to her.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°| need to go.¡± Cara says looking like she¡¯s going to vomit up her dinner. ¡°I need to try to get ahold of Ailduin before youe by

    tomorrow.¡± She turns to me. And if those bloodsuckers think they cane and take Angel, they''ll have one hell of a fight on

    their hands. We will stand beside you. We would have anyway, but there¡¯s no way Rik and Anders will put either Dad or | at risk. |

    just hope Rik doesn¡¯t try to put me on some kind of lockdown because of it.¡± She shakes her head as she stands.

    She leans over, hugging Angel again. ¡°It was so good to finally meet you. I¡¯m so happy that we found you. You will be safe here. |

    promise.¡± She turns and looks at me as if confirming what she said. | nod.

    ¡°lll walk you out.¡±

    We walk to her car in silence. When we get there, she turns. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you''re her mate yet.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a

    question.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so, I¡¯m hoping Alessia will recognize Cyran when she¡¯s stronger.¡±

    She grasps my wrist. ¡°I knew Rik was my mate before Artemis confirmed it. Be there for her, be someone that makes her feel

    safe and even if it takes Alessia time, Angel will feel it.¡±

    | lean down and kiss her on top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    She slides into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Anything | need to know about Eli before | leave?¡±

    ¡°He says he¡¯s sorry and willing to pay penance for what he did to you, but he¡¯s still denying that he killed my mother.¡±

    She frowns, looking at me. ¡°Why is he denying it?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°I have no idea, but | won''t stop until he gives me what | want.¡±

    She smiles up at me. ¡°I¡¯m d you found your mate. She''ll keep you grounded.¡±

    | close her door and watch her drive off before heading back to my mate.

    When | get back upstairs, she¡¯s fallen asleep. | decide to use this time to get some work done. | head to my office on the first

    floor. | find Dustin behind my desk when | walk in.

    ¡°So, Cara? How was that?¡± He jumps right in as he moves out of my chair.

    ¡°Surprisingly good.¡± | reply, taking a seat.

    ¡°Really? No hard feelings, no lingering love interest.¡±

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    | look at him. He hasn¡¯t met his mate yet, so he doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. ¡°No. | don¡¯t know how to describe it, but it''s as if she¡¯s

    not good enough anymore. Like she could never be to me what Angel is. The mate bond is a strange thing. | never realized how

    strong the pull to your mate would be. It¡¯s exciting and scary all at once.¡± | stop and look at him. ¡°Does that make any sense?¡±

    ¡°Not even a little, but | trust your judgement. Maybe some day I''ll get lucky enough to stumble across my mate and I''ll

    understand.¡±

    ?

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 0186

    ¡°| hope you do. She¡¯s worth waiting for, I''ll tell you that.¡±

    We get to work, going through things that have been sitting, waiting for me. Dustin is an efficient Beta who can stand in as Alpha

    when I¡¯m away, but he¡¯s made sure to leave information on decisions he made while | was out of pocket. It feels good to get

    caught up and to know that the pack is still running smoothly. | also fill him in on the updates to thepany and new employees

    | hired while | was in town.

    We''re about to stop and have a drink when | hear it. Angel''s blood curdling

    scream. I¡¯m through the door and up the three flights of stairs in a second, flying into her room. When she looks at me, | see the

    haunted look in her eyes. | take a step toward her, and she moves to get away from me. Dammit.

    ¡®Shift. She isn¡¯t afraid of me.¡® Cyran says. | don¡¯t think twice. | shift, ripping my clothes to shreds in the process, and Cyran jumps

    on the bed. She immediately grabs hold of him in her death grip and heys down on her like we didst night. Dustin mind links

    me. ¡°Do you need anything Alpha?¡±

    ¡°No, she had another nightmare. Just keep everyone off my floor.¡±

    ¡°You know you''re going to have to tell them something soon. The rumor mill is going wild.¡±

    | know it is. I''ve had a female tucked up on my floor for nearly two weeks for the first time in my life and no one has seen her.

    And now, Cara has been here and that will only enme the rumor mill further.

    Angel is shaking so hard I¡¯m surprised | can¡¯t hear her bones rattling together. Even with all his fur and muscle, | can feel her

    bones jutting into Cyran¡¯s body as heys on her. He begins purring like he didst night. The sound reverberating through his

    body into hers, rxing her. It takes time again, but slowly the shaking subsides and her death grip on his face and neck

    releases. Her breathing evens out and | hear her say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± like she didst night.

    She has nothing to be sorry for. | can only imagine the terror she witnessed for all those years. I¡¯m angry that | didn¡¯t look for her.

    | know it¡¯s not a rational thought. | never would have searched a vampire coven for my mate. But | still feel like | let her down. I¡¯m

    her mate, the one that is supposed to protect her, keep her safe and | didn¡¯t do that.

    While wey there, listening to our mate¡¯s heart rate slow, feeling her body rx,

    +15 BONOS

    | think back to what Cara said. The vampires knew about the Guardians. They also seemed to know that they liked the taste of

    their blood. Hopefully, somewhere in King Ailduin¡¯s chronicles, there is something that will give us more information. about that.

    Thest thing | want is every vampire in the country after my mate.

    Cyran begins licking her face again. ¡®I don¡¯t like when mate cries.¡®

    ¡°It''s okay Cyran. I¡¯m okay.¡± She tells him, beginning to stroke his fur. | admit, | like the feeling of her fingers running through his

    fur as much as he does. | really hope that one day she runs her hands over my body like this.

    Cyran gently woofs at her. It workedst night to get her talking. I¡¯m hoping it works again. | want to know what¡¯s going on in that

    head of hers.

    ¡°It was another nightmare.¡± She stops and Cyran nuzzles her with his nose. Sheughs softly but continues. ¡°There was another

    girl there, in the coven with me. The vampire | mentioned earlier, Sebastian, who brought me to the prince, he was rewarded with

    his choice of ¡®fresh food¡¯, that¡¯s what they called the humans that were brought in each day. She was the only other person that

    they didn¡¯t kill. Sebastian didn¡¯t share her, but he did rape her every day. At some point we made eye contact and we had these

    words that we would mouth to each other every night. It was way of letting the other person know that they weren''t alone

    I

    and that someone there cared about them.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She stops, tears falling down her face again. ¡°Prince Keenan killed her in my dream. | fought him and he killed her because of it.

    | watched while they tore her to pieces in front of me.¡± Her tears have turned into sobs and Cyran is whining, trying tofort

    her. | need be able to speak to her, so | make a decision and Cyran agrees.

    | shift back whileying on top of her. | immediately move my weight from her, pulling the nket that¡¯s not covering her over

    myself then pulling her into my side, wrapping both arms around her.

    | hold her while she sobs and | know the instant she realizes that I''ve shifted. Her whole body tenses.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Shhh, | just want to be able to talk to you.¡±

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 Chapter 187

    Watching the vampires rip Sarah apart in front of me had been awful. | couldn¡¯t shake the vision of it, the red of Prince Keenan¡¯s

    eyes as he stared at me. | knew it was a dream, but the sounds, the smell, watching it happen, it was overwhelming, and | hope,

    once again, that Sarah got away.

    It takes me some time toe back to my senses, to my current situation. I¡¯m in Liam¡¯s pack, I¡¯m in my room, I¡¯m in therge

    bed that I¡¯ve been sleeping in, I¡¯m in Liam''s arms.

    Wait, what??!! | immediately go rigid. When did he shift back? Why did he shift back?

    Liam said he wants to talk. He¡¯s stroking my hair with one hand and his other hand is on my hip, wrapped around me from

    behind, holding me against him. It doesn¡¯t feel forced, it feelsforting, safe. My hand is on his bare chest, a chest that is very

    muscr. Rather than feel the repulsion that | used to feel with the prince, | want to run my hand over his muscles. | want to see

    if his body will shiver at my touch that way that Cyran¡¯s does when I¡¯m running my fingers through his fur.

    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t want to upset you more, so if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, just tell me. But, | want to know about the other girl you

    mentioned.¡±

    and

    | tell him about Sarah, about how we created our own little support group and how she told me to run when the hunters came.

    He¡¯s quiet while I¡¯m talking doesn¡¯t say anything when I¡¯m done. | look up at him. He¡¯s looking at the ceiling, a thoughtful look on

    his face.

    ¡°What is it?¡± | ask him.

    He looks down at me and back up at the ceiling before answering. ¡°When we found out about the bounty on your head, there

    was a bounty on another girl too. At the time, | was concerned about you, so | didn¡¯t think much of it, but now I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s

    this girl, Sarah.¡±

    | sit up and prop myself on my elbow so | can look at his face more clearly. ¡°It had to be her. We were the only two that survived

    more than a day or two. There wouldn¡¯t be anyone else that they cared about.¡± The tears start to well up again. Do...do you think

    they found her?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    He looks at me, cupping my cheek in his hand and wiping the tears from my

    +15 BONOS

    cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you know anything at all about her? Where she¡¯s from? Where she was going?¡± I¡¯m shaking my head

    before he finishes asking.

    ¡°| thought she would be safe with the hunters. | was more worried about me and what they would do if they found out about me. |

    didn¡¯t even think about her. | should have thought about her.¡± I¡¯m getting myself worked up again. Why didn¡¯t it ur to me that

    she would be in as much danger as | am?

    ¡°Shhhh. Hey, look at me. Tell me everything you know about her. What she looks like, her height, anything at all that may help

    me to find her, and I''ll put out feelers for her. | can also check to see if the bounty is still active. If it is, it means they haven''t found

    her yet and we may be able to get to her first.¡±

    | look at him. ¡°You would do that? For a human? A stranger?¡±

    The look in his eyes is so intense, it¡¯s almost painful. ¡°I would do it because she needs help and it¡¯s my job as an Alpha to help

    those that can¡¯t help themselves. But she helped you, helped you when no one else did. Helped you escape and kept your

    secret. That alone is reason for me to help her.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 188

    | reach down and cup his face in my hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. You haven''t given me much to go on, but I''ll do what | can.¡±

    |y my head back down on his chest. He¡¯s so warm and the scent of the forest surrounds him, it lulls me back to sleep.

    | wake to the sun shining in my room and something pressing against my stomach. | feel warm and well rested. | lift my head

    sleepily and it takes a moment to realize where | am. Somehow overnight, I''ve managed to crawl on top of Liam. My whole body

    isying on his. My head and chestying on his chest. The thing | feel pressing against my stomach... | jolt, trying to scramble

    off of him. Holy crap! | know what''s pressing against me and it feels entirely too big!

    In my effort to move quickly, | must have woken Liam because he rolls us over, effectively trapping me between him and the

    mattress. He is kissing my neck and, oh my goddess, does it feel good. His warm lips are gentle but firm, his tongue licking my

    skin, making my body respond in a way I¡¯m unfamiliar with, making Alessia purr in my head.

    ¡°Ummm, Liam?¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, yes baby? Are you ready for another round?¡±

    ¡°LIAM!¡± Ites out louder than | nned, but | need him to focus.

    His head jerks up and he looks at me. It takes a moment for recognition to set in and when it does he pushes off of me. ¡°Shit!

    Angel, I¡¯m sorry. | was half asleep and...¡±

    ¡°It''s okay.¡± | feel like I¡¯m about to die of embarrassment. He sits up and runs his fingers through his hair. It¡¯s curly and his hands

    do nothing to tame the wildness. It suits him, gives him an almost dangerous sexiness.

    He turns his head to look at me. ¡°Are you okay, | didn¡¯t hurt you, did 1?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m okay.¡±

    He nods his head then stands. | don¡¯t think he realizes that he¡¯spletely naked. And oh my, | didn¡¯t see the front, but if his

    backside is any indication, this man is walking perfection. My fingers twitch, wanting to reach out and touch

    him.

    He turns and sees me staring at him. His look changes and he smirks down at me. ¡°See something you like little angel?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Yep, sure do, lots and lots that | like. ¡°I¡¯m just going to go get a shower.¡± | say instead.

    ¡°Good idea. | had nned to take you shopping today but since we''re going to the Canyon Ridge Pack for dinner, | don¡¯t want

    you to overdo it, so | think we''ll stay around here. | can show you around the packnds instead.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I¡¯m looking anywhere but at him. He has every right to be proud of his body, it is gorgeous. But | don¡¯t know where to look

    and when | do, | end up staring, so I¡¯m just trying not to look at him.

    As | stand, hees around the bed. He stops in front of me and kisses the top of my head. Okay, it was super easy to nce

    down and not get caught, except the minute | do, | see exactly what was pressing into my stomach. And | was right, its HUGE!Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I''m sure my eyes are as wide as saucers as | look back up at him. And, yep, he knew | was looking because the smirk is back.

    ¡°I''ll meet you back in here in 20 minutes and I''ll have food brought up.¡± He raises an eyebrow at me as | stand there still stunned.

    ¡°Unless you need my help?¡± He offers. A little yip escapes my mouth as | rush to get to the bathroom alone. | hear him chuckling

    as he leaves

    the room.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 0189

    My sweet little mate is o

    top of me, riding me like a fallen angel. | love the devilish look on her face as she sets her own pace, forcing me to take what

    she¡¯s giving me. Her scent envelops me and I''ve never felt such ecstasy in my life. My mate, my everything, is here, giving

    herself to me.

    | moan as she rolls off me, rolling over on top of her, burying, my face in her neck as | kiss her, lick her. | can¡¯t get enough of her

    sweetness, a sweetness that I¡¯ve never had in my life and | never want to let go of..

    ¡°Ummm, Liam?¡± Oh, the sound of my nameing from those sweet lips. I¡¯m so hard | may burst before | can slide back inside

    her.

    ¡°Mmmm, yes baby? Are you ready for another round?¡± I¡¯m definitely ready for another round.

    ¡°LIAM!¡±

    It''s the urgency,

    mixed with a bit of fear that has me pulling out of my half dream state. | whip my head up and realityes crashing down

    around me. I¡¯ve got my mate pinned down on the bed, her eyes are wide in surprise and just a bit of lust.

    | practically fly off her. Holy shit! Did | do something in my sleep? Did | hurt her. Oh goddess, did | force something on her without

    realizing?Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I''m able to breathe again when she says she¡¯s okay. Just a dream. A fucking fantastic dream, my dick is still so hard it hurts. |

    need to get out of here and take care of this. Being in this room, her scent surrounding me, isn¡¯t helping me to

    calm down.

    I stand up and turn to make sure she¡¯s okay. | don¡¯t think she realizes that she¡¯s licking her lips while she¡¯s checking out my ass.

    | know | look great naked. | have a high expectation for my warriors to train hard daily and | lead by example. Being an Alpha is

    just the cherry on top. Good genes and lots of exercise guarantees that my body is ripped.

    | can¡¯t help but tease her a little about seeing something she likes. It¡¯s obvious in my head. When | see her looking everywhere

    but at me, | have to tease her just a bit more. So | walk over, careful not to touch her. I¡¯m not sure | could control myself if | do

    anything other than kiss the top of her head, my need to feel her is so strong.

    she likes the way | look and Cyran is practically preeni She likes. It¡¯s obvious

    My dick is still standing at full attention and given our height difference, it''s

    +15 BONOS

    practically hitting her rib cage. | knew she''d look and I¡¯m hoping my size doesn¡¯t scare her. She was made for me and while |

    may have my own trepidation about how the hell we''ll ever fit together physically, I¡¯m trusting the Moon Goddess.

    4

    AS a parting tease, | ask her if she needs any help in the shower and that gets her moving. I¡¯m chuckling as | return to my room,

    my heart lighter than it¡¯s been since....since | don¡¯t know when. And, | don¡¯t remember a time that | slept as well as | didst

    night with my little mate.

    | hop in the shower, taking a moment to relive my dream from this morning, and that¡¯s all it takes before | find my release. Fuck, |

    hope she realizes I¡¯m her mate soon. | know we have to work through some of the shit she¡¯s witnessed with the blood¡ªsuckers,

    but | at least want to know she can feel the mate bond.

    I''m excited about showing her the pack territory. | know exactly where I¡¯m going to take her. | join her for breakfast. She¡¯s

    dressed in her little kid clothes, but she¡¯s made sure that her arms and legs are covered. She¡¯s obviously self- conscious of the

    scars on her body.

    When we''re done, | ask her if she¡¯s ready to go outside and her answering smile makes my heart soar. | hope | can make her

    smile like that every day. I¡¯m not exactly a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but I''ll work on it if it makes her smile like that.

    e reaction of my pack members. When we walk downstairs, | didn¡¯t anticipate the reaction of my pack members. It¡¯ste morning

    so there are quite a few folks in the packhouse. Most stop and stare, finally getting a first look at the woman I¡¯ve been hiding on

    the alpha floor for two weeks. Several she¡ª-wolvese up, saying hello to me as a way to get closer to her and assess the

    likelihood that Angel will be their next Luna.

    | make introductions as pack member after pack memberes up to us as we attempt to walk outside. Angel is shy but polite

    to everyone. | can see that many of the pack members are dismissing her as their future Luna. Everyone expects that my mate,

    fated or chosen, will be strong and fierce. Hell, | did too, but that¡¯s not what my Angel is. At least, not at the moment. I¡¯ll be

    interested to see who she is once she¡¯s healthy and Alessia is at full strength.

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 Chapter 190

    When we get outside, | begin pointing out different areas around the packhouse. The training grounds, which I¡¯m hoping to get

    her on early next week, the yground for the pups, the pool for everyone with outdoor kitchen and grilling area for pack events.

    | point out some of the trails where pack members let their wolves run. When we reach the forest, | turn to her.

    ¡°| want to take you somece, but it¡¯s a bit far. Would you be willing to ride on Cyran? You''re small and it won¡¯t be any problem

    for him to carry you.

    She looks uncertain at first but then agrees. Cyran is prancing around in my head, ready to show our mate how strong and fast

    he is. His desire to impress her is a bit over the top.

    ¡®She¡¯s a Guardian. She may not be at full strength, but only a strong Alpha would be mated to such a strong wolf. | want her to

    know that we are deserving of her.¡±

    | begin to undress and Angel turns away, but not before | see her cheeks turning pink. When I¡¯m done, | shift and Cyran grabs

    my clothes before strutting, yes. strutting, over to Angel. He slides his head under her arm, giving her our clothes and rubbing

    himself against her.

    She turns and gives him her beautiful smile. ¡°Hi Cyran. Are you sure you don¡¯t mind carrying me?¡±

    Heys down on the ground to make it easier for her to climb on, and she crawls. onto his back. As soon as she is set, he stands

    and takes off. Her startled yip is quickly reced byughter and it¡¯s music to my ears.

    Cyran is careful but continues his quick pace until wee up to the waterfalls that my pack is named after. He finds a ce to

    stop andys down to let Angel slide off his back. When she does, | begin to shift back. She turns again and holds.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    clothes over her shoulder so | can get them without her looking at me.

    my

    When I''m dressed, | walk up and stand beside her.

    ¡°The waterfall is gorgeous.¡± She says.

    | take her hand and walk toward the edge of theke. ¡°It¡¯s where my pack got its , the Shadow Falls Pack. | step into the water,

    turning to take both her

    hands. ¡°Do you swim?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°It''s been a really long time, since | was a kid.¡±

    ¡°The water is cooler now that it¡¯s fall, but in the spring and summer, this ce is

    full of pack members swimming and enjoying the cool water.¡± | tell her and begin walking around theke toward the waterfall.

    When we get to the waterfall, | help her climb up to the top. When we reach the crest, | hear her gasp. From here, you can see

    the cliffs edge that drops into the canyon below. | point to an area across the canyon. ¡°Over there is the Canyon Ridge Pack,

    that¡¯s Cara and Rik¡¯s pack. We share a border which is helpful as allies. We can help protect each other''s territories.¡±

    In the distance, | see patrols running the borders. | point them out to Angel. ¡°And there are my border patrols. The borders are

    monitored 24/7.¡± | point to where Rik¡¯s pack patrols are running. ¡°And those over there are the Canyon Ridge patrols. They also

    run non-stop, patrolling their borders.¡±

    I turn to her. ¡°I wanted you to see this, so you¡¯d know that you are safe here. No one will get to you. | won''t allow it. And |

    guarantee that once Cara is home and tells Rik about the vampires, his patrols will double like mine have.¡±

    ¡°You doubled your patrols?¡± She asks me.

    I nod. ¡°I told you, you are under my protection. | have no intention of letting any vampires into my territory. No one will hurt you

    here.¡± | can see the wheels turning in her mind. How | wish | could hear her thoughts. Once we''re mated, I¡¯ll be able to, but for

    now, | have to hope she''ll open up to me.

    ¡°What''s going on in that pretty head of yours?¡± | ask her.

    Her blush at my simplepliment is surprising, but maybe it shouldn¡¯t be. She hasn''t really had an opportunity to be around

    males who would appreciate her beauty andpliment her on it.

    ¡°You increased your security for me?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    me.¡±

    ¡°But you barely know me.

    ¡°True, but | know you were mistreated by vampires. We know that they want you and are willing to pay a lot of money to get you

    back. | don¡¯t want you to feel unsafe here. It¡¯s been a long time since you''ve had a ce where you could just rx and be

    yourself. | want this pack to be that ce for you.¡± | can tell she¡¯s thinking this over, but she doesn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°We should head back. I¡¯m guessing you want to shower before we head out to dinner, and it¡¯s a half-hour drive to Canyon

    Ridge.¡± | help her climb back down the waterfall before shifting back to Cyran and running with her back to the packhouse.

 Chapter 191

    | don¡¯t understand why Liam would do so much for me. Doubling his patrols, giving me a ce to stay, nning to buy me

    clothes, feeding me, giving me medical treatment. No one does all that just because a person needs it. It that were the case, my

    family and | wouldn''t have suffered for years as rogues.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I''m not sure | trust his reasons, but he does seem genuine that he wants me to be safe.

    ¡°| trust him.¡± Alessia says. ¡°There was nothing deceitful in his scent when he was talking.¡±

    ¡°You trust him? We don¡¯t even know him Alessia.*

    | feel her almost fidgeting in my mind. ¡®Alessia?¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know why, but | trust both of them.¡¯

    I sigh. | trust her and she trusts them. And Cara and Artemis also trust them, so for now, I''ll let it go. I''ll just have to figure out a

    way to pay him back for all of his assistance.

    I finish getting ready, continuing to wear clothes that hide my scars and leaving my long hair down so the scars on my neck

    aren''t noticeable. | would like to get my hair cut, but Liam said he likes it long. | admit, | enjoyedst night when he was running

    his fingers through it. It felt nice.

    | walk out of my room and across the hall to his room. His door is open slightly and I¡¯m about to knock when it swings open and

    he nearly runs me over. He grabs me before he could knock me down. ¡°Geez Angel, | could have hurt you!¡± In the instant when

    our bodies collide, Liam wraps his arm around my waist, lifting me off the ground, holding me so that we are eye to eye. His

    other hand is against the door jamb keeping us from falling. I¡¯m mesmerized by his sage colored eyes. My heart rate increases

    but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of my near fall or our close proximity.

    The heat of his body seeps into mine, my hands on are on his chest and I¡¯m reminded once again of his strong, muscr body.

    ¡°Baby girl. You need you to stop looking at me like that.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± | ask softly, licking my lips.

    His eyes track down to watch my tongue before returning to mine, considerably darker than they were a moment ago.

    His voice is lower, somehow soft and growly at the same time, ¡°Like you want to taste me.¡±

    | look at his lips. | do want to taste them. | swallow hard. His scent surrounding me is making my head spin. That¡¯s the only

    excuse for what | do next. | lean in and gently slide my tongue between the seem of his lips.

    | feel his body tense up, his arm around me pulling me impossibly closer, his eyes. never leaving mine. His lips part and his

    tongue slides out to meet mine. Electric tingles shoot through me and a ripple of pleasure slides down my spine as my eyes drift

    close. His handes up into my hair, gently tugging my head to the side and deepening the kiss. He tastes of fresh air and

    sunshine. | didn¡¯t know. that was possible, but there it is.

    It takes me a moment to realize the whimpers | hear areing from me. | can feel more than hear the growls rumbling in

    Liam''s chest as he deepens the kiss even more, his tongue teasing mine in an intricate dance. The sound makes my nipples

    harden and sends jolts of pleasure straight to my core. A warmth I¡¯ve never felt before causes an ufortable feeling between

    my legs, a pressure that needs to be released. | wrap my legs around his waist, feeing a dampness in my panties.

    He pulls away, and I can tell he can smell my arousal. He puts his forehead. against mine. ¡°Baby girl, we have to stop.¡±

    I''m immediately embarrassed by my actions. Of course he wouldn¡¯t want me. My body is a scarred mess and his is perfection.

    I''m sure he could have anyone he wanted, someone gorgeous just like him.

    | slide my legs down from around his waist, but he doesn¡¯t let me go. | look up at him, and | know my face is bright red. ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry.¡± | say and look down at a spot on his throat.

    His hand slides from the back of my head to my chin, lifting it, forcing me to meet his eyes. ¡°Baby girl, this is not a rejection. |

    want so much more of what we are starting here. But you are not yet ready for what | want to give you and | wouldn¡¯t want to

    stop once we start. When you are ready, | will take my time, touching you, tasting you and making you feel pleasure that you¡¯ve

    never felt before.¡±

    His words have the heat pulsing in my core again. | watch his nostrils re as he smells the impact of his words. ¡°Fuck baby. If

    you don¡¯t stop smelling this delicious, we''re not making it to dinner.¡± He slowly slides me down his body, his eyes on me. | gasp

    when | feel how hard hisrge, long length is. When my f are on the ground, he leans down and nuzzles my ear. ¡°I wanted you to

    feel that,

    416 HONOS

    just in case you thought | wasn¡¯t serious about how much | want you.¡±

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 0192

    | shiver as he runs his nose across my jaw before kissing the corner of my mouth.

    He stands, taking my hand in one of his and shifting his jeans with the other before turning and guiding me down the stairs to the

    front door. His pack members flock to him again and | notice that he moves so that I¡¯m standing in front of him. He lets them

    know that we have to be somewhere but that he¡¯ll be backter if they need to meet with him about anything.

    He walks me to a giant truck, opening the passenger door and lifting me inside. He leans over and clicks the seatbelt into ce

    before pecking my lips again and winking before closing the door anding around to climb into the driver''s

    side.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Thest time | was in a car was when the vampires had me in the trunk. Before that, it was when | was still part of a pack. It''s

    weird being back in a car again.

    As we start to pull away, | look at my surroundings. It¡¯s pretty here, in a different way than it was back in my childhood pack in

    Minnesota. | much prefer the warmer climate here.

    | turn to look at Liam. ¡°Taking care of me is keeping you from your work with the pack, isn¡¯t it?¡± | ask him.

    He looks at me, reaching over and taking my hand, pulling it to him so he can kiss my knuckles before setting it on his thigh. ¡°My

    pack is thergest in the country. | have 832 pack members with another 27 pregnant females that will be adding to my numbers

    within the next five months. My work is never done. So, no, you aren¡¯t keeping me from my work, it¡¯s always there, no matter

    what.¡±

    ¡°When did you be Alpha?¡± | ask. | don¡¯t know much about Liam and I''d like to get to know him better, especially if Alessia

    feels that we can trust him.

    | watch as his face takes on a tense look. | jump in before he says anything. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business, you don¡¯t have to tell me.

    He looks over at me, pulling my hand to his lips, kissing it again, before putting it back in hisp. ¡°I told you before you can ask

    me anything. It¡¯s just, not all of my answers are happy ones.¡±

    He looks at me again. ¡°To help you understand, | need to go back to before | took over from my father. When | was six years old,

    my mother was murdered. We were attacked by another pack that wanted the strength of our numbers and ournd. My father

    defeated their Alpha, but not before my mother was killed.¡± My

    in BONOS

    hand goes to my mouth, | understand all too well what it feels like to have your mother murdered. He reaches over and brushes

    him knuckles over my cheek. before taking my hand again.

    ¡°My father was never the same after that. He moved out of the packhouse and he barely managed the pack at all. Dustin¡¯s

    father, my father¡¯s Beta, basically took over, only getting my father involved if needed. When | was ten years old, he started

    including me in the decision making for the pack. He and | made all the decisions together for the pack and thepany that |

    own from the time | was 10 to the time | was 16. The day after my 16th birthday, my father died. There was no reason, he wasn¡¯t

    sick, or not any sicker than he¡¯d been for the previous 10 years. That day, it became official. A weekter, |id my father to rest

    and the day after that, we had my Alpha ceremony.¡±

    He turns to look at me. | can see the pain in his eyes. | turn my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and rubbing my thumb over

    his hand. | want him to know he¡¯s not alone. | know what it¡¯s like to feel alone, like you have no one. | want him to know I¡¯m here.

    ¡°My Alpha ceremony was a somber affair, not like most of them which are a celebration. And honestly, it didn¡¯t matter. I''d been

    running this pack long before my father died and it became official.¡± He shrugs, looking at me before looking back at the road.

    ¡°How old are you now?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°Nearly 25.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve been taking care of your pack and its members for almost 15 years?¡± He nods.

    ¡°Aren''t you tired?¡± | ask, because really, it¡¯s got to be a huge burden for him to carry, day after day. The lives of over 800 people

    depend on him and him alone. He has to be everything to everyone.

    ¡°Some days more than others. Honestly, before all this,¡± he gestures with hist hand between us, ¡°it was bing

    overwhelming.¡±

    ¡°| make it less overwhelming for you?¡± | ask confused.

    ¡°You give me hope.¡±

 Chapter 193

    | wasn¡¯t sure how | felt about being so open with Angel, but she¡¯s my mate. | want to share everything with her, and have her

    share everything with me.

    After our moment in the hallway, | know she¡¯s beginning to feel the pull of the mate bond, even if she doesn¡¯t recognize that

    that¡¯s what it is.

    Everything about my beautiful Angel is drawing me in. And even more than her sweetness, her scent and her taste, the idea that

    | won''t be alone anymore, that there will be someone to bear this burden with me? It¡¯s almost too much to hope

    for.

    We arrive at the Nelson home a few minutes before we were supposed to arrive. I¡¯ve brought a couple bottles of wine, since

    Cara didn¡¯t ask me to bring anything.

    | go around the truck and help Angel out. She¡¯s so short that it¡¯s a big leap for her, but mostly, | just want to take any opportunity

    there is to touch her. | keep hold of her hand as we walk to the door and ring the bell.

    | can hear talking on the other side, and | hear Clint ask who could be at the door as Cara announces that she''ll get it.

    When she opens the door, her smile greets us. ¡°I¡¯m so d you coulde. Pleasee in.¡±

    We walk in and Cara moves to stand in front of Angel as we follow her into the kitchen. ¡°Dad, | invited some guests tonight.¡± Cara

    tells Clint.

    He looks up at me. ¡°Liam, it¡¯s good to see you, it¡¯s been too long.¡± He says, starting to wheel himself over.

    ¡°And someone else.¡± Cara says and steps aside, giving Clint his first glimpse of my mate. Donovan, Clint¡¯s wolf, pushes forward

    immediately. ¡°Andra?¡± He asks in his gruff voice.

    ¡°Donovan.¡± Alessia answers. ¡°I¡¯m Alessia now.¡±

    ¡°Alessia.¡± He says it softly, tears forming in his eyes. ¡°Where have you been all these years? | thought... thought...¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Alessia walks to him, squatting down in front of his wheelchair. ¡°We have much to discuss tonight. But first, I''ve waited a long

    time to give you a message from Lily.¡±

    Clint¡¯s hand goes to his mouth and his rubs it across his face and roughly. ¡°A message from Lily?¡± He whispers.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°You understand how the Guardian spirit works? | have memories from my previous lives, but not all of them. Some, like when |

    saw Cara yesterday or you just now,e at the moment | see you.¡± Clint looks at Cara before looking back at Alessia.

    Clint reaches down and takes Angel''s hand. ¡°What is the message?¡±

    Angel/Alessia puts her other hand over Clint¡¯s. ¡°She wanted you to know that she knew. She knew that day in battle would be her

    last. The Moon Goddess visited her a couple of days before the attack. She traded her life for yours. You were the one that was

    supposed to die that day, but she knew that you had the better chance of survival and would be here for Cara and Artemis. She

    knew her life would end that day because she gave her life so you could live.¡±

    | watched as Anders moves to stand beside Clint putting his hand on his shoulder. | thought Clint was going to break down right

    there. I¡¯m not sure how | would feel if | found out my mate, if Angel, gave her life for me. It¡¯s definitely something to consider,

    because when she realizes that she¡¯s my mate, it¡¯s exactly what she will try to do.

    ¡°If you will all excuse me for a moment, | need a minute.¡± Clint turns and rolls himself down a hallway and into a room that I¡¯m

    guessing is his bedroom.

    Angel stands andes to me. ¡°Should Alessia not have said anything? Lily wanted him to know.¡± She looks to me and I¡¯m not

    sure if she needsfort or confirmation, but | give her both.

    | cup her face in my hand as | respond. ¡°He¡¯s waited 13 years to know what happened to her Guardian spirit and now, not only

    has he met Alessia, but he found out that Lily gave her life for him. It¡¯s a lot to take in all at once.¡± | say and look to where Rik is

    holding Cara as she cries into his chest.

 Chapter 194

    Rik looks at me and an understanding passes between us. These women, these Guardians, give their lives for those they love

    and protect. It¡¯s not something either he or | am willing to live with. I''ll have to find a time to speak to him to see if he¡¯s found a

    way to keep Cara from taking a bullet, real or metaphorical, for him.

    Anders goes to follow Clint. They have been friends most of their lives. | pull Angel in and kiss her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s open the

    wine. Would you like some?¡±

    Cara dries her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it''s a lot to find out that your mother made such a sacrifice for you.¡±

    Rik runs his thumbs across her cheeks helping to wipe her tears. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very difficult to know that someone you love would

    trade their life for yours.¡± He says to her and gives her a meaningful look. So, this isn¡¯t a new conversation for them. | definitely

    need to speak to him about it.

    Cara reaches out her hand. ¡°I won''t be having any, but I¡¯m happy to pour wine for everyone.¡±

    Angel steps away from me. ¡°I¡¯ve actually never had any.¡± She looks at me and shrugs as | hand the wine to Cara. ¡°I never really

    had the opportunity.¡±

    I step up to her again, putting my hand on the small of her back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it and see if you like one of them, there¡¯s a

    white and a red, since | didn¡¯t know what we were having for dinner.¡±

    Rik turns to me and smiles. ¡°Oh, Thursday nights are always steak nights. It¡¯s apparently a thing that our fathers have been

    doing for years. It¡¯s only since Cara and | started dating that | was invited to attend as well.¡±

    ¡°Joke¡¯s on you Alpha, because tonight it¡¯s ribs for dinner.¡± Cara says to Rik and | can see the love in both their eyes. | look at

    Angel. Yeah, | want that in our future.

    ¡°| hear congrattions are in order.¡± | say to Rik.

    ¡°Yep.¡± He says giving Angel and | each a ss of wine. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet my little Peanut. Did Cara tell you we''re having a

    girl?¡± | see Cara roll her eyes behind his back.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know it¡¯s a girl yet.¡± Cara says and Rik looks at us and mouths silently, ¡®It''s a girl.¡®

    Clint and Anders walk out, Clint still sniffling and looking like he just sobbed his

    $15 BONDS

    heart out, which I¡¯m guessing he did.

    Angel walks over to him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Before she can say anymore, he stops her. ¡°No, I¡¯m d you told me. Lily wanted me to know and it makes some things that

    happened in thosest couple of days make sense. And before we get to our dinner, | want you to know that I¡¯m so thankful that

    we''ve found you, or that you¡¯ve found us. | know that the bond that we shared when you were Andra is no longer there, Donovan

    can feel that the bond is different, but there is still a familial bond. | hope that Alessia can feel it too?¡± Angel nods her head.

    ¡°Good. We are family. | don¡¯t know what has happened to you or why no one could find you for so long, but you are here now

    and you are not alone. We are all your family now.¡± Clint gestures around the

    room.

    Angel looks around and sees everyone nodding in agreement. | see her eyes well with tears and | walk to her, running my hand

    over her hair. She sniffs and looks up at me. ¡°I¡¯m okay, it¡¯s just been so long since | had anyone to call family.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 Chapter 195

    | had no idea when | agreed toe to Cara¡¯s house for dinner that it would be this emotional. There¡¯s so much going on, so

    many emotions, so many memories that areing to the forefront. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming.

    Liam has been very supportive. I¡¯m d he¡¯s here. I¡¯m not sure | could do this

    without him.

    ¡°Anders, you want to help me with the ribs? Cara, are you ready with everything else?

    ¡°Yep, we''ll get the table set while you go pull the ribs off the slow cooker.¡± She says to Clint before looking at us. ¡°They¡¯ve been

    cooking for several hours. They should fall off the bone.¡±

    | follow her to the kitchen. ¡°What can | do to help?¡± | ask.

    Rik goes to the oven and begins pulling out what looks like twice¡ªbaked potatoes, some sort of vegetable casserole and

    something else that smells like mac and cheese.

    ¡°It all smells delicious.¡± Liam says,ing up behind me and putting his hand. on my hip. I''ve noticed that any time | move away

    from him, he makes sure that he moves close again, touching me. | don¡¯t mind, it helps me to feel rxed in this new

    environment.

    Cara hands us some tters and tells us to put them on the table. We''re all

    moving to the table when Clint and Alpha Anderse in with a huge amount of ribs.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Clint and Anders sit at each end of the table, with Cara and | sitting beside Clint and across from each other and Rik and Liam

    sitting beside Anders and across from each other.

    When we''re all seated, Anders speaks up. ¡°So, Angel, we didn¡¯t get a chance to be formally introduced. I¡¯m Alpha Anders, the

    previous Alpha for Canyon Ridge Pack and this fine fellow is my son, Rik, the current Alpha.

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you both.¡± | say as food is passed around and | watch as all four men pile so much food onto their tes that |

    don¡¯t see how they will be able to eat it all. Cara isn¡¯t too far behind them, filling her te to nearly overflowing. Byparison,

    my te looks practically empty. No wonder Liam keeps telling me to eat, if he thinks this is how much I''m supposed to be

    eating.

    Clint looks at me. ¡°You are wee to have as much food as you want. There is

    +15 BONOS

    plenty.¡±

    ¡°I''m fine, thank you.¡± | say and bite into the ribs. The familiar taste hits my tongue and | close my eyes enjoying the memories of

    sitting around a campfire, eating this meat.

    ¡°This is bear, right?¡±

    Every head at the table looks at me. ¡°You know what bear tastes like?¡± Rik asks

    1.me.

    I shrug, not sure if | should say anything. | am in a room with three Alphas. ¡°My family and | were rogues for six years. During

    that time, my father caught a few bears, which was great because it fed us for several days.¡± | said, watching their reactions to

    me being a rogue. No one said anything or looked like they were going to kick me out.

    ¡°Your father must have been quite a strong wolf to kill several bears.¡± It¡¯s Clint thatments.

    ¡°He was the lead warrior in our pack. After we left, our Alpha searched for us for years. We had to move frequently when they¡¯d

    find us or get too close. It wasn¡¯t until one of my father¡¯s friends found us and realized that my parents left for me that we ended

    up with a stable home.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? How did his friend finding you give you a stable home?¡± It¡¯s Alpha Anders that asks this time.

    | exin the meeting with Jude and how he let us use his cabin, provided us with a burner phone and kept us informed of the

    search. ¡°It gave us a few years of peace before everything fell apart.¡±

    Clint reaches out and takes my hand. ¡°Let''s finish dinner before we get into the heavy details.¡± He says and I¡¯m grateful. I¡¯m

    having a hard time swallowing thinking back to those days.

    It''s quiet for a moment before | pick up another rib. ¡°So, who caught this bear?¡± | ask, taking a bite. When | realize no one has

    answered me, | look up to see everyone looking at Liam. He''s looking ufortable.

    +

 Chapter 196

    He turns to look at me. ¡°I did.¡±

    | frown. ¡°You caught a bear and brought it to Cara and Clint?¡± | ask. Why wouldn¡¯t he take it to his pack?

    | see Rik lean back in his chair, a smirk on his face. Liam scowls at him before turning back to me. ¡°Cyran killed it for Artemis.¡±

    | look at Cara who is looking at Liam. | don¡¯t understand. Why would he do that if Cara is mated to Rik.

    ¡°Liam was pursuing Cara as a love interest.¡± Rik states, still smirking at Liam and earning a growl.

    ¡°Rik!¡± Cara admonishes him.

    Jealousy res but | don¡¯t really know what to do with it. First, as strange as is it, Artemis is Alessia¡¯s daughter. Plus, she¡¯s strong

    and confident, everything I¡¯m not. | can understand why Liam would want someone like Cara. It just reminds me of all the

    reasons that he wouldn''t want me.

    Liam takes my hand, pulling it to his mouth for a kiss. ¡°It was before | met you. | told you things were bing overwhelming. |

    hadn''t found my mate and | wanted a strong Luna to stand by my side, someone to help me carry the burden. of being an Alpha.

    But Cara is mated to Rik and I¡¯m d they are together and happy.¡± He tells me.

    ¡®He¡¯s being honest. Alessia tells me.

    It doesn¡¯t change my feelings of inferiority, and | don¡¯t even know why | care. It¡¯s not like | ever wanted to be a Luna, or even

    mated to an Alpha. It¡¯s just the thought of Liam being with someone else hurts my heart. ¡®Mine too.¡® Alessia agrees softly.

    | nod and go back to my food, but | can¡¯t stomach the thought of eating any more. So, | just pick at it and push it around on my

    te.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    When everyone''s done eating, | grab tes and take them to the kitchen. | turn to walk back to the table, when Liam takes my

    hand and pulls me back to the foyer, away from prying eyes and ears. He cups my face in his hands. ¡°Hey, | need you to know

    that there is nothing other than friendship or something that feels like a brother and sister between me and Cara. My feelings for

    her are nothingpared to my feelings for you.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    I shrug, refusing to make eye contact, but he¡¯s not having it.

    He growls, taking my chin between his finger and thumb. ¡°Do | need to remind you of the effect that you have on me little angel?¡±

    ¡°It''s ok, | get it...¡± I¡¯m interrupted as he lifts me off the ground by my thighs, forcing me to wrap them around him as he pushes

    me against the wall. His mouth on mine is hot and needy, demanding that | give in to him. His hands are in my hair, tugging and

    holding my head at the angle he wants to get ess to my mouth. He¡¯s using one of his legs to help hold me up while he

    ravages my mouth.

    When | don¡¯t immediately submit to his demands, he growls, nipping at my lip until | give him entrance. When | do, he devours

    me, searing me with his need and desire. My hands go around his neck, holding on as he sends my body into a torrent of aching

    hunger. | feel like I¡¯m drowning and he¡¯s my lifeboat.

    When he pulls away, we''re both panting. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me.¡± He growls as | slide. down his body, putting my feet back on the floor.

    He takes my hand and puts on the front of his jeans. ¡°This is how much | want you, little angel.¡± | have to admit, if that¡¯s an

    indication of how much he wants me, then he really wants me.

    | swallow hard. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back before theye looking for us.¡± He says leaning in and kissing me again before

    standing and guiding me to walk in front of him. I¡¯m beginning to realize that this is how he hides how aroused he is for me.

    Just for me.

 Chapter 197

    After making sure my girl understands that there is nothing and no one for me but her, we walk back into the living room. ¡°All

    good?¡± Clint asks and we both

    nod.

    ¡°Good, have a seat, we have some important things to discuss.¡±

    | had already learned quite a bit about Angel over dinner. Her life has been hard, harder than mine. Her parents struggled while

    they were on the run, but they made the best of things. The time in the cabin seems like the only time in her teen years when she

    had some normalcy.

    | know the rest of her story is going to be hard for me to hear. | know part of it, but | need to hear it all so we can n for the

    threat that ising.

    When we sit, | pull Angel into myp. She blushes but | don¡¯t care. She¡¯s worried that | want someone else, she will learn that |

    want everyone to know she¡¯s mine. Plus, | know this next part is going to be hard for her, and | want to support her.

    ¡°Angel,¡± Clint starts, ¡°we need to know what happened to you. | know it¡¯s hard, but in order for us to n and prepare for what is

    coming, we need to understand what we are dealing with. Can you start at the beginning and tell us what happened?

    Remember, we are all family here. No one will hurt you. And if someone even thought about it, I¡¯m pretty sure that Alpha behind

    you would kill them.¡±

    ¡°Damn right.¡± | say as she turns to look at me. She seems to believe whatever she sees in my eyes because she leans back,

    rxing against me. My arms wrap around her as she starts.

    She tells us about how they had to run from the cabin because they were found by her old pack, the Great River Pack. | look at

    Rik. He doesn¡¯t seem to know anything about that pack either. Perhaps they are a small pack.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    When she gets to the part about her parents being killed right in front of her, | tighten my arms around her. | can feel her shaking

    and although it¡¯s been a long time, | doubt she¡¯s ever really processed their deaths. When her tears force her to stop talking,

    Clint rolls over and takes her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. sweetheart. | know this is hard. You¡¯re doing great.¡± He tells her.

    He has a gentle way with her. It¡¯s a side I¡¯ve never had the chance to see of Clint. To me, he¡¯s only ever been tough and strong.

    Caraes and sits beside us, taking her hand. ¡°We''re here Angel. | know it doesn¡¯t bring them back, but we¡¯re here if you need

    us.

    +15 BONOS

    I rub her back until she pulls herself together. Then she continues with her story, telling us about Prince Keenan, Sebastian, the

    humans, the feeding room, all of it. When she gets to the part where she tells them about the prince¡¯s addiction to her blood, Rik

    snarls, pulling Cara into hisp and wrapping his arms around her protectively.

    Clint and Anders ask most of the questions, wanting to know more about how Prince Keenan reacted to feeding on her. When

    she talks about how he would feed on her, making it sexual and putting her on disy for the entire feeding room, | finally have

    to get up and walk out. | gently set her aside, kiss the side of her head and let her know I''ll be right back.

    | know exactly where I¡¯m going. When | trained with Cara the one time, there was an indoor training facility. It has everything one

    would need to train, including punching bags. | don¡¯t stop until | walk up to the first bag and punch with every bit of frustration I¡¯m

    feeling, punching a hole in the bag. | move to the next one. and do the same.

    I''m on the sixth bag when | hear Rik. ¡°Want a real person to punch?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°You''re not the one I¡¯m angry at.¡± | tell him, punching another hole in another bag.

    ¡°You know Clint will expect you to rece those, right?¡± | nod. | don¡¯t care, |

    need to do something with this anger, so Angel doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s directed at her.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 0198

    ¡°Come on.¡± He says, crooking his fingers at me. ¡°Let''s have a go. You need a challenge, someone who will hit back.¡±

    ¡°| have no intention of having to answer to Cara about why you''re all bloody and bruised.¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°Then | guess it''s good I¡¯m mated to a Guardian. Apparently, when youplete the bond, you gain some of

    their strength. I¡¯m stronger than you are now Liam.¡±

    | frown at him. Is that possible, getting some of the power from the Guardians. | kick off my shoes and take a stand to begin

    sparring with him. ¡°Is that why the Alphas forced them into a mate bond?¡± | ask as we begin to throw punches.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so.¡± He says as he sends his fist into my gut, knocking the air out of my lungs. Fuck, he is stronger. ¡°From what we

    know from Ailduin, Alphas of the past did not get any additional strength from the Guardians.¡±

    | swipe his legs but before | cannd a punch, he¡¯s back on his feet. Shit, he¡¯s faster too. ¡°I think,¡± he continues, ¡°it''s only

    because it¡¯s a fated bond, and a willing bond, that there was a transfer of power. But that¡¯s just my theory.¡±

    We go back and forth, throwing punches, getting in kicks. When we''re done, | feel better. | won¡¯t be great until that fuckhead

    prince is dead, but my immediate frustration is gone.

    ¡°Thanks Rik.¡± | say and | mean it. It was exactly what | needed.

    ¡°No problem. Apparently, we are all family now and that¡¯s what family does for each other.¡¯

    ¡°Yeah, well, | don¡¯t exactly know how to interact in a family environment, so give me some ck if | screw it up.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Done.¡± He says and we walk back inside. Angel is on her feet the minute | walk inside.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Liam!¡± She looks from me to Rik and back again. Shees over and takes my hands, looking at my knuckles which are

    bloody and swollen. It''ll take a couple of hours for them to heal.

    ¡°I''m okay, | just needed to blow off some steam. | hate what you had to endure and that | wasn¡¯t there to help you.¡± | pull her

    hands to my chest, covering my heart. ¡°But I¡¯m here now, and as | told you earlier, no one will ever hurt you

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    again.¡± | tell her and kiss her forehead.

    ¡°| second that.¡± It''s Anders who speaks this time. ¡°Liam, we have some ideas, but we will need toe up with a n together

    so we can protect both of our borders.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. But tonight, | think Angel has had enough. She¡¯s still recovering and I''d like to get her home.¡± | say, putting my arm

    around her shoulders.

    ¡°Angel, I¡¯d like to start training you. | trained Lily when she first got her Guardian spirit and | have trained Cara all her life. I¡¯m

    obviously well versed in the strengths and weaknesses of Guardians. | can help you get back on your feet faster and then help

    you to get stronger.¡± Clint suggests.

    Angel turns to me. ¡°What do you think?¡± She asks me. A part of me is proud that, out of everyone in this room, she trusts me

    enough to ask.

    | look at Clint. ¡°You''ll make sure not to push her too far while she¡¯s still recovering?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    | look at Angel. ¡°Do you want to train with Clint?¡± She looks from me to Clint and back before smiling. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I nod. ¡°Okay then.¡±

    Cara starts jumping up and down. ¡°Yay! Now | will have a training partner. Rik won''t let me train with the warriors anymore

    because I¡¯m pregnant, but he can¡¯tin about me training with you.¡± She says beforeing over and hugging Angel, as if

    she is the one that came up with the idea.

    Rik looks to Clint while Cara is hugging Angel and there is a silent agreement that Clint will make sure that Cara goes easy

    during her pregnancy. That makes me feel better because Angel will need some time to build her strength.

    ¡°Come by tomorrow at 9am. We''ll swim someps.¡± Clint says. We say are goodbyes and head home.

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 199

    I''m excited about training. It¡¯s been years since | trained with my father and | was getting really strong then.

    ¡®We''ll get stronger much faster with Clint as our instructor.¡® Alessia says.

    ¡®Do you remember training with him, or remember Andra training with him?¡® | ask.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡®Yes, he was patient but tough. Andra was a stronger wolf because of Clint and Donovan.*

    I''m lost in my thoughts when Liam speaks. ¡°A penny for your thoughts.¡±

    I smile at him. ¡°Do you actually have a penny?¡± | ask.

    He digs around in his pockets, then begins searching his car, finallying up with a quarter. ¡°Hey, hey! | should get twenty-five

    thoughts for this.¡± I¡¯mughing, watching his antics.

    | take the quarter and set it back into the truck¡¯s console. ¡°I was talking to Alessia about training with Clint and Donovan. She

    remembers Andra¡¯s training and says he is a good and patient trainer.¡±

    ¡°| had the opportunity to train with him once. He¡¯s a clever fighter. He will teach you a lot of things that will make you a stronger,

    smarter fighter.¡± He looks at me, reaching over and taking my hand again before looking back out to the road. ¡°I''d like to train you

    too when you''re stronger. Maybe you could train with me in the afternoons and Clint and Cara in the mornings?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°You want to train me too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s not that | don¡¯t trust Clint and his ability. | absolutely do. But different people have different styles of fighting and

    sparring. It will only enhance your training. And if I¡¯m being honest, when you''re up to full strength, it will be good. for my warriors

    to spar with you too. You will make them better fighters as well.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± | say and he kisses my hand. I¡¯m starting to realize that he kisses my hand when he¡¯s happy, when he¡¯s worried about

    me or just as the desire hits.

    When we arrive back at the packhouse, | know he needs to work, so | tell him | can get back to my room on my own. He insists

    on walking me up anyway. You¡¯ve had a rough evening. Why don¡¯t you take a hot bath, rx and then get some sleep. I''ll be up

    later and will check on you.¡± He reaches down and gently kisses me.

    +15 BONOS

    | reach my hands up, cing them on either side of his face, holding him in ce. | pull back and look at him. ¡°Thank you, for

    being there for me tonight. It means

    a lot to me.

    ¡°Any time, beautiful.¡±

    When he leaves, | take his advice and slide into a hot bath. The night has

    been difficult. So many memories; hard, horrible memories that | didn¡¯t want to relive. | know my dreams will be full of nightmares

    tonight.

    When the water runs cold, | get out and put on one of Liam¡¯s shirts that he gave me to sleep in. The scent of him on the shirt may

    help, but I¡¯m hoping that maybe he would be willing toy with me again tonight. He or Cyran have thest two nights after | had

    a nightmare, so maybe he will again.

    | open my door and see that his is open as well. | walk over and gently knock, looking around. | don¡¯t see him, so | step inside.

    ¡°Liam?¡±

    He walks out of the bathroom, the steam swirling around him as he opens the door. He¡¯s wearing a towel that is hanging low on

    his hips and gives me a perfect view of his washboard abs. My mouth suddenly feels very dry. He¡¯s rubbing a

    towel over his hair, so it takes him a minute to see me.

    ¡°Angel? Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?¡±

 Chapter 200

    He tosses the towel on a chair and walks up to me as he¡¯s talking. His hands go to my arms running up and down as if he¡¯s

    checking for injuries.

    ood un...¡± My brain isn¡¯t working. | can feel the heat of his body, still warm from his shower. His intoxicating scent seems

    stronger, and it¡¯s making my head spin.

    ¡°Angel?¡±

    ¡°I, um, | was wondering if you would mind, | mean after tonight...1 don¡¯t think | can sleep.¡± Ugh, I¡¯m making a mess of this.

    ¡°You want Cyran toey down with you? Give me a few minutes to dry off so you don¡¯t have wet wolf smell all over you.¡± He

    smiles at me. He doesn¡¯t seemContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    upset at all.

    ¡®Just ask him.¡® Alessia purrs in my head.

    ¡°Actually, | was wondering if maybe you would mindying down with me?¡± | look down, waiting for the rejection.

    He lifts my chin, bringing my eyes to his. ¡°You want me toey with you?¡±

    Inod.

    He kisses my nose. ¡°Give me a minute. | want to put some sleep pants on so we don¡¯t have a repeat of this morning.¡± He smirks

    as my eyes go wide.

    ¡°Okay. I''ll just...¡± | jerk my finger over my shoulder in the direction of my room.

    ¡°Be right there.¡±

    | go back to my room, feeling nervous. | don¡¯t think he¡¯ll expect anything but I¡¯m notpletely sure. | just know that when he

    and Cyran have been with me, | don¡¯t have nightmares. | crawl into bed, pulling the nkets up to my chin. I¡¯ve just settled when

    he walks in and closes the door behind him. He¡¯s wearing at- shirt and cotton sleep pants. | wonder if he normally wears pants to

    bed.

    He walks over to the other side of the bed and slides in,ying down and patting his chest. ¡°Come here.¡±

    |y down on his chest and he wraps one arm around me and pulls his phone up for us to see with the other. ¡°Want to listen to

    some music?¡±

    | wrinkle my nose.

    ¡°What''s that look for?¡± He asks.

    +15 DONOS

    ¡°Your music is very angry.¡±

    ¡°It''s angry?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yeah, when | listened the other day, the first song | tried to listen to was about someone screaming about being alone.¡±

    He thinks for a minute. ¡°By Myself. Ok, yes, that is an angry song.¡±

    ¡°And then there was one about being numb.¡±

    | see him contemting the songs | listened to. ¡°Another Linkin Park song and. yes, maybe that one is a bit angry.¡±

    ¡°Thest one | listened to before | stopped was some guy yelling ¡®What have you done? '' like he was using you of something.

    | liked the woman¡¯s part of the song, but still the overall tone was angry.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Within Temptation. | love the group, but | can see how that one sounded angry as well. | guess when | made the music

    list, | wasn¡¯t really in a good head space. | found music that expressed how | was feeling.¡± He looks down at me. ¡°What kind of

    music do you like?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°It''s been a long time since | was able to listen to music. But my mother and | used to sing songs that she taught me

    while we were rogues. We¡¯d sing while we looked for nts and foraged for food.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the words or the names of any of them? | can look them up.¡±

    ¡°| doubt you''ll like them. They''re folksier than what you listen to.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Why don¡¯t you sing one for me?¡±

    | think for a minute and then begin one that my mother and | would sing at night.

 Chapter 201

    My Angel sings like an angel. Holy shit. Her voice is beautiful. As she sings, | take a guess on the title and look up the lyrics. I¡¯m

    right the song is called Nocturne. It is a much softer song than what | would normally choose, but when my angel sings, it¡¯s

    alluring.

    As she finishes, | kiss the top of her head. ¡°You have a lovely voice.¡± | tell her.

    She looks up at me with those stormy gray eyes and smiles at me. ¡°Thank you. My mom had a great voice. I¡¯m d to know that

    l inherited that from her.¡±

    | pulled up a list of songs simr to the one she had sung and set it to y. | kept it low and put my phone on the bedside table. |

    took her hand in my free one and moved my other hand into her hair, rubbing her head. | have noticed that she seems to like

    that, and I¡¯m hoping it will help her to fall asleep.

    It doesn¡¯t take her long before her breathing evens out and | feel the weight of her head more solidly on my chest. Even after

    such a difficult evening, | feel content with her in my arms.

    As she sleeps, | think about her training tomorrow. | link Dustin asking him to get her a swimsuit. | have already adjusted my

    schedule to take her shopping for clothes after she¡¯s done training with Clint. My mind then wanders to the vampires.

    Cyran snarls in my head. ¡°They will die for what they did to our mate.¡®

    ¡®Yes, they will. We need to start gathering intel on them. | have no idea how the covens work or how many vampires we can

    expect to attack. But they wille, that¡¯s a guarantee. When they find her, they wille for her and we need to be ready.¡®

    | put out feelers for her friend, Sarah, earlier today, but so far nothing hase back. | run through the litany of things that | need

    to do for the pack, trying to find a bnce to get it all done and not dump too much on Dustin or Jackson, my

    Gamma.

    Once Angel recognizes me as her mate, I¡¯m hoping we can start moving toward having her Luna ceremony. | don¡¯t know how

    she feels about taking on that level of responsibility but even if she¡¯s not willing to take it all on, just having her near helps calm

    me, making my job easier.

    And then there¡¯s Eli. | haven¡¯t been down to the cells for over two weeks. It¡¯s time | paid him a visit. Maybe tomorrow after | drop

    Angel off with Clint, | can get back

    +15 BONDS

    to his interrogation. Having Angel away from the packhouse is the perfect time. | don¡¯t want to scare her if she sees Eli¡¯s blood

    on me.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Having my n in ce for tomorrow, | let myself drift to sleep with my angel¡¯s soft singing voice in my head.

    Angel is riding me again. Goddess, do | like watching her take her pleasure as | let my hands roam over her body, tweaking her

    nipples making her moan. | lift up, just enough to take one in my mouth and I¡¯m rewarded with the sounds of her pleasure, her

    hand gripping my hair, holding me against her. When | move to the other breast sucking the nipple into my mouth, she increases

    her pace. She''s got me so close. |y down, grabbing her hips forcing her to keep up her pace and as her orgasm shoots

    through her, her body mping down on my dick, | lose it. | grunt my release, as my eyes shoot open. What the fuck?

    I''m still cumming as | realize that I¡¯ve just had my first fucking wet dream since | was a teenager. When | look down, | realize that

    Angel is still sleeping, thank the goddess. She¡¯sying on top of me again and she¡¯s rubbing herself against my dick which is

    what caused the friction | felt in my dream. It¡¯s a good thing | wore these pants.

    | realize when | hear her moan softly that I¡¯m not the only one that was having a sex dream. | think my little mate is trying to get

    off in her dream. My dick going soft is making it harder for her to find her release, but the soundsing from her have me going

    hard again. | don¡¯t want to startle her, but | do want to help her, so | slip a hand in between us.

 Chapter 202

    My sweet angel is dripping wet for me and | growl softly, making her moan in response. | begin rubbing circles around her clit as

    she continues to rub against me. It doesn¡¯t take long for her find her release. Her scream of pleasure wakes her and | can see

    that she¡¯s as disoriented as | was for a moment. Before she can. scramble away from me, | wrap my arm around her, holding her

    in ce, my hand still making circles on her clit.

    ¡°What...?¡±

    ¡°You were dreaming and | wanted to help you out.¡± | slide my fingers out from between us when | feel here down. | keep my

    eyes on her as | take my fingers into my mouth. | growl again at her sweet taste. A little tart, a lot sweet. Raspberries and cream.

    Fuck, | want more.

    | flip us over, watching her as | slide my hand up her thigh. ¡°I want to taste you.¡±

    Her eyes go wide.

    ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡± | ask her. She shakes her head, no. Thank the goddess.

    | slide my shirt up her body. Her handse up to cover herself. | take them, gently moving them back to her sides. ¡°Let me look

    at you.¡±

    ¡°| have so many ugly scars.¡±

    ¡°Didn''t | say that scars are a way to show that we are stronger than we know?¡± She nods. ¡°Then let me see how strong my sweet

    little angel is.¡±

    | keep my eyes on her, as | start to pull the shirt off again. She doesn¡¯t stop me, so | lift it over her head and drop it on the floor.

    Then | let my eyes feast on her. She¡¯s filled out a bit since she came here. The scars are everywhere, so | take my time, making

    my way down her body, kissing them as | go. When | get to her breasts, | take her nipple in my mouth, just like in my dream. |

    look up at her and see her watching me. | gently nibble then suck watching her eyes go dark before her eyes close and a soft

    moan leaves her lips. | move over to the other breast giving it the same attention. She lifts up into my mouth and | suck as | pull

    off her nipple, releasing it with a soft pop.

    I''m moving my way down her body, when | feel her hands, pulling at my shirt. | take one hand pulling it over my head and tossing

    it beside hers on the floor. 1 look up at her. ¡°Did you want me naked too?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Words Angel.¡± | tell her.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Yes, | want you naked too.¡± | sit up, pulling my pants down and kicking them on the floor. | wrap my hands around her legs,

    tugging her toward me before lifting them over my shoulders. | keep my eyes on hers, watching for any fear, but | see only lust

    and desire.

    When | get close to her core, | blow on her glistening lips. Still watching her, | slide my tongue between her lips, tasting her

    sweetness. | can¡¯t help but groan, she tastes so fucking good. | startpping at her like a kittenpping at milk, licking all her

    juices off her before focusing on her clit.

    When | suck her clit into my mouth, she pushes her hips into my face, her legs mping down on either side of my head. | slide

    a hand up, letting my finger rub against her back entrance beforeing to her core. | slip a finger inside her and she¡¯s so

    fucking tight. | begin moving my finger in and out as | continue licking and sucking her clit. | can feel her body tightening up

    already. | slide a second finger inside her, stretching her gently. When | feel her on the verge, | suck hard on her clit and curve

    my fingers inside her, continuing my in and out movement.

    Her inner walls mp down on my fingers as she screams my name. My growl of pleasure has her riding my face, as her

    orgasm rips through her. That''s all it pleasure has her riding my fac takes to have me shooting off again. | slowly let us both ride

    out our orgasms, bringing us down before | kiss my way back up her body. When | reach her mouth, | slide my tongue in, letting

    her taste herself.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So fucking sweet.¡± | say when | finally pull away. ¡°I could have you for breakfast every morning.¡± | watch as my sweet mate

    blushes from her ears to her chest. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go shower, you have training this morning.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Leave me ament and let me know what you think of the story so far. Updates ur

 Chapter 203

    Well, that¡¯s one way to wake up in the morning. After dreaming about Liam between my legs, trying to find my release, waking to

    my actual release, the first ever in my life, then having the real-life version of Liam between my legs, my mind and body are on

    overload. The things that man can do with his tongue and fingers.

    He takes my hand and helps me off the bed, chuckling when my legs are. unsteady. We walk into the bathroom and he starts the

    shower, looking at the shampoo and body wash. ¡°When we go shoppingter, we''ll get you some new things for the shower.

    These scents don¡¯t suit you.¡± He turns to me, ¡°Unless you like them?¡± he asks.

    | shake my head no. ¡°I like berry scented fragrances. Mom and | would use what we found in the forest and make our own.¡±

    He steps aside so | can step into the shower ahead of him. As | pass him, he leans in, sniffing my hair. ¡°Berries is exactly what

    you smell like.¡±

    I turn to him as he steps in behind me. He pushes me under the shower, rinsing my hair. ¡°I smell like berries to you?¡± | ask.

    He¡¯s busy making sure my hair is wet. ¡°Yes, raspberries and cream.¡± He looks down at me. ¡°And you taste even better than you

    smell.¡± He says, making me blush.

    He smiles leaning down to kiss my nose.

    ¡°You smell like the forest to me.¡± | tell him.

    He frowns slightly. ¡°All wolves smell like the forest.¡± He says.

    | shake my head as he pours shampoo into his hands and begins rubbing it into my hair. | can feel my body rxing under his

    gentle attention. | love the way he rubs his fingers against my scalp. | didn¡¯t realize | had closed my eyes until | opened them to

    see him smiling down at me.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°You like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It feels amazing. But back to your scent. It¡¯s not the same as other wolves. You smell like fresh air and sunshine. Does that

    sound crazy?¡±

    He looks at me before pulling me closer to him and taking my long hair in his hands to wash all of it.

    ¡°That depends. Do you like the way | smell?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Yes. It reminds me of the good times, when mom and | would be walking through the forest after a rainstorm, or first thing in the

    morning, when the sun ising up over the trees and there is still dew on the forest floor. You smell like that. Well, that

    and.....man, or alpha. I¡¯m not sure but you definitely have a very masculine scent that mingles with the forest.¡±

    He leans my head back into the shower spray. ¡°As long as you like it, that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡± He says as he rinses my hair.

    Then he grabs the conditioner and begins working it into my hair,bing his fingers from root to end. | can¡¯t help the purring

    sound thates. | could stand here all day while he did this. ¡°I do like it and it¡¯s like it¡¯s getting stronger the more time | spend

    with you.¡± My eyes have closed and | start to sway a bit has his hands continue their trek through my hair.

    ¡°Wrap your arms around me.¡± He says softly and | do. It helps to hold me steady. ¡°Your hair is like silk. It''s so soft and even at

    this length, it barely has any tangles in it.¡± | open my eyes at the tone of his voice. He looks mesmerized by my hair. He looks at

    me. ¡°Did you still want to cut it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but only because the ends really need it. I''ll keep it long.¡± He smiles at that. He leans my head back and rinses my hair. I¡¯m

    wondering if | could return the favor somehow even though he¡¯s so tall. | reach my hand up and run it through his hair. He leans

    his head against my hand. ¡°I¡¯m past due for a haircut too. My hair bes unruly when it gets this long.¡±

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 0204

    ¡°| can cut it for you.¡± He looks at me and | shrug. ¡°I used to cut both my mom and dad''s hair.¡±

    ¡°I''d like that, maybe this evening after shopping.¡± He kisses my nose again then hands me a washcloth. ¡°Your hair is clean

    mdy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    We finish showering and when it¡¯s time to get dressed, | don¡¯t know what to wear. ¡°I don¡¯t have a bathing suit.¡±

    Liam walks to the door, opening it to a package sitting on the floor. Hees back in, closing the door and brings it to the bed. ¡°I

    had Dustin find you a bathing suit, but we''ll get you a couple of your own when we go shopping.¡±

    It''s a one-piece suit with a cover up that has long sleeves and goes to the floor. I¡¯m thankful. | didn¡¯t want to walk around with my

    skin exposed.

    After we''re dressed, we head out. The drive to Canyon Ridge Pack is peaceful. Liam rolls the windows down and holds my hand

    again. When we get to Clint¡¯s ce, he walks me inside.

    ¡°Angel! Are you ready to start your training?¡± Clint asks me with a gleam in his

    eye.

    Clint. You said you were going to take it slow.¡± Liam states firmly.

    ¡°| did, and | will. But training Guardians is different than

    ing other wolves ¡± He looks back at me. ¡°I¡¯d go odds with Dean that you''ll be feeling stronger before you leave here today.¡±

    ¡°Who''s Dean?¡± | ask.

    Caraes up behind me. ¡°He¡¯s our resident bookie. This pack loves to bet on anything and everything.¡± She states shaking her

    head, Rik smiling behind her.

    ¡°You''re just still sore that they bet against Artemis that one time.¡± He says to

    Cara.

    There¡¯s obviously a story there, but Clint interrupts telling us to follow him. Liam follows us to the outdoor pool. It¡¯s arge pool.

    By human standards, it¡¯s

    probably Olympic size.

    ¡°Okay, Angel, you do know how to swim, right?¡± Clint asks me.

    ¡°Kind ofte to be asking now.¡± Liam mutters beside me.

    +15 BONOSCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    I smile but nod. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, but I¡¯m sure it wille back to me.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, hop in.¡±

    Cara pulls her cover up off and dives into the deep end. | turn, looking at Liam. | hadn''t thought through having so many people

    see my scars. Liam immediately takes my hands in his. ¡°Remember, these people are your family. They won''t judge you.¡±

    Clint rolls over to me. ¡°He¡¯s right sweetheart. Nothing that happened to you is your fault. You''re a resilient woman with a very

    strong wolf. Only someone strong would be given a Guardian spirit. Any scars you have are only proof of that.¡±

    Rik walks over to the water, squatting down to speak to Cara. | look at Liam and Clint before pulling the cover up over my head. |

    can feel my blush as Clint looks. at the scars covering my body.

    ¡°A person indisputably worthy of Andra¡¯s Guardian spirit. Come on, in you go.¡± He jerks his head toward the pool.

    | turn to look at Liam. ¡°Will you be okay here without me?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Yes. | think | will.¡± He gives me a quick kiss before turning to Clint. ¡°What time. should | pick her up?¡±

    It''s Cara that answers. ¡°We''ll bring her home. | want to show her around the packhouse and maybe have her stay for lunch if

    she¡¯s up for it.¡±

    Liam looks back at me. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it but have fun.¡±

    | turn to head into the pool. The water is a bit cool as | walk down the steps into the shallow end. Liam winks at me as he and Rik

    head out.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 205

    Cara¡¯s request to keep Angel longer is advantageous. It means | will have more time with Eli today.

    As | walk out with Rik, | ask the question that¡¯s been sitting uneasily in my mind. ¡°How do you do it?¡± | ask and look at him..

    ¡°Which part?¡± He asks chuckling.

    | chuckle too. ¡°Sorry. How do you handle being mated to a Guardian, knowing she wouldy down her life for you? As an Alpha, |

    can¡¯t wrap my head around it. That¡¯s our job, we¡¯re the protectors of the pack, the entire pack. How do you do it?¡±

    His smile fades and looks off into the forest before answering. ¡°It¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s in their genes, just like it¡¯s in ours. We protect our

    pack, they protect us. | told Cara after Eli kidnapped her that | didn¡¯t ever want her sacrificing herself for me again. | asked her to

    stand beside me, rather than in front of me. That¡¯s the key, | think.¡± He stops and looks at me.

    ¡°You have to agree to treat her as an equal and she has to agree to fight beside you when the timees. It¡¯s apromise on

    both sides, one | was willing to make to try to keep her safe. Cara may be the Luna of this pack, but she is my equal. That said,

    she also submitted to me.¡±

    | whip my head to look at him. ¡°Cara submitted to you?¡±

    His eyes take on a far away look. ¡°She did before we were mated and continues to on rare asions. | know she doesn¡¯t have

    to and nothing | would do or say could force her to, so it has toe from her.¡±

    ¡°How? How did you get her to submit to you?¡± | ask.

    His eyes refocus on me. ¡°By being everything she needs and wants in a mate. By being a better man than | ever thought | could

    be, because she expects it, demands it. When I did that, she submitted to me on her own. So, we are equals, but | am still her

    Alpha.¡±

    | nod, thinking. | have no idea what Angel would expect from me or want in a mate. | need to start figuring that out if this is going

    to work between us. ¡°Thanks Rik.¡±

    ¡°Anytime. We still need to meet about our ns for the vampires and protecting our borders.¡±

    Rik nods. ¡°I''ll bring Chase.¡±

    We say our goodbyes and | head back home. When | arrive, | head straight down to the dungeons.

    | walk to the front of his cell. ¡°One chance Eli. Why''d you do it?¡±

    His response is the same. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Luna Este.¡±

    I snarl at him. ¡°Do not say her name. You don¡¯t get to say her name ever!¡±

    | turn to the guards. ¡°String him up.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t fight it when they pull his arms over his head. | let the frustration of everything over the past couple of weekse

    out. My mate nearly dead, vampires wanting to take her from me again, all the suffering that Angel had to endure, Angel being a

    Guardian, my mother¡¯s death, my father¡¯s absence, everythinges out as |nd punch after punch.

    | stand back when he¡¯s hanging by his hands, unable to stand. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± | ask again.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t do it.¡± He says. | swing a final punch, knocking him out.

    I turn to the guards. ¡°Get him down. As usual, give him enough food and water to survive.¡±

    I''m wiping my hands when | realize I''ve been down here much longer than | realized. | need to get upstairs and shower before

    my matees home.

    When | step into the hallway, just off the kitchen, | immediately smell her scent. Raspberries and cream. My mind and body calm.

    | love that her scent lingers when she¡¯s not here.

    | quickly head upstairs, hopping into the shower and washing off the blood and gore from Eli¡¯s beating. I¡¯m nearly done when |

    get a frantic mind link from

    Dustin.

    ¡°Alpha, she¡¯s running!¡±

    ¡°Who''s running?¡±

    ¡°Angel. She¡¯s running and she¡¯s fucking fast, you need to get out here.¡±

    What the fuck?! | shut off the water and run out the door and down the hall. | shift. as | leap over the banister of the stairs,

    landing on the bottom floor on all fourCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    for me as Cyran races out.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± | mind link Dustin.

    ¡°She¡¯s heading in the direction of the waterfall.¡± | pick up my pace. | didn¡¯t even know she was back home. What spooked her

    that has her running?

    ¡°When did she get back?¡± | link.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know. The patrols saw her running and alerted me.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone smelled the vampire scent? Could they have found her?¡±

    ¡°We haven''t smelled anything, but she¡¯s a Guardian. Her sense of smell is better than ours.¡±

    ¡°Check with the patrols, make sure they haven''t seen or smelled anything.¡±

    | can hear the footfalls of several wolves as | get closer to the waterfall. When | break through the foliage, | see Dustin trying to

    keep up with her as she climbs the falls. | howl, hoping she''ll stop when she realizes I¡¯m here.

    | watch as she turns to look at me. But rather than relief, | see horror in her eyes. The fuck?

    I start running forward again, bounding past the patrols that have followed Angel here. | quickly gain on my Beta, leaping over his

    wolf, Leon, to get to my mate. | don¡¯t know what it is, but something is very, very wrong.

    When | get to the top, she¡¯s at the edge of the precipice. She turns looking at Cyran, her eyes are haunted. ¡°I won''t do it again. |

    would rather die than be around monsters.¡±

    Cyran whines at her. ¡®What the fuck did you do?¡® He screams at me.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know."

    Heys down and begins to belly crawl toward her, whining and whimpering at how close she is to the edge of the cliff.

    Tears are falling non-stop down her cheeks. She¡¯s chanting softly, I¡¯m not sure she even realizes it, saying over and over ¡®I can¡¯t

    do it.

    She looks at Cyran. ¡°I won''t do it.¡± She says, just as softly.

    ¡°| don¡¯t care if you¡¯re our mate. | won''t bind myself to a monster. And he¡¯s a monster. I''m so sorry Cyran.¡±

    If she jumps, | know that we''ll jump after her. | don¡¯t know if she can survive that

    +15 BONOS

    kind of fall, but | know that we won''t. | don¡¯t care, it doesn¡¯t matter. She knows. she¡¯s our mate and she''d rather die than be with

    me, she thinks I¡¯m a monster. If she rejects me, I''d rather die too.

 Chapter 206

    Swimming in the pool feels really good. Clint takes it slow with me, helping me to stretch muscles that haven¡¯t been used in too

    many years. Caraps me over and over. I¡¯m reminded of one of those Avengers movies Dad was able to get for us when we

    were in the cabin, the guy on the track saying ¡°on your left*. | have a whole new appreciation and aggravation for that phrase

    now.

    When we''re done, my muscles are sore but it¡¯s a good sore. ¡®Clint was right, | feel stronger.¡¯ Alessia says to me.

    | hop out of the pool, Cara bringing me a towel. I¡¯m d Alessia feels stronger because I¡¯m exhausted. Cara sits down next to

    me as Clint rolls his wheelchair

    over.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Alessia says she¡¯s feeling stronger, but I¡¯m exhausted.¡± | say honestly. Cara nods her head. ¡°Yep, that sounds familiar. It

    definitely takes a toll on you for her to get stronger, but it¡¯s worth it.¡±

    Clint is looking at me thoughtfully. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make sandwiches around here. today and you can see the packhouse

    tomorrow. | promised Liam | wouldn¡¯t overdo it with you and | keep my promises.¡± That sounds wonderful to me.

    Over lunch, Cara tells me about her conversation with Ailduin and that he ising to visit next weekend. He¡¯s excited to see

    me and will be bringing his son, Aolis, with him to begin recording my story for their Guardian Chronicles.

    Clint tells me about the strengths of the Bellona line, including enhanced healing. ¡°It exins how Alessia was able to heal you

    for so long and why your scars aren¡¯t more prevalent.¡± He says.

    ¡°They seem pretty prevalent to me.¡± | say, looking down at my arms and all the old wounds that are on them.

    ¡°But imagine what you would look like if you didn¡¯t have Alessia¡¯s healing power.¡±

    ¡°Dad''s right.¡± Cara jump¡¯s in. ¡°Your wounds could be much worse, could have gotten infected, and who knows what else, given

    the frequency you were being fed on.¡±

    | hadn''t given it much consideration. | was so worried about how awful they looked that | didn¡¯t think about how lucky | was to

    have gotten away with only scarring and nothing worse.

    TIS ROHOS

    ¡®Im sorry | couldn¡¯t do more.¡± Alessia says to me.

    ¡°You did so much. I¡¯m thankful for what you did do.¡±

    ¡®| think there is more that | can do once we shift. | don¡¯t think I''ll be able to take them away, but | think | might be able to make

    them less noticeable.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t overdo it either. I¡¯m just d we¡¯re both getting stronger and healthier.¡¯

    ¡°So, Angel, when¡¯s thest time you ran?¡± Clint asks me.

    ¡°Ran, like for fun or exercise, or for fear of being caught?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Exercise.¡± Clint rifies.

    ¡°Uh, well, never. That wasn¡¯t something that dad did for training. We mostly just sparred, and he taught me how to fight.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Fighting is important but so is endurance. | think tomorrow I¡¯ll have you run. Cara can still run for another month or so,

    but she has a higher endurance than you, at least for now. We''ll still take it slow with you.¡±

    After lunch, | help clean up. I¡¯m tired and ready toy down before going shopping with Liam this afternoon. Cara offers to drive

    me home and we have an easy conversation about being a Luna, her pregnancy, due date and general preparations around the

    baby.

    ¡°Do you want me toe in with you?¡± She asks when we arrive.

    ¡°No, | know where I¡¯m going. Thanks. I''ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Can''t wait!¡± She says. | wave as she pulls away.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    As | turn to the packhouse, the overwhelming scent of the forest hits my nose. MATE, MATE, MATE! Alessia says, jumping up

    and down excitedly in my head.

    ¡°Our mate is here?¡¯ | ask her.

    ¡®Yes! Hurry, | want to see him.¡¯ She says and | rush inside.

    It''s the scent of blood that has me stopping short. It¡¯s mixed with my mate¡¯s scent. Is my mate injured? | take a hesitant step into

    the kitchen and that¡¯s when | see him. Liam. Liam is my mate, but he¡¯s covered in blood. Blood that isn¡¯t his.

    Every horrific memory of the feeding roomes crashing down on me. Alessia is whining in my head, not understanding why

    our mate would be covered in blood.

    | can¡¯t breathe. I''m trying to take in air, but my lungs won¡¯t work. | duck behind a wall, staying out of sight as | watch Liam head

    upstairs to his room. ¡®He¡¯s a

    +15 BONDS

    monster Alessia. | told you. | told you we shouldn''t trust him.*

    She¡¯s whimpering, wanting her mate, but also afraid of what she saw. ¡®We have. to get out of here. | can¡¯t do it again Alessia. |

    can''t live like that again.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 207

    So, | do what I¡¯ve done every time something bad happens. | run. | duck out of the packhouse not letting anyone see me. As

    soon as | see the forest, | take off. | may have been tired earlier, but my adrenaline is pumping now. In a fight or flight situation, |

    fly. And that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m running as fast as my legs will carry me.

    | hear the sound of paws digging into the earth behind me. They areing after me. They are going to catch me. If they catch

    me, | will be a prisoner again. | can¡¯t go back to that ce. | can¡¯t live like that again. | can¡¯t risk losing Alessia when I¡¯m so close

    to getting her back. Maybe if | can make it to the Canyon Ridge Pack, they will give me refuge until | can figure something else

    out. It¡¯s not the best option, since they all seem to be friendly with Liam, but it¡¯s the best option that | have when | literally have

    wolves breathing down my neck.

    | push harder, faster. There¡¯s only one ce that | know to go where | might be able to get away, and | head to the waterfall. It

    won''t help to hide my scent, they are too close. But maybe | can crawl down the cliff face. They would have to shift to follow me,

    and it will give me a few extra minutes to escape.

    When | get to the falls, | start to climb. It will be easier for me in human form than it will be for them in wolf form. I¡¯m about

    halfway up when | hear it, the howl of a familiar wolf. | turn and see Cyran looking at me. Alessia whines in my head. She wants

    her mate.

    ¡®We can¡¯t have Cyran without Liam, Alessia.¡¯

    ¡®I know, but it doesn¡¯t make it any easier to lose him when we¡¯ve only just found him.*

    | don¡¯t have time to argue as | see Cyran start to follow me again. | climb as fast as | can, but he¡¯s fast. I¡¯ve just gotten to the

    edge of the cliffs when | hear Cyran whine behind me.

    I turn to look at him. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. | would rather die than be around

    monsters.¡¯

    Cyran whimpers at me. Alessia is whining in my head. ¡®I can¡¯t do it Alessia, | just can¡¯t do it.¡°

    Cyan crawls toward me, whimpering.

    ¡°| won''t do it.¡± | tell Cyran. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re our mate. | won¡¯t bind myself to a monster. And he¡¯s a monster.¡± It¡¯s not Cyran

    that I¡¯m running from. He has

    +15 BONOS

    been nothing but amazing. He would be a wonderful mate and he doesn¡¯t deserve this. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Cyran.¡±

    | turn to see if there is a way down the cliff. | need to get out of here before he can grab me. | hear bones cracking behind me

    and | turn to see Liam on the ground.

    ¡°Please Angel. Please, tell me what | did. | can¡¯t fix it if | don¡¯t know what | did e wrong. I''ll do anything. Anything. Just don¡¯t

    jump.¡±

    He thinks I¡¯m going to jump. | guess it¡¯s an option. | did say I''d rather die than be with a monster, but | didn¡¯t mean to jump and

    kill Alessia too. | might run us into the ground, starve us while we run and hide, but | wouldn¡¯t jump. Even Alessia couldn''t heal

    from that.

    ¡°Please.¡± He¡¯s on his knees, he hasn¡¯t stood up. His eyes are tormented.

    ¡®He¡¯s being honest.¡¯ Alessia tells me, although it¡¯s obvious by the look on his face.

    ¡°Please just talk to me, tell me what happened. Let me fix it.¡±

    ¡°| saw you.¡± | say quietly.

    | see the confusion on his face. He truly doesn¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.

    ¡°When we got back, | could smell you. Alessia said you were our mate.¡± He nods, he already knew. That exins why he¡¯s been

    doing so much for me.

    ¡°| followed your scent into the kitchen, and | saw you.¡± My handes to my mouth as nausea washes over me. ¡°You looked just

    like them. Covered in blood. Vampires. Monsters.¡± My mind is taking me back again. | can feel the panic and anxiety threatening

    to take me under. | can¡¯t breathe.

    As | struggle to take in any air, the darkness begins to set in. Just as | start to lose consciousness and fall, | see Liam jump up to

    catch me.

    Cooper Author

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 208

    | have never, not once, begged for anything, and definitely not while | was on my knees. Not until today. Today, | will do anything

    that this woman wants me to do, if she will only stay with me. Rik¡¯s wordse flooding back into my head. ¡®Be everything she

    needs and wants you to be.¡® | didn¡¯t know what that meant, but right now, it means that | will humble myself as | have never done

    before.

    When | realize that it''s me she¡¯s running from, because of what | looked like when | left Eli, | feel a stabbing pain in my heart. |

    did this. | made our mate scared of us.

    ¡®And you better fucking fix it. | warned you. If we lose her, | will go feral and I''ll kill anyone and everyone in my path.¡¯

    Even if my wolf wasn¡¯t threatening to go feral, | must fix this. This sweet little angel has found a way to calm the chaos in my

    mind and body. | need her like | need air to breathe. Cara¡¯s rejection is nothingpared to the possibility of Angel rejecting us.

    As she paints the picture, | can see that her witnessing me covered in blood has thrown her back into her own private hell. As

    soon as she starts hyperventting, I¡¯m ready. | expect her to pass out and when she starts to drop, | jump up to catch her before

    she can fall off the cliff.

    Once she¡¯s in my arms, | turn and see Dustin watching. | snarl at him. He raises his hands in a surrendering gesture and bares

    his neck. ¡°I made sure no one else was up here. It was just me and you know | will never say anything.¡±

    Alphas don¡¯t submit. If the pack thought that | was weak, I¡¯d be challenged daily and I''d have to kill too many pack members

    before re¡ªiming my undisputed title of Alpha.

    | begin the slow decent back down the waterfall with Angel in my arms. | look at Dustin. ¡°I need you to run things until | can take

    care of this. | need to make this right. Nothing is more important than her right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±

    | was worried that Angel might wake up on the walk back, but she remained unconscious. | walked past pack members, all

    wondering what was going on. Dustin must have ordered them to move along because | hear a couple of yips before everyone

    finds something to do other than stare at me and Angel.

    | tuck her into her bed and quickly run into my room, grabbing some clothes,

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    beforeing back and pulling up a chair. | don¡¯t want her trying to run off again. We need to talk, | need to know what | can do

    to fix this, make her see that

    I''m not a monster.

    But, a part of me wonders if | haven¡¯t be a sort of monster. I¡¯ve had Eli in my cells for months. | use him as my own

    personal punching bag. My hate, anger, sadness, frustration, loneliness, it all rolls into something that feels an awful lot like a

    monster.

    Angel even said that my music was angry. | hadn¡¯t considered it. | made the list after | lost Cara, when | felt like | would be alone

    forever. It matched my feelings. at the time, and even since then, it¡¯s felt like it fit my mood and feelings.

    But | haven''t listened to that song list since Angel has been here. | don¡¯t feel alone anymore. If anything, | feel vulnerable for the

    first time in my life. This sweet little angel has given me a hope that | never had before. A hope for a different kind of life. The kind

    of life that I''ve always wanted but was too afraid to dream of. A life where I¡¯m not alone anymore. And now, | may have fucked it

    all. up, by being the person that | am.

    | grab my earbuds and my phone and | start to create a new ylist, something that | think my Angel will like. Something that

    tells her how | feel about her and how she is changing me, even if she doesn¡¯t realize it.

    I''m busy listening to songs, reading lyrics to find the ones that convey what | want to tell her, when | hear her moving around. |

    look up and see her staring at

    her gray eyes wide.

    me,

    | slowly pull the earbuds out of my ears and set my phone on the bed. | don¡¯t say. anything, | wait for her..

    ¡°Who was it? Who did you kill?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t kill anyone, | swear. His name is Eli Gunnar, | hurt him, yes, but he¡¯s not dead.¡±

    Today''s Bonus OfferContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    GET IT NOW

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 0209

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the man that murdered my mother. | found him about six months ago.¡± | look down. I¡¯m not proud, telling her about what

    I''ve done. It makes me feel ashamed, even when | believe that he deserves everything he gets.

    ¡°I''ve been trying to get him to tell me why he killed my mother, but he keeps telling me he didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°How do you know he did it?¡±

    ¡°He was found holding her dead and bloodied body. When someone tried to confront him, he ran. My father searched for him for

    years, and then | searched for him. He evaded us for 18 years. | want him to pay for what he did to my mother, but | want to

    know why before | kill him.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t say anything, just looks down at the nket, plucking at it with her fingers.

    ¡°If it upsets you, I''ll kill him and be done with it.¡± | tell her.

    She doesn¡¯t look up, but | hear the tears in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re my mate.¡±

    ¡°Yes. | knew the minute | saw you. Alessia hasn¡¯t been strong enough until today to feel the mate bond.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t want to be mated to a murderer.¡± She whispers and it breaks my heart. | don¡¯t know how I can promise not to ever kill

    again, especially when that blood- sucker who hurt her is still out there.

    ¡°lm an Alpha, an Alpha werewolf. We are a violent species. | can¡¯t say that | have never killed or that | would never kill again. |

    would kill to keep this pack safe. | would kill those who hurt the ones | love. And | want to kill the fuckers that hurt you so badly |

    want to scream.

    1

    | reach out to take her hand. ¡°I want to make this right with you and | will do just about anything to do that. But please, don¡¯t ask

    me to walk away and not kill those leeches that are responsible for your nightmares, the same ones that put a bounty on your

    head. | don¡¯t kill indiscriminately or for fun, and I¡¯m willing to prove that to you. So please, don¡¯t ask that of me. Neither Cyran nor

    I can agree to that.¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. ¡°You scared me, really scared me.¡±

    ¡°I''m so sorry. | never wanted you to see me like that. | didn¡¯t know you wereCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    +15 BONOS

    home yet, and | was going to shower before you got back so you didn¡¯t have to see that.¡±

    | take her hand in both of mine. ¡°Please, give me a chance to show you that I¡¯m not a monster. Maybe I¡¯ve be angry and

    distant, maybe | am a vicious killer when someone is threatening what is mine. But that¡¯s not who | am, not who | want to be with

    you. You make me feel at peace, help me to clear my head. | may not be gentle, it¡¯s not really who | am, but | will try if that¡¯s what

    you want me to be. | want to be everything you''ve always wanted in a mate. Just give me a chance. That''s all | ask. Please.¡±

    | know | have tears in my eyes. | don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s another sign of weakness in a pack. | haven''t cried since my mother died. But for

    this woman, my mate, my sweet angel, | have opened myself up andid myself bare at her feet. | can only hope that she

    doesn¡¯t rebuff me and walk away.

    | wait for her response, watching her as she looks at me for a long moment. Okay Liam. I''ll give you a chance. Alessia wants

    Cyran, and Cara and Clint believe. in you. For those reasons, I''ll give you a chance. Don¡¯t make me regret it.¡±

    | take her hand and kiss it. ¡°You won''t. | promise.¡±

    ¡®If you even begin to mess this up, I''ll rip you to shreds.¡® My wolf tells me. d to know | mean so much to him.

    ¡®Our mate is everything. Fix this so we can mark them as ours.*

    ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want me to have them bring some food up? Or, better yet, how about | take you out, show you around

    more of the packnds. We can grab dinner and get you some clothes. You must be tired of wearing kid clothes.

    ¡°I''d like a shower first, then we can go out. | think I¡¯d like to see more of the packnds.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Poor Liam, he¡¯s so afraid of losing Angel.

 Chapter 210

    Alessia told me that everything Liam said was truthful. He wants to make this right. He doesn¡¯t kill just to kill. And he¡¯s right, he is

    an Alpha. He¡¯s been carrying a huge burden for so many years, it¡¯s not fair of me to ask that he not ever kill. | know more than

    many how violent ours and other supernatural species can be. And | want the vampires dead too. | want to know that | am safe,

    after so many years of living in fear. So, how can | hold him to a standard that | am not willing to live up to.

    ¡®Plus, we¡¯re his Guardian.¡®

    ¡®What? What does that mean, Alessia?¡®N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡®A Guardian is the protector of an Alpha. The Alpha changes with the death and rebirth of the Guardian spirit. Liam and Cyran

    being our mate, makes us their Guardian. We can¡¯t walk away from them. It is our destiny to protect them.¡±

    ¡®So even if | don¡¯t want to be, I¡¯m stuck with him?¡±

    ¡®| guess you don¡¯t have to agree to being his mate, but yes, for the entirety of our lives, we are bound to them.¡¯

    Well, that sucks. | guess | need to figure out a way to live with him.

    When I''m done showering, | change and walk to his room, knocking on the door. It opens immediately and he looks at me.

    ¡°Ready?¡± He asks and | nod.

    When we get downstairs, | see the pack members skirting around us, rather thaning up to Liam like they have thest

    couple of times we¡¯vee downstairs together.

    As we walk to the car, | ask him about it. ¡°What¡¯s up with the pack members? Why didn¡¯t anyone approach you?¡±

    He opens my door, lifting me into the passenger seat. ¡°I''ve asked them to give me some space. | need to focus on you and me

    right now. | don¡¯t want any distractions.¡± He looks at me. ¡°You are the most important thing to me. They can wait.¡±

    | frown as he walks around the car and gets in. ¡°But they''re your pack. They need you.¡± | say, not really understanding how he is

    putting the needs of the pack on hold.

    +15 BONOS

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°And | need you. | don¡¯t think you understand just how much | need you, or how much I¡¯m willing to do

    so that you will stay with me.¡¯ He turns and starts the truck. ¡°And Dustin is handling anything that can¡¯t wait.¡± He turns back to

    me. ¡°Is it okay to go shopping first or are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Shopping is good.¡±

    He pulls out of the driveway and starts down the road. He sets his phone to y music through the car speakers. The first song

    sounds a bit like some of the first ones that | heard, although this one doesn¡¯t sound angry. If anything, it sounds. like liberation

    from guilt. Weird.

    ¡°| wasn¡¯t going to jump.¡± | tell him, needing him to know.

    He turns and looks at me, before looking back at the road. ¡°You were at the cliffs edge and you said you''d rather die than live

    with a monster.¡±

    ¡°| was at the edge. | was trying to find a way down. | thought | could maybe make it to Canyon Ridge before your wolves caught

    up to me, but Cyran is really fast.¡± ¡°We had a lot of adrenaline pushing us.¡±

    ¡°| just didn¡¯t want you to think that | was going to jump. | wouldn¡¯t want to kill Alessia like that. I¡¯m only just getting her back.¡±

    ¡°Can | ask how your day went with Clint? How was training?¡± He asks, changing the subject and I can see his hand twitching. I¡¯m

    guessing he really wants to hold my hand. | told him I''d give him a chance, so | will. | reach over, and slide my hand, palm up

    onto his thigh where he usually holds it. His response is instantaneous. He reaches down and intertwines his fingers with mine. |

    watch ast some of the tension around his eyes and mouth eases.

    ¡®He really does care for us.¡® Alessia says in my head. And she¡¯s right. | can see how much today has impacted him, caused him

    more stress that he didn¡¯t need.

 Chapter 211

    He pulls my hand up to his mouth and kisses it. ¡°Thank you.¡± He says, turning his head to look at me.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For giving me a chance. | won''t let you down.¡±

    ¡°You''re wee. And training went well. | was exhausted afterward but Alessia said she felt stronger. Maybe that¡¯s why she

    could finally tell you were our mate.¡±

    He nods his head. ¡°That makes sense. Are you supposed to go back tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Same time. Oh, and, Cara told me that someone named Ailduin will be here next weekend. He¡¯s bringing his son and they

    want to hear and document my story.¡±

    ¡°The Fae King and his son Aolis. Apparently, they are the keepers of the Guardian¡¯s history. I¡¯m sure he''ll be thrilled to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I''ve never met any of the Fae. Do you know anything about them?¡±

    He looks at me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard from Rik and Cara, he¡¯s a good king. He apparently

    was mated to someone with your Guardian spirit a long time ago, so he¡¯s a bit partial to Alessia. But don¡¯t go getting any ideas.

    You''re my mate.¡± He growls thest part out.

    ¡°And apparently, I¡¯m your Guardian too.¡± | turn to look at him. ¡°Did you know that?¡±

    He nces at me but keeps his eyes on the road. ¡°I assumed. Seeing that Cara is Rik¡¯s Guardian, and they are mates, it was a

    logical assumption.¡±

    | nod as we pull into a quaint looking area with shops on either side of the main road. Liam parks andes around to help me

    down. He takes my hand and walks me to a shop advertising women¡¯s clothes. ¡°These shops are on the border. of Rik¡¯s and our

    packnds. Both packse here to shop. There are human cities nearby and we can go there if you would like. | have my

    offices in the nearest city, and I''d like to show it to you eventually anyway.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t escape me that he called them ¡®our¡¯ packnds. When the man says he¡¯s willing to be everything | want in a mate, he

    jumps in with both feet.

    When we walk into the shop, the woman at the counter looks aggravated until she sees Liam. ¡°Alpha! What a pleasant surprise.

    How can | help you today?¡± She is looking at and talking to Liam like I¡¯m not in the room.

    +15 BONDS

    Alessia stands up in my head, growling at this woman for her disrespect. She pushes forward and | know the instant that the

    woman realizes her mistake. Her eyes widen into saucers, and she gulps audibly. ¡°Guardian. My apologies.¡± She bares her neck

    to me. ¡°Il was unaware that we had another Guardian in our packs.¡±

    ¡°Sophia. This is Angel, a Guardian as you can see, and my mate.¡±

    Her eyes immediately go to my neck, looking for a mate mark. ¡°Your....mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We are here to get her some new clothes. Can you help us?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha. What kind of clothes were you thinking?¡±

    Liam turns to me. Again, the woman was ignoring me. ¡°Would you like to look around and see what you''d like to try on?¡± He asks

    me.

    ¡°Yes, that would be great.¡±

    ¡°Please look around. Let me know if you need any assistance at all.¡± Sophia says. to Liam.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    Liam guides me further into the store and we begin to look at the clothes. We find some jeans, tops and other clothes before |

    head into the changing rooms.

    Liam insists on seeing everything that | try on and makes suggestions. In the end, | found several outfits, some workout clothes

    and some cute nightgowns. ¡°This is a good start.¡± Liam says as he pays for the clothes. | see he also grabbed some scented

    body wash and lotion as well. ¡°We''ll go shopping again soon, but | want to get some food in you.¡±

    It''s more clothing than I''ve had in years, but | don¡¯t want to argue in front of Sophia, who continues to ignore me and flirt with

    Liam. Thankfully, he ignores

    her.

    When she¡¯s done ringing up the purchase, he grabs the bag and turns to me. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

 Chapter 212

    Sophia ignoring Angel aggravated me, but | didn¡¯t want to cause any more strife between us, so | let it go. In the future, | will not

    have anyone disrespecting my mate that way. She¡¯s their future Luna and like it or not, they will treat her as such.

    | insisted that Angel wear one of her new outfits. | wanted her to feelfortable in her own skin, not like she¡¯s wearing hand¡ª

    me-¡ªdown clothes from kids in the pack. Even dressed in adult clothes, her face has the sweetness of youth. | reach out and take

    her hand. I¡¯m so thankful she¡¯s willing to give me another chance.

    ¡°What is this song that¡¯s ying?¡± She asks me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like something you would listen to.¡± She turns and looks at me.

    ¡°Well, not based on the ylist | listened to the first time anyway. But even without that, this seems. almost....girly.¡±

    | raise an eyebrow, looking at her in mock offense. ¡°Girly? You think my music is girly?¡±

    ¡°Well, um...¡±

    | pull her hand to my lips, kissing it. | love kissing her hand, smelling her scent.

    ¡°I''m joking. | made this ylist for you while you were sleeping. It¡¯s what | was doing when you woke up and saw me with my

    phone and earbuds in.¡±

    She tilts her head to the side. ¡°What made you pick the songs? They¡¯re very different.¡±

    ¡°I''m not great at saying how | feel. I¡¯m not used to being open with anyone. So, | thought maybe | could make you a ylist to tell

    you how | feel, about you and about us. Or at least, what | want for us.¡±

    ¡°| like that line.¡± She says, her eyes unfocused, listening to the song.

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    She sings it to me.

    ¡°Full is not heavy as empty,

    Not nearly, my love

    Not nearly, my love

    Not nearly.¡±

    DONOR SI

    ¡°It''s true and | think you and | both understand that.¡± She says as she looks at

    1.me.

    ¡°Yes. But | would say that until you, | didn¡¯t understand it, never having felt what it could be like to feel full. | was always empty.

    Full feels light as a feather.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    She smiles at me as | pull into a parking spot. There is one upscale restaurant in this part of our packnds. It¡¯s on the border

    between the two packs. It¡¯s really the only date night restaurant there is, and I¡¯m hoping | can score a tablest minute.

    We walk up the drive and she takes in the twinkling lights of the ce. The owners have done a really nice job of making it look

    otherworldly.

    ¡°It''s beautiful.¡± She says and | can hear the wonder in her voice.

    ¡°It''s called Ethereal. I¡¯m not sure we can get in, but | wanted to try. If not tonight, we¡¯lle back another time.¡±

    When we get inside Tamara, one of the owners, is at the front. ¡°Hey Tamara. Is it possible to get a table for two? | don¡¯t have a

    reservation. It was ast-minute decision and | was hoping you could seat us.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Alpha Liam. Let me take a look.¡± She looks over her seating chart then around the restaurant, before looking

    back at me. ¡°Do you mind sitting out back on the patio?¡±

    | look at Angel. She shakes her head no, she doesn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°That will work.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, it''s a more secluded spot than what | can get you inside.¡±

    She walks us to a table for two that is tucked off to the side, offering a bit of privacy. The atmosphere outside is almost better

    than it is inside, so this is perfect.

    ¡°Thank you, Tamara.¡±

    ¡°Thank you foring in Alpha. | hope you both enjoy your dinner.¡± She says before leaving us.

    | watch as Angel looks around. ¡°Do youe here often?¡± She asks, looking at

    1.me.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 213

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    Chapter 0213

    ¡°No. It¡¯s kind of a date spot, and well, | don¡¯t really date. I''ve been a couple of times on any own. | sat at the bar inside listening

    to music. Or, when Dustin and | were workingte, we mighte in and grab a steak.¡±

    ¡°What made you bring me here?¡±

    ¡°Isn''t it obvious Angel?¡± She shakes her head, no.

    ¡°I''m trying to impress you. Show you that there is more to me than the monster. you saw earlier today.¡± She looks at me for a

    long moment before looking at the

    menu.

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you trust me, | can order for both of us.¡±

    | watch as she closes her menu. ¡°Surprise me, then.¡±

    | smile as our waitress walks over. | order a bottle of wine and appetizers. I¡¯m hoping a good workout today will have increased

    her appetite, so I''ll be ordering her a steak and potatoes to share.

    ¡°| have a question for you,¡± she says. ¡°And I¡¯ll preface it with, ¡®you¡¯re not going to like it¡¯.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    | reach over and take her hands. ¡°I told you, you can ask me anything. | may not. like your question, you may not like my answer,

    but | want us tomunicate and be honest with each other.¡±

    She nods, looking down at our hands. ¡°Would you let me see Eli?¡±

    My whole body goes rigid. | clench my jaw and | can feel the muscle twitching with the force | am exerting.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ites out as a growl and | rein it in. ¡°What | mean is, you may not realize that he kidnapped Cara and tried to forcibly

    mark her. You meeting with him puts you at risk and | don¡¯t feelfortable having you close to him.¡±

    ¡°You would be with me the entire time.¡± She says, holding my gaze.

    | don¡¯t want her near that murderer. | should have killed him, then none of this would be happening.

    Our winees while I¡¯m a contemting how to convince her to not see him. Before getting back to the heavy conversation, |

    pick up my ss, holding it up to

    clink with hers.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°To a fresh start and new beginnings, together.¡±

    She tips her ss to mine. ¡°Together.¡±

    Okay, | might have just set myself up.

    I sigh. ¡°Tell me why you want to see him.¡±

    ¡°Clint and Cara told me a lot about Alessia¡¯s Guardian line today. Many of the strengths that the Fae King has documented over

    the years. But one that they didn¡¯t tell me, that Alessia has, is the ability to smell deceit. It¡¯s another reason I¡¯m willing to give us a

    chance. | know that everything you said to me today was truthful. If you had been lying, | would have known.¡±

    | think about this new development. I¡¯m happy that she can tell that I¡¯m being honest with her, but what can her ability do to help

    me with Eli?

    She¡¯s watching me and she leans in. ¡°I can confirm when he¡¯s lying. If he tried to forcibly mark a Guardian, then he knows that

    we have enhanced abilities beyond a regr wolf. He¡¯ll know that | can tell he¡¯s lying.¡± She holds my hands tighter. You seem to

    need closure. At least then you''ll know for sure that he¡¯s lying.¡±

    ¡°You will stay by my side the entire time. You have to promise me that.¡±

    ¡°| promise. | have no interest in being forcibly marked by anyone.¡±

    Our appetizers arrived and | ordered our dinner.

    When | turn back, she says, ¡°Tell me about your business. You said you have apany in the human city?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± | tell her about thepany, the two departments that we have, my role as president and CEO and how it financially

    supports the pack. She listens, periodically asking questions and | realize, it¡¯s the first time anyone has ever wanted to know

    about me and my life. Usually, people want something from me that¡¯s part of being an Alpha. It feels good to share these things

    with her and jus have her listen.

    15

 Chapter 214

    ¡°Where do you find the time? You run a huge pack and also a massivepany that stretches over the entire country. When do

    you have time for you,

    you, Liam?Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    I shrug. ¡°Work has always been my life. There has never been anything for me but work. That¡¯s all I''ve ever known. I''ve wanted a

    partner to share my life and the responsibilities of running a pack. | searched for so many years trying to find you,all over the

    country, even overseas. Little did | know that you were within my reach this entire time, if | had only looked in the right ce.¡±

    She reaches over and takes my hand again. ¡°You had no way of knowing where | was, just as | would have had no way of

    knowing that you wanted me as a mate, not as a Guardian. Even if | hadn¡¯t been held captive by vampires, | would have

    continued to stay away from packs, so our paths probably would have never crossed.¡±

    We finished our dinner and | asked if she wanted dessert. | wasn¡¯t surprised when she said no. She didn¡¯t finish her steak, but

    she ate more than she has been eating.

    When we leave, | take her hand, walking us back to the car. | pick her up and put her in the truck, gently kissing her lips. She

    holds my face in her hands. Keeping her eyes on me, she slides her tongue between my lips like she did once before. | slip my

    tongue out and touch hers, drawing her tongue into my mouth and deepening the kiss. | let myself get pulled into the taste of her

    raspberries and cream until | hear her soft moan.

    | gently pull away and kiss the corner of her mouth before | walk around and climb into the truck. Our drive back is peaceful,

    listening to the ylist | made

    her.

    When we get back she asks, ¡°Did you want me to cut your hair?¡±

    ¡°| would appreciate that, thank you.¡± Yes, | absolutely want to do anything that means I¡¯m spending more time with you and

    means you will have your hands on

    1.me.

    When we walk into the packhouse, | drop her clothes off with the house omegas. to be washed and then we head upstairs. | walk

    us into my room, letting go of her hand to go into my bathroom and pull out scissors and ab to get ready to have her cut my

    hair. | unbutton my shirt, nning to take it off and walk back into the bedroom to see her looking around the room.

    | look at my room, wondering what she sees. It¡¯s decorated in a very masculine theme, all browns, cks and creams. There

    isn¡¯t really anything personal in my

    +15 BONOS

    room other than a couple of pictures of my parents. | watch as she walks over to the pictures and | follow behind her.

    ¡°That¡¯s my mom.¡±

    ¡°She was beautiful. You have her hair and her eyes.¡±

    | point to other pictures. ¡°That¡¯s my dad, I¡¯m built like him. And that is me as a child.¡± The picture is one that was taken about a

    year before my mother died. | don¡¯t have any other pictures of me after that.

    She picks up the picture, smiling as she runs her thumb over my image.

    I stand behind her, putting my hands on her hips. ¡°I paid for quite a few thoughts, and I¡¯d like to cash in on the one you¡¯re thinking

    now.

    She turns her head to look at me over her shoulder. ¡°I was wondering what it would feel like to have a child that looked just like

    you.¡±

    x

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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 Chapter 215

    I can see the impact my statement has on Liam. Instantly, his eyes darken and his throat convulses as if he¡¯s trying to swallow

    but his throat has gone dry.

    I turn back to the picture. Young Liam is something to behold. He has a huge smile on his face and it lights up his eyes. | wonder

    if anything can ever put that look back on his face.

    Seeing this picture had an immediate effect on me. Maybe it¡¯s the mate bond that¡¯s in full effect. But the moment | saw this

    picture, | knew | wanted to have Liam¡¯s children. | want to have a whole litter of pups running around with his smile on their

    faces, maybe a mixture of our eyes and hair color, but | want it like I¡¯ve never wanted anything in my life.

    | know in this moment, that | want to be mated to this man. We still have things to work through, | need to know that I can trust

    himpletely, but the thought of not marking him as mine and having another she¡ªwolf take my ce as his mate, is

    iprehensible.

    | put the picture back and realize that Liam has his shirt unbuttoned. His rippling abdominal muscles are right there. | turn and

    run my fingers over the ridges of his abs up to his chest. ¡°Is there a reason you are partially dressed?¡±

    The feel of his body shivering at my touch is empowering. | love having an effect on this srong man.

    His voice is husky when he responds. ¡°I was going to take it off so you could cut my hair.¡±

    I reach

    my hands up and push his shirt off his shoulders, sliding my hands down his arms, as the shirt drops to the floor. ¡°Good idea.¡± |

    say in a whisper. ¡°Where are we going to cut your hair?¡±

    He hooks his thumb behind him. ¡°Bathroom.¡± He says, but doesn¡¯t move and doesn¡¯t take his eyes off me..

    | run my hands back up his strong arms before sliding them up his neck into hist hair. His eyes stay on mine until | begin running

    my fingers through his hair, then they fall closed as | graze my nails over his scalp.

    ¡°| see you like this as much as | do.¡± | say, enjoying the feel of him rxing.

    ¡°| like you touching me.¡±

    He takes my hands and pulls me with him into the bathroom, sitting down in a

    +15 BONDS

    chair. ¡°No one has really touched me since my mother died. Not like this anyway. I¡¯ve had lovers, but that¡¯s different and nothing

    long-term. This feels more.... intimate.¡±

    | pick up theb, running it through his thick hair before answering. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what that must have been like for you.¡± |

    say beforeing to stand in front of him.

    ¡°Lonely.¡± He replies, pulling me between his legs so I¡¯m closer to him. ¡°Did you want to continue listening to the music list | made

    you while you do this?¡±

    | look down at him. He¡¯s watching me. ¡°Sure.¡±

    He pulls his phone out of his pocket, turning on the ylist before | hear musicing from his bedroom. ¡°I have it set up to go

    through the speakers in my room.¡± He says.

    | begin to cut his hair. While it¡¯s thick and curly, his hair is very soft. I¡¯m enjoying running my fingers through it as | pull it up to cut

    it. I¡¯m not sure how short he wants it but I¡¯m keeping it long enough that | can still feel it between my fingers as | run them

    through his hair.

    | chuckle at the song ying. ¡®You¡¯re barely waking, and I¡¯m tangled up in you.¡¯

    ¡°That sounds like us in the morning.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    His hands start rubbing up and down my hips. ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve never slept as well as | have thest couple of nights? |

    can¡¯t remember thest time | slept through the night before that first night with you.¡±

 Chapter 216

    I''m beginning to realize that this man has not only been alone his whole life, but besides Dustin¡¯s father who really was only

    teaching him how to take over pack responsibilities, he¡¯s never had anyone to show him love or affection.

    When | finish, | set aside the scissors andb. | lean into him, brushing my fingers through his hair, rubbing my thumbs over

    his eyebrows, then down to his eyelids, making my way to his lips. | brush my fingers gently over his lips and he kisses them.

    I smile as | look at him. ¡°I haven''t been able to sleep without having nightmares. until | came here. You and Cyran keep them at

    bay.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°You make me feel whole Angel. | don¡¯t have the emptiness that I¡¯ve felt for so long that | didn¡¯t even remember that it was there.

    It''s why I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you from leaving me. I¡¯ve never felt soplete in my life.¡± | pull his head into

    my chest, holding him against me and | feel him wrap his arms around me.

    After a moment, | pull away. ¡°Come on. Do you want to get in the bathtub and | can wash your hair?¡±

    ¡°Will

    you join me?¡±

    | look at him. This intimacy, this closeness with Liam, is addictive. Maybe it is only the mate bond, pulling us together, but | want

    to be the one that makes him. feel like this. | want to be the one that he craves andes to when he feels

    broken. | want to be the one that eases his tension and the aches of his life into something neither of us ever thought we would

    find.

    we''re two

    It feels like rough and jagged pieces of a puzzle that shouldn¡¯t fit anywhere, but when wee together, we fit and be one

    solid, smooth

    surface.

    ¡°Yes, I''ll join you.¡±

    The smile that lights his face fills my heart. | cup his cheek in my hand. ¡°You should smile more often. It looks good on you.¡±

    He turns his face to kiss my palm. ¡°You give me a reason to smile.¡±

    He stands up and moves to the tub, turning on the faucet. ¡°Where is a broom, | can clean this up.¡±

    He tells me and while he gets towels for us, | clean up the floor and move the

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    chair back to the bedroom.

    When |e back in, he has removed his clothes. ¡°Get in, let me wash off all this hair first.¡±

    He does and it¡¯s the reverse of my time in the tub. | hold his head, cupping water in my hand and pouring it over his head and

    shoulders. | grab his shampoo, which has an appealing musky scent that mingles with his.

    | rub the shampoo into his hair, watching as his eyes close and he rxes into my hand. | take my time, enjoying this softer side

    of Liam.

    When I''m done, | turn the water back on and pull the plug, letting the soapy water rinse out, before putting the plug back in.

    When | stand he looks at me. Are you getting in?¡±

    | nod and begin stripping off my clothes. | watch his eyes darken as they linger on my body. | step into the tub and sit between

    his legs, leaning back against him.

    ¡°Thank you for cutting my hair.¡± He whispers in my ear.

    ¡°Thank you for opening up to me and being honest about yourself. | want this to work Liam.¡± | look up at him over my shoulder. ¡°I

    think we can make this work.¡± He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly to him. ¡°We can, | promise.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Did you like the insight into Liam?

 Chapter 217

    My heart is lighter. She''s willing to give this a try, and she thinks it will work. It¡¯s not easy letting myself be this vulnerable with

    her, but it seems to be what she needs.

    When we finish with the bath, | wrap her in a towel and go to grab one of my t- shirts for her to wear while | pull on a pair of sleep

    pants. When Ie back, | hand it to her. ¡°Do you want to sleep in here, with me, tonight?¡±

    I''m hoping she''ll say yes. Now that she can feel the mate bond, | want her to move into this room, make it ours.

    A blush paints her cheeks pink. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that | will end up sleeping on top of you again.¡±

    | smirk down at her. | love that | wake up with herying on top of me, but if she¡¯s concerned about it, | have an idea. ¡°What? You

    don¡¯t like waking up like a lizard sunning herself on a warm rock?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know about the lizard part, but the warm rock is urate. You pump out some heat big guy.¡±

    ¡°Big guy, huh?¡±

    She blushes an even deeper shade of pink. ¡°Well, you are like a foot taller than | am.¡±

    ¡°Which brings me to my solution. What if we sleep on our sides, rather than your head on my chest and | can curl up behind

    you?¡±

    ¡°That works.¡± We crawl into bed, and | see her taking a deep breath of my pillow. | know Alessia must be pushing her toplete

    the mating process. But it needs. to be something Angel agrees to as well.

    ¡®So help her figure it out. | want to mark our mate. | want everyone to know she¡¯s

    ours.¡¯

    ¡®So do | Cyran but give her some time.¡¯

    He grumbles until | curl up behind our sweet mate. Her body fits perfectly inside.

    mine. | slide one arm under her pillow and wrap the other arm around her torso, sliding my hand under her shirt and holding it

    against her stomach. | bury my nose in her hair and breathe in her sweet scent.

    ¡°Good night Angel.¡± | kiss her hair.

    C +15 BONOSN?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°Good night Liam.¡± Her handing up under the pillow to hold mine.

    There is nowhere else in the world | want to be. | wait until | feel her drift asleep before falling into my own restful bliss.

    My Angel is writhing underneath me. Her body rubbing against my hard cock, driving me crazy. Her hand is in my hair pulling as

    she moans my name.

    It''s the sound of my name from her lips that wakes me. We are still on our sides, but my sweet angel is rubbing her ass against

    my raging hard on. She has reached back over her head and is gripping my hair, her back arched searching for her release in

    her dream.

    | slide my hand down between her legs, gently lifting the top one over mine to give me ess. | slide my fingers through her

    warm folds and groan at how wet my little mate is for me. | slide two fingers inside her before moving to her clit, rubbing circles

    and adding pressure as she pushes against my hand.

    ¡°Liam.¡± It¡¯s a soft moan of pleasure and | intend to hear her saying my name every day, whether it¡¯s in this moaning whisper or a

    scream of passion.

    She wakes as | start to bring her closer to the edge. She goes to move, but | mp my arm down on her thigh to hold her in

    ce and bring the arm under the pillow down to squeeze her breast before tugging on her nipple. Her gasp of pleasure has me

    on the verge of my own orgasm.

    | nuzzle my way to her ear, biting down on her ear lobe. ¡°Cum for me little angel.¡±

    Her response is instantaneous, her body jerking with her release, pushes me to mine. Growling, | continue to rub her clit as our

    bodiese down together. Another pair of sleep pants soaked.

    | slide my fingers down and inside of her. | wasn¡¯t kidding yesterday when | said | wanted to taste her every morning. When |

    bring my fingers to my mouth, she turns and watches me lick my fingers clean of her taste.

    ¡°| told you | wanted you for breakfast every morning.¡±

    | see her eyes darken, Alessia¡¯s gold rimming the grey of Angel¡¯s. | feel Cyran push forward and know my eyes have gone from

    sage to hunter green.

    ¡°Soon, little one, very soon, | will be taking my time with you, feasting on your until your voice goes hoarse.¡± | lean in and kiss her

    deeply. ¡°But today, you have to get ready for training, and so do |.¡±

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    She pulls back from me. ¡°You''re going to train with me

    today

 Chapter 218

    ¡°No. But | haven''t been involved in my warriors¡® training since you got here and | need to show my face and see how they are

    doing. I''ll be doing that while you are gone and then this afternoon, we will go see Eli.¡±

    Her eyes soften. ¡°Thank you, | know it¡¯s not easy for you to agree to that.¡±

    | kiss her nose. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m willing to do just about anything to make you happy and keep you by my side. | don¡¯t like it, but as

    long as | will be there with you, | will deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Now get moving.¡± | smack her ass cheek hard. | see her eyes go wide, then. something that looks suspiciously like lust shes

    before she turns to get up. Oh yeah, we''ll be exploring that more. My little Angel was definitely made for me.

    Since I''m feeling yful, | growl softly, making her turn. I¡¯m sitting up on the bed, ready to pounce. She squeals a moment before

    rushing to the bathroom. | catch her just as she gets to the door, swinging her in my arms and carrying her the rest of the way

    into the bathroom. ¡°Caught you.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t much of a challenge big guy.¡± My sassy mate says.

    | shift her body so I can hold her with one arm and turn on the shower with the other. ¡°Any time you want to run little mate, Cyran

    and | will be happy to hunt you. You¡¯ve seen how fast Cyran is and we don¡¯t lose. Ever.¡±

    | feel a shiver run up her spine before | set her down on the floor. We shower and | make a mental note to call the local salon

    about getting Angel in for a haircut.

    | drive her to Clint¡¯s again. Today is apparently a running day. Cara wants to try to show her around the packhouse again today,

    and said she''ll bring her home when they are done. | remind them to make sure my girl eats and doesn¡¯t overdo before | kiss her

    goodbye and head back to my pack.

    It feels good to be training with my warriors again. My lead warrior, Evan, gives me a good sparring, while Dustin and Jackson

    move around and give the warriors pointers.

    ¡°So Alpha,¡± Evan says when we take a break for water a couple hourster. ¡°Is it true? Is the girl your mate?¡±

    | notice everyone stop what they are doing to listen in. ¡°She is, but she¡¯s only just gotten strong enough to realize that we''re

    mates. She still hasn¡¯t shifted to her wolf and | don¡¯t know how long it will be until she¡¯s strong enough.¡±

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    ¡°Is it true that she¡¯s a Guardian?¡± One of my other warriors asks.

    ¡°Yes. For those of you who have heard of or remember Lily Nelson, Cara Nelson¡¯s mother, Angel and her wolf Alessia have their

    reincarnated Guardian spirit.¡±

    ¡°Is it true that vampires held her captive and want her back?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She was held captive for seven years.¡± Several of the warriors growl and snarl. They understand the impact of me not

    being able to find my mate because she was a prisoner. ¡°Currently there is a five million dor bounty on her head.¡± ¡°Actually

    Alpha,¡± Dustin says. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to speak to you, but the bounty has gone up. It¡¯s seven million now.

    D

    ¡°What about the bounty for the other girl? Is it still active?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s up to six million.¡± Dustin informs me.

    I nod. I¡¯m about to get the group back into sparring when an urgent mind linkes through from the patrols.

    ¡°Alpha! There¡¯s a wolf rushing toward our territory. She¡¯s alone and she¡¯s fast. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to stop at the

    borders.¡±

    | look at Dustin and realize the link was open to all the warriors, as well as my Beta and Gamma.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Another linkes through. ¡°She just got past us. She¡¯s heading toward the packhouse.¡±

    | hear a howl in the distance. It¡¯s not a challenge, or a howl of the hunt. It¡¯s an excited howl.

    ¡°She just got past the second level patrols, and she isn¡¯t slowing down.¡± Another patrol leader announces.

    ¡°What does she look like?¡± | ask my men.

    ¡°She¡¯s pure white. The whitest wolf I''ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Let her through.¡±

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    ¡°| said let her through.

    Achorus of ¡°Yes Alpha¡±es through the link.

    Dustin looks at me. ¡°Who is it?

    At that moment, she breaks from the tree line of the forest. She is running full

    out, directly at me. Even from here, | can see her stunning golden eyes.¡± ¡°Alessia.¡± | open my arms just as she leaps and tackles

    me to the ground.

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    Cooper

    She shifted!

    AuthorAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    12

 Chapter 219

    You''d think | was a teenager with the amount of sex dreams I''ve started having. I¡¯m waking up every morning to Liam helping me

    ease the ache between my thighs. I¡¯m notining. The man is magic with his hands and his tongue. | was seriously tempted

    to offer him the breakfast he wanted this morning.

    And when he pped my rear end? It caused something to clench deep inside me. | wanted to lean back and offer myself to him

    so he¡¯d do it again. This mate bond is messing with my brain.

    ¡®It''s not just the mate bond. It¡¯s the Alpha in him. It''s instinct to respond to his dominance. And he¡¯s so dominant.¡® Alessia purrs in

    my head. Well, she¡¯s no help.

    at all.

    ¡®| wouldn¡¯t say he was being dominant when he made that girly ylist for me.¡¯ | tell her.

    ¡®He was telling you he loves you in the only way he knows how. It was sweet. He can be sweet and he can be dominating. Would

    you disagree that he knows how tomand your body to do exactly what he wants? You certainly responded when he told you

    to cum for him.¡±

    Just thinking of his strong, deep voice in my ear makes my body tighten up. Not helpful when you''re running mile after mile. But |

    have to admit, there is something about the way his voice makes my body respond. And the thought of him and Cyran hunting

    us?

    ¡®Oh yes. As soon as | can shift, | will be giving Cyran a challenge worthy of an Alpha.¡® | can feel Alessia¡¯s excitement. Not only in

    being able to shift for the first time in over seven years, but also giving Cyran a challenge he''ll never forget.

    I''ming up on the five¡ªmile mark. Clint had me run the shorter track so he could check how I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m headed back to

    where Clint is waiting for me, when Alessia starts to whine in my head.

    ¡®Alessia, what is it?¡®

    ¡®I feel like | need to shift.¡±

    ¡®What? Right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, like | can¡¯t control it.¡®

    | fall to my knees. | see Clint¡¯s worried expression. ¡°Donovan!¡± Alessia screams

    out before my body is wracked in pain and | fall to my side.

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    Somehow, Clint makes it to my side, faster than | would have expected on this grassy terrain. ¡°Angel, what is it?¡±

    ¡°| have to shift.¡± Alessia¡¯s voice isyered over mine, our voice tortured with pain.

    Clint pulls himself out of his wheelchair to sit on the ground next to me. Heys a hand on my side. ¡°Easy. Easy now. | know it¡¯s

    been a long time since you''ve shifted. This is a good thing. You''re not alone, I''ll be here until you shift.¡±

    He moves so he is sitting in front of my face. ¡°Angel, look at me. Alessia knows what to do, don¡¯t fight her. Watch me and breathe

    with me.

    He begins deep inhales and exhales. | try to copy what he¡¯s doing but the pain is so great. | don¡¯t remember it being this bad

    during my first shift.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°You were younger then. Your body wasn¡¯t fully grown and | was at full strength and able to heal you almost as fast as you were

    injured.¡® Alessia¡¯s agonized voice tells me.

    | don¡¯t know how long weid there. Every bone cracking was agony. Somewhere in my mind, | realized that Clint had shifted

    and Donovan was beside us, rubbing against our side, trying to help ease the pain. And it did help some.

    Then, Cara was there too, giving her support, rubbing her hands over our side and back. It was having both of them there that

    finally allowed Alessia to finish the shift. When we were done, wey there panting.

    Cara runs her hands through Alessia¡¯s fur. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful Alessia.¡±

 Chapter 220

    Donovan rubs his muzzle over my shoulder. ¡°Do you think you can stand?¡± Cara asks. ¡°Dad and Donovan are concerned about

    you.¡±

    Alessia takes her time getting to her feet. When she does, she shakes out her fur and wags her tail at Donovan, barking at him.

    ¡®How do you feel Alessia?¡®

    ¡®Like | want to run!¡¯ She says and takes off. | don¡¯t know where she¡¯s going, but she doesn¡¯t seem to care as long as she can

    continue to run. She howls a thank you before bolting west. The minute she shifts her direction, | know exactly where she was

    going and | am in total agreement. She wants Liam and Cyran to see her.

    ¡®Were you always this fast Alessia?¡¯ I¡¯m in awe of my wolf. She¡¯s amazing!

    ¡®lll be even faster when I¡¯m stronger.¡¯

    We run through the canyon and head straight to the cliff behind the waterfall. She begins climbing and I¡¯m wondering if she¡¯s part

    mountain goat, she¡¯s leaping from ledge to ledge like it¡¯s nothing.

    We''re near the top when we see the first patrols racing toward us. She doesn¡¯t stop, she just pushes harder. She howls to let

    Liam and Cyran know she¡¯sing. | hope they know it¡¯s her. | don¡¯t want to have to fight a bunch of Liam¡¯s pack members.

    She blows past another patrol team, darting around the trees in the forest behind the packhouse. And that¡¯s when we smell him.

    Alessia begins to run even faster and as she breaks from the forest, he¡¯s standing there, looking right at us.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    When he sees us, a huge smile spreads across his face and he opens his arms. Alessia doesn¡¯t hesitate. She jumps right into

    his arms, knocking them both to the ground. She¡¯s so excited that she can¡¯t hold still, squirming around in his

    arms.

    He¡¯sughing at her antics as she licks his face, yips in happiness and continues to jump around him and on him.

    ¡°Okay, okay. Let me take a look at you, gorgeous.¡± He says, sitting up. She rubs herself against him before standing in front of

    him, prancing around, unable to be still.

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    beautiful you are. And big! | thought you''d be small given how tiny Angel is, but you¡¯re almost asrge as Cyran.¡±

    Alessia is purring, rubbing herself on Liam, scenting him. He stands, brushing the grass off his pants. Alessia jumps at him,

    barking loudly. She¡¯s bent over with her front legs on the ground, her butt in the air, and her tail wagging back and forth like a

    metronome.

    Liam stops and looks at her. ¡°Feeling yful little one?¡± And | can hear Cyran¡¯s voice oveying Liam¡¯s. She barks at him again,

    jumping at him before running a few steps away. She looks back to see if he¡¯s going to follow her.

    Liam''s eyes have gonepletely dark as Cyran pushes forward. ¡°Run little one.¡±

    Alessia takes off like a shot. A momentter, | hearrge paws hitting the earth. Alessia turns her head and sees Cyran chasing

    after her. She howls her delight and pushes forward. Cyran¡¯s answering howl is the howl of the hunt, and Alessia is his prey.

    Cyran chases us around the packnds, nipping at Alessia¡¯s heels when he gets close enough. She¡¯s giving him a good run, not

    making it easy to catch her.

    She''s run back into the canyon and is running at full speed when she catches the scent, that sickly sweet scent that we''ll never

    forget. She turns, digging her paws into the ground, skidding out in the grass. Her nose is up in the air sniffing.

    Vampire.

    Just as Cyran catches up to us, she lets out the warning howl. Danger.

    We''re halfway between the Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs. Basically, h and | are on our own until help arrives, and |

    can¡¯t tell how many vampires ther

    are.

 Chapter 221

    GET IT NOW

    Chapter 0221

    ¡°Custos Regni.¡± It¡¯s a hissing sound that brings back so many awful memories. ¡± We finally found you. The Prince will be so

    pleased.¡±

    Cyran snarls next to me. Alessia steps forward and moves in front of Cyran putting herself between him and what we now see

    are five vampires.

    ¡®Alessia?¡¯

    ¡®| don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not at full strength, but I¡¯m stronger than | was thest time. we fought them.¡®

    | feel Cyran tug on our tail with his teeth, pulling us out from in front of him.

    ¡°Kill the male. Keep the female for the prince.¡± The leader says. It¡¯s not Sebastian this time, but he has the same confidence.

    Three of his minions immediately move to take out Cyran. The vampires are so fast that he doesn¡¯t see theming, but Alessia

    and | do.

    Before the first one can get his hands on Cyran, Alessia grabs his arm, ripping it from his body, then slices her ws across his

    throat. He¡¯s not dead, but there are still two more going after Cyran.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    She turns in time to see Cyran ripping the head off one as the other wraps his arms around his neck. Alessia snarls, jumping up

    to pull him off Cyran, when the leaderes up behind us, grabbing Alessia by the throat. She thrashes around trying to break

    his grip. She¡¯s strong, but still not at full strength and the vampire has a good grip, having wrapped his other arm around her rib

    cage. The fifth vampire joins in and helps the leader restrain Alessia.

    They begin dragging us away, Alessia fighting to get back to Cyran. Cyran is still fighting with the second vampire that attacked

    and the first one | put down is starting to move. | can see Cyran is distracted, wanting to get to me.

    | hear heavy footfalls and know that other wolves are on the way. One of the vampires restraining Alessia turns to fight the

    neers. | take the opportunity. to turn and grab hold of the leader by the throat. He starts beating on Alessia, scratching at

    her as we listen to the gurgling sound of him drowning in his own blood.

    With the vampire still hanging from her mouth, she turns to see that two other wolves have arrived and are taking out thest

    three vampires. Cyran rips the head off of his and turns to us. Alessia steps on the body of the vampire she¡¯s dragging by its

    throat before shaking her head viciously, tearing the vampire¡¯s.

    +15 DONOS

    head from its body.

    The other two wolves make short work of thest two vampires. Alessia puts her nose in the air, sniffing to see if there are any

    more. She gives a short bark letting everyone know that there are no more.

    Cyranes over, nipping at her then licking her muzzle, cleaning her. | watch ¡± as the two new wolves shift. Rik and Anders.

    Cyran stops cleaning Alessia and shifts back as well.

    ¡°Rik, Anders.¡± He greets.

    Rik looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is Alessia.¡±

    ¡°Yes. | don¡¯t know if these were scouts, but at some point they will be missed. Our timeframe for war just shortened.¡± Liam tells

    the other two. ¡°I set up a meeting room for tomorrow in my pack house. We can all meet there and talk about our n.¡±

    We hear several other paws digging into the earth. Wolves areing from the direction of both packs. As they prepare to

    address the other wolves, Liames over to me, he kneels down, running his hands over Alessia making sure she¡¯s not too

    injured. He leans in and quietly whispers in her ear. ¡°You and | will have words about thister Angel.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    The vampires have found her. And what does Liam want to talk about?

    10

 Chapter 222

    | cannot believe that Alessia fucking stepped in front of me. As if she was going to take on those five vampires by herself while |

    stood around with my thumb up my ass. I¡¯m so pissed | could punch something, but right now, | have to deal with the fact that the

    vampires have found her. If the vampire prince is a decent leader, he¡¯ll know exactly where he sent his scouts and when they are

    supposed to return. We can only hope that this was an early stop and they aren¡¯t expected back for a while.

    Rik and | set up additional patrols to cover the canyon between us and assign some warriors to burn the vampires. Now that I''ve

    smelled them, | know Dustin was right. That¡¯s not a smell you forget. It¡¯s so sweet it almost burns your nose. I¡¯m thankful that

    Angel stayed in her wolf form. I¡¯m not sure | could have restrained myself if she were naked in front of all these males. I¡¯m

    already angry, and | need to harness my anger before we get back to the packhouse and | have a chance to speak to her. | also

    need to make sure that she doesn¡¯t need any medical care. Alessia still isn¡¯t up to full strength and I¡¯m not sure how much

    damage that vampire did to her. When | checked her over briefly, she didn¡¯t seem to have serious injuries, but | also saw that

    asshole leech beating on her.

    When we''re done, | look at Alessia and jerk my head toward home. She takes the hint and heads out, | shift and Cyran is right on

    her tail. Her pace is considerably slower on the way home. She¡¯s overdone it and worn herself out. Fuck!

    Cyran keepContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    pace with her, making sure she doesn''t fall on her way back up the cliff face. It''s slow going but when we get to the top, | finda

    tree where the pack has clothes stashed and | shift back. | throw on a pair of shorts and turn to Alessia.

    ¡°Shift.¡± | use every bit of Alpha tone that | have. | know it doesn¡¯t work on her, but I¡¯m hoping she''ll realize that I¡¯m not ying.

    She shifts and looks at me cautiously.

    | toss her a shirt and wait until she pulls it on. Once she has, | throw her over my shoulder and begin stalking back to the

    packhouse.

    ¡°Liam! What are you doing, put me down.¡±

    | smack her ass, hard. ¡°Hold still and be quiet.¡±

    The walk to the packhouse is faster with me carrying her. | know she needs to eat, but we need to talk first. Pack members start

    to approach me, but when they see me carrying Angel over my shoulder, or maybe it¡¯s the deadly look on my face, they scurry

    out of my way.

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    | head straight to my room before putting her down and rounding on her. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±

    | can see her total confusion. She has no idea why I¡¯m so upset. | start pacing, trying to burn off some of this anger. And

    underneath the anger is the real problem. Fear. Fear that | could have lost her today.

    | turn back to her. ¡°Don¡¯t ever fucking put yourself between me and danger again. Got it?¡±

    ¡°They were going to kill you Liam.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°First! I¡¯m a fucking Alpha! I''ve been taking care of myself since | was six years old.¡± I¡¯m yelling, waving my arms around like a

    crazy person. ¡°Second! You don¡¯t give your life for me. Do you understand me? Not today, not ever. Are we clear?¡±

    | get in her face, towering over her. I¡¯m breathing so heavy | feel like a fucking dragon breathing fire. In the back of my mind, I¡¯m

    proud of my little angel. She doesn¡¯t back down from my fury.

    ¡°lm a Guardian Liam. It¡¯s my job. It¡¯s what | do.¡±

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 Chapter 223

    ¡°Fuck that! Fuck that shit. Did you not hear anything that | said to youst night? Did you not hear how important you are to me?

    Do you not realize that you aren''t saving my life by giving yours for mine? | have no life if you aren''t in it. Just like that line from

    the song, you showed me what it feels like to be full, and it¡¯s so fucking light | feel like I¡¯m floating. Do you think that | could go

    back to that empty feeling again, after knowing what | was missing? | can¡¯t. | have no life without you Angel. | have nothing.¡±

    | start pacing again. ¡°I¡¯m only just now beginning to understand what my father was going through all those years.¡± | turn back to

    her. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you now, I¡¯m not strong enough to survive it. | wouldn''tst ten minutes without

    you, much less the ten fucking years my father survived. Do you hear me, Angel?¡±

    | walk to her, taking her arms in my hands to you understand that there is nothing for me if | don¡¯t have you? You are my

    everything. Without you, there is nothing. No reason for me to live.¡±

    | lean down, putting my forehead against hers. ¡°I know | can¡¯t ask you to walk away. | know it¡¯s in your genes just like it¡¯s in mine

    to fight when you must. But, please, for me, don¡¯t ever put yourself in between me and danger again. | will ept you standing

    beside me, fighting with me. | don¡¯t like it, but I''ll ept it. Just, please, promise me, you won''t ever stand in front of me again.¡±

    She takes my face in her hands. ¡°I''ll try Liam. | can¡¯t make any guarantees, it¡¯s not just up to me. Alessia feels a pull to protect

    you, too. But | will try to stand beside you and fight beside you instead of in front of you.

    | pull her into me, taking her mouth in a fierce kiss, ravaging her, feeding my need to know she¡¯s alive and safe. | pull back. ¡°Let

    me look at you? Did that vampire hurt you? | know you didn¡¯t have any serious cuts but let me see your bruises.¡±

    | pull the shirt over her head, kneeling to look more closely at her ribcage and chest where the vampire was focusing his

    punches. | kiss the bruises across her ribs, following the line up her sternum to her chest.

    Her handse into my hair and | wrap my arms around her pulling her to me. | love you Angel. | love you so much it hurts.¡±

    She tugs on my hair, forcing me to look up at her. ¡°I love you too Liam.¡± She runs her thumbs over my cheeks then leans down

    kissing me. She wraps her arms around me then bends down until she is straddling in myp. | stand, wrapping

    HS

    IS BONDS

    her legs around my waist and take her to the bed.

    ¡°Show me how much you love me Liam.¡±

    | rub my nose against hers. ¡°Baby girl, there is nothing that | want more than to bury myself in your sweet warmth and show you

    how much | love you, but if | do that, | won¡¯t be able to stop myself from marking you.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    She takes my face in her hands, looking into my eyes. ¡°Would that be so bad?¡± | pull back and look at her. ¡°Angel, once | mark

    you, that¡¯s it, you¡¯re mine forever. Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡±

    ¡°We still have things we need to figure out Liam, | know that. But one thing that I¡¯m absolutely sure of is that | want to be yours

    and | want you to be mine. We were meant to be together. We were made for each other. So yes Liam, | want you to mark me

    and | want to mark you. Make me yours forever.¡±

    Cooper Author

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 224

    Liam slides my body up higher onto the bed thenys down between my legs, holding himself up on his elbows. His kiss is

    scorching, his need for me is as great as mine for him.

    ¡°I''ll try to be gentle with you Angel, but I¡¯m not really good at being gentle.¡±

    ¡°| won''t break.¡± | tell him and pull his mouth back down to mine. His hands are everywhere, touching me, pulling me closer. His

    mouth moves down my neck to that spot at the corner of my neck by my corbone, where his mark will be before the end of the

    night. He licks and sucks on the spot and | feel heat flooding into my system, pooling between my thighs.

    He begins to kiss his way down my body, sucking one nipple into his mouth as he squeezes my other breast in his hand. | moan

    loudly and run my fingers through his hair, grabbing onto it and pulling his head up to look at me.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He growls before moving to the other nipple and sucking it into his mouth, pulling it into a hard peak. He gently bites it and pulls

    is through his teeth, watching me as he does. The pleasure and pain of it causing my body to clench. He groans as he kisses his

    way down my stomach. ¡°You smell so fucking good baby girl.¡±

    As he moves lower, he pulls one of my legs over his shoulder and pins the other to the bed, holding it down with his arm, using

    his fingers to rub over my clit.

    ¡°Liam.¡± | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a request or a demand, but | know | need more. My eyes close as | bask in the sensations that Liam is

    making me feel.

    His hand moves to my stomach, holding me down as his mouth reces his fingers and he sucks my clit into his mouth. His

    tongue begins rubbing circles and he slides two fingers inside me. ¡°So fucking wet for me.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s a breathy response and all | can manage. My body feels like it¡¯s on fire, the pressure building quickly.

    ¡°Eyes on me baby girl.¡±

    | open my eyes and watch as he licks my clit before sucking it back into his mouth. He adds a third finger and begins moving

    them in and out faster. | can feel my body begin to clench around his fingers and just when | think | can¡¯t take anymore, he curls

    his fingers inside me and growls over my clit.

    My body immediately erupts into an orgasm so strong | see stars. | scream

    +15 RONOS

    Liam¡¯s name and my back arches up, pushing against his hand on my stomach. He holds me in ce, forcing me to ept the

    pleasure that he¡¯s giving me. My body is jerking against him with the force of my orgasm and | hear him groaning as lets me ride

    out my pleasure.

    When my bodyes down, he slides his fingers out of and sits up. His dark eyes watch me as his licks his fingers clean of my

    juices before sliding his shorts off andying over top of me again.

    He pulls one leg up to wrap around his waist. He lines himself at my entrance and stops, putting his forehead against mine. ¡°I

    don¡¯t want to hurt you, Angel. You¡¯re so small | feel like | might split you in two.¡±

    I smile at my beloved mate. ¡°Liam Holstin. | was made for you by the Moon Goddess. We were made to fit together. | know how

    big you are, | didn¡¯t start calling you big guy because of your height.¡± | gently kiss him, never taking my eyes off his. ¡°We''ll take it

    slow. Alessia is a fast healer.¡±

    ¡°You tell me if it''s too much or if we need to stop. | don¡¯t want to hurt you.

    ¡°| mean it when | say if you don¡¯t im me here and now, you will not only answer to me but also my wolf.¡±

    ¡°| love you so much little angel.¡± He says as he slowly begins to slide inside me. He really is a big guy. | can feel him stretching

    me and it¡¯s an ufortable invasion. | can see the concern on his face and | reach up to kiss him. He groans in my mouth and

    | deepen the kiss, moving my hands back into his hair.

    When he reaches resistance, he stops. ¡°Are you ready to be mine forever little angel?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Liam.¡±

    He thrusts the rest of the way inside me making me hiss in pain. | can feel his body quivering with his restraint, holding still while

    my body adjusts. It takes a moment before the pain subsides and then the feeling of him, so deep inside me, makes my body

    tighten.

    | begin to move against him, needing the friction that only he can give me. He starts slow, sliding all the way out before sliding

    deep into my core again. This new feeling is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever felt. Soon, he¡¯s thrusting into me harder and faster. His

    hand goes to my hip, holding me in ce as he drives himself deeper into my core, hitting my cervix.

    He pushes me over the top and | explode around him, my ws dig into his shoulders as | scream my release. He doesn¡¯t stop

    the demanding pace, forcing me to stay at this high until | cum for him again and again. He continues to

    command my body, pulling everything from me until I''m whimpering in his arms, tears streaming down my face at the emotional

    overload.

    +15 BONOS

    Just as |e to my fourth climax, he snarls, ¡°Mine!¡± and sinks his canines into my marking spot.

    The exquisite pleasure, the absolute ecstasy, has me screaming his name again, just before my canines slide out and | sink

    them into his marking spot, making him mine.

    Liam roars as my teeth sink into his neck, making the windows shake with the power of it. His body begins jerking his release.

    As | hold on to his neck, milking my canines into his flesh, | feel the mate bond. kick in. All of Liam''s emotions flood into me ¡ª

    relief, happiness, pleasure and most importantly, love.

    Cooper

    Author

    I''m giving you a bonus chapter, so you don¡¯t have to wait until tomorrow for the rest of the mating night. Enjoy!

 Chapter 225

    If | thought the taste of my little mate was amazing, it is nothing to the feeling of being balls deep inside her. She¡¯s so fucking

    tight. | know she must have torn. Thank the goddess for Alessia¡¯s advanced healing power.

    When she starts to move under me, | take the lead. | want to watch here undone, | want to know that I¡¯m the only man that

    has or will ever make her feel this way. So, it¡¯s not enough for her to cum for me once. The feel of her mping down on my dick

    is by far the best feeling I¡¯ve ever had. | need to feel it again, and again and again. By the fourth time, | know I¡¯ve pushed her

    nearly to her breaking point, | can see her tears and | can¡¯t hold back any longer. My caninese out and | need to mark her,

    like | need air to breathe.

    ¡°Mine!¡±

    As | drive her over the cliff again, | sink my canines into her neck. I¡¯m immediately flooded with her emotions, raw pleasure, joy,

    and so much love. | only have a moment to enjoy her emotions before | feel her canines sink into my neck.

    The overwhelming surge of power has me roaring my release. | cum so hard | nearly ck out. | could never have imagined this

    sort of rapture from marking my mate. It¡¯s only her canines in my neck, milking her venom into me that keeps me from going

    under.

    When she finally pulls her teeth from my neck and licks the wound closed, | pull back and look at her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    She sniffles a bit. ¡°I''ve never been better.¡±

    | lean down, nuzzling my nose against hers. ¡°Why the tears?¡±

    ¡°| feel so good. | never expected it to feel like this.¡± She says and | kiss another tear as it falls down her face.

    ¡°You''re mine now Angel. There¡¯s no going back for either one of us.¡± | start to pull out but she grabs my hips.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. | like the way you feel inside me.

    | groan. ¡°Baby girl. It won¡¯t take long for me to get hard again if I¡¯m going to stay inside your warm sweetness.¡±

    She gives me a devilish grin. ¡°Is that so bad?¡±

    | growl, rolling us over so she¡¯sying on top of me. ¡°Now you can take charge if

    3/2

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    you decide you want another round.¡±

    She sits up, seating me deep inside her making me instantly hard again. ¡°Aren''t you sore, little angel?¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Advanced healing, remember?¡± She says and she slowly starts to move her hips, adjusting to the new position. She takes her

    hands into her hair, pushing it out of ¡± her face and behind her. | can feel it draping over my legs.

    | put my hands on her hips, guiding her movements, watching as her head falls back. Her hair is cascading all around me and

    I''m living the dream I¡¯ve woken to every day this week.

    ¡°You''re so fucking beautiful.¡± As she gets her rhythm, | move my hands to her breasts, tugging on her nipples until | feel her inner

    walls fluttering around me. ¡°You were definitely made for me Liam. You feel so good inside me.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to cum riding my cock, baby girl?¡±

    | watch as a smug smile spreads across her face. ¡°I¡¯d rather make you cum, big guy.¡±

    Oh, my fallen angel. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    She nods and | move us so we''re closer to the top of the bed. | take her hands and put them on the headboard. ¡°Hold on here,

    use it for leverage.¡±

    She begins moving her hips again. There is something extremely sexy about letting my mate have control, a control I''ve never

    given to anyone before. | watch as she gets her rhythm, my hands on her hips, just touching her, letting her set the pace.

    | look up and see her stormy grey eyes watching me. | growl softly, seeing my mate take her pleasure. | watch as a fleeting look

    of indecision crosses her face before she leans forward, cupping her breast in her hand, bringing it to my mouth.

 Chapter 226

    | take it in my mouth sucking her nipple at the same pace that she¡¯s riding me. As | watch, her eyes close and she leans her

    head back, picking up her pace. | hold her breast in one hand, keeping it firmly in my mouth until she pulls back, the suction of

    my mouth causing a soft ¡®pop¡® as her nipple pulls out. She slows her pace and moves to cup her other breast, bringing it to my

    mouth.

    As soon as |tch on, she¡¯s riding me hard again. | hold her breast with one hand and the other goes to her clit, giving her the

    friction she needs. I¡¯m getting close to my own orgasm, and | want my girl to get her release at the same time. She begins

    chanting my name over and over, until | feel her walls mp down on me like a vice grip. | snarl my release, biting down on her

    nipple as she screams my

    name.

    She rides out her orgasm before copsing against me. | could definitely spend every day inside my Angel.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    | know she¡¯s exhausted and | still need to feed her. | mind link the kitchen staff to bring us up a cart with food. While we¡¯re

    waiting, | pick up my girl and carry her into the bathroom. | set her on the counter while | turn on the shower, getting the water

    warm for her.

    | turn back to her, brushing her hair out of her face. | can feel her fatigue, a little smugness from our love-making and so much

    loveing through the bond. You know you¡¯re my everything, right Angel? You¡¯re my whole world.¡±

    ¡°And you''re mine Liam.¡± She runs her hand over my face, leaning in to gently

    kiss me.

    | pick her up and carry her into the shower. Setting her down, | grab the new shampoo that smells like berries. ¡°Much better.¡± |

    say as | rub it into her hair.

    She wraps her arms around me and holds on while | wash her hair and rinse it out. When I¡¯m done, | grab a washcloth and wash

    her body, being gentle with the bruises that are still healing on her ribcage and between her legs where | know she must be sore.

    As | rub the washcloth across her stomach, | ask ¡°How are you feeling? How¡¯s your stomach?¡±

    ¡°It''s sore. But it¡¯s a good sore.¡±

    ¡°I''ve ordered up some food, we''ll get you fed and into bed so you can get some sleep.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°What if | don¡¯t want to sleep?¡±

    | smirk down at her. ¡°Let''s see how you feel after you¡¯ve had some food.¡±

    When we finish, | kiss her on her new mark and dry her off before putting her in one of my shirts. | pull on a pair of sweatpants

    and walk to the door. There is cart with all sorts of food and lots of water. | pull the cart in and roll it over to the loveseat. | sit

    down, pulling Angel into myp and then we proceed to feed each other. That leads to more kissing, more touching and

    eventually me taking her several more times throughout the night.

    As the new day dawns and the sun begins to shine in through the curtains, | look at my sleeping mate, beautiful in all her naked

    glory. | have never felt the sense of peace and calm that | feel having my mateying beside me. | can¡¯t believe this amazing,

    strong, yet delicate woman is all mine. | decide the best way to wake her is by dining on my favorite breakfast of raspberries and

    cream. | feast until | have her screaming my name. The perfect way to start the day.

    Cooper

    They are officially mated!

    Author

 Chapter 227

    | wake to Liam between my legs after having him inside me all night. My body Is sore in ways that | could have never imagined

    but the feeling that | have, both my own anding from Liam through the bond, brings me a happiness | haven''t felt in years.

    I''m not alone any longer.

    m loves me, | can feel it. | can feel his

    joy at our bonding, at my eptance of him.

    We''reying in bed, my head on Liam¡¯s chest, his hand running through my hair, when he brings me back to reality.

    ¡°We have the meeting with Rik and his pack members this evening about the vampires and our n. Do you want to go visit Eli

    this morning, since we didn¡¯t get to yesterday?¡±

    | look up at Liam. He¡¯s looking at the ceiling, but he looks at me when | look at him. ¡°I do. Don¡¯t you want closure Liam? Don¡¯t

    you want to be able to move past. this?¡±

    He sighs, looking back up at the ceiling. ¡°I do want closure. | want to leave this behind and start our te clean. So, let''s get up

    and go see Eli.¡± He reaches down and kisses the top of my head. | reach my hand around his waist and hug him. close.

    ¡°You and me,

    Liam. It¡¯s you and me.¡± That gets a smile from my big guy.

    ¡°Yes, it is little angel.¡±

    | get up, and start to crawl out of bed, only to have him smack my ass. | turn and look at him over my shoulder. He shrugs at me.

    ¡°It was there, tempting me.¡± He says with a smirk, getting up too.

    ¡°Also, | want to move your things into this room today. Are you okay with that? You can redecorate any way you like. | don¡¯t have

    anything personal that | want to keep other than the pictures of my parents.¡±

    ¡°We''ll make memories together and create our own private little space here over time.¡± | tell him. ¡°And yes, I¡¯d be happy to move

    my things in here, what little | have.¡±

    Asmile, simr to the one that he has in his picture as a 5-year old, spreads across his face. He walks to me, wrapping his arms

    around me. ¡°You and me, together. | love the sound of that.¡±

    After we get dressed, we walk downstairs hand in hand. ¡°Let¡¯s eat breakfast then head down to the cells.¡±

    0 +15 BONOS

    When we walk into the dining room, the entire room goes quiet. | squeeze his hand tighter, not knowing what | should do.

    Liam addresses the room. ¡°Everyone. | thank you for your patience with metely. I''ve been busy thest couple of weeks with

    some things that havee up. Iti be making a formal announcement to the packter this week, but for now, let me introduce

    Angel Bennis, your future Luna.¡±

    The room erupts into apuse and Liam guides us to a table. He leaves me there to go get our food and several pack members

    come over to congratte me. At Liam¡¯s request, I¡¯m wearing a top that clearly shows my mate mark. For once, I¡¯m not

    embarrassed to show the markings on my body. I¡¯m proud of this one.

    Liames back and we eat, more pack members join us and | watch the easy conversation he has with his pack. | can see the

    respect that they have for him. Many of them ask me where |e from and Liam easily redirects the conversation, telling them

    that he¡¯ll exin more when he makes the formal

    announcement.

    When we''re done, we head down to the cells. The smell is terrible. | can tell that anyone down here is required to use the

    bathroom in their cells and it doesn¡¯t smell like there are toilets. Before we get to the bottom, Liam leans in to whisper in my ear.

    ¡°Remember your promise, Angel. You stay by my side.¡±

    | reach out and take his hand, intertwining our fingers as we make our way to Eli Gunnar¡¯s cell.

    As soon as we step up to the cell, Eli is on his feet.

    ¡°What the fuck, Alpha.¡± He makes the word sound as derogatory as possible. ¡± Why the fuck did you bring a she¡ª-wolf down here.

    She doesn¡¯t need to see what you do to me.¡±

    ¡°She''s not here to watch Eli, she¡¯s here to listen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, because that¡¯s so much better. She won¡¯t watch you beat the shit out of me, she''ll just listen to you do it? You¡¯re more

    of an asshole than | thought you.

    were.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Liam snarls at him, lunging at him. | turn, putting my hands on Liam¡¯s chest. | don¡¯t say anything | just look at him until he looks

    at me. | watch the muscle in his jaw tick until he gets himself under control.

    When he¡¯s calm, | turn back around. | can see that Eli is looking at us curiously. ¡°I want to hear your answers to Liam¡¯s

    questions.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°You mean question, don¡¯t you? He only ever asks me one question and he doesn¡¯t like my answer.¡±

    ¡°I''d like to hear your answer.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± He asks me.

    Alessiaes forward and | see the moment he realizes what | am. ¡°Guardian.¡± He says it reverently.

    Liam yanks me to his side, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°I¡¯ve already marked her so you can forget trying to take what''s mine.¡±

    He snarls at Eli.

    Eli looks at Liam. ¡°I already told you, | know what | did with Cara was a mistake. | was wrong. | wouldn''t do that to her.¡±

    ¡°Sure you wouldn''t.¡± He snarls and | see Eli rolling his eyes, about to jump into what I¡¯m guessing is a long-term argument. |

    interrupt before this goes too far.

    ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here Eli.¡±

    I turn and look at Liam.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Liam asks him.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t do it. Not that you''ll believe me, even with your Guardian here.¡± ¡®Angel, he¡¯s telling the truth.¡® Alessia tells me. | know it

    already. Deceit has a distinctly metallic taste to it. There was none of that with Eli¡¯s answer.

    | take a step forward, earning me a growl from Liam. ¡°You were found with her body in your arms.¡± | say, my head tilted, trying to

    get a read on him.

    ¡°Yes. | never said otherwise.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill her, why were you holding her dead body?¡±

    He looks from me to Liam. ¡°It¡¯s a long story and your mate there won''t believe me anyway, so why should | tell you.¡±

    | turn and look at Liam. He¡¯s looking at me, expecting me to tell him that Eli is lying, but | can¡¯t.

    ¡°Liam, he¡¯s telling the truth.¡±

 Chapter 228

    | grab Angel by the arm and walk out of the cells to an area where Eli can¡¯t hear us. ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s telling the truth. He

    was found with her body.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and he admits that. Every word he said back there was truthful. Alessia confirms it.

    This can¡¯t be. This can¡¯t be! I''ve been searching my entire life for this man, this man that | thought killed my mother and now |

    found out he didn¡¯t kill her? It makes no sense.

    ¡°Then why was he with her? Why was he holding her dead body?¡± I¡¯m pacing, running my fingers through my hair. Angeles

    up to me, taking my hands in hers.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know. The only way we''ll find out is if we ask him.¡±

    | look into her eyes. ¡°Are you sure? Absolutely sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m positive.¡± She says.

    FUCK! I¡¯ve been chasing the wrong person all these years? I¡¯ve been using Eli as my personal punching bag, and he didn¡¯t kill

    my mother?

    | take a deep breath. ¡°You''ll tell me the minute anything he says is a lie. Anything!¡±

    ¡°Of course, Liam.¡± She cups my face in her hand, and | lean into her touch. ¡°You and me Liam.¡®

    | cover her hand with my own, then pull it to kiss her palm. ¡°You and me little angel.¡±

    As we walk back, | grab two chairs to sit on, so we can hear what he has to say. When | sit, | pull Angel into myp. | need her

    scent close to keep me calm. She doesn¡¯t resist and once | have her settled, | look at Eli.

    ¡°You said it was a long story. Start at the beginning.¡±

    Eli

    | don¡¯t know why this alpha asshole wants to hear my story now, after all this time. I¡¯m not sure | really want to relive it, but if |

    have a chance to finally clear my name, my family¡¯s name, and make that asshole of an alpha, Jerome pay, even it he¡¯s dead, I''ll

    do it.

    I go sit on the makeshift bed in my cell. ¡°Do you know how | became the Banished

    +15 BONOS

    Beta?¡± | ask them.

    The Guardian, | haven¡¯t gotten her name, starts to shake her head but Liam speaks. ¡°Your Alpha banished you because your

    father was a traitor.¡±

    That was the story Alpha Jerome told everyone, that my father was a traitor, that he went on a rampage and killed my younger

    brother, and the alpha heir, James.

    rather Alpha Jerome, being the kind-hearted Alpha that he was, banished me, than killing me. From start to finish, the story was

    alie.

    ¡°That was the story that Alpha Jerome told everyone so he could save face. Do you want the real story?¡±

    The Guardian leans back against Liam. ¡°Yes, we''d like to hear the real story.¡± She tells me.

    I scrub my hands over my face and begin.

    ¡°When | was twelve, my brother Evan was fifteen. He was meant to be the next Beta, taking my father¡¯s ce. The Alpha Heir,

    James, was a nasty piece of work. He thought being an Alpha made him special, above everyone else.¡±

    ¡°James was 17, older than Evan, when it happened. He and his friends took Evan out into the forest. | don¡¯t know if it was a

    coincidence or if it was nned, but they came across a mother

    gar and her cubs.¡±

    ¡°James ordered my brother to prove his worth as his next Beta and protect him. as the Alpha. James and his friends ran, leaving

    my brother to fight the big cat alone. My brother was strong, but not strong enough to take on an angry cat, protecting her young,

    especially on his own.¡± | stop for a moment, collecting myself and my thoughts. ¡°My father and | found him ripped to shreds, huge

    w marks covering his body.¡±

    ¡°My father confronted Alpha Jerome and James. James made up some excuse that if he had been worthy of the title of Beta, he

    would have defeated the big cat. Alpha Jerome said that my father should have done a better job of raising my brother, making

    him strong and worthy of the Beta title. My father was furious. He wanted to leave and renounce the pack, but Alpha Jerome

    wouldn''t allow it.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°My father lost it and he challenged James to a duel. Alpha Jerome forbade it, but James didn¡¯t listen and agreed to fight my

    father. My dad defeated James in the fight and in his grief, chose to kill him rather than let james concede.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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 Chapter 229

    ¡°Alpha Jerome was distraught, losing his only child and heir to the Alpha line. He sentenced my father to death. | was forced to

    watch as Alpha Jerome beheaded my father, telling everyone in the pack that he was a traitor and responsible not only for

    James¡¯ death, but also Evan''s. Then as an act of mercy to show his benevolence, | was banished. He sent me off with nothing

    but the clothes on my back at twelve years old. Some mercy. After he spread the lies about my father, no one would take me in,

    so | was living as a rogue in the forest, barely surviving.

    I stop, running my hands over my filthy and knotted hair. The Guardian has tears in her eyes. Liam¡¯s eyes are hard, but it¡¯s him |

    look at as | continue.

    ¡°| had been on my own for several months when | first ran into Luna Este. | was at ake that extended past your borders,

    trying to catch fish or find anything to eat. Your mother saw me and she knew who | was. She came over and sat with me, talking

    to me and asking me how | was surviving. When she realized that | only had the clothes that | was wearing and | was scrounging

    for food, she told me to meet her back there the next day. | was worried that it was a trap, but | was starving, so | waited a little

    farther away, until | saw her arrive at theke. She was carrying a basket of food and clothes.¡±

    ¡°| met with her and she gave me food, clothes, shoes and a knife. Then she asked if there was anything else that | needed. She

    wanted to know where | was living and if | was safe. After that first day, we started meeting three or four times a week. | would go

    every day to see if she was there, and when she was, she¡¯d bring me food and clothing and we¡¯d talk, sometimes she would

    read to me.¡±

    | look at Liam again. ¡°Your mother was the only positive thing in my life during that time. She told me she never believed the

    stories that Alpha Jerome had told and that she knew my father was a good man. It helped me to heal just a bit from the pain of

    losing my only family. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I''d probably be dead.¡±

    | looked down again,ing to the end of the story. ¡°I kept tabs on Alpha Jerome. | wanted to some day take my revenge for

    what he and his son did to my family and that¡¯s how | heard about it. He wanted to take over the Canyon Ridge Pack, but they

    had two Guardians. They were too strong to overthrow, so he was going toe here, to take over your pack. He knew the best

    way to take out your father was to kill your mother. Get to Luna Este, weaken Alpha Leander then kill him and take over the

    pack and packnds. He nned to take another mate and have another heir.¡±

    ¡°| waited until the day of the battle, following the pack into your territory and

    12Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    when the battle began, | took my opportunity to run to your mother. | wasn¡¯t exactly sure where to find her and in the time it took

    me to get to her, one of Alpha Jerome¡¯s warriors had already gotten to her.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    My voice was getting thick with the memories. ¡°When | reached her, she was still alive. She told me to take care of myself and

    stay strong, just before she died.¡± | can still feel Luna Este reaching up to cup my cheek, before it fell to the ground with her

    death.

    ¡°| don¡¯t remember what | did after that. | think | was hugging her and crying when they found me. The warriors that found me

    immediately assumed | had killed her, so | ran. And I¡¯ve been running ever since.¡±

    | swallow, trying to relieve the lump in my throat before speaking again. ¡°My own mother died giving birth to me. That time with

    your mother, Luna Este, was the only time I''ve ever had a mother figure in my life, and | wasn¡¯t fast enough to save her.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Eli¡¯s story?

 Chapter 230

    Tears are streaking down my face at Ell¡¯s story. Everything he said is the truth. There was not one moment in his story that |

    could taste deceit. Liam had set me in the second chair and had begun pacing. Through the bond, | could feel his indecision, his

    frustration at hearing this story.

    ¡°You could have told my father this story back then, why didn¡¯t you?¡± Liam asks him.

    ¡°Your father was a grief-stricken man, out for blood. He wouldn¡¯t have listened to me any more than you have thest six

    months.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    | can see the impact of his words on Liam, feel them through the bond. Liam knows he¡¯s right and his own guilt is threatening to

    eat him up.

    ng my armes

    I stand and go to him, him. It takes a moment, but his armse around me and he pushes his face into my neck, breathing

    deeply, calming himself. We stand there for a moment, while Liam collects himself.

    When he¡¯s calm, he looks back at Eli. ¡°What about Cara? Why did you try to forcibly mark her?¡±

    It''s Elis turn to stand and begin pacing. ¡°There are too many power-hungry, piss¡ªpoor Alphas out there. Many don¡¯t care about

    their packs, they only care about themselves or furthering their own power. When | was a rogue, | ran into so many others that

    left their packs because of their Alphas¡® injustices against them or others in the pack. The Alpha line is passed down by blood,

    but maybe it shouldn¡¯t be. You have bad Alphas teaching their sons to be even worse Alphas and all you get are shitty packs that

    are poorly run and miserable werewolves with nowhere to go.¡±

    | understand this much better than Liam. | was on the run for six years, several of those with no where to go. My family and I ran

    into people just like Eli is talking about.

    ¡°What does that have to do with Cara?¡± | ask softly. | feel Liame up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, holding

    me against him.

    ¡°| wanted to give those people a ce to go, a safe ce where they could live their lives and raise their families without having

    to worry about the tyranny of their Alpha. | wanted to create my own pack, a sanctuary pack for those needing to escape their

    own or just those looking to make a new start. In order to have a chance at creating a pack like that, | needed a strong Luna. I¡¯m

    a second son of a Beta, but a strong Luna would have made me stronger. And there is no one

    +15 BONOS

    stronger than a Guardian. It was a mistake on my part. | never should have tried to force the mate bond on her, and for that | am

    truly sorry.¡±

    Liam looks at me thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Eli. ¡°I need to think about what you have told me. Cara and Rik will

    be here this evening. | won¡¯t make any decisions about you until | speak to them.¡±

    Eli nods and goes to sit. Liam turns to the guards. ¡°See that he gets a shower and have a tray of food sent down for him. Give

    him clean sheets and a clean cell.¡± | see Eli''s head shoot up to look at Liam.

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± The two guards say in unison.

    As we start to walk away, Eli speaks. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    Liam nods but continues walking, taking my hand and keeping me close. When we get upstairs, he pulls me into his arms and

    holds me. His guilt and frustration through the bond are palpable.

    ¡°Clean te, right Liam?¡±

    ¡°How could | have been so wrong for so long? | could have killed an innocent man. As it is, I''ve treated him horribly, and all he

    tried to do was save my mother.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t undo the mistakes of the past. All you can do is try to make it right going forward.¡± | tell him, holding on to him.

    He takes a deep breath before pulling back. ¡°Come on, | have a surprise for you. before you head over to Clint¡¯s for training.¡±

    We walk out to his truck and he takes me back to the main street that borders the two packs. This time, we stop in front of a hair

    salon. | turn to him. ¡°I¡¯m getting my hair cut?¡± I¡¯m so excited I¡¯m bouncing up and down in the seat.

 Chapter 231

    ¡°Yep. | know you''ve really wanted to get it cut, so | called yesterday and they have an opening today.¡± Hees around helping

    me out of the truck and we walk into the salon, hand in hand.

    Ayoung she-wolf greets us as we walk in. ¡°Alpha, Luna.¡± She inclines her head to each of us. ¡°I have you all ready to go.¡± She¡¯s

    looking over my hair as she¡¯s talking. ¡°Your hair is beautiful. It''s rare to see someone with hair so white.¡±

    She begins escorting me to a basin to wash my hair, turning to look at Liam. ¡°Alpha, you may have a seat in the waiting room.¡±

    He ignores her and continues. to follow us. ¡°Or you can have a seat right there. I''ll be seating her next to you. This time he

    listens, following the direction she is pointing but keeping me in sight the entire time.

    you

    | lean back and she begins washing my hair. ¡°Wow, your hair is so thick and have so much of it. Do you know how much you

    want to cut? Or is it just a trim?¡±

    ¡°I''d like it short enough that | don¡¯t sit on it. It¡¯s been getting in my way a lot and it¡¯s too heavy to put up, so hopefully bringing it to

    around the top of my buttocks will help with that.¡±

    She finishes washing and rinsing my hair, then wraps a towel around my head ast she guides me to where Liam is waiting. When

    | sit, she continues our

    conversation. ¡°I can thin it for you if it¡¯s too thick.¡± Liam is already shaking hist head before she finishes.

    I smile at him. ¡°I take it you like it as it is?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you really hate it, go ahead, but | love how thick and heavy it feels when I¡¯m running my fingers through it.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    The stylist, Tina, ¡®as'' over what Liam has said. | look at her in the mirror. ¡± You heard him, no thinning it out, just shorten it,

    please.¡±

    It takes her 45 minutes to cut and blow dry my hair. When I¡¯m done, Liamest to stand next to me, running his fingers through

    it. ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, | know it¡¯s still long, but it feels lighter.¡±

    ¡°I cut about six inches off the bottom, so it will be much healthier now.¡± Tina.

    says.

    Liam pays and we head back to the packhouse. ¡°Get changed and I''ll take you to Clint¡¯s.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Alessia can run over there.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know when I''ll be free toe get you, so I¡¯d rather drive you there and have you get driven back. | need to get you a

    Car, too, so you can have some freedom to get yourself around.¡± He says.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive.¡±

    He stops short, turning to look at me. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know how to drive?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°My family ran when | was 10 and the vampires caught me when | was 16. | haven''t exactly been exposed to cars.

    Honestly, the first time in your truck was only the second time I¡¯d been in a vehicle since my tenth birthday.¡±

    ¡°What was the other time?¡± He asks and | really don¡¯t want to tell him, knowing it will anger him.

    L

    When | don¡¯t answer, he turns his sharp focus on me. ¡°Angel? When was the other time?¡±

    ¡°When the vampires caught me and stuffed me in their trunk before taking me to their coven.¡± As expected, a vicious snarl erupts

    from his mouth. | immediately wrap my arms around him.

    ¡°I''m here and safe now. Just don¡¯t buy me a car because I¡¯m likely to hurt someone.¡±

    ¡°I''ll add teaching you to drive to my list of things to do.¡± | frown, he doesn¡¯t need anything else added to his te. He¡¯s already

    stretched too thin and the pending war with the vampires is making it even worse.

    ¡°Go get dressed, Clint will be expecting you.¡± He says, and | save my argument for another time.

 Chapter 232

    When | drop Angel off at Clint¡¯s, | walk her inside. | need Clint to know that she¡¯s still healing from yesterday and tired from our

    marking and matingst night.

    After | get his assurances that he won''t push her too hard or let her overdo it, | pull her aside.

    ¡°Alessia.¡± Cyran pushes forward, | want her to understand the importance of what I¡¯m about to say and | need for her to listen to

    me. | put my hands on her shoulders when | see the gold rim of Alessia¡¯s eyes and Angel''s eyes turn from gray to an olive color.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Do not run home. | don¡¯t know if there are other vampires in the area. While we have patrols out keeping an eye on the borders,

    they are after you. | don¡¯t want you out there without me when | can¡¯t ensure your safety.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± She says and bares her neck to me. Her act of submission is so unexpected that | stand there for a moment, my

    heart stuttering in my chest before | reach down and gently nip her neck then kiss my way up to her mouth.

    ¡°| love you too much to lose you.¡± | tell her. She nods and | peck her lips before leaving, my heart much lighter than it was earlier.

    On the way back to my packhouse, | begin thinking of everything that | need to do. First, | need to prepare for the meeting

    tonight. | have some ideas, but | want to see what Anders and Rik have to say as well. | also need to n to meet with Cara and

    Rik about Eli. If he didn¡¯t kill my mother, | have no reason to keep him prisoner. I¡¯m hoping they will agree to let him go. I''ve

    punished him enough for what he did to Cara, at least in my opinion. He said he regrets it, and Angel says. he¡¯s telling the truth.

    So, I''d like to send him on his way, giving him enough so he can start fresh on his own.

    | also need to n Angel¡¯s Luna ceremony and | need to get back into the city. | have some new employees that need to finalize

    their paperwork, financial statements that need to be reconciled and preparations to make in the event that something happens

    to me during the vampire war. | want to make sure that Angel is taken care of, she could be carrying my pup already. If | don¡¯t

    survive, | need to know that she and my possible pup will have everything they need.

    When I return to the packhouse, | get to work, making sure everything is ready for our meeting. Once that is done, | call George,

    the manager at mypany and let him know I''ll being in tomorrow and staying the night. I¡¯d like to take Angel shopping in

    town and maybe take her out to dinner again, walk

    +15 BONOS

    through the park and show her around. My apartment has beenpletely renovated since | brought Audra there, and I¡¯m d.

    Everything will be new for my little angel.

    I''ve lost track of time when Dustines in. ¡°Everyone should be here in the next 30 minutes. Did you want me to have the

    kitchen staff bring in food now, or wait until everyone is here?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Let''s have them set up a side bar with food and drinks. Then we can see if they want to stay for a more formal dinner afterward.

    Everything is set when Alpha Anders and Alpha Rik walk in, followed closely by Cara, Clint and Rik¡¯s Beta, Chase. | greet

    everyone, Cara leaning in to kiss my cheek. ¡°Angel went upstairs to shower, she¡¯ll be down in a few minutes.¡± She tells me.

    | turn to Clint. ¡°How did she do today?¡±

    ¡°She did great. Being mated looks good on her. It looks good on both of you.¡± He says smiling at me.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 233

    ¡°Thanks, it feels good.¡±

    Rik ps me on the back. ¡°d | sparred with you when | did. I¡¯d be lucky to take you now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± | ask him, not sure what he¡¯s referring to.

    He tilts his head, looking at me. ¡°Didn''t you feel it? The surge of power when you marked her?¡±

    ¡°| did. | didn¡¯t realize it was because she was a Guardian. | thought it was just the marking and mating process.¡±

    Rik and Anders both start shaking their heads. ¡°Nope. That¡¯s all from being mated to a Guardian. You felt her power flow through

    you, and now you share that power as well. Her gifts will be yours, but to a lesser extent.¡± Rik tells

    1.me.

    Well, shit. | knew Rik had gotten stronger and faster, but to hear that | would share in Angel¡¯s Guardian gifts? That was new. |

    wonder how | should test that.

    Before | can think any more on the subject, my sweet angel walks into the room.

    Everything fades and my feet are moving toward her before | can consciously think about it. | know the smile on my face is too

    big for the asion, but | haven¡¯t seen my little mate in hours and the smell of her as she enters the room. draws me to her. An

    immediate sense of calm washes over me and everything that felt off-kilter rights itself again.

    | take her in my arms, hugging her closely, burying my face in her neck. ¡°I missed you.¡± | say as her arms wrap around me.

    ¡°| missed you too.¡± She whispers to me.

    | pull back, keeping her in my arms. ¡°Did you eat? Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°I''m famished!¡± She says.

    I turn to

    the room. ¡°There''s food on the side dinner will be avableter if you can stay.¡±

    bar. Help yourself. A more formal

    Everyone makes their way to the food. | tuck Angel against my side, pulling her with me. | grab two tes, having to let go of her

    to dish up food for both of us. She grabs some bottled waters and then | take our tes to one end of the conference table. | sit,

    pulling her into myp. She gives me a look but | kiss her

    +15 BONGS

    nose and start eating before she can say anything. | feel her sigh before she starts eating as well.

    Once everyone has settled, | bring the meeting to order.

    ¡°We all know why we''re here. Vampires are threatening Angel because she¡¯s a Guardian. To locate her they have offered a

    multimillion¡ªdor bounty. They kept her prisoner as a blood bag for seven years. Now that they¡¯ve found her, it¡¯s only a matter of

    time before more show up. When they do, they¡¯ll realize that they haven''t found just one Guardian, but three. This puts both our

    packs in danger.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Rik says. ¡°What do we know about vampires?¡± He asks looking around

    room. It¡¯s Anders that speaks up.

    th

    ¡°Not much. I¡¯ve been looking through our old archives and vampires have left werewolves alone for most of our history. They

    don¡¯t like our taste, we don¡¯t like their smell, so we tend to stay away from each other.¡±

    The room goes quiet as everyone takes this information in. ¡°They''re faster than wolves.¡± My angel says quietly.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± | say. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see theming at me when they were about to attack me.¡±

    ¡°You couldn''t see them?¡± Rik asked me.

    ¡°No. Could you?¡± He nods.

    ¡°Did you two mate before or after the vampire attack?¡± He asks.

    ¡°After, why?¡±

    He looks between me and Angel. ¡°Angel, could you see theming?¡± He asks

    her.

    ¡°Yes, but | knew Liam couldn''t.¡±

    Rik looks back at me. ¡°I bet you''ll be able to see them now.¡± He smirks. ¡°Perks of being mated to a Guardian.¡±

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 0234

    ¡é +15 BOHOT

    ¡°Why would being mated to me help Liam see the vampires?¡± | ask Rik.

    ¡°When Cara and |pleted our mating process, | became stronger and took on some of her Guardian gifts, just not to the

    same extent that she has them. In the same way, | think that Liam will have some of your gifts, one of which is being able to see

    the vampires. | know I¡¯m faster now that I¡¯m mated to Cara, and I''ll guess Liam will be too.¡±

    I turn and look at Liam. ¡°Do you feel stronger?¡±

    He shrugs, keeping his arms wrapped around me. ¡°I felt the power surge when you marked me. | haven¡¯t exactly had time to test

    out any of your other gifts.¡±

    ¡°Back to the task at hand.¡± Clint brings us back to attention. ¡°We need a n to make sure that these vampires do not have the

    opportunity to get to Angel and Cara, especially now that Cara is pregnant. We don¡¯t know how that may influence her taste to

    them.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, | may taste better?¡± She asks with a disgusted look on her face, as Rik growls.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know enough. I''ll ask Ailduin if he has any books about it and if so, to bring them when hees this weekend.¡± Clint

    says.

    ¡°In the meantime, | think we should divide our patrols up and create split teams. Your warriors on our patrols and our warriors on

    your patrols. That way our patrols be familiar with both territories, and we''ll be able to assist each other wherever there is a

    breach in our borders.¡± Anders says looking at Liam.

    Liam nods behind me. ¡°I had a simr thought. We need to make sure that both of our packs are familiar with all weaknesses

    within both sets of borders.¡± He stops looking at Rik. ¡°Do you trust me enough to allow that kind of ess to your packnds?¡±

    Rik studies him for a moment. ¡°I thought we agreed that we are family. | trust my family with my life and the lives of my other

    family members. | think the better question, Liam, is do you trust me enough to allow that kind of ess to your packnds?¡±

    | turn to look at Liam. He looks back at me and | nod slightly. | trust them..

    Liam smiles and kisses my nose before turning back to Rik. ¡°I told you I¡¯m not good at this whole family thing, but | trust the

    people in this room. So yes, | will allow that ess to my packnds.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Anders stands up and brings over a map,ying it in front of us. We''ve already marked the areas in our packnds

    where we need to tighten up security.¡± He puts sses on the four corners to hold the map down and begins pointing to the

    areas where they have known weaknesses. ¡°The biggest weakness, from our perspective, is no man¡¯snd in the canyon. | think

    we proved yesterday that being in the middle of our two packs causes problems with support if that is where we are attacked.

    While it¡¯s good to keep the vampires away from the packhouses and the weaker wolves that will be in the bunkers during the

    war, it¡¯s currently our weakest spot. It would give them the ability to divide us and make it hard to fight as one.¡±

    ¡°Or,¡± Liam jumps in, standing up and sitting me back in the seat as he leans over the table to look at the map. ¡°We use this area

    to draw them in and create a two- pronged attack.¡±

    They continue to n for war, Liam giving them the weaknesses in our borders, developing a n to draw the vampires into the

    canyon and how to best stage the attack. They begin making preparations formunication, support and managing cement

    of the elderly, pups and pregnant mothers into the bunkers.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter 02kContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    There was a bra moment when Rik told Cara that she could take charge of those indheadhead since she would be in the bunker

    as well. Cara immediately challenged lok, telling him that she would not be sitting the battle out.

    They went back and forth until Andersughingly looked at Clint. ¡°Looks like my son will have to learn the same lesson that Lily

    taught me so many years ago.¡± Clint just smiled, ¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t bet against Cara on this one.¡±

    While they talked. | moved over to the food table. | wasn¡¯t hungry but the talk of vampires, fighting and the very real possibility of

    losing friends in this battle was distressing me 1 could feel Liam watching me, even though he was involved in the discussions

    knew he could feel my feelings through the bond.

    | grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip. Clint wheeled up next to me. ¡°How are you doing

    ¡°I''m fine.¡± | said, not wanting to cause more problems.

    ¡°How about you tell me the truth.¡± He said looking up at me.

    | felt the hears burning in my eyes and squeezed them shut trying to keep them from falling ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± | whisper to him.

    He takes my hand in his. ¡°I¡¯d be concerned about you if you weren''t.¡±

    | open my eyes, sniffing. ¡°They areing for me. They don¡¯t know about you and Care. If | left...¡±

    Avicious snarl cuts me off. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking think about leaving me. I''ll hunt you down and bring you back.¡± Liam says from

    across the room. Okay, so he was keeping a closer eye and ear on me than | thought.

    ¡°But Liam,¡± | begin.

    ¡°No, Liam is right Angel.¡± Clint says. ¡°Come sit with me.¡± He keeps hold of my hand and leads me to a chair, turning his

    wheelchair to face me.

    ¡°They may not have found us yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean they haven''t been looking. This is the best opportunity to we have to

    eliminate the threat that we know ising Otherwise, they coulde for us when we don¡¯t expect it and either Cara or I, or

    maybe both of us, could end up a prisoner like you.¡±

    It''s Rik who snarls this time. ¡°Over my dead body.¡±

    ¡°And we all hope it doesn¡¯te to that. But the reality is that they wille.

 Chapter 235

    There was a tense moment when Rik told Cara that she could take charge of those individuals since she would be in the bunker

    as well. Cara immediately challenged Rik, telling him that she would not be sitting the battle out.

    They went back and forth until Andersughingly looked at Clint. ¡°Looks like my son will have to learn the same lesson that Lily

    taught me so many years ago.¡±

    Clint just smiled. ¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t bet against Cara on this one.¡±

    While they talked, | moved over to the food table. | wasn¡¯t hungry but the talk of vampires, fighting and the very real possibility of

    losing friends in this battle was distressing me. | could feel Liam watching me, even though he was involved in the discussions. |

    knew he could feel my feelings through the bond.

    | grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip. Clint wheeled up next to me. ¡°How are you doing kid?¡±

    ¡°I''m fine.¡± | said, not wanting to cause more problems.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°How about you tell me the truth.¡± He said looking up at me.

    | felt the tears burning in my eyes and squeezed them shut trying to keep them from falling. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± | whisper to him.

    He takes my hand in his. ¡°I¡¯d be concerned about you if you weren''t.¡±

    | open my eyes, sniffing. ¡°They areing for me. They don¡¯t know about you and Cara. If | left...¡±

    Avicious snarl cuts me off. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking think about leaving me. I''ll hunt you down and bring you back.¡± Liam says from

    across the room. Okay, so he was keeping a closer eye and ear on me than | thought.

    ¡°But Liam,¡± | begin.

    ¡°No, Liam is right Angel.¡± Clint says. ¡°Come sit with me.¡± He keeps hold of my hand and leads me to a chair, turning his

    wheelchair to face me.

    ¡°They may not have found us yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean they haven''t been looking. This is the best opportunity to we have to

    eliminate the threat that we know ising. Otherwise, they coulde for us when we don¡¯t expect it and either Cara or |, or

    maybe both of us, could end up a prisoner like you.¡±

    It''s Rik who snarls this time. ¡°Over my dead body.¡±

    ¡°And we all hope it doesn¡¯te to that. But the reality is that they wille.

    12

    +15 BONOS

    They have no problem killing to get what they want. They just don¡¯t realize that they will be facing not one, but three Guardians,

    and two Alphas that now have enhanced abilities because they are mated to Guardians. This is our best chance.¡± Clint tells the

    room before turning back to me.

    ¡°| understand you are scared.¡±

    | cut him off. ¡°But I¡¯m a Guardian. I¡¯m supposed to be stronger than this.¡±

    He takes my hands, forcing me to look in his eyes. ¡°You are strong, stronger than you give yourself credit for. You survived seven

    years with them and are still willing to fight. | don¡¯t see you wanting to hide. Your first instinct is to protect those around you by

    leaving. That¡¯s what Guardians do. We protect. And from now on, we''ll increase your training. We don¡¯t have long, but I''ll turn

    you into a lethal killing machine so that you can protect your pack.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Clint.¡± | lean over and hug him.

    ¡°Any time kiddo.¡±

    They finish making their ns and everyone agrees to stay for dinner. Dustin ha the kitchen staff send in food while we clear

    away the maps.

    Liames over and wraps his arms around me. ¡°You and me Angel. That means you don¡¯t leave me. Promise me.¡±

    | turn and look up at him. ¡°You and me Liam. | promise.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 236

    | thought my heart was going to fall out of my chest when Angel suggested leaving to protect the packs. No fucking way is my girl

    leaving me. | was thankful that Clint agreed with me and helped her see that what she wanted to do was not helpful in the long

    run.

    When she promised not to leave, | felt better. | won¡¯t bepletely better until this is done, but for now, my Angel is safe and we

    have a good n.

    As we sit down, | address Rik and Cara. ¡°I have something else we need to discuss. Eli Gunnar.¡±

    ¡°What about him?¡± Rik asks and begins eating.

    ¡°It turns out that he didn¡¯t kill my mother.¡± Everyone at the table stops and looks at me. | feel Angel take my hand under the table.

    ¡°You believe him?¡± Rik asks.

    ¡°| believe Angel and Alessia, and they say he¡¯s not lying.¡± Everyone''s focus turns to Angel and | can feel her difort through

    the bond at being the center of attention.

    ¡°They can smell deceit.¡± | rify.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

    ¡°It''s actually more like a taste.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡®Make sure you tell Ailduin about that. It¡¯s not one of the gifts that he told us about.¡± Clint says.

    ¡°So, if he didn¡¯t kill your mother, who did?¡± Anders asks..

    | proceed to tell them the entire story going back to when Eli¡¯s brother was killed, through the time that my mother helped him, to

    her death.

    Anders and Clint look at each other.

    ¡°What?¡± | say, moving my head back and forth between them.

    ¡°We never believed the story either. Honestly, until Eli kidnapped Cara, | thought he waspletely innocent of everything. Had |

    known he was so close by, back then, | would have offered him sanctuary here. He was just a child.¡± Anders says.

    ¡°He was twelve.¡± My kindhearted mate rifies.

    Anders nods at that.

    ¡°So, what is it that you want to do with him?¡± Rik asks me.

    O HIS BONGOS

    | look at both him and Cara. ¡°I¡¯ve been punishing him for over six months. Some of that was for what he did to Cara, but mostly it

    was for my mother.¡± | turn and look at Angel. She gives me a gentle smile and squeezes my hand. ¡°I want to let him go.¡±

    Rik looks back and forth between me and Angel. ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My reasons for punishing him are done, but that¡¯s why | wanted to have the conversation with you two as well.¡±

    ¡°Where is he now?¡± Cara asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s still in my cells.¡±

    ¡°Bring him up. Let me talk to him.¡± She says.

    ¡°No!¡± Rik¡¯s response is instantaneous and not unexpected. It would be mine too if | were him.

    Cara turns to look at him and something passes between them. | watch as Rik clenches his teeth and Cara leans over to gently

    run her fingers over the ticking muscle in his jaw. ¡°What he did was wrong, but his heart was in the right ce. Let¡¯s hear him

    out. He can¡¯t mark me now. I¡¯m safe from him.¡±

    | know before he responds that she was going to get her way. ¡®Be whatever she needs or wants you to be. Because she expects

    and demands it.¡® That¡¯s what Rik told me. | look at my little Angel and | realize she is making me a better man. It¡¯s not the

    direction | would have taken on my own, but it¡¯s a better path with her on it. She submitted to me because she trusts me and

    there is nothing in this world that | want more than to be the man my mate believes me to be. | won''t give her a reason to ever

    doubt that. So, yeah, | knew Cara would win this argument because if it were Angel and |, she would win too.

    ¡°You will stay by my side.¡± He tells her, pulling her into hisp and burying his face in her neck, breathing deeply, calming himself

    down.

    ¡°Of course.¡± She says, wrapping her arms around his neck.

    He takes another deep breath. ¡°You may as well bring him up.¡± He tells me.

    | mind link the guards and ask them to bring Eli to the conference room. When he walks in, he stops short, looking at the group

    assembled.

    ¡°Is it time for my judgment, jury and execution?¡± He asks before moving into the

    room.

 Chapter 237

    I stand up and pull a chair out for him. | set the chair away from both Angel and Cara. I¡¯m not interested in him being too close to

    my mate either.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡± | tell him. | nod at the guards and they go to stand outside the door.

    ¡°Alpha Liam has told us your story.¡± Clint says.

    ¡°It''s all true.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We know that.¡± Clint replies and Eli frowns. ¡°Gifts of a Guardian.¡±

    Eli looks at Angel and | growl at him.

    Eli rolls his eyes at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want your mate. | told you already that | know | made a mistake with Cara.¡± He turns to Cara.

    ¡°And for that, | am truly sorry. What | did to you was wrong.¡±

    Cara flicks her gaze to Angel, who nods. He¡¯s telling the truth.

    Cara turns to look at Rik. | can see him contemting what he wants against what his mate is asking.

    ¡°What would you do if we were to let you go?¡± Rik finally asks Eli.

    Eli looks shocked, his gaze going to every member of the room. ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡±

    ¡°No joke.¡± | say. ¡°I had you as my prisoner because | thought you murdered my mother. Now that | know you haven''t, | have no

    reason to keep you. Rik and Cara have other reasons to want to see you punished.¡±

    ¡°And Liam here seems to think that beating on you for six months means you''ve paid your debt to Cara.¡± Rik adds.

    ¡°What do you think Cara?¡± Eli asks her, getting a growl from Rik.

    ¡°Angel said you meant your apology. If you truly are apologetic for what you did to me, then yes, | think you''ve paid your

    penance. But | would like to know the answer to Rik¡¯s question. What will you do if we let you go?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯ve been on the run for twenty years. | don¡¯t know what else to do with myself.¡±

    ¡°I''ll give you some money to get you started, but | don¡¯t want you in my pack.¡± |

    tell him.

    He nods. ¡°Understood.¡±

    +15 DONOS

    | look at Rik and after a moment, he turns from Eli to me. ¡°I¡¯m in agreement. Let him go.¡±

    I''m pretty sure Eli''s mouth hit the floor. He looks around at everyone. ¡°You''re serious?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯m going into the human city tomorrow. I''ll drive you up there, give you some money and send you on your way. Until then,

    I''ll set you up in a room, but you will remain under guard until you leave here. Any act of aggression or violence toward any of my

    pack members will result in the immediate

    termination of your life. Are we clear?¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Crystal.¡± He stands to leave, then turns back around to face the room. ¡°Thank you. All of you.¡±

    He walks out and | mind link my guards with my instructions.

    ¡°| guess that¡¯s all for tonight.¡± | say.

    Angel and | walk everyone out.

    As they are leaving, Rik says, ¡®I''ll have my patrol rosters sent over to you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°lll have Dustin send you ours as well and we can get started on the split patrols tomorrow evening. | n to spend the night in

    the city, so call if you have any questions.¡±

    | shake hands with Rik, Anders and Clint. Cara hugs both me and Angel before they leave. | watch as Angel walks over and

    gives Clint a hug before they head out.

    Shees back and wraps her arms around me, leaning into me as they leave. ¡± Everything okay?¡±

    She nods against my chest. ¡°Is it weird that Clint feels like a father figure to me?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s all weird to me. Your Guardian spirit and his wolf were mated. Both of them had a daughter and still see Artemis as

    that daughter. It¡¯s the most convoluted family tree I¡¯ve ever heard of. But family is family. Brother, father, sister, mother, they are

    your family and that makes them my family as well. And we could both use a little family.¡±

    the packhouse and we head up to our

    She smiles up at me. | lead us back into room. Our room. That has a nice ring to it.

 Chapter 238

    | can¡¯t believe that Liam is willing to let Eli go. I¡¯m even more surprised that Rik agreed as well. But I¡¯m d. Alessia and | can tell

    that Eli meant everything that he said today.

    I''m exhausted after a long day, but my fatigue flies out the window as | watch my mate strip his clothes off for bed. He turns to

    me. ¡°I don¡¯t usually sleep with clothes on. Do you want me to keep wearing pants to bed or are you okay now that we¡¯re mated?¡±

    | slowly walk toward him, unbuttoning my shirt as | go. His eyes darken as they follow the path of my hands down my shirt. | let

    the blouse drop on the floor, before undoing my bra and letting it drop as well. When | get to Liam, | run my hands over his

    stomach, tracing the lines of his abdominal muscles down to his adonis belt. That''s all it takes for my mate to pick me up and

    take me to bed, showing me how much he loves me over and over and over again.

    The next morning, | wake, still feeling a bit sore from the previous evening''s activities. I¡¯mying on top of Liam again, not sure

    how | continue to end up in this position every morning. | move to slide off him so | don¡¯t wake him, but his arm wraps around me

    like a vice grip.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t nning to leave this bed without letting me have my breakfast, are you little angel?¡± His voice is deep with sleep,

    and it sends shivers down my spine and heat straight to my core. Is this what being newly mated is like for everyone? Or is this

    just because I''m mated to such a strong, sexy Alpha?

    ¡®Yes and yes.¡± Alessia purrs in my head.

    ¡°| thought you were sleeping.¡± | say to Liam, lifting my head up and resting my

    chin on his chest.

    ¡°The rules are, | get breakfast in bed every morning. | have no intention of starting my day without a taste of raspberries and

    cream.¡±

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    He looks down at me before grabbing my waist with both hands and pulling me up. ¡°How about your ride my face?¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡¯ | start to say.

    ¡°Put your hands on the headboard.¡± | do as instructed as he seats me so I¡¯m straddling his face. His hands move so each is

    holding a butt cheek. ¡°Eyes on me, little angel.¡±

    10

    +15 BONOS

    When | look down at him, he dives in, helping me get my rhythm until I¡¯m whimpering and screaming out my pleasure. Goddess,

    that man loves his breakfast.

    Later, after we showered, had another round in the shower then bathed again, head downstairs while Liam goes to meet with

    Jackson, his Gamma. Dustin ising into the city with us, so Jackson will be in charge while we are away. When | walk into the

    kitchen, the scene in front of me stops me in my tracks. A man, I¡¯m guessing the Lead Omega has his hand raised and looks like

    he¡¯s about to hit another Omega. She has a hand on her cheek and it looks like he¡¯s already hit her. Another Omega is standing

    behind her, holding on to her shirt. She looks even younger than the one that was hit.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± | say walking into the room. There is no one else around, just the three of them.

    The man looks at me and curls his lip in a snarl. ¡°None of your business. Get out of my kitchen.¡±

    I step further into the kitchen. | realize that these girls are both underage, or if not underage, barely of age. I¡¯ve seen enough

    abuse tost me a lifetime and I¡¯m not going to allow it when | have the ability to stop it.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. | asked what is going on here. Why are you hitting these girls?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t answer to a rogue whore. Just because

    you are sleeping with the Alpha doesn¡¯t mean you have any rights here. So, I''ll say it again, get out of my kitchen.¡±

    Wow, | thought the news of Liam being mated would have traveled like wildfire, but this gu

    guy doesn¡¯t seem to realize that | smell like Liam because I¡¯m mated to

    him.

    He goes to raise his hand again to hit the girl. ¡°You worthless,zy girl. Get back to work.¡±

    As his handes down to strike her, | reach out and grab his wrist, stopping him mid¡ªswing. Alessia is just as angry as | am

    and our aura starts pouring out over this man, forcing him to his knees.

    ¡®Alessia, protect the girls, don¡¯t force our aura over them.¡¯

    As the man falls to his knees, he lets out a yelp of surprise and pain. The sound draws the attention of other pack members who

    come in and seeing me holding their pack mate in my grasp, immediately move to help him and restrain me.

    | force my aura out pushing it over them and forcing them to their knees, their necks bent in submission. As more wolves yelp in

    surprise and pain, otherse running in to help.

    Alessia has pushed forward, and we have close to 20 pack members on their knees in the kitchen. Dustines running in only

    to hit the wall of my aura. Angel, what is going on?¡±

    | turn and Alessia snarls at him. ¡°Is this how you run your pack? Allowing your Omegas to be abused by their superiors?¡± | push

    my aura over him. He bares his neck but doesn¡¯t fall to his knees.

    ¡°Alessia, please, we can talk this through.¡± He grits his teeth, trying to keep from dropping with the strength of my aura.

    ¡°Really? Because your pack members thought to attack me without asking what was going on.¡±

    ¡°Now, as | was saying,¡± | start, turning back to the man at my feet.

    At that moment, Liam walks in, quickly taking in the scene around him. ¡°Angel What''s going on?¡±

    I turn and look at him.

    aura.¡± Hemands.

    ¡°Alessia. Drop your aura.

    ¡°No.¡± She says and pushes her aura over him.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 239

    I''ve nearly finished my meeting with Jackson when | get a frantic mind link from Dustin.

    ¡°Alpha, get down here.¡± He sounds like he¡¯s grunting in pain.

    ¡°Dustin, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Just...get....to....the....kitchen.¡± He sounds as if he¡¯s barely able to get the words

    out.

    | race out of my office and down the stairs to the kitchen. The moment | walk in, | know something is very wrong.

    The kitchen is full of pack members on their knees baring their necks, many are my strongest warriors. Dustin is off to the side.

    He¡¯s still standing, but his neck is bared in absolute submission. My mate is standing in the center of the kitchen, holding the

    wrist of my Lead Omega, as he kneels in front of her. Interestingly, there are two

    Omegas sitting against the wall behind her that seem unaffected by her aura. They are huddled together, holding on to each

    other, watching the scene wide-eyed.

    | don¡¯t have time to figure out why they aren¡¯t affected, | need Angel to drop the aura now. Her aura is the strongest I¡¯ve ever felt,

    stronger than mine. | can feel the paining through from my pack members.

    ¡°Angel, what is going on?¡±

    When she turns, | realize it is Alessia who has control. ¡°Alessia. Drop your aura.¡±

    When she pushes her aura out at me, it¡¯s like a full body punch. | take a half step back before standing my ground. | grit my

    teeth.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare fucking submit to b

    her Cyran.¡±

    ¡®Not going to happen.¡® He says, fighting against her aura. There may be times when I¡¯m willing to show my submission to my

    mate, especially in the bedroom. But right now, in front of the pack, when she¡¯s forcing her aura out on everyone, is not the time.

    ¡°Tell me what is going on. If | don¡¯t know what the problem is, | can¡¯t fix it.¡±

    ¡°| caught this man abusing these Omegas.¡± She points to the girls behind her. | have a moment to realize that she¡¯s actually

    protecting these girls with her aura. It¡¯s like they are inside a protective bubble. Interesting. That¡¯s not typical. Wolves. can¡¯t direct

    and redirect their auras, usually it flows like a wave.

    ¡°You need to pull your aura back. You are hurting the pack.¡±

    ¡°Did you know?¡± And I feel her aura punch out again. The force finally breaks. Dustin and he drops to his knees. Goddess my girl

    is strong. | was ready for it this time and stand my ground.

    ¡°Angel, | am one person. | can¡¯t be everywhere at all times. | can¡¯t see and know everything that goes on in the pack. | do not

    condone abuse of any pack member but if | don¡¯t know that it¡¯s happening, | can¡¯t do anything about it. Drop your aura so we can

    talk about it and figure out what needs to be done.¡±

    | watch as she looks at me, before | feel the pressure of her aura ease off. | watch my pack members all sigh in relief and either

    fall on their asses or lean against the wall. Dustin drags himself to his feet.

    | walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and running my nose over her hair. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°| walked in to see about taking some food with us today and this man was about to strike one of these girls. He had already hit

    her once.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, | did not.¡± He snaps back at her.

    | suddenly have a metallic taste in my mouth. Angel snarls at the man. ¡°You''re the liar, | can taste your deceit. It tastes like...¡±

    ¡°Metal.¡± | finish for her. Her head whips around to look at me.

    ¡°Yes. Deceit tastes like metal.¡± | nod. Looks like | got that Guardian gift.

    | turn and walk over to the girls. Squatting down in front of them, | look at the older one. Neither of them is of

    age.

    ¡°Do you work in the kitchens?¡± | ask.

    She nods at me, cowering. What the fuck? Why is she cowering? | reach out to run my fingers across the bruise | see beginning

    to form on her cheek. She flinches.

    away.

    ¡°Why are you afraid of me?¡± | ask her softly, trying not to scare her any more than she already is.

    She looks from me to Henry, the Lead Omega and back again. | hear Angel snarl

    at him.

    ¡°Will you answer my question?¡± | say gently. | don¡¯t want my pack members to be afraid of me, unless there is a reason, and

    these girls have no reason to fear me. ¡°Why are you afraid of me?¡±

    +16 NONOZ

    The younger one points at Henry. ¡°He said you hate Omegas and if we everined about how he treats us you''d throw us

    out of the pack.¡±

    Cyran is snarling in my head. All pack members are able to approach me or any of the ranked wolves at any time if they have

    concerns. This should never have happened and just highlights how much I¡¯m missing because | can¡¯t do everything.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 240

    ¡°Has this happened before?¡± The older one looks at the younger one. Then they turn and nod at me.

    ¡°Where are your parents?¡±

    ¡°Our parents are dead. We''re orphans.¡±

    ¡°Who watches over you?¡±

    They point to Henry. That ends today.

    I stand and walk back to Angel. | rub my nose against her ear. ¡°What do you think is a fitting punishment for Henry?¡±

    She turns and looks at me, shocked at my question. ¡°You are the future Luna of this pack and you caught him in the act.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t escape my notice that Henry flinched when | said she was the future Luna. Did he really not know? She¡¯s wearing my

    mark for goddess¡¯s sake.

    ¡°What is the normal punishment for abusing pack mates, especially underage pack members that are in your care?¡± She asks

    me.

    ¡°Typically, removal of any status the person may have. In this instance, he would lose his Lead Omega title and be a

    standard Omega. He would also normally be given between two to four weeks in the cells.¡±

    ¡°And what is the punishment for calling his future Luna a rogue whore?¡± She asks and | hear Dustin suck in a breath.

    My response is instantaneous. | have him by his neck and have lifted him off the ground. ¡°Disrespecting my Luna is punishable

    by death or banishment.¡±

    ¡°That seems too easy.¡± Angel says. ¡°I definitely think he deserves to be demoted and spend some time in the cells.¡± She turns to

    the girls and squats down in front of them. ¡°What''s the worst job in the packhouse?¡± She asks them with a smile. An evil grin

    spreads across my face as | realize what my mate ns to do.

    The girls look at each other. ¡°Cleaning the bathrooms.¡± They say in unison. ¡°Excellent.¡± She says and turns back to us. ¡°He will

    be permanently assigned to bathroom duty.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°You heard your Luna. When you get out of the cells, you will begin your new assignment.¡± | release him and he scrambles away

    from me. Dustines up, taking his arm to lead him to the cells. | realize there is still a room full of pack

    +15 BONOS

    members watching the interaction.

    ¡°Back to work people, nothing to see here.¡± | turn to my Beta. ¡°Dustin, who do we have that can take in the girls?¡±

    ¡°I''ll take them Alpha.¡± A small woman walks toward me, her eyes on the girls.

    ¡°Samantha?¡± | ask her.

    She turns to look at me. ¡°You know my husband and | have been unable to have pups of our own. I''d be happy to take them in

    and care for them, and | know my mate would as well.¡±

    | walk back to the girls, crouching down in front of them again. ¡°Would you like to go live with Samantha and her mate?¡±

    They look at Samantha then back to me and nod. | help them to stand, but don¡¯t let go of their hands. ¡°What are your names?¡± |

    don¡¯t know the names of all the pups, but | won¡¯t forget these two after today.

    ¡°I''m Charlotte.¡± The older one says, ¡°and this is my sister Amelia.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte and Amelia. From now on, if you have questions or concerns, you can alwayse to me, to Angel,¡± | point to Dustin,

    ¡°to your Beta. Anyone of us will

    you that you

    make time to listen to your concerns. Don¡¯t ever let anyone tell

    can¡¯t. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha,¡± they both say, before walking to Samantha.

    ¡°Take them home and get them settled, we''ll find someone else to cover mealtimes today.¡± | say to Samantha and look at Dustin

    who is already mind linking to get Omegas in to finish breakfast before taking Henry to the cells.

    Before they leave, the girls run over and hug Angel. ¡°Thank you, Luna.¡± They say before running back to Samantha. | nod and

    they leave.

    | pull Angel into a hug of my own. ¡°That was quite a show of power, little Guardian. Perhaps next time you want to make a point,

    you can tone it down a bit. You can control the room without causing the pain that you did. | don¡¯t want the pack to be afraid of

    you Angel.¡±

    ¡°| lost it a bit. | thought maybe this was something that was allowed in the pack and Alessia and | couldn¡¯t stand for that.¡±

    ¡°It''s not allowed and I¡¯m d we¡¯re on the same page.¡± | lean in, kissing her. ¡± Someday soon, you¡¯re going to have to show me

    how you directed your aura around those two girls. I¡¯ve never seen that before. You really are amazing. Come on. Let''¡¯s finish

    gathering what we need so we can head out. It¡¯s about an hour

    drive to the city.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Alessia is getting stronger!

 Chapter 241

    We collected Eli and Dustin and headed into the city. When we arrived, Liam took Eli to a store to get some clothes and a

    backpack before buying him a bus ticket.

    ¡°Where do you want to go? The next bus is heading north to Asheville,¡±

    ¡°That works.¡± Eli responds.

    Liam gives him an envelope with money in it. ¡°This is enough to get you back on your feet and started in a new life. Good luck

    Eli.¡±

    After he thanks Liam, Eli boards the bus, and we watch as the bus leaves the station, heading north.

    I''ve never been in a human city. It is big and loud, lots of tall buildings and cars honking, moving in every direction. It¡¯s very

    overwhelming for me and | am d that Liam is holding my hand.

    When we get to his building, he takes me up to his apartment first. We brought a change of clothes and some

    at how beautiful it is. Everything to stay overnight. When | walk in, I¡¯m amazed

    an amazing view of the city.

    ¡°Wow.¡± | say.

    looks new and the floor to ceiling windows give

    Hees up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Definitely wow.¡± He says and | turn to see him looking at me.

    I smile, blushing at thepliment.

    ¡°Ready to head downstairs? | have some work to do, but, I¡¯d rather have you near me. With everything that¡¯s happened, it would

    make me feel better to have you where | can see you.

    | can feel his nerves through the bond. He doesn''t like the idea of leaving me alone here, and | wouldn¡¯t really know what to do

    with myself. Maybe there is something | can do to help him. So, | agree.

    We collect Dustin and head down to the office level a few floors below Liam¡¯s penthouse apartment. When we walk in, | freeze.

    It''s her. The hair is different, her clothes are baggy and hang on her, and she¡¯s wearing sses, but | would never forget those

    eyes. The eyes that were my lifeline for seven long years.

    ¡°Sarah.¡± | whisper.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Mate.¡± Dustin whispers beside me at the same time, taking a step forward.

    Liam immediately turns to Dustin whispering quickly to him so Sarah can¡¯t hear. ¡°She¡¯s human Dustin. Pull yourself together or

    you''ll scare her.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Dustin blinks looking at Liam, struggling to not run to Sarah and pull her into his

    ams.

    |, however, am locked on her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± She says so quietly that if we weren''t shifters, we never would have heard her.

    ¡°Sarah!¡± | say louder and walk toward her, opening my arms.

    We close the short distance between us and hug. ¡°You''re alive. | wasn¡¯t sure after you ran. I¡¯m so d you got away. I¡¯ve been

    so worried about you.¡±

    | stand back, holding her at arm¡¯s length. ¡°You were worried about me? | was worried about you. Are you okay? Where have you

    been and why did you change. your hair?¡±

    She looks over my shoulder and tenses as | feel heat at my back. ¡°Mr. Holstin.¡± She says.

    ¡°Angel, you know Heather?¡±

    I turn to look at Liam. ¡°Liam, it¡¯s her! It¡¯s Sarah.¡± | frown. ¡°Why did you call her Heather?¡±

    He looks from me to Sarah and back again. ¡°Come into my office. Let¡¯s talk privately.¡±

    In an instant, Sarah looks like she¡¯s going to run. | grab her hands and hold her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. ¡°You''re not alone.¡± She responds back with our words and her shoulders rx fractionally.

    ¡°You can trust me and you can trust them. | promise.¡±

    She looks at Liam and Dustin, whose nervous energy is buzzing around him, then back at me. ¡°Okay.¡±

    We walk into Liam¡¯s office and close the door. | sit next to Sarah while Dustin and Liam pull up chairs. Dustin is twitching in his

    need to touch his mate. | can see him struggling with his wolf and | watch Liam¡¯s eyes unfocus a moment before Dustin settles.

    I''m sure Liam ordered him to calm down.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± | ask her. ¡°When | left you, | thought you¡¯d be safe with the hunters.¡±

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    She shakes her head. ¡°They were monsters, just like the vampires. They took us to this ce, this awful ce. It was something

    out of a horror movie. All these different people locked up in cells, some of them were part animal. | could hear screaming and

    crying. They basically took me from one hell to another. They said. the ¡®creatures¡¯, that was their term, didn¡¯t deserve our

    sympathy, that they were all just like the vampires.¡±

    I can feel Liam¡¯s fury through the bond. Hunters are not new in the supernaturalmunity, but to know that they have captured

    supernaturals and are torturing

    them is hideous.

    ¡°What happened?¡± | asked her.

    ¡°They showed us around, wanted to recruit us to be part of their league or guild or whatever they are.¡± She looks down at

    her hands. ¡°I could never be so cruel.¡± She whispers.

    Dustin reaches out to take her hand, wanting tofort her, but she snatches it back. The hurt on his face is instant, but he

    quickly hides it.

 Chapter 242

    | look at Liam. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know about her history, does he?¡± | mind link him.

    He gives a small shake of his head, no. Dustin is in for a long, hard road with Sarah if she can even ept what we are.

    ¡°What about you?¡± She turns to look at me. ¡°How did you get away?¡±

    ¡°| ran until | fell into Liam¡¯s packnds.¡± | nod at Liam.

    ¡°Packnds?¡± She asks.

    ¡°You remember what the vampires called me?¡± She nods but looks uncertainly at Dustin and Liam.

    ¡°They know I¡¯m a Guardian. I¡¯m a werewolf Guardian.¡±

    She looks at me, then at the guys and back to me again.

    ¡°You''re a werewolf, like that Stephen King movie?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes and no. We''re shape shifters, but we don¡¯t go around killing people.¡±

    She looks at Dustin and Liam again. ¡°We?¡± Ites out as a squeak.

    Liam replies. ¡°Yes, | am the Alpha of my pack, Dustin is my Beta or second inmand and Angel is mate.*

    my

    ¡°It''s a lot to take in. But we are not going to hurt you. Werewolves are nothing like vampires.¡± | say and she nods.

    ¡°So, you are running from the hunters?¡± Liam asks her.

    ¡°Yes. | couldn¡¯t do what they wanted, so one night | escaped and ran. | changed my hair, added some sses, and | ended up

    here. | saw the add for the secretary and applied. | was thankful to have work because | was out of money.¡±

    ¡°Where are you living?¡± Dustin asks her.

    | see her blush and she looks down at her hands. | reach out and cover her hands with mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can talk to us. We

    only want to help.¡±

    She sneaks a nce at Liam before looking back down at her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been living on the streets,ing in early and

    washing up in the bathrooms here before work.¡±

    | see Dustin''s hands clench into fists. His need to take care of his mate has his wolf on edge again. ¡°Liam?¡± He says turning to

    my mate.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    1/3

    +15 BONOS

    Liam is nodding. He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees, effectively putting him at eye level with Sarah. ¡°Sarah, did

    you know that the vampires have put a bounty on your head?¡±

    | see her shock at the same moment Dustin jumps up from his seat. ¡°WHAT??!!¡± He yells. He looks between Sarah and Liam.

    ¡°She is the other girl with the bounty¡± on her head?¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± She asks me, her lips trembling.

    ¡°It means,¡± | tell her, ¡°that the vampires are looking for you. Sebastian wants you back.¡±

    Her hands go to her mouth, they are trembling as the tears start to fall down her face. ¡°I have to go. | have to run. | can¡¯t go back

    there.¡±

    | understand exactly what she¡¯s feeling. | feel the same way. She jumps up and starts running for the door. Dustin moves quickly

    and gets in her path. ¡°We can protect you. You cane stay in our pack, right Liam?¡± He asks, never taking his eyes off of

    Sarah.

    ¡°Of course. You will be safe there. The pack will protect you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect me.¡± She says.

    ¡°Yes, we can.¡± | tell her, walking over to her. ¡°It took me awhile to realize it too, but we have a n. We know they areing for

    me, and we''ll be ready. If you go out on your own, you''ll never know when they may find you. If you stay with us, we''ll keep you

    safe. Our pack is strong, and the neighboring pack, which has two Guardians, will fight with us. We won''t lose.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± Dustin pleads with her. ¡°Pleasee back to the pack with us. You''ll have food, a safe ce to sleep and I¡¯m sure

    Liam can set it up so you can work from there, right Liam?¡± He asks, practically begging Liam with his eyes.

    I can feel Liam sigh behind me, knowing he''ll make this work. He would have anyway for me, but knowing that she¡¯s Dustin¡¯s

    mate as well, he''ll find a way to let her keep working from the packhouse.

    ¡°Yes. We''ll find some way for you to work from the packhouse so you can stay. safe. I''ll set it up with George. We''re staying the

    night in the city tonight. I''ll get you a room to stay in and you can return with us tomorrow. Okay Sarah? It is Sarah, right? Not

    Heather?¡±

    She gives him a shy smile. ¡°It''s Sarah.¡±

    ¡°Okay Sarah. | don¡¯t want you going anywhere without me or Dustin with you.

    +15 DONOS

    We don¡¯t know if the hunters are tracking you, but we do know that the vampires are, so I''d feel safer if one of us is with you at

    all times.¡±

    She nods.

    As we walk out of Liam''s office, we start to move toward Sarah''s desk, setting up another chair for Dustin to work beside her

    when the scent hits me.

    My head whips around to the elevators. ¡°Liam!¡± | cry, just as the elevator doors. open and Sebastian walks out with two other

    vampires.

    n

    Cooper Author

    They finally found Sarah, just in time, too!

 Chapter 243

    | can¡¯t believe the girl I¡¯ve been searching the entire country for has literally been right under my nose for weeks. I¡¯m thankful that

    we found her, even if her being mated to Dustin causesplications. It¡¯s at least one thing | can take off my

    over-full te of things that need to be done.

    My mind is reeling with the changes | need to make for her to continue working from the packhouse, setting her up as a

    permanent resident within the pack and wondering how I¡¯m going to break the news to my Beta that his mate was horribly

    abused by a vampire, even more so than my mate was.

    I''m not sure if that¡¯s why | didn¡¯t notice the smell right away, but when Angel calls my name, her voice full of desperation and fear,

    the scent hits me. The elevator doors open and three vampires walk into the foyer of my office.

    | watch as the one in front lifts his nose in the air and sniffs. ¡°Ahhhh, there she is, my tasty little treat. How I''ve missed you.¡± He

    looks directly at Sarah who is shaking uncontrobly, causing a vicious growl toe from Dustin.

    Angel steps in front of Sarah, blocking the vampire¡¯s view of her and his eyes widen. ¡°And look here boys, we found the Prince¡¯s

    favorite little toy.¡±

    This time, it''s me snarling. This is anything but ideal. We are in my office, in the human world and we''re going to have to fight off

    vampires and not let them cause any human casualties.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Kill the mutts, keep the feeders alive. I¡¯m starving.¡± The vampire says while rubbing his crotch.

    This time, | do see theming. Onees at me while the other goes toward Dustin. | see Angel reacting to keep him away

    from Dustin until he realizes the vampire is right in front of him. | go after other one.

    From the corner of my eye, | see the leader start circling toward Sarah and Angel. ¡°Come to daddy little girl. I''ve got something

    for you. Daddy has been waiting a long time.*

    Even through the sounds of fighting, | can hear Sarah whimpering and sobbing.¡± Screw you, Sebastian. You and your pitiful

    vampires will die here today.¡± The powerful voice of my sweet Angel, oveid with Alessia, is music to my ears. She may be

    scared, but she¡¯s going to fight. At least until | kill this leech and take out the one she called Sebastian.

    Just as | hear Sebastian leap at Angel and Sarah, | get ahold of the vampire¡¯s neck

    +15 BONOS

    and | begin pulling. It¡¯s harder when I¡¯m not in wolf form, but Cyran pushes forward, and my hands extend into ws, digging into

    his neck. He begins gurgling, beating against my arms and hands. When | finally dig my ws in deep enough, | pull my hands

    in opposite directions, slicing his head from his body.

    | turn and see Sarah cowering against the wall as Angel fights off Sebastian. Dustin is on the ground, the vampire over top of

    him. ¡°Help them,¡± he grinds out to me. | turn, just as Sebastian throws a punch at Angel. She ducks and spins around, swinging

    her fist up and punching him on the side of his head. He stumbles and it gives me the moment | need to grab him.

    ¡°Rip out his heart Angel.¡± | tell her, holding on to the vampire. He snarls thrashing against me. Her hand punches into his chest

    but misses his heart. When she pulls it back, he grabs her arm, yanking her closer to him. | release my hold on him, reaching to

    pull him away from Angel, but he takes the opportunity to run and jumps through the window, sailing through the air to the

    ground. | run to the window and see him running off, clutching his gaping chest.

    | turn back just in time to see Dustin punch his fist into the chest of the vampire he was fighting, ripping his heart out. He stands

    and tosses the heart back on the dead vampire before walking over to Sarah, squatting down in front of her. ¡°Hey. They¡¯re gone.

    You''re safe now.¡± He says to her in a voice used with injured, trapped animals.

 Chapter 244

    He¡¯s a bloody mess, so I¡¯m shocked when she leaps into his arms, holding him like he¡¯s her lifeline. As he holds her, whispering

    in her ear to help calm her, |

    turn to Angel.

    ¡°Liam.¡± She says pointing behind me. | turn, expecting another vampire, but it''s George, my human manager.

    ¡°George.¡± He walks in looking at the mess.

    ¡°Boss. | thought we agreed to keep this sort of mess out of the office.¡± He says to me and smiles.

    I smile back. | helped George and his family out of some witch business years ago, so he¡¯s familiar with the supernatural world.

    ¡°Sometimes troublees looking for me.¡± | say.

    ¡°| can see that. Is there anything | need to be concerned about?¡±

    ¡°I''m not sure if there will be moreing. We may need to put the offices on lockdown for the time being.¡± | tell him.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| will handle that and I''ll also handle this clean up. | know what to do. You all should get cleaned up and get out of here in case

    theye back.¡±

    I turn, pulling Angel to me. ¡°You''re okay, right? | don¡¯t smell any of your blood on you.¡±

    ¡°I''m good. Let¡¯s go shower and get back to the packnds. We don¡¯t know when they will return, but | guarantee, Sebastian is on

    his way now to tell Prince Keenan that he found me. It won¡¯t be long before theye back.¡±

    | growl, holding her closer. ¡°They won''t get to you.¡±

    We head upstairs, showering and changing clothes before heading down to get Dustin. Sarah again surprised me by wanting to

    stay close to him, rather thaning to our apartment. Maybe humans do feel the mate bond, only differently.

    On the way back to our packnds, | have Dustin call to inform Jackson and increase patrols, while | call Rik and give him the

    news. We decide to begin training our warriors together inside the canyon. This will help the warriors learn differences in battle

    strategy and also be more familiar with the terrain around the canyon where we want to draw the vampires for the battle.

    When we''re done, | hear Sarah talking to Dustin in the back seat. ¡°So what does it

    +15 BONOS

    mean that you¡¯re a werewolf?¡±

    ¡°It means that we have a wolf spirit, and we can shift into our wolves, although they are muchrger than normal wolves. | guess

    it also means that we have more animal instincts than humans. Plus, we have enhanced senses like hearing, vision, sinell, and

    taste.

    ¡°| had a dog once. | guess it¡¯s simr?¡±

    | flinch, but Dustin doesn¡¯t seem bothered at all. He¡¯s more than willing to tell her anything that she wants to know. He¡¯s probably

    just happy that she¡¯s talking to him and asking questions after everything that happened today.

    ¡°Simr, yes, but dogs are canine, wolves are lupine. There are differences. But in the way that we have enhanced senses, yes,

    it is simr. Our wolf spirits are also intelligent. They are like a second voice in our head.¡±

    She nods and looks back out the car window processing the new information.

    When we get back to the packhouse, | mind link Dustin. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want her on your floor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s just me there, so she can have the room across from mine. That way, if she has nightmares like Angel, I''ll be right

    there.¡± He mind links back.

    ¡°If you need anything, let me know. Looks like we need another shopping trip.¡±

    He nods and begins escorting Sarah up the stairs to the Beta floor.

    ¡°When she¡¯s settled,e see me. We need to talk.¡± | link him back and | see him nod that he¡¯s heard me.

    I turn to Angel. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to tell him tonight. He needs to know.¡±

    She nods and walks to me, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°Do you want me there?¡±

    ¡°No. I''ll handle it. | still have a lot of work to do. Why don¡¯t you go up to our room and rx. I''ll catch up to you when | can.¡±

    | kiss her and head to my office.

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 Chapter 245

    | watch as Liam walks away, then | turn to the kitchen. My mate is overwhelmed with work and | added to that this morning by

    shifting everything around in the kitchen. That, at least, is something that | can help correct.

    When | walk in, the Omegas bow their head in deference to me. The one who must be temporarily in chargees over to me.

    ¡°Luna, can we get you something?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Yes, first what is your name?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°My name is Olivia, Luna.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Olivia. I''m Angel. | know you were thrown into this today, so why don¡¯t I give you a hand?¡±

    Two hourster, | have an in

    of all the food currently in stock, we have a meal n established for the next week, and a grocery list started. We¡¯re working. on

    a roster of rotating shifts for the Omegas and I¡¯m enjoying the camaraderie of being in a pack again. It¡¯s been a long time and it

    feels good.

    ¡°What''s going on here?¡± | hear Liam ask from behind me and the rxed atmosphere that I¡¯ve been working at creating detes

    faster than a balloon letting out air.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± Everyone in the room stops what they are doing and bows their head in submission. I¡¯m guessing Liam doesn¡¯t enter the

    kitchens very often. They don¡¯t seem to know how to interact with him.

    ¡°Liam.¡± | walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. ¡°What are you doing in here? Dinner isn¡¯t for another...¡± | trail off,

    turning to Olivia.

    ¡°Thirty minutes.¡± She informs me.

    | turn back to Liam who is looking around at everyone. ¡°I came to figure out what we needed to do to feed the pack tonight.¡± He

    says, looking down at me. ¡°But it looks like you beat me to it.¡±

    ¡°Yep, we''re set. | do have some questions to run by you, like how do we pay for groceries if | send the Omegas, but otherwise,

    we''re finishing it up. We have inventory, menus for the week and we''re just finishing up the roster. Did you want to look it over?¡°/

    He tucks me into his side, looking around at what we''ve put into ce, before smiling down at me. ¡°Nope. You just cleared hours

    of work off my schedule

    Angel.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°You have much weighing on you and this was something | could help with. It was fun! Olivia and | had a great time.¡±

    Olivia looks over shyly and smiles, nodding.

    Liam pulls me back around to face him, cupping my face in his hand. ¡°Have | told you today how amazing you are? And how

    lucky | am to have found you? And how much | love you?¡±

    | tap my finger against my chin, pretending to think about it. ¡°Yes, no, and yes.¡± He reaches down and kisses me like we aren¡¯t in

    a room full of people. When be pulls away, | know my cheeks have turned scarlet. ¡°I love you my little angel.¡±

    ¡°You and me Liam. It¡¯s you and me.¡±

    ¡°Yes it is.¡± He looks around again. ¡°Okay, call me when food¡¯s ready. And thank you everyone for filling in today. | really

    appreciate it.¡±

    He kisses me on my nose before heading out.

    | finish helping get everything ready for dinner and as I¡¯m about to link Liam, Dustin and Sarah walk in.

    ¡°Sarah! Are you hungry? You¡¯re wee to eat in the dining room with the rest of us.¡±

    She looks a bit overwhelmed but starts to agree when Dustin cuts her off

    ¡°Actually Luna, | thought it might be better for Sarah to have a quiet dinner tonight after such a long, tiring day.¡±

    ¡°Of course. When you''re feeling up to it, I''ll show you around. The packnds are lovely and the pack is named after a beautiful

    set of water falls. Although, it may be better for Dustin to show you. Liam''s wolf, Cyran, carried me the first time we went there.¡±

    She turns and looks at Dustin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt your wolf or put you out. He smiles at her and | can see his fingers

    twitching with the need to touch her.¡± My wolf, Leon, is strong and he¡¯s already said he would love to carry you to the falls and

    show you around. It¡¯s probably a good idea anyway so you know where our borders are and you can stay safely within our

    territory.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 246

    | make two tes for them, giving them some bottles of water and send them on their way. ¡°Sarah, if you need anything at all,

    just ask anyone for Dustin, me or Liam.¡±

    As they walk away, | hear Sarah asking Dustin why he calls me Luna, and him. exining more about pack hierarchy.

    Liam walks in after they leave, watching as they walk away. ¡°I guess we¡¯re on our own for dinner?¡± He says.

    ¡°Yes.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯d like to have dinner with the pack, if that¡¯s okay with you. | really need to announce you as the Luna and let the pack

    know that the vampires areing. We start training with Rik¡¯s pack tomorrow morning. Since Dustin will be out of pocket a lot,

    I''ll need to restructure the rosters to make sure everyone is at thebined training at least once per day.¡±

    We grab tes, piled high with food and walk into the dining room. We sit down with some other pack members and after saying

    hello and giving introductions, | turn back to Liam.

    ¡°What else needs to be done Liam. What else can | do to help you. It¡¯s too much. for one person.¡±

    He pulls me close into his side, leaning into me and softly saying, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so very lucky to have you in my life.¡±

    He sits back, taking a bite of food while he thinks. ¡°Actually, there is something that you can do that would be a great help.

    We need to make sure that the bunkers and safe rooms are cleaned and stocked with food, medical supplies, linens, baby

    supplies, basically everything that the pack members will need while they wait for the battle to end.¡±

    ¡°I can help you with that Luna.¡± A young mother sitting at our table says. ¡°Since I''ll be staying in one of the rooms, I¡¯m sure | have

    some ideas about what we''d need and I''d like to help.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, that¡¯s settled. Leave it to us.¡± | tell Liam and | can see some of the tension leaving his face. I¡¯m d I¡¯m the one helping

    to relieve the stress that he¡¯s constantly under.

    After dinner, Liain stands and gets the attention of those in the dining hall. It¡¯s not everyone, not with over 800 pack members,

    but arge majority of pack

    +15 BONOS

    members eat here for dinner.

    ¡°Attention everyone. | know | usually do this in a more formal way, but | have a couple of announcements to make. First,¡± he pulls

    me to stand beside him. ¡°This beautiful woman is my mate. You may have already heard that | have found her and that she and |

    have marked each other.¡± He¡¯s interrupted by cheering.

    He waits for everyone to quiet down again. ¡°We will be having Angel¡¯s Luna ceremony tomorrow night. | know it¡¯s fast, but there

    is a reason for that.¡± He stops looking down at me before taking my hand in his and kissing it. ¡°Angel was held captive by

    vampires for seven years. Apparently, vampires like the taste of Guardian blood. They have put a bounty on her head for seven

    million dors. The other day, we were attacked by vampires in the canyon and today, we were attacked again at the offices in

    the city.¡±

    Liam waits again as the pack members mumble their difort at this knowledge. ¡°The vampires areing for your Luna, but

    they will not take her from us.¡± More cheering explodes in the dining hall. He raises his hands for quiet. ¡°Canyon Ridge Pack will

    fight with us. They are aware of the dangers to their Guardians and we are reinforcing our alliance with them, mixing our patrols

    so that our warriors learn theirnds and theirs learn ours. In addition, starting tomorrow morning, our packs will train together,

    twice a day. | will have new training rosters postedter this evening. Any questions?¡±

    Liam fields questions for thirty minutes before saying goodnight and walking us out of the dining room.

    He sends me to bed as he goes to finish getting ready for tomorrow and waits for Dustin. | shower and crawl into bed, struggling

    to sleep until | feel his warmth surround me. | can feel his exhaustion as we fall asleep curled up together.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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 Chapter 247

    | knew my conversation with Dustin would be rough. No one wants to hear that their mate has been through the horrors that his

    has been through. But, as his Alpha, it¡¯s my job to make sure that he knows and that I¡¯m the one to tell him.

    When he knocks on the door to my office, | tell him toe in and have a seat. | go to the bar in my office and pour us both a

    bourbon,ing to sit beside him.

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± He asks me, taking a sip of the amber liquid.

    ¡°Dustin, you know what it was like for Angel when she first got here.¡± | say, watching as he looks into his ss, looking for

    answers that he won''t find.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He says quietly.

    ¡®Angel told me about Sarah. Sebastian, the one that came for her today, didn¡¯t just feed on her. He abused her daily for the

    seven years that she was

    prisoner.¡± He puts his ss down, standing and walking to my wall, punching a

    hole in it.

    He leans his head against the wall, pulling his hand out of the hole he created. ¡°I knew it was bad. | knew it had to be based on

    how she responded to seeing him again.¡± He turns to me. ¡°How do | help her? How do | help her heal from that? How do | make

    her feel safe?¡±

    I stand, walking to my friend and putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I wish | had answers for you, but I¡¯m still trying to figure it out

    myself. All | can say is to be there for her, be what she needs you to be and let her set the pace. She¡¯s dealing with a lot and

    honestly, she¡¯s doing better than | would have thought. That¡¯s positive.¡±

    He nods his head, taking a deep breath. ¡°Do you think she¡¯d go to see Dr. Phillips? Maybe there is something that she can do to

    help her heal, you know, internally?¡±

    ¡°| think that¡¯s a great idea, if you can get her to go. But again, I¡¯d suggest letting her set the pace. If she¡¯s resistant, either give

    her time or see if Angel can help sway her.¡±

    He nods and I lead him back to the chairs, pushing him down in his and handing him his ss. He shoots it down and | grab the

    bottle and pour him another.

    ¡°I need to get back upstairs. | expected her to have nightmares, but now, | can be positive that she will.¡± He looks up at me.

    ¡°Angel seemed okay with Cyran being with her all night, right?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Yes. She wasfortable with Cyran and didn¡¯t have nightmares when he stayed with her. She inay be morefortable with

    Leon than you being in the room with her, especially given her history.¡±

    He gets up to leave. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Let me know what either of you need. If she¡¯s going to be your mate, she¡¯s part of our pack now.¡±

    ¡°She IS my mate. She''ll be part of the pack, no matter how long it takes me to convince her.¡±

    When he¡¯s gone, | finish up thest of things | needed to do, posting the training roster for the next few days. When | crawl into

    bed with Angel, I¡¯m exhausted. | let her warm body and calming scent pull me into my own dreamless sleep.

    The next morning, Angel and | get ready and head down to the canyon to train with the pack. | heard Sarah screaming once

    during the night, but only once. I¡¯m hoping that means that Leon being there helped her feel safe.

    When we get to the training grounds, I¡¯m excited to finally see what Angel is capable of. | know her training with Clint is

    important, but so far, he hasn¡¯t had her sparring. | need to know that she is a strong and intelligent fighter.

    When we get there, | make sure that my warriors are divided up with Rik¡¯s. There are about 500 warriors in total, 300 of mine and

    200 hundred of Rik¡¯s. He and Chase are here working with the warriors, but | need to work with Angel.

    | pull her off to the side. ¡°Okay, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± | tell her and get in a defensive stance.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    | watch her frown at me. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I need to see how good you are, so go ahead, take a shot at me.¡±

    ¡°I''m not going to hit you Liam.¡±

    ¡°Angel,¡± | say and stand up out of my defensive stance. ¡°I need to know what kind of training you had before, what you

    remember and how strong you are. So,¡± | say, getting back into my defensive stance. ¡°Hit me.¡±

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 Chapter 248

    She begins what | can only describe as a gentle sparring. None of her hits are meant to hurt me, none are strong enough to even

    knock me back on my heels. | need her to really show me what she¡¯s got. ¡°Angel.¡± | say and I see Rik looking at me from behind

    her.

    ¡°Piss her off.¡± He mouths to me.

    ¡°Angel,¡± | say again. ¡°I thought you said your father was a lead warrior.¡± | say, taking Rik¡¯s advice.

    ¡°He was, he was a great fighter.¡±

    ¡°So...what? He didn¡¯t teach you to fight?¡±

    ¡°Of course he did. | know how to fight. | just don¡¯t want to fight you.¡±

    | nod, as if | understand what she¡¯s saying to me. ¡°I think maybe you thought he was higher up in the ranks than you knew.

    Based on what I¡¯m seeing, he wasn¡¯t that great of a fighter.¡±

    I can see | hit a nerve. Her eyes shed golden for a moment so | push. ¡°I mean, if he had been any good, he would have taught

    you, his daughter, how to at least throw a punch. What you''re giving me is a bunch of...¡±

    Her t palm hits me directly in my sternum with so much strength, it whips me

    my feet and causes the air to whoosh out of my lungs.

    off

    ¡°There she is.¡± | say quietly to myself.

    youContent held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°My father was a good man. He worked hard and | bet he could take Liam Holstin.¡± She yells at me.

    | get back to my feet but before | can let her know | was trying to get a rise out of her, Rik starts instigating her. ¡°That¡¯s it Angel.

    Show him what being mated to at Guardian really looks like.¡±

    She turns and looks at me, her chest heaving in her anger. | curl my fingers at her in a e get me¡® motion, and holy hell does

    she. I¡¯ve seen Cara spar, but it didn¡¯t prepare me for my little Guardian when she lets loose.

    There¡¯s an obvious difference between Cara, who was born a Guardian and Angel, who is a reincarnated Guardian. Angel''s

    Guardian spirit has experience, knowledge, and pure grit. My girl is a fiend on the battlefield. Once she unleashes on me, it¡¯s all |

    can do to stay on my feet and keep ahead of her. She¡¯s everywhere, fists flying at every part of my body, legs sweeping to knock

    me

    17

    -15 BONOS

    down, kicks aimed at incapacitating me. It takes every bit of training and Alpha strength that | have to keep up with her.

    When | finally get an in, | grab her arm, whipping her around, pulling her back to my front, and holding her in my grasp. | move

    my head just in time to miss her head bashing into my nose. When she begins kicking trying to get away from me, | pull us down

    to the ground, sitting her on myp. ¡°My father was a good man, a strong and powerful warrior.¡± She spits out.

    ¡°| know he was. I¡¯m sorry love. | was just trying to get you to really spar with me. | didn¡¯t mean it. | know he was a strong warrior.

    He raised an amazing and powerful daughter.¡± | hold her until she settles.

    When | hear her sniffle, | turn her face to mine and kiss her softly. ¡°You and me Angel. That hasn¡¯t changed.¡±

    She nods and | release her, helping us both to stand. When we do, the warriors begin apuding. I¡¯d been concentrating so hard

    on making sure | didn¡¯t lose any teeth or get a bone broken that | hadn''t realized that they had all stopped to watch us.

    ¡°Nice job Angel.¡± Rik says to her. ¡°Want to try your hand with an Alpha that¡¯s used to sparring with a Guardian?¡± He asks her.

    She looks at me. | shrug. ¡°Up to you.¡±

    She turns back to Rik, giving him an evil smile then gives him the same e. and get me¡¯ finger curl that | gave her.

    This time, I¡¯m able to watch her and really see how she fights. Rik is fast, but not fast enough. She gets in her share of punches

    and kicks. When she finally sends him flying, he finally concedes. Her technique is wless, but we need to work on her speed. |

    want her as fast or faster than the vampires.

    ¡°Tomorrow afternoon, be prepared to face a Guardian.¡± | tell the warriors.¡± From now until the battle, you''ll be testing your

    strength and speed against Angel.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 249

    | was really upset with Liam at first when he made those statements about my father. Sc, when | fought him, | didn¡¯t hold back. |

    was surprised that he was able to stand against me. Alessia has a lot of knowledge about fighting that came to the forefront of

    my mind while we fought.

    When Rik wanted to spar, | was no longer angry, so | was able to focus my attention on finding his weaknesses and taking him

    out. | was pleasantly surprised when it worked.

    After Liam suggests that | spar with all the warriors starting tomorrow, | have an idea. ¡°You should bring Cara and Clint to training

    tomorrow too.¡± | say to Rik.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Then you''d have three Guardians to spar with the warriors.¡±

    ¡°No. Cara is pregnant and Clint, well, how would that work?¡± He asks, referencing Clint being in a wheelchair.

    ¡°First,¡± | tell him, ¡°No one will get close enough to Cara to touch her. Alessia knows her daughter and this is a fact. Second, Clint

    may be in a wheelchair, but if you think that man can¡¯t hold his own, then you really know nothing about your father-inw.¡±

    Chase jumps in. ¡°She¡¯s right, about Clint at least. I¡¯m not getting in the middle of you and Cara. But when Eli attacked us with

    those rogues, we all started tossing them to Clint to help us take them out. He was a machine. Besides not being as mobile as

    the rest of us, you¡¯d never have believed he was in a wheelchair.¡± Several of the Canyon Ridge warriors nod in agreement.

    Rik sighs. ¡°I''ll bring them, but Cara will not be sparring.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± | say quickly, turning my back on him when | can¡¯t hold my smirk back any longer. We''ll see how Cara feels about that.

    Liam reaches out his hand to me. When | put my hand in his, he kisses it. ¡°Are we good?¡±

    ¡°We''re good.¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°Want to run back in wolf form?¡±

    Alessia starts jumping around in my head. ¡®Yes, yes, yes!"

    Iugh. ¡°That¡¯s a definite yes from Alessia.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Last one back to the packhouse misses out on special

    ¡°tom says and

    jumps into the air, shifting and shredding his clothes,nding on all fours and taking off.

    ¡®Oh no! That cheater is not beating me.¡® Alessia says as | jump, shifting, shredding my own clothes and letting Alessia take the

    lead.

    She takes off, stretching out her legs. As soon as Cyran realizes she¡¯s gaining, he pushes harder. Alessia is even faster than she

    was before, and | was shocked how fast she was then. When we get to the back side of the cliff, she starts jumping up the cliff

    face. Her agility definitely gives her an advantage and she makes it to the top before Cyran and begins racing for the packhouse.

    We''re nearly there, pack members rushing to get out of our way, when Cyran tackles Alessia, and we both go rolling. She¡¯s back

    on her feet and heading for the back door as fast as she can. Cyran nips at her back legs, but she doesn¡¯t stop. Someone opens

    the back door and she pushes through, howling her sess as she continues running up the stairs to our room.

    On the stairs, we see Sarah and Dustin. Alessia, stops for a moment to lick Sarah, before continuing our race, skidding out in

    front of the door to our room.

    | can hear Sarah asking Dustin, ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°That,¡± he replies, ¡°was Angel and Liam, obviously racing and it looks like Angel won. The white one was her wolf, Alessia, that

    stopped to kiss you. I¡¯m guessing she appreciates everything you did to help Angel during that time with the coven. The sandy

    brown wolf was Cyran, Liam¡¯s wolf.¡±

    | shift, opening our door and heading straight to the bathroom. Liam is right behind me. ¡°I win.¡± | tell him and start to pull him into

    the shower with me.

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    ¡°Angel.¡± He says softly, looking over my body like he¡¯s never seen it before. It makes me self¡ªconscious, but before | can cover

    myself, he grabs my hands and pulls me in front of the mirror.

    ¡°Look.¡± He says.

    When | look, it takes a moment for me to realize what he¡¯s gawking at. But then |

    see it.

    ¡®Alessia?¡¯

    ¡®We''re finally at full strength. | told you | thought | could do more. | can¡¯t take the scars away, but at least they are better.¡® She

    tells me.

    Better? | may look vaguely like my body is covered inrge freckles, the puncture wounds leaving darker marks on my skin. But

    the rippling of my skin, the hideous welting that had been all over my body is gone. My skin is smooth.

    | look at Liam in the mirror, tears in my eyes.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t think you could be any more beautiful, but here you are.¡± He says, wrapping his arms around me, kissing my shoulder.

    I turn in his arms and let him hold me as the tears fall.

    The rest of the day goes by fast. | have afternoon training with Clint. He¡¯s got me on the obstacle course, but now it has drops

    and flying objects meant to knock me off the course. | have to start thinking and moving faster. It¡¯s a good workout and Alessia

    and | both enjoy it.

    Clint calls time earlier than normal. ¡°Angel,e talk to me.¡±

    |e to sit in front of him, as he hands me a bottle of water. ¡°How are Vo feeling about your Luna ceremony tonight?¡± He asks

    me.

    | take another sip of water, giving myself a moment to respond. ¡°In some ways, I¡¯m ready. Liam needs the help and | know that |

    can help him. In other ways, | have no idea what I¡¯m doing, and | feel like I¡¯m going to make a huge mess that Liam will be forced

    to clean up.¡±

    He nods but stays silent, so | continue. ¡°What if I¡¯m not good enough to be a Luna? What if he realizes that I¡¯m a terrible Luna

    and he¡¯s made a mistake? What- if....what if he decides he doesn¡¯t want me anymore?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | didn¡¯t even realize that all these thoughts were rolling around in my subconscious, but as soon as | started talking, they all

    started pouring out of me.

    | look at Clint. ¡°What if he realizes he made a mistake and I¡¯m not what he wants?¡± | whisper.

    Clint smiles at me, in that fatherly way he has. ¡°Sweetheart, Liam loves you so much. You are his fated mate and even if you

    were the worst Luna in the history of Lunas, | know that he would not ever think he had made a mistake by taking you as his

    mate.¡±

    ¡°I''ve known Liam for a long time. Believe me when | tell you, I¡¯ve never seen him happy, not since his mother was murdered. For

    nearly twenty years, Liam has been steady, strong, fierce, and a very good Alpha. But never happy. Not until he met you.¡±

    He wheels himself over to me, taking my hands. ¡°You are exactly what Liam needs in his life, and just you wanting to be better

    for him, means you are exactly what he needs, someone that puts him first.¡± He wipes the tear that falls down my cheek. ¡°If you

    really want to make sure that you are a kick-ass Luna, | have a suggestion.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Yes, anything!¡± | say.

    ¡°After your ceremony tonight, talk to Luna Calista. She is the queen of Lunas. If anyone can help you to understand what you

    should be doing as a Luna, it¡¯s her.¡± ¡°Thank you, Clint.¡± | say, hugging him.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 251

    | continue to be amazed at Alessia¡¯s power. I¡¯m not sure if she always had these gifts, but they just keep manifesting. My little

    mate is the most amazing woman I¡¯ve ever met. The Moon Goddess really blessed me when she mated me to her.

    I spend the rest of the day preparing for Angel¡¯s Luna ceremony. My Alpha ceremony was not a happy asion, and it wasn¡¯t a

    celebration. | intend to change that for Angel. The entire pack and many of Rik and Cara¡¯s pack have been invited.

    | met with Olivia this morning to make sure that she had enough help to prepare and feed nearly 1000 werewolves tonight. Since

    Dustin is out ofmission, working with Sarah, | have Jackson get the music, dance floor and lighting set up.

    While Angel is with Clint, | take the time to go out back and see that the warriors are setting up a stage and the lighting and

    speakers for the music are being set up around the back of the packhouse.

    take a moment to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy that fact that Angel will officially be a member of my pack and the pack¡¯s

    Luna in a few hours. The relief | had when | realized that she had taken over the nning and preparations of the kitchen and

    meals was almost overwhelming. I''ve been alone, doing everything, or almost everything for so long, that | didn¡¯t even realize

    how much of a weight it was on me.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± Dustin says as his handnds on my shoulder.

    | turn and look at my Beta. ¡°Dustin. What are you doing here? | thought you¡¯d be with Sarah.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s taking a nap, and | wanted to see if | could help while she¡¯s sleeping.¡±

    | look around at the preparations, squinting. ¡°The flowers haven''t arrived yet. I''ll

    ¡°I''m on it.¡± He says and pulls out his phone.

    While he calls the florist, | look around again. Everything seems to being together. I¡¯m not sure if the pack just hasn¡¯t had a

    reason to celebrate in a long time, or if it¡¯s Angel that is bringing everyone out to assist. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s thetter. It¡¯s important for

    the pack to have a Luna that they admire and respect.

    ¡°Flowers will be here in 15 minutes. What else?¡± Dustin asks.

    ¡°Actually, it looks like everything else is done, or getting done.¡± | say, feeling

    unneeded for the first time in, well, ever.

    ¡°Good. Do you have the ceremonial knife and chalice?

    I snap my fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s go find them, | think they¡¯re in the safe.¡±

    After getting thest items for tonight, | begin working on other things that have been needing my attention. Dustin and | work for

    another hour before we hear Sarah moving around above us. ¡°I need...¡±

    ¡®Go. | know she¡¯s your first priority.¡± | smirk at him. ¡°Does all that stuff that | told you make sense now?¡± referencing our previous

    conversation about mates.

    ¡°It''s really bizarre, the mate bond, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is, but so amazing.¡±

    ¡°Do you...do you think she''ll ever feel it, being human?¡± He asks me.

    | look at him for a moment, before giving him my honest answer. ¡°I think she already does. I¡¯m not sure if all humans feel it or if it

    is rted to her being exposed for so long to the leeches, but either way, | think she feels it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Alpha.¡±

    At some point, | realize that Angel has returned from training. She doesn¡¯t seek me out, so I¡¯m hoping that she is getting more

    comfortable in the packhouse and with the pack members. | know if she needs me, she''lle find me, so | continue to make

    contingency ns in case something happens to me during the battle with the vampires.

    When I''m done, | head upstairs to our room. | find her showering and | lean in the doorway, enjoying the view of my sweet little

    mate. Her body has filled out from when she first got here. You can¡¯t count her ribs and her hip bones aren''t protruding like the

    used to. She still needs to gain some weight, but that wille with time and she¡¯s already putting on muscle, helping her to fill

    out just a bit more.

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    ¡°Liam? Were you going to join me?¡± My little angel asks me.

    ¡°I''m just enjoying the view.¡± | say.

    She pulls her head out from under the water and looks at me, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°What''s on your mind, big guy?¡±

    ¡°| have something for you when you''re done.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    | walk back into our bedroom, noticing that the scent in the room has changed.

    Her scent is now mixed with mine.

    | can¡¯t wait until this vampire business is done. I¡¯m hoping Angel will want to start trying for a pup right away. We haven''t really

    had a chance to talk about it, but we¡¯re not exactly being careful either.

    When she walks out in only a towel, | growl softly. ¡°You are the most beautiful woman | have ever seen in my life.¡± | say, walking

    to her and wrapping my arms around her.

    ¡°You''re only saying that because I¡¯m practically naked.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± | kiss the top of her head before pulling back and looking at her. ¡°But | may be saying it because I¡¯m ridiculously, stupidly

    in love with you. You, Angel, are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and | can¡¯t tell you how happy it makes me that

    you will officially be my Luna tonight.¡± | tell her.

    | see tears shimmering in her eyes and | kiss them away. ¡°None of that. Unlike my ceremony, tonight is a celebration, a happy

    event. This pack has needed a Luna like you for a very long time. We have a lot to celebrate.¡±

    | release her and walk to the closet. ¡°And, since | want to make sure my Luna is dressed as she should be for her induction into

    this pack and her new role, | got. you something.¡± | say, walking out with a garment bag in hand.

    My sweet Angel starts bouncing in her excitement, pping her hands. ¡°Can | see it?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Absolutely, but no putting it on until after your hair is done. Which reminds me, we only have a few minutes before Tina arrives. |

    asked her if she would do your hair and make up for you. | hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    She walks up to me, taking my face in both hands. ¡°Liam Holstin, you are the most amazing man I''ve ever met in my life, and

    that is saying something because my father was pretty amazing. Thank you. Now show me this dress!!¡±

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    She squeals thest part.

    | hang it on the door before unzipping the bag and pulling the dress out. It¡¯s an A-line, V-neck floor length chiffon dress the color

    of red wine. It has a beaded strip around the waist and matching silver heels. ¡°It¡¯s stunning.¡± She says, running her fingers down

    the dress.

    ¡°I''m d you like it. | thought it would look good with your hair color and even though it doesn¡¯t have sleeves, | don¡¯t think you

    need to hide your arms any longer.¡±

    She walks to me, grabbing me by my shirt, pulling me to her for a scorching kiss. ¡°Thank you, Liam, | love it.¡±

    There¡¯s a knock on the door. ¡°That would be Tina.¡± | tell her and kiss her once more before going to answer the door.

    Tina is standing there with arge bag of goddess only knows what. ¡°This is my queue to leave. Angel, I''ll see you on stage.¡± |

    wink at my girl on the way out.

    Cooper

    Author

    Next up, the Luna ceremony!

    10

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 Chapter 253

    ¡°Okay, that man is seriously smoking hot!¡± Tina says as she walks in. ¡°And you, my Luna, are a lucky woman.¡±

    ¡°Yes | am.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°And so am |.¡± She says, looking at me with a glint in her eyes.

    ¡®Why is she looking at us like that?¡® Alessia asks.

    ¡®| don¡¯t know, but it can¡¯t be good.¡¯ | reply.

    ¡°I''ve been dying to get my hands on your hair since you came into the salon and | couldn''t believe my luck when Alpha Liam

    called. | cancelled all my appointments for the rest of the afternoon so | could spend hours getting you ready. You, my dear Luna,

    are going to be the most gorgeous Luna in the history of Lunas!¡± Tina says excitedly.

    Her increasing level of excitement is a direct corrtion to my increasing level of anxiety. What in the world is she nning to do

    to me? | have visions of Effie Trinket in my head.

    In the end, | have to admit, it was much better than | thought. Having Tina work her magic on my hair was very rxing. When

    she was done, | looked amazing. | still looked like me, but better, enhanced. ¡°Wow!¡± | said, looking in the mirror.

    She smiled a brilliant smile, pping her hands. ¡°You like it?

    ¡°It''s gorgeous.¡± She had taken my hair and pulled the back up into a high ponytail then covered it with curls so you couldn¡¯t tell it

    was in a ponytail at all. Then she left long ringlets down my back, with some long bangs in the front. The sides were held up with

    a silver clip that matched my shoes.

    ¡°Okay Luna, so | hope you don¡¯t think this is too forward, but word on the street is that you showed up at our pack with nothing

    but the clothes on your back.¡± | nod at her, not sure where this is going. ¡°And, we all know our Alpha barely has a moment to do

    anything, so | know he hasn''t really taken the time you need to go shopping.¡± | nodded again.

    ¡°So,¡± she draws out the word, digging into her bag. ¡°I brought you some undergarments meant to turn our Alpha to a puddle of

    mush at your feet.¡±

    She pulls out a bra and panty set. It¡¯s ckce, the panties are thong, which I¡¯ve never worn and the bra is socey that | know

    it won''tst longer than the one night. Liam will rip that off me in no time.

    TO

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Thank you Tina. That was very thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not just from me, Luna. So many of us are happy that Alpha Liam finally found his mate. He¡¯s wanted to find you for so

    long, and we''ve already seen a difference in him. He¡¯s a great Alpha and he deserves to be happy, so this is from the entire

    salon.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    I stand and hug Tina. ¡°I''ll be sure toe by and thank everyone. Now, can you help me into my dress. | think it''s almost time.¡±

    | only wore the new panties, as the sleeves on the dress and the lower back didn¡¯t allow for a bra. When I¡¯m dressed, Tina leans

    in and gives me a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for both of you.¡± She says. She steps back, takes onest look at me, then turns to go.

    ¡°See you down there.¡±

    | take a moment to collect myself, taking deep breaths. This is what | want, to be by Liam¡¯s side for as long as he is Alpha. The

    thought calms me and | take one more deep breath, before heading downstairs.

    | haven''t been outside yet, so when | walk out the back door, I¡¯m shocked at the transition. It¡¯s been transformed into something

    spectacr. Standing by the door is Dustin, Sarah at his side.

    ¡°Luna. I¡¯m here to announce you to our Alpha and escort you to the stage.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dustin.¡± | lean around him and look at Sarah. ¡°What about you Sarah?¡±

    She looks shyly at Dustin. ¡°Dustin said | could walk with you both until we get to our seats, then | will sit down and wait for him to

    join me.¡±

    ¡°Perfect!¡± | tell her. It¡¯s not traditional for anyone other than the Luna and their escort to walk through the pack, but I wouldn¡¯t be

    here if it weren¡¯t for Sarah, so I¡¯m happy to have her with me during this momentous asion.

    ¡°Alpha¡¯s ready for you. Are you ready Luna?¡± He asks, putting his arm out for me

    to take.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He gives his other arm to Sarah before turning back to me. ¡°Alpha is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you.¡± He says

    and winks at me.

    I''m not sure if he timed it that way, or if it just worked out, but my smile is brilliant as the pack members part and all | can see in

    front of me is Liam, waiting for me on the stage. Everything around me fades away, every person, every sound is gone. It¡¯s just

    me and Liam, like it was always meant to be and

    always will be.

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 Chapter 254

    We make our way up the path made by the pack members, many of whom | have yet to meet. Dustin stops to set Sarah down in

    a seat in the front before continuing our trek to the stage. We climb the steps and he walks me to Liam.

    Liam takes my hands in his, smiling down at me, his eyes full of love. Still holding my hands, he pulls me to a table at the front of

    the stage, before turning to address the crowd.

    ¡°Wee Shadow Falls Pack members and Canyon Ridge Pack guests. | am

    thankful that you have alle to witness the induction of this amazing woman into our pack and as the Luna of Shadow Falls.¡± |

    turn to look out at the crowd and see Clint, Rik, Cara, Anders and Calista all-in the front row next to Dustin and Sarah. Clint

    smiles at me and winks. Cara gives me a small wave.

    ¡°As you all know, | have waited a very long time to find my mate.¡± Liam says as he turns to face me again. ¡°Never, in all my

    imagining could | have dreamed that the Moon Goddess would bless me with such an amazing woman. She is kind and loving,

    yet fierce, protective and strong. She is a Luna worthy of this pack, and | couldn¡¯t be prouder to make her my Luna today.¡±

    As the pack members cheer, he mouths to me, ¡°Ready?¡±

    I nod. I¡¯ve never been more ready for anything in my life.

    He takes the ceremonial knife and slices his palm. He then takes the chalice and lets his blood drip into the cup. He extends his

    hand, palm up for me. | put my hand in his and he quickly slices my palm before putting it over the chalice to drip in, mixing with

    his.

    When he¡¯s done, he takes my hand and licks the wound, sealing it, his eyes never leaving mine.

    ¡°Angel, repeat after me. |, Angel Bennis Holstin, do solemnly swear to uphold the charter of this pack, putting the needs of the

    pack before myself, protecting those who need my protection and providing the love and care that the pack needs from me, their

    Luna.¡±

    | repeat the words Liam has given me and then he takes the chalice, first taking a sip, and putting it to my lips so that | can also

    sip ourbined blood. As soon as | do, | can feel the pack link open up and hundreds of pack member voices are in my head.

    Alessia pushes forward and takes control of the noise in our head, managing it quickly.

    ?+15 BONOS

    Liam is watching me and smiles when he realizes that | have easily managed to assimte over 800 voices in less than a minute.

    ¡°As Alpha of Shadow Falls Pack, | give you your Luna, Angel Holstin.¡±

    The crowd cheers, and Liam pulls me in for a fierce and passionate kiss. The cheers turn to howls and wolf whistles.

    Afterward, Liam leads me around, saying hello to pack members and our friends from Canyon Ridge. | see Rik and Cara

    dancing, as well as Anders and Calista. I¡¯m not sure if Liam knows how to dance, but I¡¯ve never had the opportunity. Just as I¡¯m

    thinking it, Liam takes my hand and pulls me to the dance floor.

    He wraps his arms around me and starts swaying to the music. ¡°I needed a moment with my Luna without anyone else. Does

    that make me selfish?¡±

    ¡°If it does, then | guess I¡¯m selfish as well because | love having a moment alone with you.¡±

    We dance and eat and continue to ept congrattions from our pack members. When | take a break to use the bathroom, |

    find Luna Calista getting food.

    ¡°Luna Calista.¡± | approach her.

    my

    ¡°Oh sweetheart.¡± She says and takes my face in her hands, kissing both of cheeks. ¡°Anders and | couldn¡¯t be happier for you and

    Liam. You''re perfect for each other.¡¯

    ¡°Thank you Luna.¡±

    ¡°Oh, none of that. Call me Calista.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    | smile at her. ¡°Thank you, Calista.¡± | begin wringing my hands and look away trying to get my courage.

    She takes my hands and waits for me to look at her. ¡°What is it hun? You can tell me anything, it will stay between us.¡±

    ¡°It''s not that. It¡¯s just, well, Clint suggested that | speak with you and | was wondering...¡± | stopped not knowing how to ask her.

    ¡°You were wondering...?¡±

    ¡°Would you be willing to help me learn how to be a Luna?¡±

    ¡°| would be honored.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 255

    My Angel is the most beautiful woman in the world. When she steps outside for her Luna ceremony and | see her for the first

    time, | feel like my heart is going to stop. Everything disappears and it¡¯s just the two of us. She is everything. Everything I¡¯ve ever

    wanted and everything | never thought that | would have.

    When she says the words that will make her my Luna and then drinks our blood, | wait to see if ourrge pack will overwhelm

    her. It¡¯s an incredible amount of noise to take on 800 voices inside your head at once. It takes my perfect mate no time at all to

    assimte all the voices and she¡¯s officially part of the pack.

    | walk her around, showing her off really. | want the pack to meet her and get to know her, but I¡¯m so proud that | feel like a

    peacock shing its feathers every time | introduce her. Finally, when | can¡¯t take it any longer, | pull her on to the dance floor. |

    just need a minute to myself with my sweet angel. The night has been everything that an induction ceremony should be. It has

    been a true celebration withughing, dancing and general happiness among the pack.

    When Angel heads to the bathroom, | go to the bar to get a drink. Rik joins me almost immediately. ¡°You look happy Liam. I¡¯m not

    sure I¡¯ve ever seen you look happy.¡±

    m happy Rik. | know we have a shit storming, but right now, tonight, life is perfect. | have my perfect mate, my pack¡¯s

    perfect Luna and my full

    heart is so | feel like it might burst.¡±

    ¡°Cheers, my brother! To perfect mates and being mated to perfect Guardians.¡±

    ¡°Cheers.¡± | say and we both drink.

    We turn and | see Angel talking to Luna Calista. | can¡¯t imagine what they would be talking about, but it doesn¡¯t matter, as long as

    my sweet mate is happy. Clint and Anderse over to join us and we begin talking about nothing and everything. | guess this is

    what it feels like to have a family, to know that you will always be surrounded by those that love and care about you. It¡¯s a good

    feeling. For the first time since my mother died, | feel like | belong. | feel like the weight of being an Alpha isn¡¯t so heavy that it''s

    suffocating. | finally feel like my shoulders. arerge enough to carry it all and I¡¯m strong enough to bnce all the

    responsibilities without breaking under the pressure of it all.

    | know my Angel has a lot to do with this feeling, but it alsoes from the men in front of me. | have somehow be part of

    their family, a group of people made from a bond different from blood or gics. It almost makes our bond

    stronger, because it has been forged with intent and determination.

    Caraes over to Rik and they say goodnight. They are staying in our packhouse tonight along with all the Canyon Ridge

    Pack members. Angel and Calista finally join us and | pull Angel into my arms and kiss her hair, holding her against ine.

    ¡°Are you okay Liam?¡± She asks me.

    | lean in speaking softly in her ear. ¡°My sweet Luna, | have never been better in my life. You are amazing and | can¡¯t say enough

    how happy | am that you are mine.¡±

    Pack members begin to say their goodbyes and it¡¯s early in the morning when | finally pull Angel up to our room.

    When we get there, | help her take her hair down, brushing it out. | gently push her hair over her shoulder and unzip her dress.

    When | do, I¡¯m not surprised to see that she isn¡¯t wearing a bra, but | am surprised to see acy ck thong.

    I lean in, kissing the back of her neck. ¡°What is this?¡± | say, in a low voice, running my fingers underneath the thong from top to

    bottom.

    ¡°Oh that?¡± She says and | can hear the smile in her voice. ¡°It was a gift from Tina. and the others at the salon.¡±

    ¡°Remind me to send them a bonus.¡± | say. | hold her dress as she steps out of it andy if over a chair before turning back to her.

    She has turned to face me in her ck thong and silver heels. Her hair is falling in fat curls down her back and her beauty is so

    startling that it takes my breath.

    away.

    ¡°What did | ever do to deserve an incredible, beautiful woman like you?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Liam.¡± She says softly, closing the distance between us and wrapping her arms. around my neck. ¡°What is it?¡±

    | put my forehead against hers. ¡°I never thought my life would be like this. | never ...I never thought | could be this happy.¡± | stop,

    overwhelmed by my feelings for this amazing woman.

    She brings her lips to mine, pouring her strength and love into me. When she pulls back, her fingers run through my hair. ¡°I love

    you Liam Holstin.¡± She says, her eyes intent on mine.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°| love you Angel Holstin.¡± She smiles at her new name.

    | begin walking her over to our bed. | pick her up andy her gently on the bed.

    +15 BONOS

    I''ve never been a gentle lover. | did my best that first night with Angel, knowing she needed me to be as gentle as possible, but it

    was a lot of effort for me.

    Tonight, | intend to make sweet, gentle love to my mate and nothing about that seems difficult at all. | want to cherish and

    worship her, take my time and enjoy every moment.

    | take her mouth in a deep kiss, pouring my love for her into the kiss. Her response is instant. She wraps herself around me and

    begins pulling at my shirt. | stop, standing up and watching her as | slowly unbutton my shirt.

    ¡°Liam.¡± Her voice is breathy, needy.

    ¡°Tonight, my little angel, I¡¯m going to take my time with you.¡± Her sweet smile is my response and | finish undressing before

    kissing my way down first one, then her other leg, removing her shoes, then sliding her panties off. Her eyes never leave me as |

    slowly kiss my way back up her body andy over top of her, taking her mouth again.

    As | start kissing my way down her neck, | whisper, ¡°I love you Angel¡± over and

    over.

    Her fingers slide into my hair, her nails gently scraping against my scalp, causing goosebumps to raise on my skin.

    When | finally slide inside her, it''s slow and gentle. |y above her, resting my weight on my arms, watching her as | slowly slide

    in and out of her. The intimacy, the connection, is so intense, it¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before.

    | gently caress her face with my fingers as tears roll down her cheeks. | lean down, kissing them away. ¡°Liam, | love you so

    much.¡±

    My throat is so constricted, my voice is choked when I respond. ¡°You are the best thing that ever happened to me Angel. | love

    you more than | can ever say.¡±

    When we are both on the edge of release, | lean in kissing her, holding her face in my hands, as wee undone together.

    O+IS BONOS

 Chapter 256

    Every night with Liam is amazing, butst night was the most passionate night. we¡¯ve ever shared. | don¡¯t know why his slow,

    gentle lovemaking felt so intense at an emotional level, but if my heart hadn¡¯t belonged to him before, it definitely. does now.

    Because of the Luna ceremonyst night, training was called off this morning. So instead, | have a n to get started on the

    bunkers and safe rooms. | head down. to the kitchen to grab breakfast. When | get there, the woman from yesterday, her name

    is Amy, is there waiting for me with her young son.

    ¡°Luna, | brought a helper. This is my friend Chloe. She is pregnant and will be staying in the bunkers too.¡±

    ¡°The more the merrier.¡± | say. ¡°So, do either of you know where the bunkers and safe rooms are?¡± | ask.

    They do, and as we are about to head out, Dustin and Sarah enter.

    ¡°Luna, do you have a minute?¡± Dustin asks me.

    | tell Amy and Chloe I''ll meet them at the bunker and walk over to Dustin. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Luna, Alpha hasn''t had a chance to set Sarah up with work yet, and she¡¯s ufortable staying here without helping. | was

    wondering if you had something you thought she could do to assist around the packhouse?¡±

    | look from Dustin to Sarah. ¡°Sarah, you know you don¡¯t have to work. You can just take a couple of days to rx.¡±

    She¡¯s shaking her head before | finish. ¡°No, | don¡¯t want to be dead weight. | can help. Plus, it¡¯s better than sitting around and just

    thinking about what happened yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, how to you feel about cleaning and stocking?¡± | ask her with mock. cheerfulness.

    ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± She replies with mock enthusiasm..

    ¡°Then you''re with me.¡± | say as we bothugh. She says goodbye to Dustin and we head to the bunkers to meet up with the

    otherdies.

    When we get there, | introduce them and we look around. ¡°Well, we certainly have our work cut out for us, don¡¯t we?¡± | ask.

    ¡°We haven''t used the bunkers in years.¡± Chloe says, looking at Amy.

    ¡°Probably not since Luna Este died.¡± Amy says nodding.

    We begin pulling out old furniture, dividing up the areas to clean.

    ¡°So, Sarah, you¡¯re human.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a question from Amy.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says, looking at me.

    ¡°How did you meet our Luna?¡± Chloe asks her.

    | look at Sarah, not sure if she wants them to know. She looks at me as she replies. ¡°We were prisoners in the coven at the same

    time.¡±

    Both women suck in a breath. Chloe takes a step toward her, tears in her eyes. Can | hug you?¡± She asks.

    When Sarah nods, shees over and begins crying on her shoulder. Sarah looks at me questioningly but wraps her arms

    around her and pats her back

    awkwardly. | just shrug.

    It''s Amy that speaks up. ¡°Chloe, you''re freaking her out, stop blubbering.¡±

    ¡®Sorry. It must be the hormones.¡± Chloe says, sniffling. ¡°But seriously, | can see why our Beta is taken with you. | don¡¯t know how

    you survived in that awful ce.¡±

    Sarah shrugs. What can we say, you do what you have to do to survive.

    About an hourter we¡¯ve made good progress. The room is clean and we''ve started making a list of supplies that will be needed

    to stock the bunker. I¡¯m going though the in-room pantry, calling out items when Dustin walks in.

    ¡°Good morning, Beta.¡± Amy and Chloe sing out in unison.

    | turn to see Dustin walking toward Sarah. ¡°Good morning,dies. How is everyone this morning?¡± He asks, but he¡¯s only looking

    at Sarah.

    She blushes slightly as hees up to her, standing a bit too close. Sarah doesn¡¯t seem to mind. If anything, her shoulders rx

    a little. ¡°Hi Dustin.¡± She says quietly.

    He leans in and tries to subtly sniff her. Unfortunately for him, he¡¯s in a roomContent held by N?velDrama.Org.

    with nosey women.

    ¡°What does she smell like Beta?¡± Amy asks.

    His

    eyes go wide and he looks like he¡¯s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Sarah looks appalled.

    ?+15 BONOS

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 0257

    ¡°Were you sniffing me?¡± He starts shaking his head really fast. ¡°Because I¡¯m sure | stink. | need another shower.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t stink. You smell great.¡± He says and a dopey, lovesick smile spreads across his face.

    | see Amy and Chloe smirking, looking at each other. They are enjoying making their Beta ufortable. It¡¯s probably a rare

    urrence.

    ¡°So, what great smell does she have Beta?¡± Chloe picks up the line of questioning. ¡°Strawberries.¡± He says reverently and their

    smiles could light up the room.

    ¡°Amy?¡± Chloe says, turning to her friend and | see the devilish twinkle in her eye. ¡°Do you remember that time that Beta Dustin

    went around and stole all the strawberries out of the fruit bowls that were set out for that important Alpha meeting we had here?¡±

    Amy is nodding her head vigorously. ¡°I definitely do. | believe that was the day that we all realized that no one gets in between

    our Beta and his strawberries.¡± Dustin looks like he wants the earth to swallow him whole, poor Sarah looks totally confused and

    it''s all | can do to keep fromughing out loud.

    ¡°Well, | just came to see if you were okay Sarah. If you¡¯re good, I¡¯ve got work to do for Liam.¡± Dustin says in a rush to leave.

    ¡°Okay, bye Dustin.¡± She says. He looks at her for a moment, before leaning in and kissing her forehead then turning on his heel

    and leaving.

    As soon as he¡¯s gone, Amy and Chloe burst intoughter. Sarah looks from them to me. ¡°What?¡±

    That¡¯s all it takes for me to lose it as well, and I¡¯mughing. ¡°It¡¯s a werewolf thing, Sarah.¡±

    She frowns, so | walk over to her, hugging her. ¡°A good werewolf thing or a bad werewolf thing?¡± she asks.

    ¡°GOOD! We all say.

    By lunch time, we''re all ready for a break. We head upstairs to grab some lunch and I run into Luna Calista.

    ¡°Calista. | didn¡¯t know you wanted to start today.¡± | tell her.

    +15 DONOS

    ¡°Of course, no time like the present, although it looks like you¡¯ve already been working on something.¡±

    I''m filthy from cleaning and stocking food. ¡°We¡¯re cleaning out the bunkers in preparation for the battle. | was just about to go get

    a shower then have some lunch. If you haven''t eaten yet, would you join me?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°I''d be delighted. Anders here was going to try to find Liam and talk to him. Do you know where he is?¡± She asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s right here.¡± Liam says, walking into the room. ¡°Alpha Anders. Luna Calista. | thought you¡¯d be heading home today.¡±

    ¡°We will be staying until tomorrow, if that¡¯s okay.¡± Anders says. ¡°King Ailduin ising tomorrow, and | know we have ns for

    you and Angel to meet him. Until then, | thought | could be of some help to you, Liam.*

    Calista pulls me aside. ¡°Go get showered sweetheart, we have our own work to do while the men do their thing.¡±

    Before | can leave, Liam pulls me into his chest. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been busy Luna.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, we¡¯re getting the bunkers cleaned out and we¡¯ve started a supply list. Oh and | learned about our Beta¡¯s fascination

    with strawberries.¡±

    ¡°It''s renowned. Did you hear about the Alpha meeting?¡± He says and I startughing again.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| did.¡± | lean in to whisper in his ear. ¡°Apparently Sarah smells like. strawberries.¡±

    Liam''s bark ofughter has everyone in the room going still. They all turn to see their Alphaughing out loud for the first time in

    his life. Anders and Calista share a knowing look while |ugh along with my mate.

    ¡°| can¡¯t wait to give him hell about that.¡± Liam says.

    | reach up on my toes and kiss him. ¡°Gotta run Alpha, got Luna stuff to do.¡±

    As | walk away, | feel his eyes follow me up the stairs until | turn the corner to our

    room.

    ?

 Chapter 258

    As | watch my mate walk away, my heart feeling light as a feather, Anders steps up to me.

    ¡°The Moon Goddess always gets it right, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know about always, but she definitely got it right with me.¡±

    When I can no longer see her, | turn to Anders. ¡°What kind of help were you thinking of Anders?¡±

    We start to walking toward my office. ¡°Well, Rik put me in charge of strengthening the weak spots on our borders. | thought, while

    | was here, that | could do the same for yours. If you can spare me some of your pack members, we can go out, assess what

    needs to be done and put up barriers or traps, depending on the weakness.¡±

    ¡°That would be amazing! | have some ideas, but | haven¡¯t had a chance to get to it yet.¡±

    ¡°Then let me take that off your te.¡± He ps his hand on my shoulder. ¡± You¡¯re not alone any more Liam.¡±

    ¡°I''m beginning to realize that. Thank you, Anders. Do you want to have lunch before you head out? We can eat together and |

    can go over my thoughts.¡±

    Just as | say it, there is a knock at my office door. | look up and see Amelia and Charlotte carrying trays of food. ¡°Alphas, Luna

    Angel and Luna Calista said you both need to eat. Luna Angel thought you¡¯d want to talk to us Alpha Liam, so shel asked us to

    bring your trays.¡±

    ¡°Come in girls. Luna Angel is correct. Have you met Alpha Anders?¡± | ask them as | take a tray from one and Anders takes a tray

    from the other.

    They shake their heads looking at Anders. ¡°Anders, these are my pack members Amelia and Charlotte. Amelia, Charlotte,¡± | point

    to each one as | say their names, ¡°this is Alpha Anders, the former Alpha of Canyon Ridge Pack.¡±

    ¡°Hello pups. It¡¯s always nice to meet members of our allied packs.¡±

    ¡°Have a seat girls.¡± | tell them,ing around my desk and pulling up a chair in front of them. ¡°How did you settle inst night

    with Samantha and her mate?¡±

    up.¡±

    Their faces light up. ¡°We each have our own bed!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and we could have had our own rooms but we wanted to stay together.¡±

    4/4

    ¡°And they made us our favorite food, but we couldn¡¯t decide which one we wanted.¡±

    ¡°So they made them all for us. Pizza and tacos and hamburgers.¡±

    They are talking so fast that they are just going back and forth with the story, as

    one takes a breath, the other continues. It¡¯s obvious that they are happy and

    excited to be with Samantha.

    ¡°Can | see your cheek, Charlotte?¡± | ask her. She wouldn¡¯t let me get close enough to her yesterday to really look at it.

    Shees and stands in front of me, pulling her hair aside so | can see. Samantha said it was an ugly bruise, but nothing was

    broken. She put some stuff on it and it looks a lot better today.¡±

    | gently poke around the bruise. Samantha is right, nothing is broken. ¡°So, does this mean you girls want to stay with

    Samantha?¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± They both say.

    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Samantha says from my doorway. They hop up and run over to her, hugging her. | stand and walk to her. ¡°How

    about you? Is there anything that you need from me?¡±

    ¡°No Alpha, my mate and | are financially stable and can provide everything the girls need but thank you.¡± She looks down at

    them. ¡°Girls, are you done speaking with Alpha Liam?¡±

    They turn and look at me. ¡°I¡¯m good. Just remember, if you ever need anything, you can alwayse to me.¡±

    They nod and Samantha guides them out of my office ¡°Okay girls, let¡¯s go get you some new clothes.¡±

    | turn and see Anders watching attentively. ¡°What was that about?¡±

    ¡°Angel caught my Lead Omega who was also their guardian abusing them yesterday. To say that she showed her unhappiness

    would be the understatement of the millennia. I¡¯ve never seen such power.¡± Which reminded me of something else. ¡°Have you

    ever known a werewolf that could direct their aura?¡± | ask him.

    His eyebrows shoot up into the air. ¡°Direct their aura? You mean like send it in one direction but not another?¡±

    | tell him about how Angel protected the girls while bringing my pack members to their knees. He whistles appreciatively. ¡°I¡¯ve

    never heard of that. | don¡¯t remember seeing Lily do that either, but then, | wasn¡¯t there when she died. She

    SONOB 11+

    may have done that when she was protecting Cali and Rik, | don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Til ask Ailduin tomorrow when we see him.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    We finished eating and | talked to Anders about my ideas for strengthening my borders¡® weaknesses. He had some other ideas

    but said he wanted to see the areas first before making a final decision. | called five warriors to go with him and he

    set off.

    | took the rest of the early afternoon to clear pack work off my te. When it was time for training, | went to find Angel. | found

    her and Luna Calista deep in conversation, Angel taking what looked like a book of notes.

    ¡°What''s all this?¡± | asked her,ing up and kissing the top of her head, looking at what she was writing. When I see what itis, |

    stand back up and look between them, waiting for Angel to answer.

    | see her shift ufortably, looking down at her paper. Luna Calista reaches over and takes her hand, smiling at her and giving

    her a nod.

    Angel takes a deep breath and looks up at me. ¡°I want to be the best Luna | can possibly be for you Liam. | don¡¯t want you to

    ever regret taking me as your mate and Luna of this pack, so Calista agreed to help teach me how to be a Luna.¡±

    | pull Angel to her feet, cupping her cheek. ¡°There is nothing in this world that will ever make me regret taking you as my mate

    and the Luna of this pack. I¡¯m happy that you want to learn to be a good Luna, but don¡¯t do it for me. Do it for you and the pack. |

    love you no matter what.¡±

    ¡°| told you.¡± Calista says.

    ¡°It''s just....you¡¯re so good at being an Alpha. Everyone says so, and | have no idea how to be a Luna. | don¡¯t want you to think

    that the Moon Goddess gave you a bum mate.¡±

    | lean forward and kiss her forehead. ¡°Do you know, that just a few short hours ago, Alpha Anders and | were talking about how

    right the Moon Goddess got it, mating me with you. Never doubt that | believe that with all my heart. Luna stuff wille with

    time. I¡¯ve been an Alpha my entire life. | was born into this. You''re just getting into it, and you¡¯ve already taken so much off my

    te that my job as an Alpha is easier.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Really. Now enough of this talk. Meet with Luna Calista, or whoever you want, but no more about not being a good enough mate

    for me. You''re mine and that will never change.¡±

    ¡°Okay Liam.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now are you ready for training? You have some warrior butt to kick.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    E

    +15 BONOS

    GET

 Chapter 259

    | showered quickly so | wouldn¡¯t make Calista wait. When | found her in the kitchen, she was talking to Amelia and Charlotte.

    After checking in with them and Samantha, who was also with them, | sent them with food for Liam and Anders, knowing that

    Liam would want to check in with them as well.

    Calista and | grabbed some food and | also grabbed a note pad and pen before finding a quiet ce for us to eat and talk.

    ¡°Based on what I¡¯m seeing, it looks like you already know how to be a Luna, Angel. So, what is it that you need from me?¡±

    ¡°| want to know how to do it right, so that | can be the Luna that Liam wants and needs for his pack.¡±

    She smiles kindly at me. ¡°Sweetheart, you already are.

    I''m shaking my head before she finishes. ¡°I¡¯m just helping him out, | don¡¯t know what | should be doing every day.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what being a Luna is all about, helping your Alpha and helping the pack. You know the responsibility of being an Alpha

    is huge. A good Alpha takes that responsibility very seriously and Liam is a good Alpha. He is responsible for over 800 pack

    members, but who looks after him? Who helps him carry the weight of looking after the pack?¡±

    I''m thinking about what she says when she continues. ¡°Do you know, I¡¯ve known Liam almost his entire life. And today, when you

    whispered in is ear, it was the first time I¡¯ve ever heard himugh out loud. Based on the reaction of the pack. members nearby,

    I''d say they also have never heard himugh. That¡¯s what being a good Luna is all about. You make your Alpha stronger by

    being his strength.¡±

    ¡°I''d still like to know what a Luna does on a day-to-day basis.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Every Luna is different, but | can tell you what | did. I¡¯m sure Cara runs her pack differently, and that¡¯s okay, but it will

    give you a starting point. For the next couple of hours, | take copious notes on everything Calista tells me about what and how

    she did things in her pack. There is so much, it¡¯s a wonder that she ever aplished anything. The list is bing

    overwhelming and I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯m really the person for this job, when Liam joins us.

    After talking with Liam, | feel better and | say my goodbyes to Calista and get changed for training.

    iP)

    +15 BONOS

    Liam and | arrive and there are about the same number of warriors today as yesterday. Rik has brought Clint and Cara and they

    are lingering in the front. Cara looks ready to take on the entire group, bouncing on her toes. Clint looks calm and collected, but

    there is a glint in his eyes, one that says he¡¯s also ready to take on the group.

    ¡°Ready to kick some butt?¡± | say walking up to my fellow Guardians.

    | see Rik grinding his teeth together and | know that Cara won whatever battle they had about her training today.

    r

    Liam speaks quietly to Rik, who nods, before getting in front of the group. Warriors. Today we''re going to try a different approach

    to the beginning of training. One thing we know is that vampires are fast. Faster than most werewolves can see. So, today, I¡¯m

    going to have you line up in battle lines.¡± The group shifts around giving themselves some space in between each other and

    preparing to take a defensive stance.

    ¡°Cara and Angel, if you would pick a side and line up in attack mode.¡± Cara takes right and | go left, facing the group.

    ¡°The goal for today is touch the Guardian.¡± | turn to look at Cara and we share atpetitive smile. We know how fast we are,

    much faster than a normal werewolf. We''re both ready to turn up the speed.

    As Liam finishes exining that we will be whipping through the lines, taking all 500 warriors down as they try to catch us or at

    least block us, Cara and | take our attack stances.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°On my mark,¡± He shouts out and Clint shoots off a gun.

    Cara and | are off like bullets shot from the gun. It¡¯s obvious to us that the front line thought they would have the advantage,

    since they could see us before we started to move. They did not, they were down before they even knew what hit

    them.

    About a third of the way through the lines, | see Cara smirking at me and | know what she¡¯s thinking. Thepetition isn¡¯t

    between us and the warriors, it¡¯s between her and me. We both kick up our speed, taking warriors down even faster than we

    were before, trying to beat the other one and knock them down the

    fastest.

    When the entire group is on the ground, she and | stop, looking at each other as we burst outughing. We tied, but it was a fun

    competition.

    The rest of the training session, Liam and Rik put warrior after warrior up

    +15 BONOS

    against me and Clint. I¡¯m happy that Rik decided to let Clint spar. It¡¯s a bit odd, but it¡¯s good for the warriors to figure out ways to

    work around obstacles, such as his wheelchair.

    ?+15

 Chapter 260

    While Rik and Liam assist the warriors sparring with us, Cara and Chase walk around and give the other warriors feedback.

    Overall, it''s a good training session and we head back to the packhouse feeling good.

    We have dinner with Dustin and Sarah before heading to our room. We pack for the weekend away at Canyon Ridge before

    heading off to sleep.

    The next day we meet up with Anders and Calista at breakfast. Anders updates. Liam on the security measures he put into ce

    in our border¡¯s weaknesses and the traps that have beenid. After breakfast, we say goodbye to Dustin and Sarah and we¡¯re on

    our way. Anders and Calista leave at the same time and we all arrive at the Canyon Ridge packhouse together.

    As we walk into the packhouse | smell him. Immediately a rush of memorieses back to me. My pace increases and as | walk

    into the main hall, he¡¯s there. ¡°Ailduin.¡±

    He looks up and smiles at me. ¡°Guardian.¡± He walks forward and reaches out to tak

    my hands but is stopped by Liam¡¯s snarl and his arm ripping me back to him.

    Everything around Ailduin suddenly goes dark, as if he is conjuring a storm. The air thickens and his eyes go nearly ck. | can

    feel Liam and Cyran responding as if they are preparing to fight.

    I turn quickly, standing in front of Liam. ¡°Liam. | remember Ailduin. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°You''re MY mate.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not your mate if she doesn¡¯t choose to be.¡± Ailduin says behind me.

    I can feel Rik, Cara and Clint moving closer. | turn, standing in front of Liam.

    ¡°Liam is my fated mate. | did choose him, it¡¯s not like it was with Jinelle, Ailduin. Please, calm down.¡±

    Ailduin doesn¡¯t back down and | can feel Liam¡¯s need to push me behind him. | push my aura out, hard and fast toward Ailduin.

    ¡°Ailduin! Do not make me choose between you, because it will be him. This is not like it was before. Stand down.¡±

    | can see the moment¡¯my aura hits him. He blinks and his eyes focus back on me. ¡°My apologies Guardian. | did not mean to

    offend you.¡±

    ¡°What about me? Did you mean to offend me?¡± Liam snaps from behind me.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Liam.¡±

    | see Ailduin¡¯s jaw clench. ¡°I do not have good experiences with Alphas and their interactions with Guardians.¡± He tells Liam. ¡°In

    my experience, Guardians are forced into a mate bond they do not want or choose.¡±

    | take a step forward and put my hand on Ailduin¡¯s arm, ignoring Liam''s growl of displeasure behind me. ¡°It is not like that this

    time Ailduin. You have my word as a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°What is your name now Guardian?¡± Ailduin asks me.

    m Alessia. My human is Angel. It is good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°It is good to finally meet you. | was very happy when Cara told me that you¡¯d been found. I¡¯ve been searching for you since

    Lily''s death. | thought I¡¯d found you once, then you disappeared.¡± He looks around, only now realizing that he is surrounded by

    werewolves that were ready to jump in if he attacked Liam.

    ¡°Cara didn¡¯t go into detail, but | understand that there is a story there. I¡¯d like to chronical your life while | am here Alessia. It¡¯s

    been nearly 100 years since the story of Bellona¡¯s line has been recorded. Anything you may remember during that time would

    be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Of course Ailduin. | would be happy to meet with you. I¡¯d like to catch up with you as well.¡± Again, | reached out to touch his arm.

    Again Liam growled and again | ignored him. ¡°You do know that Jinelle never stopped loving you, right?¡± | watch his throat work,

    trying to swallow the lump that formed and his jaw clench. ¡°Thank you for that. | never stopped loving her either.¡±

    ¡°Okay, can we move on now.¡± This from Liam.

    | turn to him, putting my hand on his cheek, waiting for him to look at me. ¡°My feelings for Ailduin are no different than my

    feelings for Clint. The Guardian spirit does not reincarnate with the human, Liam. It reincarnates as a wolf spirit but not with the

    feelings of the previous wolf. While | have the memories of Jinelle and Lily, and their wolves, it does not change my feelings for

    you. You are my mate, and that will not change until we die.¡±

    He takes me by my hips, pulling me against him. ¡°Does he know that?¡± He asks me as if Ailduin isn¡¯t standing right there.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°As the Guardian''s lead chronicler for over a century, I¡¯m quite sure he understands how the Guardian spirit works. Right,

    Ailduin?¡±

    ¡°Angel is correct. My feelings for this Guardian line are driven by my history with

    +15 BONOS

    Jinelle and her wolf but | am well aware that the mate bond from that time died. with my mate. My feelings for your mate, Liam,

    are familial, not as a lover.¡±

    Liam doesn¡¯t take his eyes off me. ¡°You and me, Liam.¡±

    He finally rxes and leans his forehead against mine. ¡°You and me Angel.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 261

    If Angel touches the Fae King one more time, | may have to kill him. If he thinks he can take my mate from me, he''ll be in for the

    fight of his life. | have no intention of losing my mate to him or anyone.

    After Angel calms me down, | feel better, but | still don¡¯t want her alone with this guy. | may trust her, but | don¡¯t trust him.

    ¡°Now that that''s settled,¡± Rik says, ¡°how about we convene in one of our conference rooms.

    We all move into the room and | pull Angel into myp. She gives me an exasperated look, but when | don¡¯t budge, she settles

    back against me with a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Everyone, this is my son, Aolis.¡± A young man maybe 9-10 years old nods his head. ¡°He is here to begin learning how we

    chronicle the Guardian history, so that he may take it over when he¡¯s older.¡±

    | notice the kid made sure he sat next to Cara. Weird. These Fae men have a thing for our Guardians. I¡¯m not taking any

    chances with my mate this weekend.

    Ailduin turns his attention to Angel. ¡°Alessia and Angel, I''d be interested to know where you have been for thest thirteen years.

    | got the impression from Cara that it is not a happy story.¡±

    | wrap my arms around my mate as she begins to tell Ailduin her story, from the time that she got her wolf to the time when she

    ran into my packnds.

    Ailduin is deep in thought. ¡°Have you heard of this before Ailduin?¡± Clint asks him.

    He looks back at Angel, long enough to have another growl rumbling in my chest. Angel¡¯s hand begins running up and down my

    arm, calming me.

    ¡°There was a Guardian, who died under suspect circumstances. It was after Jinelle, so | was not chronicling the history at the

    time, but because it was Bellona¡¯s line, | was keeping track as best as | could. There was a Guardian death that was never

    clearly outlined. It was during a time of unrest with the vampires.¡±

    He turns to Aolis. ¡°Aolis, make a note to check the undocumented history of Gabri. | believe | made note of the vampire unrest

    during that time.¡±

    He turns back to Angel. ¡°And they called you Custos Regni?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Cara said it means Guardian of the Realm.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Ailduin is deep in thought again. ¡°It does, which implies something bigger than just being a werewolf Guardian.¡±

    After a moment he continues. ¡°I noticed earlier that your Guardian aura is much stronger than it used to be. Did you by chance

    try to use it on this prince or any of the other vampires?¡±

    Angel shakes her head, no. ¡°I was only 16 when they took me and after that,

    Alessia grew weaker and weaker until she was only with me when | was in dire need of healing.¡±

    ¡°Father, should | make a note to research the auras of the Guardians?¡± Aolis asks Ailduin. He looks at Angel again, deep in

    thought before turning to Clint.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Can you push your aura out?¡± He asks him.

    Clint does and | feel it, but it is nothingpared to Alessia¡¯s.

    ¡°Interesting. And what about you Cara?¡±

    Cara¡¯s is much stronger than her father¡¯s, not as strong as Alessia¡¯s, but very powerful.

    He looks at Angel thoughtfully again. My arms tighten around her. I¡¯ve never considered myself to be a possessive, jealous man,

    but I¡¯m really struggling with this Fae King. Of course, I¡¯ve never had so much to lose before either. Everyone before Angel was

    receable. No one could rece her for me.

    ¡°| think your aura is strongest because your Guardian spirit has reincarnated more often than Clint¡¯s.¡± He says.

    ¡°Why would that matter?¡± Anders speaks up, asking the question in my mind. ¡°Each time the Guardian spirit has reincarnated, it

    has be more powerful. The spirit maintains memories and gifts, gaining others. The Bellona line has reincarnated four times

    more than the Aloysius line, therefore, something like an aura would be more powerful. Have you noticed any other changes?¡±

    He asks Angel.

 Chapter 262

    ¡°She can direct her aura.¡± | say.

    Angel turns and looks at me, before turning back to Ailduin. ¡°It¡¯s true. Is that

    new? | have the ability to direct my aura around some while pushing it out onto others.¡±

    Ailduin¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°Show me.¡±

    Angel shrugs. ¡°I already did. When | pushed my aura on you earlier, | wrapped it around Liam so he wouldn''t feel it.¡±

    | frown. ¡°When did you push your aura on him?¡± | ask.

    ¡°When he was ready to fight you. | pushed it at him to get him to back down.¡± So that¡¯s what | felt. It was a strange, warm

    sensation. | had thought it wasing from Ailduin, even though it didn¡¯t feel threatening. It felt, safe. And apparently, it was.

    | look up at Ailduin. ¡°Is that why you backed down?¡±

    He¡¯s looking at Angel again. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. | know it forced me to refocus on her, but | don¡¯t know if that¡¯s because | felt

    the punch, and it was a punch, or if it was me being forced. We''ll have to test that this weekend.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± He asks, looking at Angel again.

    ¡°| can taste deceit. Cara and Clint don¡¯t have that ability.¡±

    ¡°You still have it.¡± He says quietly and his eyes go ssy.

    | can feel Angel''s confusion through the bond. ¡°Still have what?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Aolis, document this. | gave Jinelle the gift of being able to taste deceit. Her Alpha was lying to her and using their mate bond to

    manipte her. | didn¡¯t know that it wouldst for more than the one generation, but your wolf spirit has assimted it into your

    being.¡± He chuckles softly. ¡°You are so amazing.¡±

    | feel myself getting tense again, before Angel''s hand starts it¡¯s trek up and down my arm. The calming motion does not go

    unnoticed by Ailduin and he looks at

    1.me.

    ¡°| can appreciate and value Angel as a Guardian without wanting to take her as my mate. The Fae are not gifted mates as often

    as werewolves, so we revere the bond, treasure it. | would never take that from someone.¡±

    Inod, but I¡¯m thankful that Angel doesn¡¯t stop her calming touch.

    SONOO SI

    ¡°Have you noticed anything else.¡±

    It''s Rik that speaks up this time. ¡°Yes. Based on our conversationst year, the Guardian¡¯s power is not transferred to the Alpha

    when the mate bond is

    completed.¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Ailduin says.

    ¡°Yet, both Liam and | have enhanced abilities and both of us felt a power surge when wepleted the bond.¡±

    Ailduin¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°You experience the gifts of the Guardians?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yes, but not to their extent, or at least, | don¡¯t think so.¡± Rik says.

    ¡°Besides being stronger and faster, | can also taste deceit now.¡± | tell him.

    He stares at all of us for a good couple of minutes. ¡°I would like to test this while | am here as well. This is definitely the first timeAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    that anything like this has been documented. | wonder if it¡¯s because of the frequency of the reincarnation or...¡± ¡°We think it¡¯s

    because the bond was created willingly.¡± Angel says.

    Cara nods.

    Ailduin turns to Aolis. ¡°You have given us much to consider and document. | would like to take the rest of today to ponder what

    has been said here. Would it be agreeable to everyone if we were to reconvene tomorrow morning? I''ll have a list of tests I''d like

    to try.

    Everyone agreed and we broke away. | needed to have a moment with my mate. My emotions are in turmoil and | need to get

    them under control.

    We were shown to our rooms and | pulled my mate into our room, needing some time alone with her.

    Cooper

    Author

    Gottinn mara information al

 Chapter 263

    Telling my story again was difficult. Knowing it would be chronicled for eternity made it even harder. While | wasn¡¯t pleased that

    Liam needed me in hisp, | was d to be there, wrapped in his arms while | told my story.

    I''m not sure why Ailduin is having the effect on Liam that he is. He has never shown any jealousy with Clint. But, with Ailduin,

    he¡¯s acting like I¡¯m going to leave him, to choose Ailduin over him.

    When he pulls me into our room, | know he needs to reconnect. | don¡¯t want him to ever feel like anyone can take his ce in my

    heart, my soul or my life. There is no one else but him. Those words we say to each other, ¡®you and me¡¯, those words are

    everything.

    As soon as he closes the door, | pull him into my arms. His buries his head in my neck. ¡°Liam.¡±

    ¡°| can¡¯t lose you. Maybe you don¡¯t feel it, but he feels something, and | can¡¯t lose you.¡±

    | pull back, taking his face in my hands. ¡°You won''t, not ever. Don¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    He won''t look me in the eye. I¡¯ve never seen my mate look so vulnerable as he does right now.

    ¡°Feel what?¡±

    | decide to try something. If | can push my aura out, maybe | can push this feeling ofplete and total love out to my mate. If

    he¡¯s so caught up in his own head that he can¡¯t feel it through the bond, then maybe | can push it on him. | take a moment,

    collecting myself, letting myself feel my love for Liam, my trust, my admiration for this man and then | push it at him. | wrap it

    around him, enveloping him in a bubble of my love.

    His quick intake of breath tells me that it''s working. ¡°That¡¯s what | feel for you Liam. No one else. No one can ever take your

    ce. You are the other half of my soul. You brought me back from a ce where | never thought I¡¯d be happy again.¡±

    He buries his face into my neck again, lifting me up and moving us to the sitting area in the room. | keep the emotions wrapped

    around us as | continue. ¡°I know that we¡¯ve both had so much loss in our lives. | know that the people that should have been

    there to love you weren''t. But I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m not going to leave you Liam.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    He pulls back, looking at me with tears in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you.¡±

    ¡°And you never will. You are mine and | am yours. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    His kiss starts soft, tender, but quickly turns into something needy, a desire to reconnect and reaffirm our connection and love.

    He moves us to the bed,

    stripping our clothes off and burying himself inside me. | can only hold on to him and his

    chants of ¡®mine get louder and stronger as he pushes me over the crest again and again, until finally, as I¡¯m on the verge of yet

    another orgasm, he growls it loudly and sinks his canines into my mating mark. My body¡¯s response is instantaneous, my

    orgasm so strong, | see stars and feel the ckness closing in on me, pulling me under.

    When | wake, I¡¯mying on his chest. He has one hand in my hair, rubbing my scalp, the other wrapped tightly around me. | can

    see from the window that it¡¯s now dark out. | look up at him. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°It''ste. Are you okay?¡±

    | take a quick inventory. | feel great.

    ¡°Yes, | feel wonderful.¡± | sit up on my elbow. ¡°But what about you, Liam? How are you feeling?¡±

    He leans up and kisses my nose. ¡°I¡¯m better. I¡¯m sorry about that. | think maybe my emotions were in such turmoil that | knocked

    you out.¡±

    | smirk up at him. ¡°TKO by orgasm is my kind of defeat. But seriously, are you okay? Are we okay?¡±

    He takes his hand, running it across my cheek. ¡°We''re perfect. As long as you¡¯re with me, | can do and face anything.¡±

    ¡°Good, because I¡¯m starving. Go face whoever you need to and get us something to eat while | shower.¡±

    His chest rumbling and body shaking with hisughter is music to my ears. ¡°Yes, my little angel, let me feed you.¡±

    As | go to get off the bed, he smacks my ass, hard enough to leave a handprint. | turn around and give him a soft growl. | watch

    as his eyes darken before | head to the shower. | take my time, knowing he''ll be rushing to figure out food and getting back to me

    to finish what he started.

    I''m not disappointed.

    +15 BONOSContent held by N?velDrama.Org.

    The next morning, we all meet at breakfast. Ailduin has a n for the day and has several tests that he wants toplete. Most

    of them center around me and Cara, but some include Clint as well to judge which grigts are strengthening because of the

    reincarnation and which may just be gifts that she and | have developed over time or with her being the first ever Guardian born.

 Chapter 264

    We start with the auras. Ailduin is very interested in how this works and what it might mean. He starts with me, giving me

    instructions. Rik brings in some of his warriors to use as test subjects. One seems excited but the other looks worried.

    ¡°Okay Angel. Let¡¯s try this with two. Can you put your aura around one and push your aura onto the other one?¡± | look at them,

    not wanting to hurt either one. | know Liam said | hurt the pack when | did it before.men didn¡¯t do anything to me and | don¡¯t want

    to cause them pain. | look at Liam, silently asking for help.

    ¡°Rik, do you have anyone in your cells?¡± He asks Rik, not taking his eyes off me. | flick my gaze to Rik who looks thoughtful for a

    moment.

    ¡°Yeah, | have two. One young man who took his parents¡® car for a joyride and crashed into a business and one that drank too

    much and decided to use his mate as a punching bag.¡±

    ¡°That one.¡± Liam tells him.

    A few minutester, | see a man bring pulled over to where we are. Rik walks over to him. ¡°We decided to add to your

    punishment. We need a test dummy and since. you acted stupid, you''ve been selected.¡±

    He turns to Angel as he steps away. ¡°Whenever you''re...¡±

    | hear Alessia growl a moment before | hear the man yelp, his knees hitting the ground, his neck in full submission. Trevor, the

    warrior next to him just stands looking awestruck. ¡°Whoa.¡±

    ¡°Excellent Angel. That''s truly amazing. Trevor, you feel nothing?¡± Ailduin asks

    Trevor.

    ¡°Nothing really, maybe a bit of warmth, not even heat, almost like afortable nket wrapped around me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let''s see what Cara can do.¡±

    Alessia is seething in my mind, angry that this man abused his mate bond like he did. He begins whimpering as my aura pushes

    at him. | feel Liam¡¯s arms go around me. ¡°Let him go Alessia. This is a training sequence, not a punishment. He¡¯s not part of our

    pack. Rik is responsible for doling out his punishment. Let him go.¡±

    | take a deep breath and pull Alessia back, releasing the aura. The man drops to

    1/3

    ?+15 BONOSAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    the ground, panting heavily.

    | turn in Liam¡¯s armis, letting him calm me. ¡°Deep breaths Angel.¡± He runs his fingers through my hair until | calm down.

    When | turn back, Cara is ready. ¡°Okay Cara, same thing. Try to protect Trevor while pushing your aura over this one.¡± He points

    to the other man, not even bothering to learn his name.

    | know when Cara pushes out her aura, that she¡¯s not directing it. | can feel it, and when | feel Liam tense, | know he can feel it

    too. The man drops again, hist neck bared in submission. | see Trevor expose his neck but he fights to stay on his feet.

    ¡°Is that as strong as you can go Cara?¡± Ailduin asks her.

    | feel the push as she puts more strength behind it and | hear Liam and Rik grunt, Trevor dropping to his knees. Her aura doesn¡¯t

    impact me and it doesn¡¯t appear to impact Clint.

    ¡°Nice Cara, but you don¡¯t seem to be able to direct your aura. | feel it and based on the response of the others around you, it

    seems like they feel it as well. Is that an urate statement?¡± Everyone nods.

    ¡°Now, you are Trevor¡¯s Luna, so it is possible that his response to you is based more on that rtionship, not your actual aura,

    so this time, I¡¯d like to Angel try to push Trevor to his knees.¡± He turns and looks to Trevor. ¡°What is your role in this pack.¡±

    ¡°Lead warrior.¡± Trevor replies getting to his feet.

    Ailduin turns to Rik. ¡°And that makes him fairly high up in your hierarchy?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the lowest of the ranked wolves, which still puts him in the highest one percent of our pack.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Angel, if you would, let¡¯s see if you can bring both of them down.¡±

    ¡°We already know she can do that Ailduin. She had 20 of my wolves down at once, including my top warriors.¡±

    ¡°Rik, how many warriors for this test?¡± Ailduin asks.

    ¡°Would fifty work?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    all We us

    Rik calls his warriors over and at first, Ailduin has Cara and | see if we can make all 50 drop. We can. Then he has me start

    directing my aura. He starts easy, with

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    half in and half out of my aura. Then he starts mixing it up, adding three here, two there, one off by themselves. Each time I¡¯m

    able to push my aura. However, the longer | practice, the more tired | get. | don¡¯t say anything, but | realize Liam must be able to

    feel my fatigue.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today Ailduin. Angel is exhausting herself.¡± Hees to me, lifting me up bridal style.

    ¡°Let''s break for lunch, and if Angel needs to rest, we can change the direction of our tests this afternoon.¡± Ailduin says.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET IT NOW

    ?+15 BONOS

 Chapter 265

    | carry my sweet Angel into the dining room. | can tell she wants to put me down, but it¡¯s a testament to how tired she is, that she

    doesn''t fight me. I¡¯m constantly amazed at how awesome my mate is. Her show of strength with her aura and the ways in which

    she can direct and redirect it are incredible. Even Cara can¡¯t do what she¡¯s doing. | used to think that Cara was the strongest

    she-wolf there is, but now | know, my little mate is..

    When we get inside, | sit her in myp and order two tes. | want to make sure that she eats. I¡¯m hoping it will perk her up

    some and | won''t have to put her to bed. | want her to be a part of whatever it is that Ailduin has in store for us. It¡¯s good for her

    to see what she and her fellow Guardians are capable of.

    | catch Ailduin watching Angel again. After reconnecting with my matest night, | don¡¯t feel jealous, but | really wish he¡¯d stop.

    ¡°| think the aura is like a muscle.¡± He looks at me as he says it. ¡°I think practice will make her stronger and it won¡¯t wear her out.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s here and can hear you, right?¡± My mate tells him and | smirk.

    ¡°My apologies Angel. | wasn¡¯t sure if you were paying attention.¡±

    After we finish eating, | can see my girl perking up. ¡°You ready to continue, or do you need toy down?¡±

    ¡®Advanced healing, remember big guy?¡±

    ¡°| still want you sitting out at first. Just watch, okay?¡±

    She doesn¡¯t answer, just reaches up and kisses me.

    When we head back outside, apparently it¡¯s my turn.

    ¡°So, Liam, how about we start with you and see if you have the same immunities that Angel and Alessia have.¡± Ailduin says.

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    He pulls out a vial. ¡°This is wolfsbane. You should be able to ingest this and feel mild or possibly no effects.¡±

    | can¡¯t help the growl thates. ¡°Wolfsbane? You want me to ingest wolfsbane? nning to take me out?¡± | say, getting in his

    personal space. He may be taller than | am, but | know I¡¯m stronger.

    | feel Angele up beside me. ¡°What is this about, Ailduin?¡± She asks him.

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    He turns and looks Angel. ¡°You are immune to wolfsbane, correct?¡±

    | watch as Angel thinks about it for a moment. ¡°Yes.

    I turn to her. ¡°You''re immune to wolfsbane?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Yes, and mostly to silver as well, or at least a resistance to its effect.¡±

    ¡°| have an immunity to wolfsbane as well.¡± Cara states. ¡°Dad thought he was building the immunity in me but it turns out | got it

    from mom.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    | look from Cara to Angel before turning to Ailduin and extending my hand. He drops the vial into my hand. | look at it for a

    moment, then pop the cork and

    down it in one swallow. I''m ready for the burning fire, the weakness, but it doesn¡¯te.

    I stand there, waiting, but it neveres. Rik, Anders and Clint are all staring at me. ¡°Well?¡±

    1 look at Angel and smile. ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all.¡±

    | pull her to me and kiss her fiercely. ¡°Thank you Angel.¡±

    Sheughs. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°You shared your gifts with me, intentionally or unintentionally, so yes, you did. | was happy with the gift of having you as my

    mate, but you just keep giving to me Angel.¡±

    She smiles at me, then | see the twinkle in her eye. ¡°Want to try the silver?¡±

    | shake my head at her smiling, because yes, actually, | do. | want to know if | have a resistance to silver now too. | turn to

    Ailduin. ¡°Do you have silver?¡±

    He pulls some out of a bag at his feet, holding it out to me. ¡°Give it a try.¡±

    | make a fist, knowing this is going to hurt, but then, the wolfsbane should have too. | reach out and gingerly touch the silver.

    There is a zing, causing Cyran to growl in my head. ¡®Stay with me buddy, let¡¯s see if this works.¡±

    | grab hold of the silver shackles, holding them in both hands. It¡¯s ufortable, but it¡¯s not burning my skin like it should be.

    ¡®Cyran?*

    ¡®lm here. | can feel it pulling on my strength. It''s weakening me, but not incapacitating me.*

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    Chapter 0266

    | look at everyone around me. ¡°I can still talk to Cyran. He¡¯s weaker, but he¡¯s not gone.¡±

    | drop the shackles and feel Cyran breathe a sign of relief. ¡°And | also seem to have that amazing healing ability of my mate.

    Cyran is already back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Rik. You''re next.¡¯

    Ailduin tests Rik in the same areas. His resistance to wolfsbane and silver are not as strong as mine. Ailduin feels it is because

    Cara received those gifts through gics, rather than being gifted from the Moon Goddess like Angel''s line has been.

    However, when they start talking about mind linking, Rik and Cara are able to mind link each other from huge distances. |

    remember that when Cara was kidnapped by Eli Gunnar, she was able to mind link Clint from much longer distances than

    normal. Rik and Cara told Ailduin that they were able to mind link from those same distances.

    After Rik, Ailduin tested Clint. His Guardian line had gifts of distance with mind linking and strength. Both of those things were

    still true, even if Clint was restricted to a wheelchair.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    When he was done, he looked at Angel. ¡°Are you ready to try more tests? Or would you rather wait until tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I''m good.¡± She says.

    ¡°Can you mind link someone in your pack?¡±

    Angel''s eyes go unfocused as she reaches out with her mind link. When she refocuses, | already know the answer. | can hear

    the pack, but | can¡¯t narrow down on one particr person.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Cara, can youe here please.¡±

    Cara walks over to us and Ailduin tells her what he wants her to do. He asks her to hold hands with Angel and focus her strength

    on her mind link. They do and once Cara is ready, Ailduin asks Angel to try her mind link again.

    It takes a moment, then Angel gasps. She looks at me. ¡°I can talk to Dustin.¡±

    We continue testing Cara¡¯s ability to enhance mine and Rik¡¯s abilities, but she

    can only enhance Angel''s and Clint¡¯s.

    After a while, we call it a day, and head inside for a quiet dinner and bed.

    The next morning, Ailduin has one more test he wants to run with Angel and Cara. But before he does, he asks me to take a walk

    with him.

    | agree and we head over to the forest line, away from the packhouse.

    ¡°| wanted to exin my feelings toward your mate. In the past, there has been at lot of bad blood between the werewolf alphas

    and the fae, causing the rift that Alpha Anders and Alpha Rik are trying to bridge. | don¡¯t want there to be any bad. feelings

    between you and | that will impact that bridge being built.¡±

    I nod and he continues. ¡°Imagine if the worst happened, and you lost Angel and Alessia.¡± | snarl, turning toward him. If he thinks

    this is going to build bridges, he has another thinging.

    He puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. ¡°Please, just bear with me and it will make sense.¡±

    | look at him for another moment, and nod for him to continue.

    ¡°If you were to lose them, you know that their line will be reincarnated. That a small part of Alessia will live on. Whoever gets that

    Guardian spirit will not be Angel and it will not be Alessia. Neither you, nor they, will have the same feelings. that you have for

    Angel now. But you will feel protective of her. You will want to make sure that she is safe and cared for. That is how | feel about

    Angel and Alessia. My feelings, while created because of my previous mate bond, are not the same feelings that | had for Jinelle

    and her wolf, Emlyn.¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°Does that make sense? Does that help you feel morefortable with my feelings toward your

    mate?¡±

    ¡°It does. Thank you for the exnation. You are absolutely correct. If | were to lose Angel, and if, by some miracle | survived her

    death, | would protect the person with her Guardian spirit with my life.¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. So, now you know. | wouldy down my life for Angel, but not because my feelings for her are the same as yours.¡±

    He turns, heading back. ¡°Now, let''s go see what other interesting things your mate can do.¡±

    +

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    When Liam and Ailduin came back from their walk, | was happy to see Liam smiling.

    ¡°is everything okay?¡± | asked him.

    He wraps his arms around me. ¡°Perfect! Ailduin has another test for you, so let''s go see what other strengths my little mate is

    hiding.¡±

    |ugh as we head toward the others. Clint, Cara, Rik, Anders, Ailduin and Aolis are already there.

    ¡°| have one more test I¡¯d like to try before Aolis and | head home and begin adding to your chronicles. What I''d like to do, is see if

    Angel can use her ability to direct her aura on Cara¡¯s aura.¡±

    Ailduin turns to Rik. ¡°Can we get a couple of your warriors again?¡±

    Rik calls over a few of his warriors, Trevor running over in his excitement to assist again. Apparently, he enjoys seeing how

    strong we, as Guardians, arepared to himself.

    There were five warriors this time. ¡°Okay, Angel, stand behind Cara and put your hands on her arms.¡±

    | do as | he asks, but rather than putting my hands on her arms, Cara reaches. back and we hold hands. She squeezes them,

    then smiles at me over her shoulder.

    ¡°Now, Cara, | want you to slowly push your aura out. While she does that Angel, | want you to guide it, so that these two

    warriors,¡± he points to Trevor and another warrior, ¡°are not protected and these three are protected.¡±

    Trevor gives me a cocky grin. ¡°Let''s see what you¡¯ve got Lunas!¡±

    His friend smacks him on the arm. ¡°Shut up Trevor.¡±

    | focus on Cara, reaching out and feeling her aura.

    ¡°Ready?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    She begins pushing her aura out and | fight it, forcing it to mold to my will. Her aura is strong, but mine is stronger. It takes a lot

    of effort and strength, but I¡¯m. able to push her aura around the three that Ailduin said to protect.

    Trevor is gritting his teeth, but he¡¯s watching to see that the other three are not

    1/3

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    impacted. ¡°Damn.¡±

    ¡°Cara, are you using your full strength?¡±

    ¡°No, just a normal aura.¡±

    ¡°Angel, do you think you can hold it if she pushes harder?¡±

    ¡°Not sure.¡± | grit out. I¡¯m struggling as it is.

    ¡°Cara, slowly start increasing the pressure of your aura.¡± Ailduin tells her.

    And she does. | hold on as long as | can, and it¡¯s obvious when | lose control as the other three warriors, getting hit hard with her

    aura, drop to their knees.

    She releases her aura and | let go, breathing heavily. Liam is right there, holding on to me, lending me his strength.

    ¡°| know that you have a big battleing. | would suggest that the Guardians all train together. Begin to engage your powers

    with each other. It¡¯s possible that it was always meant to be this way, but the Alphas kept the Guardians separated until now. Or,

    it''s possible that Cara is the key, the core that brings the powers of the Guardians together. Either way, | think that with practice,

    you will all be stronger and will make a powerful force against the vampires.¡±

    After training, we all have lunch together, before we say our goodbyes. Ailduin and Aolis head back to Araphyra, their home,

    while Liam and | head back to Shadow Falls.

    ¡°Do you realize how amazing you are my sweet little mate?¡± Liam says to me, holding my hand in hisp and periodically

    bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

    ¡°It''s really Alessia that is amazing, I¡¯m just the lucky human that gets her for a wolf.¡± | tell him.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. | think the human has to be worthy of the Guardian spirit just as much as the wolf. And by that reasoning,

    you are amazing. And we already know that Alessia is amazing.¡±

    The rest of the drive goes easily, listening to the ylist that Liam made for me, which I¡¯m loving more and more.

    When we get back to the packhouse, Liam turns to me. ¡°I need to check in with Dustin and Jackson. Are you good on your own?¡±

    |ugh. ¡°Liam, what kind of Luna would | be if | weren¡¯t good walking around our pack without you?¡±

    He kisses me on the top of my head and jogs off to find Dustin. | turn to the

    23

    +15 BONOS

    kitchens, eager to see what Olivia has done in my absence. I¡¯m amazed at the progress she¡¯s made in the couple of days that

    I''ve been gone. Everything in the kitchen is organized and she has it set up so that all ingredients are together in order of the

    meals that they will be used in..

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    ¡°Olivia, all of this looks great. Is there anything you need from me?¡± | ask looking around. ¡°Everything looks in order.¡±

    ¡°Luna, can | have a moment in private?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± | find a ce for us to speak privately and Olivia tells me her concerns about the young children working in the

    kitchen and cleaning the packhouse. | ask her to give me a list and the hours, who their parents are, etc. She let''s me know that

    she will have it for me tomorrow.

    When we''re done, | start to head to the bunker to see the status of the cleaning and stocking. On my way, I¡¯m stopped by

    another pack member, and this sets up the rest of my afternoon. One after another, the pack memberse up to me, asking to

    speak with me about issues that they are having or concerns within the pack.

    I''m finishing another conversation when Liam finds me. ¡°Angel, is everything okay?¡± He asks, looking at the she¡ªwolf that I¡¯m

    talking to.

    ¡°Yes, except, | need an office, or somece where | can meet with pack members so I¡¯m not trying to find a private ce to talk

    all the time. Is that possible?¡±

    We say goodbye to the pack member | was walking to and he guides me to the dining room, to a table with Sarah, Dustin and

    Jackson. | say hello to everyone as Liam goes to get food for us. | sit down, putting my head in my hands.

    ¡°Angel, what''s wrong?¡± Sarah asks me.

    | blow some hair out of my face. ¡°Everyone wants to talk to me and | don¡¯t really have a good ce to talk to them and | couldn''t

    even talk to everyone today that wanted to talk to me. | need to figure out how and where to meet with the pack members that

    want to talk to me. And now | need to follow up on the things that | talked about today and I¡¯m not even sure where to begin to

    make sure t not missing anything or assisting someone that asked for my help.¡±

    that I''m

    Liames back, leaning down and kissing the top of my head. ¡°I''ll help you baby, you don¡¯t have to do this on your own.¡±

    ¡°But Liam, and please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, some folks wanted to talk to me because it was about things they didn¡¯t feel

    comfortable talking to you about. | just need to figure out how to make this work.¡±

    ¡°| can help.¡± Sarah says.

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    ¡°What do you mean?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Well,¡± she looks at Liam, ¡°I was hired as a secretary for Liam. | know he hasn¡¯t had a chance to get me set up here to work, but

    a secretary is a secretary. | can set up a schedule for you and make follow up appointments or | can follow up on things that you

    just need responses on. I¡¯m good at it and it would give me something to do.¡±

    She turns to look at Dustin. ¡°Dustin, maybe Angel can use your office? Maybe you and Liam can work together in his office?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Liam interrupts her, ¡°there is a Luna office, but it needs to be cleaned out.¡±

    ¡°We can do that!¡± Sarah looks at me. ¡°And I''ll find some kind of desk to set up outside your office to schedule your

    appointments.¡± She says excitedly.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    From the corner of my eye, | see Dustin smiling at Liam. It¡¯s the job of the Beta female to support the Luna, just as it is the job of

    the Beta male to support the Alpha. Sarah wanting to help me on her own, means she¡¯s inadvertently taking her ce as the

    Beta female and Dustin¡¯s mate.

    ¡°Alpha, doesn¡¯t the Luna¡¯s office already have a space for an assistant?¡± Dustin says. | can tell he¡¯s barely able to contain his

    excitement.

    ¡°It does. | think we can find some pack members to help you clean it up.¡± ¡°Oh! Luna, how about we ask those girls, Amelia and

    Charlotte. They adore you and those women that helped us clean the bunker, Amy and Chloe. They were a lot of fun and | bet

    they would enjoy helping out. | can reach out first thing in the morning and get it set up and help them while you are meeting with

    the pack members.¡±

    ¡°Sarah, that sounds amazing. But you have to call me Angel. We''re friends and we¡¯re about to be spending a lot of time

    together!¡±

    I finish dinner feeling a hundred percent better than | did when | sat down. Maybe | can figure this Luna thing out.

    15

 Chapter 269

    I''m not sure if | should be excited or offended that some of my pack members would rather talk to Angel than me. In truth, I''ve

    never really seen a pack run with a Luna, except from afar, like with Rik and Cara¡¯s pack. Before now, everything had toe

    through me. On one hand, it¡¯s a relief, but on the other hand, | never realized that some of my pack members weren''t

    comfortable talking to me. | guess it does make sense that some things are meant to be discussed with the pack¡¯s Luna. While

    it''s a transition for me, I¡¯m thrilled that the pack is alreadyfortable enough with Angel to seek her advice and assistance.

    I''m kicking myself for not thinking about the Luna¡¯s office. It''s been so long, that | hadn¡¯t considered that she might need her own

    office. Dustin is giddy in his excitement that Sarah wants to help. It¡¯s exactly what her role will be if she epts Dustin as her

    mate.

    He¡¯s told me he¡¯s talked to her about it and she¡¯s thinking about it. Being human, it¡¯s a lot to take in and she has toe to terms

    with how the mate bond works. Werewolves don¡¯t have to go through the long process of falling in love like humans. When we

    meet our mate, it¡¯s immediate, the pull so strong that it¡¯s nearly impossible to resist. Not that there aren''t werewolves out there

    that don¡¯t treasure the mate bond, thinking they are above it, but the Moon Goddess pairs. you with the person thatpletes

    your soul. Who am I, or anyone else, to argue against that? And based on my mate, I''d say the Moon Goddess knows exactly

    what she¡¯s doing. Angel is perfect for me.

    The next day, | check in with Angel and Sarah to make sure they are set and then | have Dustin join me in my office so Angel can

    use his. We continue to make ns. for the war, and | go over the updates that Anders made to our borders. We also talk about

    the training that will need to take ce with the Guardians and the

    warriors.

    As we work, | can tell there is something on Dustin¡¯s mind. When he doesn¡¯te out and ask, | finally bring it up. ¡°What''s on

    your mind, Dustin?¡±

    He hesitates before responding. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to get Sarah to agree to seeing the doctor. It won¡¯t change my mind about

    having her as my mate, but | would like to know if pups are in my future.¡±

    ¡°Have you suggested that she talk with Angel? Maybe even have Angel go with her? If not, maybe you could talk to Angel. They

    have a bond forged from their mutual traum

    and support of each other, so I¡¯d guess that it¡¯s as strong as the

    OHS BONOS

    bond between you and I, maybe more so.¡±

    ¡°I''ll suggest that she speak to Angel. | think she¡¯s worried not only about my desire to have pups, but also about having sex in

    general. She was a teenager when they caught her, a virgin, so her only sexual experience was with that monster. | know that

    must terrify her, but | don¡¯t care about that part of our rtionship.¡±

    I raise an eyebrow at him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Okay, yes, | do care about that part of our rtionship. But, I¡¯m willing to give her whatever amount of time she needs to be

    okay with being together. | just want her to ept me as her mate. | want to know that she wants to be with me, that even if we

    can¡¯tplete the mating process, that | can at least mark her. | want everyone to know she¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°And have you told her that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s different. She doesn¡¯t fully understand, being human. | do think you were right about her feeling the mate bond. She

    doesn''t care if it¡¯s me or Leon that stays the night with her now, just as long as one of us is there. She sleeps better when she¡¯s

    curled up with me and I sleep better when she¡¯s by my side.¡±

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    Chapter 0270

    | can¡¯t help but smirk, remembering my mornings with Angel when she first arrived. ¡°And how¡¯s that working out for your balls?¡±

    He gives me a knowing look. ¡°Fucking sucks! I¡¯ve never taken so many cold showers in my life.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, | remember. And | didn¡¯t have to wait terribly long. Angel, at least, felt the mate bond once Alessia was strong enough. You

    won''t have that with Sarah.¡±

    | look at him for a moment, weighing my words. ¡°Are you sure you want to put yourself through this? And before you snarl at me

    for asking, yes, | absolutely believe that the mate bond is worth it and will ovee everything that she has gone through and

    the differences in her being human and you being a werewolf. But you have to know that you are potentially taking on years of

    notpleting the mate bond. While she may be here, it won¡¯t beplete and Leon will struggle with not marking her.¡±

    ¡°He already does, but he also knows that if he pushes her too hard, we may lose her, so he lets me rein him in when he gets too

    close. It also helps that she is agreeable to letting us sleep in her bed at night. At least then we feel closer to her.¡±

    ¡°Talk to her, see if you can get her to talk to Angel. She¡¯s her Luna now too, and they are friends.¡±

    After getting through the never-ending piles of work, we are ready for training. ¡± What are you doing with Sarah while you train?¡±

    lask him.

    ¡°Actually, | was going to ask if you mind if | bring her from now on. I''d like for her to learn how to wield a weapon. | think it will

    make her feel more confident when we are attacked. It would also be good for our Beta female to have some knowledge of battle

    tactics.¡¯

    13

    ¡°Sure, go ahead and bring her.¡± | say, before heading out to find my mate.

    | find her door blocked by Sarah. ¡°Alpha, our Luna is busy at the moment. Is it important or can it wait?¡± She looks at her watch.

    ¡°Their meeting will be done in about five minutes. | am aware that she has warrior training and have scheduled her appointments

    around that.¡±

    ¡°I''ll wait. And apparently, she¡¯s not the only one with warrior training today.¡± | tell her as Dustines up behind me.

    He passes me and walks over to Sarah. | can tell by the way she looks at him that

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    she feels something for him. It may not be what we feel with the mate bond, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hard to resist. Dustin would do or be

    anything for Sarah, and he¡¯d have no problems telling her and showing her that.

    ¡°What''s going on Dustin?¡± She asks him as he pulls her to his chest, kissing the top of her head.

    ¡°| want you to feel confident in your ability to protect yourself when I¡¯m not around. So, | talked to Liam and he agreed that you

    could begin training with us, except with weapons rather than hand to handbat.¡±

    Her eyes light up. ¡°Really?¡±

    | understand the smile on his face all too well. It¡¯s the smile of a man who just made his mate happy. | love the feeling | get when

    Angel smiles at me like | made her day. It makes me feel like the king of the world, and that¡¯s the look Dustin has right now.

    ¡°Really. You ready to go?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She looks down at herself.

    ¡°Go put onfortable clothes and then Leon will give you a ride.¡± He says. before hugging her and letting her go.

    ¡°Thank you! Thank you both.¡± She says looking between us.

    ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m all for my pack members being able to defend themselves and others in the pack.¡± | tell her before she

    rushes off.

    | turn to Dustin as the door to his office opens. ¡°Oh, Alpha. Beta.¡± It¡¯s Olivia, the woman that Dustin got to cover for the kitchens

    after everything went south with Henry and she has a big smile on her face.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Chapter 0271

    Olivia turns to Angel. ¡°Do we need to get Alpha¡¯s permission?¡±

    Angel looks at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She answers Olivia. ¡°I assigned Olivia as Lead Omega for the kitchens and I¡¯m going to hire

    a second Lead for theContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    packhouse upkeep.¡±

    I can tell Angel wants me to support her and honestly, I¡¯m thrilled that | don¡¯t have to deal with any of this. I¡¯m more than happy to

    support her in any way she needs. ¡°Sounds great. Olivia, you¡¯ve obviously shown your Luna that you are more than capable of

    managing the kitchens. Congrattions!¡± | tell her.

    ¡°Yes, congrattions.¡± Dustin says beside me.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She says before moving past us.

    | look at Angel. ¡°Ready for warrior training?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but can we stop by the Luna office on our way? | want to see if it¡¯s ready and | can give Dustin his office back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You''re wee to my office as long as you need it Luna.¡± Dustin tells her as Sarah joins us.

    Angel gives her a quizzical look. ¡°Sarah is going to join us for warrior training from now on. She¡¯s going to learn how to use

    weapons.¡± | tell her, putting my arm around her and moving our group to the stairs.

    She turns and looks at Sarah over her shoulder. ¡°That''s wonderful! | know you''ll be great.¡±

    We split up the warrior training today, having Clint, Cara and Angel work together while Rik and | work with the warriors. We''re

    faster than the other warriors and it forces them to think differently about how they fight. Jackson and Chase move through the

    crowd, giving feedback and instructions, while Dustin begins training Sarah on how to throw a knife.

    Evan and Trevor, our lead warriors,est. They are both bouncing on their feet. They love the fight and they are good at it,

    which is why Rik and | made them. our lead warriors. At first we fight our own warriors, then we switch it up, giving them more of

    a challenge.

    When we''re done, we see that Dustin has already got Sarah hitting targets on a

    tree.

    ¡°Dustin.¡± | call him over. ¡°Let''s have her hit a real target.

    12

    Angel is at my side in an instance. ¡°Liam?¡±

    I turn to my mate. ¡°She needs to know what it¡¯s like to hit a real target, not just a tree. If she can¡¯t throw a knife when it¡¯s aimed at

    a person, then she won''t be able to protect herself or the pack.¡±

    | can see the hesitancy in her eyes, so | cup her face in my hands. ¡°You gave me your amazing healing power, remember? I''ll be

    fine.¡±

    ¡°Dustin, bring Sarah over. We''ll start slow.¡±

    | strip and shift waiting for Sarah to join us.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Sarah says.

    Dustin looks at her. ¡°Alpha wants you to hit a real target, or at least aim to hit him.¡±

    She¡¯s shaking her head before he¡¯s finished. ¡°No, | don¡¯t want to hurt him. You''ve all been nothing but nice to me. | don¡¯t want to

    throw a knife at him.¡±

    Dustin takes her hands. ¡°You won''t be throwing knives at trees, love. You have to learn how to aim and hit a real target. Liam and

    Cyran were very strong before they mated with Angel. Now they have incredible strength. Plus, Cyran is fast. If you actually nick

    him, I''ll be surprised.¡±

    Several warriors circle around. This is not umon, but it will feel intimidating to Sarah. However, this is what it feels like in

    realbat. You are surrounded by others, making noise. They may not be cheering you on, but you

    need to be able to block it out and focus on your target.

    Dustin helps her set up and as | lunge for her, she throws the knife.

 Chapter 272

    | am amazed with Sarah. She is so organized and she has everything under control in less than 30 minutes in the morning. She

    has my soon-to-be office getting cleaned, she has Dustin¡¯s office set up for me and she has an area outside his office set up

    with a calendar to schedule appointments. | tell her to order herself aputer and both of us phones. | know that was

    something else that Liam had on his te and we''re going to wipe it off today. This woman is amazing!

    All day | meet with pack members. Most are just happy to have someone that they can trust to talk to. But there are some that

    need assistance. | get the impression that the word is spreading that I¡¯m avable to meet with pack members, as my schedule

    for today is booked and based on what Sarah tells me at lunch, the rest. of the week is getting stacked up very quickly.

    She and | decide that we will have working lunches every day. It¡¯s a great way for us to connect, for me to let her know what

    needs to be followed up on and for her to let me know what my schedule looks like.

    ¡°Can | ask you something Angel?¡±

    ¡°You can always ask me anything Sarah.¡±

    She wrings her hands for a moment. ¡°Dustin exined to me what the mate bond means. Is it really that strong?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes. | don¡¯t know how to exin it. Even if | was trying to exin it to a werewolf that hadn¡¯t found their mate, I¡¯m not sure |

    could. | didn¡¯t truly understand it, until | felt it. Your mate is everything. Everything that you''ve been missing in life, everything that

    you want, everything that you have ever dreamed of, everything you didn¡¯t know you needed.¡±

    She nods, looking down at her hands again. ¡°What about....what about having kids?¡±

    | reach over and put my hand over hers. ¡°Every person is different, but | can tell you, for some, having their mate is more

    important than anything else. And from what I''ve seen, Dustin wants you. He may want pups, but he¡¯s willing to take the risk of

    not having them to have you, his fated mate.¡±

    She sits thinking for another moment. ¡°Will you go with me to see the doctor this week? | don¡¯t want him to know, until | know

    what she says.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    | pull her in for a hug. ¡°I will always be there, any time you need me.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Olivia is myst appointment before warrior training. | had decided that | wanted her as my Lead Omega in the kitchen, but | also

    felt that the job was too big to have someone managing both the packhouse and the kitchens. So I¡¯ve decided to create a new

    position. When | offer the Lead Omega position to Olivia, she begins to cry. She feels this is a great honor, but in truth, I¡¯ve been

    utterly impressed with her ability to organize and get the kitchens in order in a very short amount of time. I¡¯ve already heard the

    pack members talking about how great the food is and that they love the new variety.

    She and | talk about the children working in both the kitchens and the packhouse and while the idea of ¡°chores¡± for pups is

    wee, having them working rather than being in school is not eptable. | make a note to implement limits to the hours that

    pups of school age can work without prior approval from me or Liam. We also talk about the Lead Omega position for the

    packhouse. Olivia suggested Samantha, the woman that just took Amelia and Charlotte into her home. | make a note to tell

    Sarah that | need to meet with Samantha. Seriously, this whole having a secretary thing is the best!

    As we walk out of the office, we run into Liam and Dustin. | was concerned that he might overrule me about Olivia. But | am

    pleasantly surprised that he trusts my judgement and lets me make the decision.

    I''m also happy to hear that Sarah will start learning how to use weapons. It¡¯s good for her to learn and feel capable of protecting

    herself.

    at to

    When we the training grounds, | start working with Clint and Cara. We fall into a method of letting Clint guide us through the

    training. It¡¯s his forte. He¡¯s trained both Cara and I, so we let him set the standards.

 Chapter 273

    It''s tiring work, trying to boost each other''s gifts, but it''s working and we¡¯re getting better at it by the end of our training time. It¡¯s

    about that time that | hear Liam talking to Dustin about Sarah having a real target. | know immediately that Liam ns to use

    himself as her real-life target.

    He feels confident in his ability to heal but I¡¯m not feeling great about him getting stabbed. | watch as Dustin gets Sarah ready in

    an attack stance and then as Cyran lunges at her. Sarah¡¯s response is instantaneous. It¡¯s a reflex response, she throws the knife

    at Cyran. | can see the trajectory of the knife and there is no way he can move fast enough to not get hit. It¡¯s my instinct, | can¡¯t

    stop it. Alessia pushes me to jump in front of Cyran and grab the knife.

    It''s a bit like a movie. | grab the knife between my hands, just before it sinks into my chest. | stand there for a moment, shocked

    that it actually worked. Then Liam has shifted and is yelling at me.

    ¡°Angel!¡± He grabs the knife out of my hands. ¡°I thought we agreed that you would never put yourself in between me and danger

    again.¡± He tosses the knife on the ground and grabs me by the shoulders, shaking me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something | can control Liam. | hadn¡¯t nned on it, it just happened. Alessia saw you in danger and jumped in.¡±

    He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight. ¡°We need to rethink how we are going to fight against these vampires. | can¡¯t

    constantly worry that you are going to jump in front of me.¡± He pushes back from me, looking at me. ¡°We need to n to be side

    by side the entire battle. That way we can both keep our promises. | can¡¯t lose you.¡±

    Rik and Carae over to us. ¡°I have to say, | agree with Angel. It¡¯s not something that we can control. If it had been Rik, |

    would have jumped in. We need to reconsider how the five of us will be fighting.¡± She spreads her arm to include Clint. ¡°We need

    to n to be close together during the battle. If we, as Guardians, need to be close to boost each other¡¯s gifts, then you, our

    mates, have to be close to us as well. Otherwise, we will break our ranks with each other toe protect you.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Rik and Liam look at each other. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s restructure our battle n. We had already nned to have our Betas lead groups

    and Dad can lead his own group as well.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. That means that the five of us will be on the front lines.¡± Rik pulls Cara

    into his side. ¡°You stay by my side at all times little Guardian.¡± He tells her.

    +15 BONOS

    The reality of the pending battle is weighing heavy on me. There is no way that there won''t be casualties. What if it¡¯s someone

    that | have developed a close, personal rtionship with? These people are like family, how can | possibly lose any of them?

    | look around, seeing my Guardian family, Rik and his family and pack, Dustin, Sarah, Jackson and our warriors. Who among this

    group won''t survive? How many will have to die for us to win? What if we don¡¯t win? What happens if Cara, Clint and | are

    captured and held captive. Cara and | may not survive the death of our mates, but what about Clint.

    And then there¡¯s Sarah. | don¡¯t know that she can survive the terror again. She¡¯s just getting back to a semnce of normal,

    feeling somewhat safe.

    As my mind starts to spiral out of control, | feel Liam¡¯s strong arms wrap around me. ¡°Calm down. | know it¡¯s tough to think about,

    but you can¡¯t let it get into your head. It can easily overwhelm you and shut you down. It¡¯s war. It¡¯s ugly and it¡¯s messy and awful,

    but we will prevail. Those disgusting leeches won¡¯t overtake us.¡±

    Unas

    | wrap my arms around Liam, holding if my life depends on it and, really, it does. When the timees, it will be him and me. We

    will live or die, together.

    +

 Chapter 274

    Over the next few days, Angel inserts herself as Luna of our pack. Her office gets set up, she and Sarah develop a routine and it

    seems to run like a well-oiled machine. You''d think that they had been friends, nning to be Luna and Beta for years.

    While the pack is feeling the tension of the uing war, the overall feelinging from the entire pack is one of peace. I''ve

    done the best I could, trying to be everything this pack needed, but at the end of the day, a strong Alpha isn¡¯t enough. A pack

    can¡¯t flourish without a heart, and that¡¯s what Angel has given to this pack.

    | know Angel is worried that we won¡¯t survive this war. But | don¡¯t know how the Moon Goddess could have finally brought us

    together, given me everything that I''ve ever wanted in life, everything that this pack has needed for years, only to take it away. It

    just seems too cruel.

    Warrior training continues to go well. We begin running drills for the non- warriors to get to the bunkers and safe rooms. We

    assign leads to ensure that everyone assigned to the room arrives before the doors are locked. They are also responsible for

    ensuring that there is enough food and supplies based on any requests received by those assigned to the room.

    Rik and I have scouts out, watching to see when vampires are close. So far, we haven''t heard anything. In the interim, the

    Guardians are getting stronger together. Watching them during training, it feels like Cara is the tie that binds the Guardians

    together. While Angel and Clint are stronger together, she connects the two in a way that they can¡¯t without her. The connection

    to her, as their daughter, seems to seal the bond.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± | get a mind link from my border patrol.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s someone at the border that wants to speak to you.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°He says his name is Eli Gunnar.¡±

    What the fuck is Eli dding back here? | put him on a bus over a week ago. ¡°I''ll be there in a few minutes. Keep him there.¡±

    ¡°Dustin.¡± | mind link him.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Meet me at the back door. Something is going on.¡±

    We arrive at the border and | see Eli pacing. As soon as he sees me, he takes a step in my direction. My warriors immediately

    step in his way, but | lift my hands up, stopping them.

    ¡°Eli, | didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡±

    ¡°They''reing Liam. The vampires. | wasn¡¯t fast enough to save your mother, but I¡¯m here to make sure you are warned.¡±

    ¡°How long do we have?¡±

    ¡°A day, two at the most.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Eli. Do you need a ce to stay?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, Alpha. | have to get back. | found my mate.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions. Be careful, steer clear of the vampires on your way north.¡±

    He nods, turns, shifts and runs off.

    | look at Dustin. ¡°Get the warriors set. We need to implement increased patrols starting immediately.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    | pull out my phone and call Rik. | let him know what Eli told me and he will also be increasing his border patrols.

    When | get back to the packhouse, | go straight to Angel¡¯s office. Sarah is outside. her office and tries to stop me. | put my hand

    up, letting her know it¡¯s important. | walk into the office without knocking.

    ¡°Liam.¡± It only takes her a moment to see that something is wrong. ¡°What is it?¡± | see it¡¯s Samantha that is with her today. ¡°I need

    to speak with you privately, it''s important.¡±

    Samantha excuses herself and | pull Angel into me. ¡°Liam?¡±

    ¡°Eli Gunnar was just here. He said the vampires areing. We have a day

    maybe two.¡± | needed to feel her against me, to know that she was safe, even if | knew it wouldn¡¯tst.

    ¡°Do we know how many there are?¡±

    15

 Chapter 275

    ¡°Not yet. Our scouts haven¡¯t let us know that they¡¯ve seen theming yet, but based on Eli¡¯s report, it shoulde at any

    time.¡±

    | hold her for another moment. ¡°I need you to make sure that the bunker and safe rooms are ready tonight. | will be announcing

    to the pack that the vampire attack is imminent and that all those pack members that will be going in, need to be prepared at all

    times from now on.¡±

    ¡°I''ll take care of it, Liam.¡± She hugs me tighter. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°| love you.¡±

    Angel and | workte into the night, finally falling into bed exhausted. It¡¯s early the next morning when I¡¯m woken by another mind

    link.

    ¡°Alpha! | need you at the border of the Canyon Ridge Pack.¡±

    ¡°On my way. Contact Beta Dustin and have him join me.¡±

    | hop out of bed and begin pulling sweatpants on, knowing I''ll be pulling them off again in a moment to shift. Angel hops out of

    bed. ¡°What is it?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Something is going on at the border, | have to go.

    ¡°I''ming with you.¡±

    ¡°Angel...¡±

    ¡°You and me Liam. We''ve agreed to stay together during this fight. I''ming.¡±

    I nod, not wanting to waste time arguing.

    We head out, both stripping and shifting as soon as we''re outside. We run to the border | smell a scent that I¡¯ve never smelled

    before. It smells like the air after the first snow of the season and ice, like a cier. ¡°Fae.¡± Angel mind links me.

    We arrive at the same time that Rik arrives, and | see them. There must be 500 fae warriors standing in formation. They have

    spears, taller than they are, the color of silvery white. | guess height is something all fae have. | thought it was just Ailduin, but

    every one of these warriors, and | honestly can¡¯t tell if they are all men or if some are women, are seven feet tall or taller. They

    look like something out of Lord of the Rings.

    | shift and stand in front of Angel. | know nudity ismon among shifters, but she¡¯s mine and | don¡¯t want others looking at her.

    When she¡¯s dressed, she tosses my sweats to me.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°I''m Alpha Liam, this is Alpha Rik. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The leader steps lorward. ¡°King Ailduin sends his regards and in order to show hismitment to the alliance with the

    werewolves, he has sent 550 warriors to fight for the Guardians against the vampires.¡±

    | look at Rik, shocked. The look on his face tells me he¡¯s just as surprised as | am.

    ¡°Your presence is most wee. Thank you and even without your assistance, our alliance would be strong.¡± Rik tells them.

    | look at Rik. ¡°Erm, I¡¯m sure we can find ces for you to stay...¡± | begin.

    ¡°No need. King Ailduin provided us with what we need. We understand there is a canyon where the battle is nned.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°We''ll set up camp there, unless you have any concerns with us being in position when the vampires arrive.¡±

    ¡°None whatsoever.¡± Riks says, looking at me. | shake my head. | don¡¯t have any concerns either.

    ¡°Thank you. We appreciate your support.¡± Angel steps up, reaching her hand toward the Elf, with her palm facing forward, her

    fingers pointed to the sky.

    The Elf leader extends his hand in the same way, stopping just shy of touching Angel¡¯s. ¡°King Ailduin sends his regards,

    Guardian.¡±

    She nods before turning back to me. ¡°I need to get back Liam.¡± She looks between Rik and me. ¡°Are we good here?¡±

    ¡°We''re good.¡± Both of us say.

    Rik and | work with the fae to ensure that they are set up and don¡¯t need anything.

    I''m about to head back to my packhouse when the next mind linkes through. ¡°Alpha! They¡¯reing! There are thousands

    of them.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    n

 Chapter 276

    When | get back to the packhouse, | call the leaders of each safe room. ¡°Are we ready? Is there anything at all that is still

    needed? War is imminent.¡±

    After making sure that we are set, the leaders of each room and | begin going around to make sure that all pack members know

    that the rooms are open. Anyone that may need some extra time to get to their safe room or bunker can head over now and get

    themselves set up.

    We have one she-wolf that is on the verge of delivering her pup. | have assigned a doctor to the safe room where she will be.

    We have also made sure that other pack members that may need medical assistance during the war are in this same

    room.

    any

    I''m just finishing up and getting the older, slower pack members settled in the safe rooms when | get the mind link from Liam.

    ¡°Angel, where are you?¡±

    ¡°I''m finishing getting the elderly and pregnant into the safe rooms.¡±

    ¡°They areing. They will be here at dark tonight. I''m headed back. Start getting ready. I¡¯m about to send out the pack link to

    let everyone know to be prepared.¡±

    Amomentter, Liam sends out the pack link, letting the entire pack know to begin preparations for the battle, war is here.

    | go upstairs to change into clothes durable enough for fighting. On my way back downstairs, | go to Sarah¡¯s room and realizing

    she¡¯s not there, | lift my nose in the air and sniff her out. | don¡¯t have to go far, she¡¯s in Dustin¡¯s room. | knock and it only takes

    her a moment to open the door.

    ¡°It''s time.¡± | tell her. ¡°Grab your bag and I''ll make sure you get settled.¡±

    Her eyes go wide. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t have time to wait.¡± | tell her.

    She nods, grabs her bag and begins to follow me.

    ¡°Luna!¡± Dustin¡¯s panicked voice links me.

    ¡°I''ve got her Dustin. I¡¯m getting her into the bunker.

    ¡°Make sure she has her knives. It''ll make her feel safer.¡±

    | turn to Sarah. ¡°Dustin wants to know if you have your knives.¡±

    She smiles. ¡°I have them.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | ry that to Dustin and when we get to the bunker, | set Sarah up at the front with a clipboard with the names of all of the

    individuals due to enter. ¡°We have a few hours, but we need to make sure everyone is inside before the doors are closed and

    locked.¡±

    ¡°| got this. Go!¡± She says.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Pack members were pouring into the packhouse. Pups were clinging to their mothers or grandparents as they began finding their

    way to their assigned safe rooms. | assist where | am needed and try to help calm pack members who are scared or crying.

    | watch as loved ones kiss, holding each other in case it is thest time they will see each other. As | turn to head outside and

    begin making my way toward the canyon, | see Dustin run in. He runs straight up to Sarah. | watch as she jumps into his arms

    holding him tightly. I¡¯m thankful he came to see her. We don¡¯t know which of us will return, but | do know that not every one will.

    | take a moment to look around, wishing things were different, but knowing that this battle must happen. Liam is right, these

    vampires will keeping and now it¡¯s not just about me, Cara and Clint. We have Sarah to think about too, and any other

    human mates that may be out there. My role as Luna is to stand beside Liam and protect this pack, every member of the pack.

    Our alliance means we also stand together to protect Rik and Cara¡¯s pack. Even if we didn¡¯t have the alliance with them,

    Alessia¡¯s rtionship with Artemis would mean that | would always fight for her and by association, Rik and their pack.

    | watch as Dustin kisses Sarah passionately enough to leave her breathless before. jogging over to me. ¡°Ready Luna?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As we run toward the canyon, | see some warriors running off in other directions. ¡°Where are they going?¡± | ask Dustin.

    ¡°Liam set up some warriors to reinforce our weak spots and make sure no one. gets to the bunkers and safe houses.¡±

    It makes sense. Liam would want to make sure that if they send any vampires to try to take hostages, that they wouldn''t be

    sessful. As wee up to the ce where the other warriors are, Dustin grabs my arm, stopping me.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET

 Chapter 277

    ¡°She said | could mark her after this is over. Sarah, she told me toe back to her so she could ept me as her mate.¡± |

    watch as he swallows the lump in his throat.

    | reach out and grasp his arm, waiting until he looks at me. ¡°Then | suggest that you listen to your mate and do exactly what she

    says.¡±

    He gives me a half smile before we turn and make our way to our ces. Dustin is leading a group that wille in from one

    side, while | will be up front with Liam, Cara, Rik and Clint.

    | jog up to Liam. He opens his arms and | rush into them, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

    ¡°Little Angel, all you need to worry about today is staying alive. You do that and so will | and we can figure everything else out.¡± |

    nod my head against his chest.

    He pulls back, taking my head in his hands, looking at me intently. ¡°You and me, Angel. Promise me you will fight beside me

    today, not in front of me. Promise me.¡±

    ¡®Alessia, can we promise that?¡¯

    ¡®If his life is not on the line, then yes. Otherwise, we won''t be able to stop protecting him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    | look at Liam. ¡°Make sure you''re never at risk of dying, and yes, | can promise that. But if your life is at risk, more than just the

    fight, Alessia and | won''t have a choice but to step in.

    ¡°Understood. And the same, Angel. | will trust you to protect yourself, but if it looks like you are losing the fight, | will jump in.¡±

    I smile softly up at the love of my life. Never in a million years would | have known that my life would be so different in such a

    short amount of time. This man is my everything. ¡°You and me, Liam.¡±

    We''re all here, milling around, waiting for the vampires to show up. We''re set in our line up front. Cara is in between Clint and

    me. Liam is on the other side of me, Rik is beside Clint. We are the front line. Cara, Clint and | will use our joint power to try to

    take out the first wave of vampires. We know that there are too many for us to take them all out, but if we can hit arge wave, it

    will help the other wolves. see the next waveing.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    Ailduin¡¯s warriors are lined up on either side our central line of warriors, led by Anders. Chase and Dustin have the groups that

    will hit from the sides.

    I catch the scent, my nose going up in the air at the same time as Cara¡¯s and Clint¡¯s and a moment before Liam''s and Rik¡¯s.

    It''s only a moment longer before the first line of vampireses through the tree line across the canyon. Front and center are

    Prince Keenan and Sebastian. On Keenen¡¯s other side, there is another vampire that also looks like vampire royalty, based on

    his chosen attire.

    Keenan¡¯s nose goes up in the air, taking a deep breath. ¡°Custos Regni.¡± His disgusting purr sends a shiver of memory down my

    spine. ¡°Do you understand now, Dimitri?¡± He asks hispanion.

    | watch as Dimitris fangse out and his eyes turn red. Wolves all around us begin growling low and dangerous. While Alessia

    is growling in my head, | stay quiet. I''m watching. | know how the vampires work. This may not be the feeding room, but

    vampires love to y with their food or their kills. This will be no different..

    As the two royals sniff the air, distracting most of the werewolves with their show, two groups of vampires rush out to attack

    Ailduin¡¯s warriors. | step forward and throw my hands out, my aura pushing out hard and fast. Cara grabs my hand, her other

    holds Clint¡¯s and | feel their power connect with mine. When my aura hits the vampires, it¡¯s like they have run into the sun. Every

    one of them. turns to dust.

    Acheer goes up on either side of me, but Keenan¡¯s sneer is focused solely on me.

    ¡°I''m not the same little girl you fed on for years Keenan.¡± | say his name contemptuously. ¡°You''ll find I¡¯m not so easy to capture

    this time.¡± ¡°Then it will be even sweeter when | have you in my possession again.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 278

    I snarl at Keenan¡¯sment to Angel. | wasn¡¯t sure which one was him, but | knew it had to be one of the two pompous looking

    leeches.

    And now | focus my attention on him. He¡¯s mine. For everything he did to Angel, | will kill him.

    Angel and the power of the Guardians, give them pause, but only for a moment. They must give a signal that | miss, because

    suddenly, hundreds of vampires are heading our way. Angel, Cara and Clint push out their aura, Angel making sure it¡¯s directed

    in front of our line of werewolves and fae.

    Asecond wave starts almost immediately after the first. The first group runs right into the Guardian aura and are instantly turned

    to dust. The impact is taking its toll on them because the second wave starts getting through and another wave is right behind

    them.

    | see several vampires heading toward Angel and Cara and | jump into the fight. Cyran bursts through at the same time Kai, Rik¡¯s

    wolf, does. We begin tearing through the vampires. Remembering what they said about Clint, | toss a vampire in his direction,

    watching from the corner of my eye as he catches the leech mid- air and rips his head off. This is an effective strategy as the

    vampires are having a harder time reaching Clint because of his wheelchair, modified for battle.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    The vampires are fast. | can hear wolves being injured and | feel every time one of my wolves is killed.

    | was initially worried about Angel, but she¡¯s fierce on the battlefield. All of her Guardian¡¯s knowledge ising out and it shows.

    The vampires that try to get to her are taken down quickly. She is staying close to Cara, helping to ensure that she and her baby

    aren''t injured. Clint is also staying close, although being in the wheelchair, it¡¯s harder for him.

    Rik and | have moved more toward the front, not exactly blocking ess to Angel and Cara, but close to it. There are enough

    vampires that we''re still fighting several each. Cyran¡¯s fur is covered in blood. I¡¯m not sure how much is theirs and how much is

    mine. | have felt every injury to my body, but thanks to Angel¡¯s advanced healing power, | am healing fast.

    At one point, a vampire must be about to grab me. Angel shifts mid-air and Alessia takes out the vampire before | even realize

    it''s there.

    I''m not sure if it is intentional or if it¡¯s just how the battle transpires, but the Guardians begin to separate. Rik stays close to Cara

    and | stay close to Angel.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    Fighting together, side by side with Angel, is very effective. One after another, Cyran is ripping through the vampires, blood and

    guts spraying everywhere. He¡¯s a fighting machine and Angel and Alessia are just as lethal.

    We are able to assist Ailduin¡¯s warriors who are also feeling the effects of the battle. Several of his warriorsy dead on the

    battlefield. Periodically, | notice that there are wolves dead on the ground as well.

    The only good thing is that it feels like we''re in an incinerator. There is so much ash in the air that it¡¯s obvious that while there are

    casualties on our side, there are more vampires being killed.

    We''ve been fighting for hours, when suddenly, prince Keenan and the other asshole leech are there. It¡¯s obvious why they are

    considered royalty. They are stronger and smarter fighters than the other vampires I¡¯ve been killing. Keenan is clearly after

    Angel. | still have several vampires attacking me at once and so does she.

    | can¡¯t focus on the other leech, he¡¯s gone after Cara. | have to trust that Rik will protect his mate, | need to focus on mine. There

    is no way that this asshole is getting my girl. Cyrantches on to the throat of a vampire, just as | feel another one grab us

    around our rib cage, squeezing painfully. | rip the throat out of the one that Cyran has his teeth in, turning our head trying to get

    to the one that is wrapped around my ribs.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 279

    | feel a couple ribs crack and Cyran¡¯s howl of pain is loud. Alessia immediately turns and sees our situation. She begins tearing

    through the vampires that are fighting her but just as she is about to get to me, Keenan grabs her. He picks her up, one arm

    around her rib cage and the other around her throat. He looks at me, giving me an evil smirk, before sinking his fangs into

    Alessia¡¯s neck.

    She snarls and begins shifting. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s shifting already, but if she is, | am going to as well. As it is, Cyran is stuck.

    The shift back is painful given the broken ribs, but as soon as | do, | realize why Angel did it. I¡¯m more agile against them in my

    human form. | twist in the vampire¡¯s arms and slice my ws across his face and neck. | know he¡¯s not dead yet, but | need to

    help Angel.

    | turn and see that Keenan no longer has his teeth in her neck. Even though she¡¯s got blood dripping down her chest, the spot

    where he bit her is healed over already. Keenan''s nose looks broken. I¡¯m guessing Angel punched him or maybe. threw her head

    back to break his nose.

    ¡°Duck!¡± | mind link her a moment before my armes up, mming into his head. Angel ducks under my arm and she goes

    after the vampire that | injured but. didn¡¯t kill. Keenan¡¯s head snaps back. | take advantage of the opportunity and | reach out

    grabbing him by his throat.

    ¡°Angel is mine. You will never hurt her again.¡± | snarl in his face.

    ¡°We''ll see about that, mutt.¡± He says, trying to throw a punch at my face. Unfortunately for him, he doesn¡¯t realize that I¡¯m mated

    to a Guardian, and | can see every move he makes. | grab his arm, wrenching it behind his back, twisting so that I¡¯m behind him,

    my other hand still holding him by his throat.

    ¡°Angel!¡± She needs to kill him more than | do, and | want to give her that opportunity.

    She turns and sees that | have him exposed for her. ¡°Go for the heart!¡±

    It''s just like it was in my office when Sebastian attacked us. | am holding him exposed, waiting for Angel to take him out.

    Unlike in my office, Angel¡¯s fist punches directly under Keenan¡¯s heart. | watch

    as she grabs his heart in her hand and | feel him flinch. She leans.¡±

    getting in his face. ¡°You will never hurt anyone ever again, you disgusting creature.¡± | watch ast her jaw sets and she rips his

    heart out of his body.

    I let his body drop to the ground. Angel squeezes his heart, a fierce look on her

    +15 BONOS

    face. | grab her pulling her to me. We''re both naked, we¡¯re both covered in blood, but I don¡¯t care. The leech that tormented her

    for seven long years is dead.

    As | hold her, | look around. We are winning. Killing Keenan caused the death of many other vampires. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s true what

    they say about vampires sires. If you cut off the head, the body dies, in this case, all the vampires he created are dead. It¡¯s

    making the battle swing easily in our favor. I¡¯m about to jump back into the battle when | feel Angel flinch.

    | only have a moment to look when she screams my name.

    ¡°LIAM!¡±

    She jumps into my arms, throwing her arms out on either side of me as | feel her aura push out around me and to our wolves

    and allies, a moment before | feel a st that sends everyone flying backward.

    Cooper

    Author

    Keenan is dead, but what caused the st?

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 280

    When Keenan sends his first wave, there are hundreds of vampires. The power that Cara, Clint and | have together can only

    hold for so long. It drains all of our energy. We are able to wipe out the first wave of vampires, but the second wave mostly gets

    through. By the third wave, we break off and begin fighting

    individually.

    We stay together as long as possible, and | see Rik and Liam throwing vampires to Clint to take out. He¡¯s a machine. He always

    was. Alessia remembers him from his younger days. He¡¯s stronger than an Alpha, so powerful. Even now, in his revised

    wheelchair, he¡¯s taking on more vampires than most of the wolves on the battlefield.

    | wasn¡¯t expecting to be able to feel the death of our pack members. I''ve never been a ranked pack member and it¡¯s hard to

    concentrate constantly hearing the howling of wolves in pain and then feeling their death in my mind and heart.

    Thankfully, my Guardian instincts kick in and I¡¯m fighting like my Guardian spirit has fought for centuries. The amount of

    knowledge that flows through me is incredible. My Guardian has even fought against vampires, so we know how best to kill

    them, and we are killing them as fast as theye at us.

    I''m making sure that I¡¯m close to Liam, even when we get pushed away from Cara, Rik and Clint. | know Rik will protect Cara. He

    didn¡¯t want her here in her pregnant state, but | understand her desire, her need, to be a part of this. We are the power in this

    fight. And we are what the vampires areing for. This is our fight.

    Cyran is amazing. There is something to be said for the strength and power of an Alpha. There is a reason that they are the

    leaders of their pack and Liam is showing exactly why he is the leader of our pack. He is fearless and he is deadly.

    | see Liam battling multiple vampires when yet another goes to jump in to try to bring him down. Before | even know what we''re

    doing, Alessia has taken over and she jumps in to take the vampire out, ripping its head from its body in one move.

    | see Ailduin¡¯s warriors fighting, some dead on the ground. I¡¯m heart broken,

    knowing that the immortal lives of these warriors has ended.

    | hear Cyran howl in pain. Alessia whips her head around, ready to jump in to help him and that¡¯s when | smell him. Prince

    Keenan. He takes advantage of my momentary distraction and grabs us by our neck and chest.

    ¡°There¡¯s my girl. My delicious, mouthwatering girl. Oh, how I¡¯ve missed you. |

    +15 BONOS

    will enjoy having you, taking you every night.¡± Alessia is thrashing in his arms. From the corner of my eye, | see him look at Liam

    before sinking his fangs into Alessia¡¯s neck. The pain is excruciating.

    ¡®Alessia, we need to shift. You''re too big, it makes it easier for him to keep a hold on us.¡® She agrees and we shift in his arms, not

    caring if he gets hurt in the process. When I¡¯m back to myself, | m my head into his face, forcing him to dislodge his fangs

    from my neck.

    | hear Liam scream for me to duck and | do, going under his arm as ites up to punch Keenan on the side of his head. When

    | duck, | see that the vampire Liam injured isn¡¯t dead yet. | let my wse out and | slice through his neck, separating his

    head from his body. I¡¯m watching to see if he will turn to dust when | hear Liam.

    ¡°Angel!¡±

    When | turn, Liam has Keenan. He¡¯s giving me the chance to kill him, to end the misery that haunted me for years. My mate, the

    man | love, will give me this because he knows | need it more than he does.

    Unlike with Sebastian, | know exactly how to kill this vampire. | punch just under his heart and Alessia lets her wse out,

    puncturing his insides while we grab his heart. Keenan¡¯s face is almostical, like he can¡¯t believe that | would want to kill him.

    | want him to know that I¡¯m doing this because he¡¯s the most worthless creature on the face of the. A blight on the

    supernaturalmunity. | feel no regret when | rip his heart from his chest and crush it in my hands.

    Liam pulls me to him, holding me. | need his touch more than he knows. My mind wants to spiral out of control, back to a dark

    and hateful ce. Holding on to Liam keeps me grounded. It keeps me here, refusing to let me go to that dark

    ce.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    We pull apart and | look around. There has been a shift in the battle. We are winning now. There have been casualties but, in the

    end, we will win.

    As | turn to look at my fellow Guardians, | see it. The leech that was with Keenant has Clint, his fangs deep into Clint¡¯s neck. As |

    watch, Dimitri rips Clint¡¯s throat out. His mouth is covered in blood that is dripping down his face. His face, turned up to the night

    sky, has a look of total ecstasy from feeding on Clint.

    | feel it, just as | have felt every other death tonight. The tether that bonded us as Guardians snaps and | know that he is gone. |

    realize that Cara feels it too, the death of her father. | watch as she turns, seeing her father crumple to the ground.

    +15 BONOS

    | hear her scream at the same time | feel her aura, the absolute raw power pushing out of her. She will kill us all in her grief.

    ¡°LIAM!¡±

    My only thought is to protect him and as many others as | can from Cara¡¯s power, bomb, because that is what it is, an

    electromaic pulse of her power.

    | jump into Liam¡¯s arms, wrapping my aura around him and throwing it out to as many wolves and fae warriors as | can reach

    before the power st reaches us. | take the brunt of what feels like a concussion bomb, protecting my love, my mate, and as

    many others as | can before everything goes ck.

    Hundreds of miles away, in a tiny efficiency in a small town, a Guardian awakens.

    Cooper

    Rest in peace Clint...

    Author

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 281

    The st threw everyone into the air and off their feet. When | get my senses back, | realize two things. Angel is unconscious on

    top of me, and | hear a keening sound in the distance that makes my heart hurt.

    I sit up, holding Angel in my arms, looking around. There are fae warriors and werewolves around me, shaking their heads trying

    to figure out what happened, just like | am. | follow the sound of the keening and realize it¡¯s Cara. She¡¯s holding her father¡¯s

    lifeless body in her arms, rocking him back and forth.

    Oh no. Please tell me Clint isn¡¯t dead. | see Rik, picking himself up off the ground, going to Cara. He pulls her into his arms and

    begins rocking her, trying tofort her. | know the sound a person makes when they lose someone they love. That¡¯s the sound

    that Cara is making now. It¡¯s the sound of your heart breaking into a million pieces. | know that Clint is dead, and Cara¡¯s heart is

    broken. What | thought was a bomb going off must have been a power surge from Cara, her emotions too strong to contain when

    she realized Clint was gone.

    | look down at my sweet Angel. She must have felt it before anyone else and she jumped in front of me. She protected me, even

    though | asked her not to. Her back is in shreds, but she¡¯s alive and | know | need to get her to the pack hospital.

    | look around. It feels like the entire canyon was on fire with all the ash in the air. Cara¡¯s power wiped out the remaining

    vampires. As | look around, many warriors on our side are getting up but on the other side, where Angel wasn¡¯t able to block

    Cara''s aura, many wolves are unconscious. I¡¯m hoping because they are part of Cara¡¯s pack, that there is some level of

    protection offered them.

    As | watch, | see Anders walking over to Clint¡¯s body. He falls to his knees beside his lifelong friend, pulling his dead body to his

    chest. | can see his body convulsing with his grief from here.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    I stand, holding Angel in my arms. | look at Rik and he makes eye contact with me. The battle is won, but our mates need us. |

    nod and turn, running back to my packnds.

    As | go, | holler at my pack members, telling them to help each other and get back to our packnds. I''ll be sending help and

    medical assistance as soon as | can, but Angel is my first priority. | know as Alpha the pack shoulde first, but | am nothing

    without my mate, and I can¡¯t help anyone if she dies.

    As | run back into my packnds, | see what looks like the remains of a fight near- the packhouse. I¡¯m d | left some warriors

    here to protect our weaker pack

    +15 BONOS

    members. | send a mind link that the battle is over and every able-bodied pack member is needed in the hospital and on the

    battle field to help those that are injured.

    I''m aware that not every person in the safe rooms will be ¡®able bodied¡¯. Anyone who lost a mate will be devastated, trying to hold

    on to life if there is something, or someone keeping them here, or praying to the Moon Goddess for death to be with their mates.

    Werewolves, as a species, are not able to survive when we lose the person thatpletes us. Someone like Clint onlysted

    this long because of Cara. My father was the same, only he never had anything left to give to me, his

    son.

    | get Angel to the pack hospital. It¡¯s already bustling with activity. ¡°I need help NOW!¡± | shout as | walk in.

    One of the doctors runs over, looking at Angel. ¡°This way Alpha.¡± He says and | follow him into a room where | gentlyy Angel

    on her stomach.

    | stand back as they begin hooking her up to all sorts of equipment. Her heart rate is slow, her blood pressure is low and they

    give her oxygen to help her breath. Someone gives me a pair of sweatpants and | put them on, but | refuse to leave my mate.

    Eventually, they have her stable, they¡¯ve bandaged her back and have herying on her back now. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she healing?¡± | ask

    the doctor for the hundredth time.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet Alpha. We have to run more tests, but right now, sure.¡±

    we''re not

    Sarahes in at some point. She puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Liam. Go get showered, | will stay with her.¡± | begin shaking

    my head.

    ¡°| won''t leave her, not even for a moment, but you are covered in blood and even | can tell that you stink of vampire.¡±

 Chapter 282

    | turn my head to her. | smell bad enough that a human can smell me? But then | see it. Dustin¡¯s mark on her neck.

    ¡°Congrattions.¡± | say, but nothing about how | say it sounds celebratory.

    ¡°Thank you. Now go. You know what she means to me. | won¡¯t leave her.¡± She says. | sigh and agree.

    | jog back to the packhouse, nning to quickly shower, change and get back to Angel. After | shower, | run into Dustin.

    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m working on the casualty list and the list of injured.¡± He stops, not making eye contact.

    ¡°| already know about Clint.¡± | tell him, thinking that is who he is referring to.

    He nods. ¡°We lost Jackson, too.¡± He says quietly.

    I stop. Jackson, my Gamma. He was in charge of the warriors protecting the packhouse.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Some vampires got in and were breaking into the bunker. He jumped in and tried to fight them off but he was killed before he

    could kill them all. They ended up breaking down the door to the bunker.¡±

    | close my eyes. | can¡¯t stomach the thought of having lost pregnant mothers and pups to those leeches. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°None. Sarah was able to stab them with wood that they had for a fire. Sebastian came after her and she killed him.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Well, then, | guess it¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s epted her position in this pack as your mate.¡±

    His smile is bright, even if it onlysts for a moment. ¡°Yes. At least something good came from this. She agreed to be mine.¡±

    ¡°I''m happy for you. | have to get back. Is there anything else? | need you to run things for me while Angel is recovering. | don¡¯t

    n to leave her side.¡±

    ¡°When | have a full report, I''ll bring it to you at the hospital. She''ll be fine Liam, She¡¯s strong.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Two dayster

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she waking up doctor? It¡¯s been two days. She¡¯s a Guardian. She has advanced healing for goddess¡¯s sake! Why isn¡¯t

    she healing? Why is she still unconscious?¡± | rant at the doctor, my patience at an all-time low. My mate isn¡¯t getting better. It¡¯s

    almost like she¡¯s healing at human speed and the doctors can¡¯t¡± tell me why.

    ¡°We''ll run some more tests, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°What tests? You''ve run every test already! Why isn¡¯t she getting better?¡± I¡¯m yelling at the end and it¡¯s Sarah thates in and

    calms me down so the doctors. can go and run whatever tests they run on people who are unconscious and not waking up.

    I sit, my head in my hands. My hair is longer again, so I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s going in all directions with my hands running through it at

    lightning speed over and over again. | wish it was long enough to grab ahold of and pull on. | seriously need to punch something,

    but | won''t leave to go work off all this excess energy. | don¡¯t want to leave my mate in case she finally wakes up.

    | had expected her to be out for a couple of hours, not days. The longer she¡¯s unconscious, the more worried and anxious I¡¯ve

    be. What if she doesn¡¯t wake up? What if she leaves me alone in the world.

    | crawl onto the bed, carefully curling myself around her as much as possible. Sarah takes her leave and it¡¯s just me and Angel.

    ¡°You promised. You promised that you would never leave me little angel. I¡¯m holding you to that promise. Don¡¯t you dare leave

    me. Youe back to me, and you live this life with me.

    | start talking to her as if she¡¯s awake. ¡°You know, it¡¯s not just me that needs you. | understand that Cara is having a really hard

    time too. She lost her father, and now Rik says that she nearly miscarried their baby. She¡¯s on bedrest and may stay that way for

    the rest of her pregnancy. She could really use you there with her, to help support her.¡±

    I''m running my fingers through her hair, talking to her when the doctorse

    back in.

    ¡°Alpha. | think we know why Angel isn¡¯t healing like she should be.¡±

    | gently remove myself from the bed.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°We believe that Alessia is directing her strength elsewhere, rather than healing our Luna.¡± He says, handing me a piece of

    paper. | read it and read it again.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha. Luna is pregnant and we think Alessia is using her strength to protect the pup, which is why she is taking so long to

    heal.¡±

    Angel is pregnant. I¡¯m going to be a father!

    Cooper Author

    Was | the only one that needed tissues for this chapter?

 Chapter 283

    When | wake, it¡¯s in a dream state. I¡¯m walking in a forest. | can hear small animals moving around, but nothing else. It¡¯s very

    quiet here. Beautiful, but lonely. Where is everyone?

    ¡°Hello? Liam? Alessia?¡± | call out loud.

    ¡®lm here.¡¯ Says an exhausted sounding Alessia.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Where are we?¡±

    In my head, she lifts her head off the ground, looking around. ¡®I know this ce.¡±

    ¡°Where is it? Are we near the packnds?

    ¡®No. she says, just as Clint steps out of the trees in front of me.

    ¡°Clint!¡± | run to him, throwing my arms around him. ¡°I thought you were dead!¡±

    m sweetheart. It was my time. But why are you here? It¡¯s not your time.¡±

    | look around me again. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here. | woke up here.¡± | turn to look at him, horrified. ¡°Am | dead? Where is Liam?!¡±

    | demand.

    ¡°Can you hear Alessia in your head?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Yes. | can hear her.¡±

    ¡°Then, you''re not dead. How about we look around and try to figure out why you¡¯re here.¡±

    He puts his arm around my shoulders, guiding me to a cliff. When | look down, | can see the carnage of the battle. ¡°We won.¡± |

    state.

    ¡°We did, but there are many casualties on our side.

    As | watch, | see mates finding their dead partners, dropping to the ground, sobbing.

    ¡°Come. This is not where you are meant to be. Let¡¯s head over to your packnds.¡±

    We do and | see that there was a battle outside the packhouse. | can see pack members rebuilding the doors and windows that

    were blown out with the fighting. We continue to walk around, hearing the sounds of weeping and the sounds of pack members

    giving orders to fix or repair broken ces in the packhouse and surrounding homes of pack members.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear that this is where you should be either. Come, let''s head over to your pack hospital.

    He guides me to the pack hospital. I¡¯m d Clint¡¯s here with me. | feel like I¡¯m floating, like I¡¯m notpletely here.

    When we arrive, | see Sarah and | point her out to Clint. ¡°Look, we should follow Sarah.¡±

    We do and as she enters a hospital room, we follow. When | walk in | stop at the sight in front of me, gasping. I¡¯m on a hospital

    bed, machines are attached all over my body. Liam isying on the bed, wrapped up around me. His voice sounds broken and it

    makes my heart hurt.

    ¡°Please Angel. Please, | need you toe back to me. | can¡¯t do this without you. You promised me. You promised me.¡± His

    voice breaks. I¡¯m walking to him before | even realize what I¡¯m doing.

    ¡°I''m here Liam, I¡¯m right here.¡± | go to put my hand on his back, but it goes right through him. | turn to Clint.

    ¡°What''s happening?¡±

    He watches Liam and me on the bed. ¡°This is where you are supposed to be. You need to return to yourself Angel.¡±

    | turn and look at my body, lying on the bed. ¡°Alessia, do you know how to get us back?

    ¡®I''m here Angel, it¡¯s you that has to return.¡¯ She tells me.

    ¡®How? | don¡¯t want to leave Liam.¡±

    ¡®Let yourself feel the pain. You must let yourself feel the pain and grief of the pack. It¡¯s the only way to return. Liam needs you, |

    need you and our pup needs you, Angel. Come back.*

    Pup?! | turn to Clint. ¡°I have to go back.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± He says and turns to leave.

    ¡°WAIT!¡± | say and he stops, looking at me over his shoulder. | feel tears in my eyes. ¡°Will | ever see you again?¡±

    He smiles softly. ¡°Someday sweet girl, someday you will see me again. Lily and Andra send their love. They are very proud of

    how you are carrying on their Guardian spirit. Live your life, Angel. Live your best life, the life you were always meant to have.¡±

    He says before walking out the door.

    +15 BONGS

    | watch for only a moment longer beforeying down where my body lies, closing my eyes and letting the pain flood into my

    system. There is so much, so many pack member tethers that are gone, others that are so tenuous that | know they won''tst as

    they join their dead mates.

    The sudden pain makes me gasp, and | open my eyes again, but this time, I¡¯m in Liam¡¯s arms and his eyes fly open.

    ¡°Angel!¡± He begins kissing my face, continuing to pull back to see that my eyes. are still open. ¡°Oh Angel, | was so scared that

    you were going to leave me.¡± He wraps his arms around me before burying his face in my neck and sobbing. | wrap my arms

    around him as best | can, holding him while he releases all his stress and anxiety.

    ¡°I''m here Liam, I¡¯m not going to leave you. | promised and | am keeping my promise.¡±

    | hold him, my own tears trekking down my face, until his tears subside.

    When he finally pulls back, he takes my face in his hands, his forehead against mine. ¡°You and me.¡± He says fiercely.

    ¡°And baby makes three.¡± | reply.

    The doctors insisted on keeping me for another day to ensure that | was healthy and ready to leave. | felt fine, all things

    considered.

    Liam caught me up on everything that had happened in thest few days while | was unconscious. | found out that we had lost

    nearly 150 pack members. Not all had died in the war, many had died soon after their mates had been killed.

    Liam also told me about Cara nearly miscarrying. | knew | needed to see her. She needed to know her father helped me and that

    both he and her mother were watching over us. It might help her to recover.

    | was released the day after | woke in the hospital. Liam never left my side. | was adamant about leaving because it was the first

    day that we were to begin burning those who had died in the war. As their Luna, | needed to be there. Our pyres would burn for

    three days as we divided our dead to allow all those who wanted an opportunity toe and show their respect for those we

    lost.

    Liam stood in front of, the first 50 bodies,ying on top of their pyres, their bodies covered. | stood beside him as he paid his

    respects and honored them for their sacrifices. Anyone was wee to speak about the dead, and it was hours. before we were

    able to light the pyres.

    Liam and | stood hand in hand, watching as the ashes of our pack members drifted into the dark night.

    Cooper

    Author

    Thank you, Clint, for bringing Angel back to Liam,

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 284

    When the doctor told me that Angel was pregnant, | was concerned that she had kept it from me before the war. | was happy to

    learn that she hadn¡¯t known until her strange walk with Clint who apparently brought her back to me. I¡¯m not sure what that

    means or why it happened, but I¡¯m forever indebted to him for bringing my Angel back.

    Dustin had prepared the funerals and pyres for our pack members. He had talked it over with me while Angel was unconscious,

    and we had agreed to have three days of funerals. There was so much sadness and pain among the pack members, but each of

    them deserved to have their time to say goodbye to their loved ones.

    | had spoken to Rik about the loss of his pack members. After Cara¡¯s show of power, | wasn¡¯t sure how many in his pack had

    survived. He lost nearly 100 pack members after losing the mates of those lost in the war. Thankfully, Cara¡¯s power surge only

    seemed to knock their warriors out, not kill them as it had the vampires.

    Her strength was chilling. I''ve never seen or felt such power. It makes me wonder how much power Angel really has. If

    something as emotionally painful as losing Clint would cause her to have an explosion of power like Cara did. Does she just

    need to find a way to unlock it? When things settle down, it¡¯s definitely something that we should discuss with Ailduin.

    After a long week of saying goodbye to pack members, we are headed to Canyon Ridge pack. They are having a special funeral

    ceremony for Clint. | know Cara has been in the hospital since the battle and Anders, who was also injured, needed to heal

    before they had said this final goodbye. | know Angel is nning to talk to Cara while we are here. She wants her to know that

    Clint came to her after his

    death.

    The funeral is attended by everyone in Canyon Ridge pack and some of my pack members as well. In thest month or so,

    many of my warriors got to know Clint. He was a good man, a great Guardian and a wonderful father.

    After paying his respects and speaking of Clint¡¯s life and sacrifices for his family and the pack, Rik opens the floor to anyone who

    wants to say something about Clint. Many of the older warriors recount times in their youth when he helped them or times when

    he would defeat them in sparring or mock battles. Other warriors talk about meeting him more recently and how much they

    learned from him.

    I can see Anders in the front row between Cara and Luna Calista. His head is

    bowed and | know if | could see his eyes that they would be red-rimmed. The bond they shared was a brotherhood, not quite as

    strong as a mate bond, but pretty close.

    I''m surprised when Angel gets up and goes to the podium. She hasn¡¯t said. anything to me about speaking, not that needs to.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°| haven¡¯t known Clint very long, at least not as the person | am now. When | got here, | hade from a dark ce where | had

    been abused for years. | was a broken shell of the person | had been, not even able to ess my wolf or my Guardian spirit.

    Clint didn¡¯t care. He took me under his wing and he pushed me to be a stronger, better version of myself. He helped me to regain

    my wolf and the power of my Guardian spirit. He treated me like family and took me in as if | was another daughter to him. He

    helped me find my way back to the person | am today.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    She stops, regaining herposure before looking at Cara and smiling. ¡°He even found me when | lost my way after the battle.¡±

    | see Cara¡¯s head shoot up to look at Angel. ¡°I woke up in a strange forest, alone. | had no idea where | was or how to get home.

    He found me, told me it wasn¡¯t my time yet and helped me find my way back to Liam. As was his way, he didn¡¯t leave me until he

    knew that | was where | was s

    to be and that | would be okay.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 285

    Her voice begins to waver and | watch as she loses the battle against her tears and they start to fall down her cheeks. ¡°Even in

    death, he was looking out for me. And | know that he¡¯s looking down, watching everyone here today, keeping an eye on this pack

    and this family that he loved so much. He may be gone from our daily lives, but he will always be here.¡± She takes her hand and

    puts it over her heart. And I¡¯m so thankful that | got to meet such an amazing man in my lifetime, a man who became like a father

    tome.¡±

    She turns and begins to walk off the podium. | watch as Cara stands, and goes to her and they hug tightly, crying together for the

    loss of their father, their friend, their Guardian bond.

    We stayed for dinner that night. Angel spent some time talking to Cara and exining her time with Clint while she was

    unconscious. The talk seemed to help Cara and | could tell that Rik breathed a sigh of relief.

    | pulled him asideter in the evening. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± | ask him.

    We stay within eyesight of our mates, neither of us wanting them out of our sight.

    ¡°| feel better after seeing her with Angel today. | think it went a long way toward helping her to heal. You probably understand the

    loss of a parent better than I do, and Angel definitely does.¡±

    power surg

    We sit and he puts his head in his hands. ¡°We don¡¯t know how that of hers may impact the baby. We don¡¯t know if the near

    miscarriage was from her st of power or from her despair of losing her father. | can¡¯t lose them.¡± He whispers thest part.

    | bring my hand down on his shoulder. ¡°You won''t. | think one thing that we''ve learned about our mates is that they are much

    stronger than even we knew. They are amazing women. | don¡¯t know about our children, obviously you and | are in the same

    boat now. But | do know that our mates are the strongest wolves I¡¯ve ever met in my life.¡±

    He smiles, looking over at our girls, hugging each other. ¡°I''ll warn you now, if | have a girl and you have a boy, he better keep his

    hands off my daughter.¡± Rik tells me.

    ¡°Same goes and | think we both know | can be a whole hell of a lot more. intimidating than you.¡± | retort.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    He snorts. ¡°That''s a matter of opinion.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    We sit in silence for another moment just watching our mates. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we''re both going to be dads in a few months.¡±

    ¡°It''s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It''s incredible.¡±

    Later than night when we''re back home, after reminding my mate how much | love her, how important she is to me and how

    much | enjoy her screaming my name in pleasure, | tuck her against me in bed. | kiss the top of her head, smelling her scent of

    raspberries and cream now mixed with a headier scent of the forest.

    After talking to Rik, | feel pretty confident based on the change in scent from my inate that we¡¯re having a boy. Rik said Cara

    smells more like vani. Angel smells more like the forest, more like what she says that | smell like to her. So, yeah, I¡¯m pretty

    confident that we''re having a boy.

    ¡°You know, we never really talked about whether or not you wanted pups.¡± | say to her. She tilts her head up to me and | look

    down at her, kissing her nose. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a littlete now and I¡¯m really excited, but we probably should have had a discussion

    about it beforehand.¡±

    She lifts herself up on her elbow, resting her hand on my chest. ¡°Liam Holstin, | would be thrilled if you gave me enough pups to

    fill every room in this packhouse with the evidence of our love.¡±

    Her answer is so perfect, so exactly what | want to hear, that | roll over top of her and show her once again how happy | am that

    she is my mate.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 0286

    Aler

    the terrible week of funerals, the pack began the slow process of rebuilding. We had to fix several homes, the back of the

    packhouse and the bunker.

    Liam refused to let me assist and he also refused to allow me at training, so instead, | started training with Sarah. Since werewolf

    pregnancies are much shorter than human pregnancies, five months instead of nine, | only have a couple of months before my

    stomach will be too big to do anything.

    | went with Sarah to see Dr. Phillips. After letting Dustin mark her immediately after the war, she wanted to know if she could

    have his children. She had extensive testing and Dr. Phillips decided that any human would struggle with the shorter gestation of

    having a wolf pup. The scar tissue would cause problems. with getting pregnant, during the pregnancy and delivery, but since

    she would put Sarah on bedrest anyway, it should be possible.

    Sarah had told Dustin that they could have pups but that she would have to be on bedrest during the gestation. He was tentative,

    but they started actively trying to get pregnant. Sarah had gotten over her fears of having a sexual rtionship and that was a

    huge step for them.

    | speak to Cara at least once a week. When we got the news very quickly that Donovan''s Guardian spirit was found, we were

    both surprised and happy. It was good to know that we had found her, not him, which was its own surprise. We haven¡¯t met her

    yet, but we hope to in the near future.

    I''ve settled into a routine, Sarah as my official Beta female. Liam hired a new assistant at the office with Sarah¡¯s input so she¡¯s

    Officially in her capacity as the Beta female in the pack.

    It''s during one of these regr days that | get a mind link from Liam. ¡°Little Angel. I¡¯ming to your office. | need you toe

    with me to the borders.¡±

    He¡¯s in my office in a couple of minutes. ¡°Liam, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    walk downstairs and | see our

    ¡°I''m not sure, but | need you to join

    ¡°We entire fleet of warriors waiting for us. ¡°Liam?¡±

    He picks me up, carrying me bridal style. ¡°They imed that they needed to see you or Cara. They have refused to tell Rik and I

    what this is about. They¡¯ve been here all day, just outside our territory insisting that they speak with you, since Cara is still on

    bedrest.¡±

    When we get to the border, | see that Rik and many of his pack warriors are there

    +15 BONOS

    as well. What | see beyond our borders has my blood running cold. | stiffen in his

    arms.

    ¡°Don''t worry, | won¡¯t let them near you.¡± Liam says, his arms tightening around

    1.me.

    He sets me down, standing slightly in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve brought my mate, the ¡± Guardian you''ve requested to speak to. Now, what

    do you want?¡± Liam says to the group of vampires.

    The leader, who is obviously vampire royalty, lifts his nose in the air. ¡°Custos. Regni.¡± He doesn¡¯t say it in the disgusting way that

    Keenan did. It¡¯s said with respect.

    I step forward, Liam putting his arm out, holding me to the spot next to him. I¡¯m the Guardian, my name is Angel. What do you

    want?¡± | ask him.

    m King Urien, Guardian. | understand that you have had a bad experience. with some of my brethren.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Those ¡®brethren¡¯ are dead.¡± Liam growls at him.

    Urien nods. ¡°I want to express my regret at my fellow vampires¡® lifestyle. Not all of us live the way that Keenan and Dimitri lived.¡±

    He spreads his arms around to include all of the vampires with him. ¡°My coven and | are not like they are, or were. We prefer to

    live our lives among humans. There are plenty of humans who are agreeable to being used as feeders that there is no reason to

    force them.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET IT NOW

    O+15

 Chapter 287

    He makes a fist, bringing it up to his heart in a strange show of dedication. ¡°Wee to pledge our loyalty, show our respect and

    commitment to the Guardians of the Realm. We will live by the covenants of the Guardians. We wanted you to know that you

    have nothing to fear nor any need for concern about my coven. When he is done speaking, he and his coven all take a knee,

    bowing their heads.

    | look at Liam, not knowing what to say. He looks just as lost as | am. | step forward, feeling Liam shift behind me, ready to pull

    me behind him if this is a trap.

    ¡°Rise King Urien. | appreciate youing here to let me know of your allegiance. It was never my intention to kill any of your

    kind, but when anyonees for me or mine, they will be destroyed.¡± Alessia has pushed forward and her voice oveys with

    mine. | see the vampires¡® heads snap up at the change in my voice.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°Guardian, if ever you need us, we are here to serve you.¡±

    With that, they stand, turn and in the blink of an eye, they are gone.

    I turn to look at Liam and Rik. ¡°Well, that was weird. Do you think they mean it?¡±

    Rik looks thoughtful. ¡°They seemed to, but time will tell.¡±

    Over the next several months, more groups of supernaturalse to our borders, pledging their allegiance to Cara and | as the

    Guardians. We call Ailduin. and Aolis back to chronicle these events and discuss the implications of what it

    means.

    ave tome

    ¡°Your power exceeds that of any other supernatural.¡± King Ailduin one day. ¡°It seems that the vampires have the name correct.

    You are Guardians which guard the entire realm of supernaturals, not just the werewolves. Perhaps you were created by the

    Moon Goddess specifically for the werewolves, but your power has grown and now exceeds us all. It is a good and bad thing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam asks.

    ¡°It means, all supernaturals will be looking to the Guardians for assistance when wars between the species ur. The Guardians

    will be asked to take sides. | feel like we are on the cusp of a change with the Guardians. Something has changed with the birth

    of Cara and the Guardians finally being given ess to their fated mates. Whether intentional or not, the role of the Guardians is

    and will change in the next generation. We will have to see what happens and how that unfolds.¡±

    It was during one of these visits with Ailduin and Aolis that Cara went intobor.

    +15 BONOS

    We all stayed, knowing that this pregnancy had been difficult, and the delivery was no less difficult. Carabored for hours, and it

    was not until the baby was in distress that they called me in to see if | could help.

    | wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but | thought my advanced healing power might help. | put one hand on Cara¡¯s stomach, feeling her

    little girl and the other hand on Cara¡¯s forehead. | closed my eyes and pushed my healing toward both of them. | had to be

    careful, | was fairly advanced in my own pregnancy at the time, but | was able to give them both a boost of healing, ensuring that

    Cara didn¡¯t bleed out and that baby Lily¡¯s heart continued to beat.

    It was Aolis, who snuck in, that seemed to make the biggest impact. He came up beside the doctor, reaching out his hand to

    touch the top of Lily''s head that was breaching and just visible between Cara¡¯s legs. Rik was talking to Cara and didn¡¯t see it.

    Cara was in so much distress that | doubt she even knew he was there. The doctor started to push Aolis away, when Lily started

    to move through the birth canal, almost as if she was trying to get to Aolis. It was the strangest thing | had

    ever seen.

    The doctor moved to give him room and watched as Aolis gently coaxed Lily through the birthing canal while Cara pushed. Aolis

    was the one that held her as she was delivered, a strange look of reverence and love on his face. The doctor quickly swooped in,

    rubbing Lily with a towel, cleaning her up and getting her to cry before handing her over to Cara. The moment Cara held her

    baby girl in her arms, | knew that everything would be alright for both of them.

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 288

    | take Aolis by the hand and pull him from the room with me, his eyes never leaving Lily. When we get outside the door, Liam is

    there, waiting for me. | turn to Aolis. ¡°What was that?¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. | could hear her distress and her desire to be born but she couldn¡¯t find her way, so | helped her.¡±

    He turned looking toward the delivery room again. ¡°She¡¯s the most beautiful baby I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    I look at Liam and back at Aolis. ¡°Aolis?¡±

    ¡°It''s okay. | know she¡¯s too young to recognize the mate bond. | will wait for her.¡± And with that, he turns and walks out to find his

    father. Liam and | just stand there, dumbfounded.

    After getting our turn to see Cara and Lily post¡ªdelivery, Rik looking every bit the proud papa, we head back to our pack.

    Another month goes by, and life gets back to normal. Sarah and | begin to take on more work, not just with the packhouse but

    also with the pack¡¯s business. Sarah is so efficient that it¡¯s easy for us to assist Liam and Dustin.

    Liam finally names Evan as his new Gamma, and then names a new lead warrior to rece Evan.

    My favorite time of day is after dinner, when it¡¯s just me and Liam. As my pregnancy has progressed, Liam has gotten creative

    with ways for us to have sex, which is good, because pregnancy, for some reason, has made my desire for him almost

    insatiable. Liam is happy to oblige me any time | ask.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Tonight, hees in as I¡¯m getting out of the shower. He does what he has been. doing every day for months. He walks up to

    me, kisses my gently, then gets down on his knees to talk to our son. He was right, we are having a boy. We decided on a name

    a while ago, but we haven¡¯t told anyone, waiting until after he¡¯s born.

    ¡°How¡¯s my little man doing today, momma?¡± He says, his hands on either side of my stomach as he sniffs to find the spot where

    he wants to talk to his son.

    ¡°He¡¯s been a very active boy today, daddy.¡± | tell Liam: ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my boy.¡± He says, and then when he finds the spot he wants, he begins. telling his son about his day and his ns for

    when he¡¯s born.

    The nursery isplete and Liam had them put a doorway from our room to the room next door so that we can hear him if he

    fusses and he¡¯s close enough for me

    1/2

    Chapter 0288

    | take Aolis by the hand and pull him from the room with me, his eyes never leaving Lily. When we get outside the door, Liam is

    there, waiting for me. | turn to Aolis. ¡°What was that?¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. | could hear her distress and her desire to be born. but she couldn¡¯t find her way, so | helped her.¡±

    He turned looking toward the delivery room again. ¡°She¡¯s the most beautiful baby I¡¯ve ever seen.

    I look at Liam and back at Aolis. ¡°Aolis?¡±

    ¡°It''s okay. | know she¡¯s too young to recognize the mate bond. | will wait for her.¡± And with that, he turns and walks out to find his

    father. Liam and | just stand there, dumbfounded.

    After getting our turn to see Cara and Lily post¡ªdelivery, Rik looking every bit the proud papa, we head back to our pack.

    Another month goes by, and life gets back to normal. Sarah and | begin to take on more work, not just with the packhouse but

    also with the pack¡¯s business. Sarah is so efficient that it¡¯s easy for us to assist Liam and Dustin.

    Liam finally names Evan as his new Gamma, and then names a new lead warrior to rece Evan.

    My favorite time of day is after dinner, when it¡¯s just me and Liam. As my pregnancy has progressed, Liam has gotten creative

    with ways for us to have sex, which is good, because pregnancy, for some reason, has made my desire for him almost

    insatiable. Liam is happy to oblige me any time | ask.

    Tonight, hees in as I¡¯m getting out of the shower. He does what he has been doing every day for months. He walks up to

    me, kisses my gently, then gets down on his knees to talk to our son. He was right, we are having a boy. We decided on a name

    a while ago, but we haven¡¯t told anyone, waiting until after he¡¯s born.

    ¡°How¡¯s my little man doing today, momma?¡± He says, his hands on either side of my stomach as he sniffs to find the spot where

    he wants to talk to his son.

    ¡°He¡¯s been a very active boy today, daddy.¡± | tell Liam:

    ¡°That¡¯s my boy.¡± He says, and then when he finds the spot he wants, he begins telling his son about his day and his ns for

    when he¡¯s born.

    The nursery isplete and Liam had them put a doorway from our room to the room next door so that we can hear him if he

    fusses and he¡¯s close enough for me

    +15 BONOS

    to nurse at night.

    As he¡¯s talking to our son, | feel a ssh of warm wetness drip down my legs. Liam stops, pulling back, looking at the floor, then

    up at me.

    ¡°Liam, | think it¡¯s time.¡±

    Liam rushes me to the pack hospital and three hourster, | deliver my beautiful baby boy. Liam wanted to honor my father, as

    he had done everything in his power to protect me as a child, and we also wanted to honor Clint for helping me reconnect with

    my Guardian spirit and being like a second father to me.

    So, after our son was born, Liam took him into the waiting room where hundreds. of pack members were waiting to hear the

    news of their Alpha heir¡¯s delivery and Liam proudly announced the birth of Richard Clint Holstin.

    Cooper Author

    That¡¯s a wrap for the regr chapters. Two epilogue

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 0289

    O +15 BONOS

    Three monthster

    To say that being a father has changed my life would be an understatement. You don¡¯t know how much you can love another

    person until you hold your child in your arms for the first time and your heart aches because it¡¯s so full of love. The mate bond is

    one thing, that is a gift given by the Moon Goddess and nothing could everpare to that. But being a father feels like the

    greatest achievement of my life.

    My son is perfect, of course. All ten fingers, all ten toes. He was born with soft fuzz for hair that has started to grow in now and

    he definitely got my golden, curly locks. However, every time | look into his gray eyes, | see his mother. Angel says his eyes are

    the only thing he got from her and that we''ll have a mini-me walking around very soon.

    Works for me. | figure our little girl will look just like her mother. | hope so, it means she''ll be beautiful. Yes, it means I¡¯ll have to

    go all Alpha on any male that looks at her but having a miniature version of Angel walking around sounds perfect to me.

    And yes, | got my sweet little mate pregnant almost immediately after Richie¡¯s birth. It¡¯s not my fault that she¡¯s so perfect that |

    can¡¯t keep my hands and other body parts off of her. She did ask me to fill the packhouse with the evidence of our love and who

    am | to deny my Luna anything.

    So today, Richie and | are at the office in the human town while my sweet mate gets some much needed rest. This pregnancy,

    while not problematic, is causing her more fatigue than Rich¡¯s. The doctor says it¡¯s because | didn¡¯t give her

    enough time to heal in between, but Angel justughs at that. ¡®Advanced healing ¡®, she tells the doctor every time.

    Either way, it¡¯s a great excuse for me to have alone time with my son and give my mate a chance to nap without interruption.

    My office has been renovated to include everything for a baby now, so working from here and bringing my son is no problem.

    Dustin joins me in my office, taking every opportunity to hold and feed Richie that he can get. He even changes diapers on

    asion. | know it¡¯s a struggle for him. He and Sarah have been unable to have pups. They are still trying, but with her scarring

    from years of abuse, it hasn¡¯t happened yet.

    ¡°We''re thinking of adopting.¡± He says, out of the blue while he¡¯s feeding my son.

    He looks up at me before looking back down at Richie.

    There are several orphans from the war, children who lost both of their parents. We would have adopted anyway, but we were

    waiting to see if we would get pregnant first, knowing that Sarah will probably have a difficult pregnancy.¡±

    Sarah and Angel set up a section of the first floor of the packhouse for the pups. that lost their parents during the war. Some lost

    both parents in the battle and some lost one in the battle and one when they couldn¡¯t survive after the death of their mate.

    ¡°| think there are still five pups that need homes.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Sarah has gotten attached to a little girl. She¡¯s two and struggles a lot with the loss of her parents. Sarah spends a lot of time

    with her and has even brought her up to our rooms, with Angel''s permission of course.¡±

    ¡°| know you two would make excellent parents. We''ll go through the proper procedures, but | have no concern about you

    adopting one of the pups.¡± | tell him.

    He surprises me by handing me the application. It¡¯s been filled out and already signed by him, Sarah and Angel. My signature is

    the only one required for make it official.

    I sign the document and stand, going to my friend. ¡°Here, let me have my son, you take this to your mate and let her know that

    you are officially parents, starting today. If you need anything at all for your little girl, just let me know.¡±

    His smile is as bright as the sun. ¡°Thank you, Liam. This means a lot to both of us.¡±

    | take my son from him and give him a p on the back. ¡°Go, I''ll finish up here and we''ll celebrateter when I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°Great, see you soon Alpha!¡± He turns and practically runs to the elevator in his excitement to get to his mate and let her know.

    | finish up my work, getting with George and my assistant giving instructions for the next week while | work from the packhouse.

    By the time I¡¯m done packing up my son to leave, I¡¯m thest person in the office.

    ¡°Let''s turn off all the lights so we can go home and see mommy, what do you say?¡± | ask my son. | don¡¯t care what anyone says,

    my son is brilliant and. understands every word I¡¯m saying. Even if he doesn¡¯t, he looks at me like he does, so I¡¯m assuming he

    does. Angel justughs at me when | tell her he understands me.

    ¡°He chews on his toes too, Liam. Is that also a show of his intelligence?¡± Hey,

    he¡¯s still a baby, he does baby things, too. | didn¡¯t say that he¡¯s coordinated yet. That will probablye next month.

    As we''re walking toward the elevator, | hear it ding and the elevator doors start opening. | immediately push my son in his car

    seat behind a desk and take a defensive stance. No one should being up here thiste in the evening.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    When the doors open, I¡¯m stunned at what | see. It¡¯s Audra, but the difference in her from when | saw her months ago to now, is

    shocking. Back then, she was one of the most beautiful and exotic women I¡¯d ever seen. Now, she is bone-thin, her hair is

    missing in chunks and she looks nearly dead.

    ¡°Audra!¡± | grab her before she falls.

    When she sees me, there are tears in her eyes, her eyes are bloodshot. Or no, not bloodshot, more like the blood vessels in her

    eyes have burst. She looks terrible. ¡°Liam. They areing. They areing for them.¡±

    | pick her up, bringing to a chair. ¡°Who ising Audra? Who did this to you?¡±

    She grabs the front of my shirt. ¡°The hunters. They know about the Guardians, and they areing, Liam.¡±

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 0290

    Three yearster

    It''s amazing how much changes in three years. Two days after Sarah and Dustin officially adopted Sienna, Sarah found out she

    was pregnant. It worked out okay because her pregnancy was very difficult. As expected, she was on bed rest for most of her

    pregnancy. Dustin would take Sienna with him to his office or | would keep her with me, having set up a kid¡¯s y area in my

    office. Sometimes, Dustin would carry Sarah to her desk when she got too stir¡ªcrazy and needed a break from sitting in her bed

    all day. At least being in the packhouse, he and | were always close and could monitor her.

    The doctor told her she¡¯d have to have a C-Section because her internal scarring was too severe to allow for a baby to pass

    through the birthing canal. And five months after adopting Sienna, they weed baby Jackson Dustin Roberts into the world.

    They named him after our previous Gamma, since he had given his life protecting Sarah and the others who were in the bunker

    that day.

    Cara and Rik finally had their second baby. | know Cara was frustrated with Rik¡¯s unwillingness to have a second child. After

    everything that she went through with Lily, it was amazing how simple her second pregnancy was. After delivering a healthy baby

    boy, Cohen Donovan Forte, a year ago, they are due to deliver their third child, another boy, any day now.

    Rik finally had a talk with Aolis after bing ufortable with his fascination with Lily. Aolis told him that he is Lily¡¯s mate and

    he¡¯s been visiting the pack regrly ever since. At first, | think they were concerned, but seeing Aolis interact with Lily, it''s

    obvious that he feels the mate bond. Everything he does is to make Lily happy. He will spend hours with her and never be

    bored or irritated with her, even though she is ten years younger than he is. The mate bond between them makes sense. His

    father, Ailduin, was mated to a Guardian. years ago. Lily is showing signs of being a Guardian already even though she hasn¡¯t

    gotten her wolf. This time, there is no concern that she will be taken from Aolis. Rik and Cara have no problem with their

    daughter being mated to Fae royalty, but they are adamant that Lily will have to agree with the mate bond and choose Aolis as

    her mate.

    We finally connected with Clint and Donovan¡¯s Guardian spirit. To say she¡¯s a spitfire would be an understatement. Cara and |

    loved her immediately. She brings a whole new level to the Guardians and our continued work together has increased our power

    and strength.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    1/2

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    With that strength hase a new responsibility. It started almost a year ago, after the war with the hunters. Audra had given us

    warning that the hunters wereing, but it was almost another year before we finally had the hunter war. Liam brought Audra

    to the pack and gave her a ce to stay while she recovered. She stayed mostly to herself and then one day not long after we

    defeated the hunters, she just vanished. | guess as a panther, being a solitary creature, she struggled having the pack around all

    the time.

    The war with the hunters showcased our strength as Guardians to all the supernaturals. It was after the war that the requests for

    our interventions started toe in. Ailduin had been correct in his prediction. We were being asked to pass judgement on

    issues between the supernatural species.

    So, we set up a council. There is always two of the three Guardians required on the council, but we also have included an

    appointee from the vampire, fae and shiftermunities. More recently, we''ve been petitioned to include a siren and a dragon

    but so far, they''ve been included in the shiftermunity, although their needs are different from the average shifter. We''ve also

    been petitioned to include a representative from the angel and demonmunities. If I¡¯m being honest, | had no clue that there

    were so many different types of supernaturals out there. All of these petitions are under review and will be voted on at the next

    council meeting.

    And then, there¡¯s me and Liam. We had four children back-to-back. First was our son, Richard Clint, then only six monthster

    we weed our daughter, Leana Este, named after Liam¡¯s parents. It worked out that | was in between pregnancies for the

    hunter war. There¡¯s no way Liam would have let me fight if | was pregnant. But, we needed all three Guardians, so thankfully, it

    worked out. Six months after the hunter war, we weed our second son, Alexander Conal and seven months after that, we

    weed our third son, Cayden Andrew. Some people might say that we were having children too quickly and too close

    together. Perhaps there is some validity to that. The doctors sure gave Liam and | a hard time about it. After our fourth child, we

    were both tired. It¡¯s a lot to take care of four children two years old and younger. For over a year, | was nursing two children at

    the same time.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 291

    But you will never hear mein. | asked Liam to fill the packhouse with our children and he¡¯s doing his best to oblige me. |

    love that three and a half yearster, | still can¡¯t get enough of my mate, and he can¡¯t get enough of me. No matter how tired we

    are, he still shows me in little ways every day how much he loves and appreciates me. And at night, he always shows me in the

    best way, although we''ve learned that | have to be quiet or we''ll wake the kids. That¡¯s be his new favorite game, how far

    can he push me before I¡¯m too loud. It¡¯s a fun game to y with the love of my life.

    Because our children were so close together for the first two years, | never went into heat. But after our fourth, and at the

    doctor¡¯s insistence, we took a break from getting pregnant. Maybe because | was nursing, or maybe because I¡¯d been pregnant

    so many times, but it took months for me to go into heat.

    I''m not sure Liam believed Rik when he warned him that my heat would nearly kill him or that he¡¯d hope his penis would fall off,

    but that¡¯s exactly what happened. Thank goodness for Sarah and Dustin. They looked after our children, made sure we had food,

    lots of water and that no one came into the packhouse for a week.

    When it finally ended, Liam and | were in the shower, washing away the sweat and the smell of sex when he looked down at

    himself. ¡°Baby girl, | think you broke my dick.¡±

    | justughed at him, leaning against him and kissing him until | felt it working. Doesn''t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°You will never hear me say this again, but please, tell me you don¡¯t want to go another round.¡±

    |ughed even harder. ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure even my advanced healing is fried. right now. | can barely walk I¡¯m so sore.¡±

    After we showered, we changed the sheets and slept for a full day and night, making up for theck of sleep over the previous

    week.

    And now, two weekster, | get to tell my mate the good news. | can¡¯t wait to see his face when | tell him that waiting nearly a

    year before trying for another pup has not only worked, but it worked a little too well.

    When he walks into our room, | have it set up with candles lit, the lights turned off. | haven¡¯t always known | was pregnant before

    he smelled the change in my hormones. It was only with our daughter that | knew before he did. So, | want to

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    make this special. | know he''ll be as excited as | am. We both want a house full of our pups. Sarah and Dustin are watching our

    little ones so | can have the evening to celebrate with the most amazing man in the world.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What''s all this, little angel?¡± He says, walking over to me and running his nose up and down my neck, grazing his canines over

    my mating mark, sending shivers throughout my body.

    | wrap my arms around his neck, loving the feel of the tingles that have not lessened over time.

    ¡°| have a surprise for you.¡±

    ¡°Mmmmam, | love surprises from my little mate.¡± He grabs me by my thighs, lifting me up until | wrap my legs around him. He

    begins kissing me as he walks

    me to our bed.

    ¡°| see that you have someone watching the kids for us, so is my surprise a night alone with my delicious mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Heys me on the bed, sliding over top of me, kissing his way down my neck.

    ¡°Hmmm, what''s the yes part first?¡±

    ¡°Yes, | do have Sarah and Dustin watching the kids for us so we can have tonight. together.¡± | gasp, trying to keep my wits about

    me as he unbuttons my top, kissing my chest.

    ¡°And the no part?¡± He asks, his voice deep and husky causing my core to clench while he unhooks my bra and pulls my shirt and

    bra off, tossing them on the floor.

    ¡°It''s not just because | wanted alone time with you, | have something to tell you, Liam.¡± | say as hetches onto a breast, bringing

    my nipple to a hard peak as | moan softly. He pulls off with a soft pop.

    ¡°And what¡¯s that baby girl?¡± He asks, moving to the other breast. My hand goes into his hair, tugging on it and holding him in

    ce as | arch into his mouth.

    ¡°| pregnant.¡± | wait until he lifts his head to look me in the eye, a huge smile on his face.

    ¡°Must be another girl, since | haven¡¯t smelled her yet.¡± He says, and | watch Cyran push forward, before he makes his way to my

    stomach to start sniffing for

    her.

    ¡°Well, actually, we¡¯re having twins.¡±

    The end.

    This story will continue in the third book, The Banished Beta¡¯s Saving Grace.

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    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 292

    **This is Book Three of the Guardians Trilogy. This book contains references to events that urred in the first two books and

    spoilers for those books. It is rmended that you read The Broken Warrior¡¯s Daughter and Alpha¡¯s Guardian Angel before

    reading this, the final book in the trilogy.

    Eli

    | never expected to find my mate, much less in a small town in the middle of the Appchian Mountains where | was just passing

    through. Even more surprising than her being under eighteen and nearly half my age, was the fact that she was human.

    | had been on a bus, with a ticket paid for by an old foe, turned...not exactly friend, but no longer a foe. | had stuffed the

    envelope of money he''d given me deep into my backpack underneath the new clothes he''d also bought for me. All of them still

    had the price tags on.

    When the bus had stopped for a two-houryover, | had gotten off to find a ce to eat. There was only one little mom and pop

    diner in the small town and when | walked into the rundown restaurant, | immediately smelled her scent. Cherry blossoms. Sweet

    and floral and a little exotic.

    When she walked up to take my order, | realized something was off about her. While she smelled vaguely of the forest, she didn¡¯t

    have the strong scent that all werewolves carry.

    ¡®Louis, does she have a wolf?¡® | ask my wolf.

    I can see him in my head tilting his head from side to side, his ears up like he¡¯s trying figure her out. ¡®No. | don¡¯t sense a wolf.

    But...¡®N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡®But?'' | ask.

    ¡®| don¡¯t know, there¡¯s something, like maybe she¡¯s a wolfless werewolf. She has power, but, well, I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s something

    there.¡¯

    ¡°Good afternoon. Wee to the diner. Can | get you something to drink?¡± The minimal effort she gives me in smiling her fake

    smile is obvious.

    ¡°Just water. Thank you.¡±

    Before | can say more, she¡¯s turning on her heel and walking back to the kitchen. She¡¯s the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen.

    | know all werewolves say that about their mate, but this woman is definitely the most gorgeous woman in the

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    world with her caramel-colored skin, eyes the color of milk chocte and her straight dark hair cut short.

    | watch her look up as the bell over the front door rings. When she brings my water, she also has additional menus for the

    neers.

    ¡°Hey Benny.¡± She says as she walks up to the neer. This time, her smile is warm and generous and Louis snarls in my

    head, unhappy with his mate giving attention to another man.

    ¡®Easy Louis. She doesn¡¯t recognize us as her mate. If we''re going to take her as our mate, we''ll have to n to stay for awhile

    and get to know her. She won''t recognize what we are to her without a wolf.¡® | try to calm him.

    However, it¡¯s the conversation that | hear after she walks away that concerns me. The humans don¡¯t understand that the rash of

    ¡°animal attacks¡± that they are seeing in this area are actually vampire attacks. There are tell-tale signs and based on what they

    are saying, the vampires are heading south. South, to the packs that just let me go, to the son of the woman | couldn¡¯t protect so

    many years ago. | owe her, even if | don¡¯t owe them.

    | left the diner, without ordering anything, jogging to the nearest forest and shifting. Louis ran straight through without stopping. |

    had to be there in time. | had to warn Liam. | owed Luna Este that. After everything she did for me, | couldn¡¯t save her, but |

    could save him and repay that debt.

    After warning Liam that the vampire attack was imminent, | headed straight back to the little town to find my mate. It was hard

    enough to leave her the first time, but now the pull to her was so strong it was almost painful.

    When | return, | find the only motel in town and get a room for a couple of nights. | need to learn all | can about my little mate,

    find out when she''ll be eighteen, see if her parents are actually werewolves and if so, why they are living here, on the outskirts of

    a pack.

    After putting my things in the motel room and finding a hiding spot for my money, | return to the diner. Through the window, | can

    see that my mate is working the nightshift tonight, so | head in and sit down, Louis and | rxing as we take in her sweet, exotic

    scent.

    As shees around the corner of the kitchen, | watch as her body stiffens, her nose going up into the air, nostrils ring.

    When she looks into my eyes, hers are not only showing that she now has her wolf, but they are brimming with the bright gold of

    the Guardian, turning her chocte¡ªcolored ¨¦yes to amber.

    ¡°Mate.¡± She whispers.

 Chapter 293

    Ten years oldContent held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°How¡¯s my beautiful girl?¡± My dad asks me as | walk down the stairs of our packhouse on my 10th birthday.

    ¡°Good morning Daddy. I¡¯m good. | can¡¯t wait to get my wolf today!¡±

    I''ve been the apple of my father¡¯s eye for ten years. He is always proudly taking me around, introducing me to our pack members

    and other pack members through the years. | walk over and hug him as he kisses the top of my head.

    ¡°Happy birthday sweetheart.¡± My mother says,ing up and kissing my cheek. ¡°How do you feel? Any different yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. Should | feel different?¡±

    ¡°It can happen at any time today, Gracie. Don¡¯t fret.¡± My father tells me, chucking me gently under the chin.

    My parents have a big party nned for me tonight. I¡¯m hoping that | can shift before my party and maybe I''ll be lucky enough to

    run into my party as my wolf. As an Alpha female and my father¡¯s only heir, it would be fitting. The pack would love it.

    Everyone in the pack adores me, or at least respects my position as their future Alpha. As | go through my day, I¡¯m continually

    wished a happy birthday and everyone asks if I¡¯ve heard from my wolf yet.

    As my party draws closer, | express my concern to my mother. ¡°Mom, what if she doesn¡¯te before the party. What will | do?¡±

    ¡°Grace, honey, it¡¯s okay. Your wolf wille when she¡¯s ready. Just be patient. If she¡¯s not here tonight, maybe she''lle

    tomorrow.¡±

    | get ready for my party. My mom helps me with my hair, adding a little makeup and then the dress that we boughtst weekend

    specifically for tonight.

    She walks downstairs with me, looking regal in her own matching gown. My mother is an amazing Luna. She looks after

    everyone in the pack, making sure that their needs are addressed and that they know how important they are to her and my

    father.

    My father is a good Alpha, strong and patient, at least with me. I¡¯ve seen him. during warrior training and he can be fierce and

    intimidating, but that¡¯s what a good Alpha is. He leads by example and | n to do the same.

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    My mother guides me to the stage and | can tell my father is a little disappointed that | haven¡¯t gotten my wolf yet. But he wishes

    me a happy birthday, giving me my favorite drink, a Shirley Temple, and makes a toast to me, the pack¡¯s future Alpha.

    As the days go by after my birthday, | be more and more concerned that my Wolf hasn¡¯t made an appearance. Every day

    my father asks if she has awakened, and every day | have to tell him that she hasn''t.

    As the weeks go by, my rtionship with my father changes. It¡¯s as if he mes me for not having a wolf, as if | am purposefully

    keeping her from him. | begin to dread the mornings, when he asks me if | have my wolf.

    Eventually, it bes the only question he asks me. ¡°Did your wolf awaken?¡± When | tell him no, it¡¯s thest thing he says to me

    until the next morning when he asks again.

    | find mom? Why don¡¯t | have my wolf? Did | do something wrong? Is the Moon d I do something wrong? Is the Moon Goddess

    angry with me?¡± Every night, my mother holds me as | cry, rocking me and trying to soothe my anxiety and frustration. But there

    is nothing that can calm me, especially when my father continues ignoring me.

    mom self crying to my mother every night. ¡°Why? Why hasn¡¯t she shown up.

    As the weeks turn to months, my father¡¯s anger only gets worse. | notice him snapping at my mother now too. ¡°This is your fault.¡±

    He snarls at her one day. ¡°I should never have taken such a weak wolf as a mate. | should have rejected you and taken an Alpha

    female as my mate.¡±

    | dread my 11th birthday. My father starts the day as he always does. ¡°Did your wolf awaken?¡±

    | swallow my tears, they only make him more angry. ¡°No father.¡± His lip curls in disgust.

    ¡°Well, we won''t be having a party to celebrate tonight since there is nothing to celebrate.¡± He tells me before walking out.

    One night, not long after my 11th birthday, | wake to sounds of violence. | rush out of my room to hear things mming around in

    my parents¡¯ room. | rush into their room, thinking we are under attack but what | see nearly stops my heart. My father has my

    mother against the wall, holding her by her neck. She has a bruise darkening on her cheek.

    My father turns and sees me standing there. ¡°Get out!¡± He yells at me. As much as | want to move, my feet work.

    Can''t make

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    He turns to my mother. ¡°Tell her to get out unless you want her to watch as | force you to give me another heir, one worthy of

    being Alpha.¡±

    My mother looks at me, her eyes showing the pain that she¡¯s feeling at my father¡¯s abuse. ¡°Go on sweetheart. Go back to bed.

    Everything is fine.¡±

    ¡°It''s not fucking fine.¡± He snarls at her and begins ripping at her clothes with his free hand, still holding her against the wall.

    ¡°Go.¡± My mother mouths to me and | turn and run from the room, closing the door as | do. | don¡¯t want anyone else to see what

    my father is doing to my mother.

    The next morning, only my father emerges from their room. He asks me the usual question and when | say no, he mutters

    something about me being useless like my mother before heading downstairs.

    | go to my parents¡® room, knocking before opening the door. My mother is limping toward the bathroom, her naked body riddled

    with bruises and dried. blood on her thighs. She turns, her eyes haunted. ¡°Grace, honey, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    | close the door and walk to her. ¡°He¡¯s gone, let me help you mother.¡±

    She nods and | help her walk to the bathroom. | start a warm bath for her and help her to get in, letting her body soak. While she

    does, | go back out to the bedroom, seeing the blood-stained sheets. | rip them off and rece them before the house omegas

    can see. | don¡¯t know if this is the first time, but no one should know what has happened in this room.

    | go back into the bathroom, leaning against the tub.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so sorry, this is all my fault.¡± Her eyes were closed, but when | speak, she opens them and cups my face in her hand.

    ¡°Don''t ever take the me for what happened to me. You have no control over when your wolf emerges. | love you and | do not

    now, nor will | ever regret having you, my beautiful daughter.¡±

    Over the next year, | find my mother is this state nearly every morning. My father begins asking two questions every day, one of

    me and one of my mother. ¡°Has your wolf emerged?¡± and ¡°Are you pregnant?¡±

    This bes out life, until my 12th birthday.

 Chapter 294

    | dread the morning of my 12th birthday. | know my father is getting more and more angry and if | don¡¯t have my wolf on my

    birthday, it will set him off. Over thest two years, his anger and aggression have increased and the pack is suffering for it.

    Everyone walks on eggshells with my father now. No onees to the packhouse any longer and I¡¯m thankful because | don¡¯t

    want anyone to see what he does to my mother. His abuse of her has gotten worse over I¡¯m terrified that one day he will kill her.

    the pas

    past year.

    The door to my room ms open, and | jerk up out of bed. ¡°Well?¡± My father says without any preamble.

    | just shake my head, no. He stalks toward me. ¡°You worthless excuse for a daughter. You are nothing to me.¡±

    He raises his hand to hit me and my motheres flying in, out of nowhere, putting herself between me and him. His backhands

    her, his hand mming into her cheek. Her head whips around, spit and blood flying from her mouth. He sneers down at my

    mother as she turns, steadying herself in front of me.

    ¡°Move.¡± He says. She doesn¡¯t respond, but she doesn¡¯t move.

    He stares at her a moment before turning to me. ¡°Get out.¡±

    | look at him, not understanding what he means.

    ¡°Get. Out. Of. My. Packhouse! If | ever see you on my packnds again, | will kill you myself.¡± He says before stalking out of my

    room, mming the door.

    ¡°Mom? What did he mean?¡±

    My mom is quiet for a couple of minutes. ¡°Pack a bag. Pack light enough to be able to carry it, but enough to get you through for

    a weekend. Pack anything you can¡¯t live without. I''ll be back in five minutes.¡±

    Five minutester, my motheres in with her own bag. | had thrown my favorite clothes and a couple of pictures into my

    overnight bag.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Quickly and quietly.¡± My mother says, taking my hand and leading me down the stairs. She stops every few steps to

    listen before pulling me behind her and continuing our way down the stairs. When we get to the bottom, rather than going out the

    front door, she takes me down a hallway and out the omega¡¯s

    entrance.

    Once we''re outside, we begin jogging toward the forest line. My mother sees

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    some of our border patrols and pulls me behind a tree. When they pass, she moves on until my father¡¯s Gamma steps in our

    way.

    ¡°Where are you going Paige?¡± He says as my mother stops in front of him and pulls me behind her.

    ¡°He banished her, Jack. | can¡¯t let her leave on her own. | won''t. Are you going to stand in my way?¡±

    He looks at my mother then at me before shaking his head. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out some money. ¡°Get as far

    away as possible. Get on a bus or rent a car but get far away from here as quickly as you can. He may have banished her, but

    he won''t let you go easily. I¡¯ll you as long as possible.

    Cor for

    ¡°Thank you, Jack.¡± My mother says before hugging him quickly. He says something in her ear, but | can¡¯t hear what it is. Then,

    my mother grabs my hand and we are running again. We¡¯re only a mile or so from the pack borders when the howl goes up.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    then Immediately, my mother hands me her bag. ¡°Get on my back.¡± She says, shifts into her wolf. | climb on her back and she

    takes off. My mother may not have been born an Alpha female, but she has been mated to an Alpha wolf and been a Luna for

    over a decade. Not only that, but she is determined to keep me safe. She runs as fast as she can.

    It''s 10 miles to the nearest human town. My mother runs through rivers and streams whenever possible to help try to throw the

    pack off our scent. When we are right outside the town, she shifts back, and | throw her some clothes. We run into the town and

    find the bus station. We find a bus that is leaving in 15 minutes and she buys two tickets.

    We get onto the bus and sit in the back, sliding down as low as possible in the seats. It¡¯s not until the bus doors close and we

    start moving that we both breathe a sigh of relief. We stay low in the seats until we are well away from the city.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 295

    At the first bus station, my mother pulls us off the bus and we buy tickets to another destination. This continues through three

    more bus stations, changing destinations midway through our journey.

    When we finally get to a ce where she decides we can stay, it¡¯s the middle of the night two dayster. I¡¯m exhausted and there

    is only one motel in this small town. We crash on the bed and | fall asleep immediately. | realize, somewhere in the back of my

    mind, that my 12th birthday present was escaping from my father, and | know it¡¯s the best present that I¡¯ve ever been given. For

    today, my mother and | are safe..

    Mom decided that we could stay in this small town. She said that we were not on any pack territory and although there are packs

    around, in this part of the Appchian Mountains, they stay to themselves.

    My mother enrolls me in school and she gets a job at the only diner in town. She finds a ce for rent, what the humans call a

    mother-inw apartment. It isn¡¯t much, but it is safe and | don¡¯t have to wake up to my mother healing from bruises or worse

    every morning.

    It''s nearly a year before it starts. Every day after school, | go to the diner and sit at the ice cream bar. | do my homework while |

    wait for my mother to finish her shift. She works double shifts every day, so that we will have enough money in case we ever

    have to run again.

    On this particr day, everything is normal, until suddenly, my mother drops. her tray and doubles over in pain. Her initial cry

    alerts the owner, who is also the cook. Hees running out and sees her on the floor, writhing in pain.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asks.

    | am already at her side. ¡°I don¡¯t know, she just doubled over and cried out.¡±

    ¡°I''ll call an ambnce, we need to get her to a hospital.¡± Benny, the owner says.

    s of

    ¡°No!¡± My mother says. Looking at me, she says, ¡°Sweetie, go get me a ss water, I''ll be okay in a minute.¡± | can see the effort it

    takes for her to even get those words out.

    ¡°Mom, no, Benny is right.¡±

    Benny looks at my mom and something passes between them. ¡°Go get your

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    mother a ss of water.¡±

    | don¡¯t know what my mother tells Benny, but when |e back, he¡¯s got my mother sitting up. | bring her the water and she

    drinks it down. ¡°I¡¯m okay. ¡°Paige, | can handle one evening. I''ll call someone in. Go home and rest.¡±

    Mom nods and Benny helps her stand up. ¡°Grace, take your mother home and get her into bed.¡±

    | go collect my things and before | leave, Benny gives me a to-go box for dinner.¡± Let me know if she needs anything overnight.¡±

    He says before | help my mother back to our apartment.

    When | get her into bed, my mother takes my hand. ¡°Sit down Grace, we need to talk.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    | sit down next to her on the bed. ¡°Sweetheart, do you understand what happened today?¡±

    rs in her eyes um | shake my head, no. She takes my hand and I can see the important thing is, | think you are safe from your

    father now. | think that he has stopped searching for us.¡±

    She isn¡¯t looking at me, she¡¯s staring at our hands, sped together. ¡°But, he has taken another lover.¡± She looks up at me. ¡°You

    understand what this means?¡± | shake my head.

    She swallows, fighting tears. ¡°It means that your father is cheating on our mate bond. When that happens in a mated

    rtionship, the person being cheated on can feel it. It feels like you are being stabbed with a knife over and over. From what

    I''ve heard, the feeling continues as long as the cheating continues, meaning every time that your father is with another woman, |

    will feel it. | can only guess that this will be more and more frequent. | need you to understand because | don¡¯t want you to

    worry.¡±

    ¡°But what will happen to you?¡±

    She looks down at our joined hands again. ¡°The longer it goes on, the weaker | will be, until one day, my wolf will give up

    and we will die.¡±

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 0296

    That conversation with my mother happened five years ago. My father¡¯s

    infidelity killed her slowly over three years. In the end, | believe my father took another mate. My mother had been getting weaker

    and weaker, but thatst day, her scream of pain was something | will never forget.

    It was my sixteenth birthday. My mother had taken the day off to celebrate with me. So many of my birthdays had been ruined by

    my father, but this one ended up being the worst.

    The day had started out amazing. We''d gone to a local river, hiking through the forest. Mom wasn''t able to shift any more, her

    wolf had be too weak over the years, but we still made the most of our time.

    It was while we were having dinner, in the evening, the time when parties and events would have urred in the pack, that it

    happened. At first, mother stopped, food midway to her mouth. She had such a strange look on her face, but then it happened.

    She grabbed her neck where her mating mark was and screamed. | ran to her and held her, used to her ¡®episodes¡® by now. But

    this time, it was more than she could survive

    She died in my arms, leaving me alone in the world at sixteen.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Benny, | don¡¯t know what would have happened to me. | probably would have ended up in the human foster care

    system. But, | had already started working at the diner, covering for my mother. Mom had told Benny that she had cancer. It¡¯s not

    something that werewolves get, given their healing power, but Benny didn¡¯t know my mom was a wolf, so it worked.

    So, he let me work in her ce when she was ¡°sick¡± and when she passed, he covered for me, letting me continue working for

    him and making sure that | finished school.

    He retired from cooking a few months ago, but he stilles in every day, keeping an eye on me and the diner.

    I''m always careful when the busese through. Lots of transient people hit on me thinking they can have an easy one-night

    stand or a ¡®quickie¡® with me. Benny makes sure that | stay safe, but I¡¯m always careful when the bus people, as | call them,e

    in to eat during theiryover.

    Several days before my 18th birthday, a giant of a man came in, reminding me of the warriors in my old pack. It wasn¡¯t so much

    that he was tall, I¡¯m fairly tall fora woman at 5''11", but he was broad and muscr. He stared at me when he first

    came in, then disappeared before he ordered food. It was bizarre and | was concerned that he might be a werewolf, but he was a

    bus person, so who knows.

    On my

    18th birthday, | wake up, having no intention of celebrating. My birthdays have be something not worth remembering. |

    didn¡¯t get my wolf, my father banished me and my mother died. Who wants to celebrate a day where these. awful things

    happen? The only positive is that | am officially an adult by human standards and no one can force me to leave now.

    However, all my ns go out the window when I¡¯m in the shower and I hear her.

    ¡®Oh Grace, you''ve been through so much waiting for me. I¡¯m sorry it took so long.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± | say, looking past the shower curtain to see the bathroom is

    empty.

    ¡®It''s me Grace, your wolf. My name is Maia.

    ¡°| don¡¯t have a wolf. I¡¯m too old to get my wolf.¡± | say out loud.

    ¡®No, I¡¯ve always been a part of you, but | had to wait before | awakened.¡®

    ¡®Wait for what?¡¯ | ask in my head. If it''s not my wolf, | won¡¯t get a response.

    ¡®| had to wait for the Guardian spirit that was meant to be ours. His life was longer than it was meant to be. The Moon Goddess

    granted the wish of another Guardian and spared his life. I''ve been waiting to awaken until | received my Guardian spirit."

    ¡®So, you''re real? You''re my wolf?¡®

    ¡®Yes Grace. You won''t ever be alone again. | will always be with you.¡¯

    | hadn''t realized just how lonely | felt until now, causing tears to run down my

    cheeks.

    ¡®Maia. It¡¯s good to finally meet you."

    ¡®It''s good to meet you too Grace.¡±

    At work, | told Benny that | needed the evening off. When he asked, | told him it was my birthday and | hadn¡¯t nned to

    celebrate, but | changed my mind. He grabbed me a cupcake and told me to go enjoy my evening.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    0 +15 BONOS

 Chapter 297

    That night, | went into the forest surrounding the small town. When Maia confirmed that we were alone, | stripped off my clothes

    and let her begin the first shift. It was agonizing. Usually, the human form shifts at age 10 when the body isn¡¯t fully developed. My

    first shift being at 18 and without any family or a mate to assist made it excruciating.

    After hours of my bones slowly breaking and rearranging, |y panting on the forest floor. Maia pushes forward and picks us up

    off the ground. We¡¯re wobbly, not being used to being on four paws.

    I''m mesmerized by everything. Suddenly, | can hear things in the forest that were quiet before. | can smell the river where my

    mom and | hiked on my birthday two years ago. | can hear and smell the small animals of the forest, foraging for food or moving

    around in their little dens for the evening. My eyesight is sharper and where | couldn¡¯t see in the dark before, now everything is

    clear.

    Maia takes off at a run and | let her have control. Her yip of excitement causing me to be excited for her. We run until we smell a

    stronger scent of the forest. ¡®It''s a pack. We should be careful to stay off their packnds.¡® Maia tells me.

    We tu

    and run in another direction, until wee to another pack territory several miles away. Again we turn, being careful not to cross

    into the pack¡¯snds and continue our run. When we get to the river, Maia slows to a walk. She takes us to the edge of the river

    and looks into the water. My wolf is mostly ck, with colors of light and dark brown intermixed giving her fur an exotic look that

    I''ve never seen on another wolf.

    ¡°You''re beautiful Maia.¡±

    After running all night, we head back, and I¡¯m able to get some sleep before going to work the next day.

    It''s been over a week since Maia showed up and I¡¯ve settled into a new routine. | go to work, during the day and at night | let

    Maia run, Now that | have her, I¡¯ve begun thinking about what | should be doing. She says that as a Guardian, we have a

    purpose, but she either doesn¡¯t know what it is, or she¡¯s not telling me.

    I''m enjoying my enhanced senses. Everything is new. I¡¯ve learned that the cook has a crush on me and has since he started

    here. | learned that Benny tells everyone my mother made him my guardian before her death, and that¡¯s why no

    one ever bothered me. | learned that humans have a rather boring smell, but werewolves smell great, like the forest.

    +15 BONOS

    Maia and | skirt along the pack lines at night, taking in the scents. | can tell she misses being a part of a pack, but | have no

    intentions of going back to my father¡¯s pack and she agrees, knowing everything that my mother and | endured. So, it¡¯s a bit

    startling when | hear the doorbell chime one evening, as I¡¯m getting close to getting off work. The first scent to hit my nose is the

    forest. It''s the first werewolf that hase in since | got Maia. I¡¯m not sure how to react. Should | be nervous, or will it be fine. |

    don¡¯t know if | smell like a rogue to other wolves. Since | didn¡¯t get my wolf when | was 10, | wasn¡¯t technically banished from a

    pack like a normal wolf. It¡¯s different when a human is banished.

    Maia jumps up in my head. ¡®Maia, is everything okay?¡® | ask her.

    ¡®| need to see him.¡® She says. So | brace myself and walk out of the kitchen.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    As soon as | do, | smell it, sandlewood and cedar. It smells like the forest, and home and something sensual and mouthwatering

    all at once.

    | turn to look around the room, wanting to know who the person is that smells so good and that¡¯s when | see him. It¡¯s the man

    from over a week ago and he¡¯s

    looking right at me.

    Maia pushes forward. ¡°Mate.¡± She says quietly.

    | huge smile spreads across his face. ¡°Mate.¡± He repeats.

 Chapter 298

    The irony of this situation is not lost on me, proving that the Moon Goddess does, indeed, have a sense of humor. | kidnapped a

    Guardian nearly a year ago to forcibly take her as my mate. She ended up being underage, so me trying to mark her didn¡¯t work.

    While I¡¯ve seen the error of my ways and realize what | did was a terrible thing, here | am, looking into the eyes of my mate, who

    is also a Guardian.

    She walks over to me, eyeing me cautiously. ¡°What can | get you to drink?¡± She

    asks me.

    ¡°I''d like a water, your name and what time you get off work. | think we have some things to discuss, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Water. Coming right up.¡± Before she can turn away from me, | grab her hand. ¡± And your name?¡±

    | hear someone standing up behind me. She looks past me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Benny.¡±

    She turns back to me. ¡°My name is Grace and | don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about. Are you going to leave before you

    order food, or should I really bring your water this time?¡±

    Okay, the sass is turning me on. Well, if I¡¯m honest, anything my mate does will most likely turn me on, but | love a girl who is

    strong and sassy. Not that | have much experience with them. I''ve been on the run for years and in a cell for the past 6 months

    having my ass beaten nearly every day.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°I''m not going anywhere Grace.¡±

    She nods and turns to head in the back to get my water. | feel the man, Benny, walking up behind me.

    ¡°Son, unless you want a world of trouble, you better leave that little girl alone.¡±

    I stand, turning to face the man who may be tall, but he¡¯s not as tall as | am, he¡¯s lean where I¡¯m broad, making him half my size,

    physically, if that, and he¡¯s at least twice my age, not to mention, he¡¯s human. ¡°Sir, with all due respect, | don¡¯t have any intention

    of hurting Grace, but | do need to speak with her.¡±

    To his credit, he doesn¡¯t back down from what is obviously a fight he can¡¯t win. Before he says something that will piss me off,

    Grace is there, getting in between.

    1.US.

    ¡°Benny, go sit down, I¡¯ve got this.¡± She turns and looks up at me, but not a lot,

    my girl is tall. ¡°You!¡± She points her finger in my face. ¡°Sit down.¡±

    And | know in that moment that my girl is an Alpha. | can feel the power of her aura pushing out. I¡¯m not even sure she realizes it.

    | do as shemands, not entirely of my own free will. Damn.

    She leans over the table and her delicious scent of cherry blossoms fills my nostrils. ¡°I get off in 30 minutes. I''ll talk to you then.

    Do you want food?¡±

    I smirk at her because | can tell that her being this close to me is having an effect on her too. She may be acting like she¡¯s all

    kinds of pissed off with me, but | can smell her arousal at being this close to her mate. ¡°I''ll take whatever your favorite is.¡±

    She smirks back at me, and | realize | may have made a mistake.

    When she returns, | chuckle. A banana split. Not my choice of dinner, but I''ll deal with it for one night.

    | eat slowly, watching her as she goes around taking orders, cleaning tables, and talking to any customer that isn¡¯t me.

    | have so many questions for her. Where are her parents? Why is she working, being that she¡¯s an Alpha? Why is she working in

    a diner in a human town outside of any packnd? Does she know she¡¯s a Guardian? If so, does she understand that as soon as

    the word gets out that a Guardian has passed away,

    country will be searching for her, putting her at great risk. Does she understand the mate bond? Most werewolves respond

    differently to finding their mate than she did. She almost acted as if she was angry that I¡¯m her mate. | hope she doesn¡¯t think I''ll

    let her reject me. Not happening.

    every Alpha male in the the

    | need to contact Rik Forte, Alpha of the Canyon Ridge pack, and find out which Guardian died. I¡¯m guessing it was during the

    battle with the vampires. It won¡¯t matter if it was Clint or Angel, both Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs will be in mourning.

    They need to know that I¡¯ve found their reincarnated Guardian. | don¡¯t know why Grace is here, in this small town, but she will

    need to be protected if she won''t allow me to mark her right away. The safest ce for her will be with the other Guardians and

    me, her mate.

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    GET IT NOW

    There¡¯s a lot for us to emotionally unpack in our first conversation.

    When her 30 minutes are up, shees to collect the dishes from my table before going behind the counter and disappearing

    into the back. | perk up my ears, ensuring that she doesn¡¯t n to sneak out the back. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised when she returns,

    with a purse hanging across her neck and chest, and sits down

    across from me.

    She stares at me a moment. ¡°Well? You wanted to talk? Talk.¡±

    ¡°Not here, I''ll walk you home.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. | have no intention of letting you know where | live.¡±

    | lean forward. ¡°You know what | am, so you know that | can track you. | don¡¯t think you want your human friend to hear our

    conversation, do you?¡±

    She looks past me and realizes that he¡¯s watching us and trying to listen in on our conversation.

    She stands. ¡°Goodnight Benny.¡± She says and waits for me to stand up and follow her out.

    Before we walk out the door, Benny calls out to her. ¡°Call me and let me know you''re okay Gracie.¡±

    She nods and we step outside. | have so many questions, but as jealousy res in my gut, Louis thrashing around in my head,

    the first one thates out of my mouth has nothing to do with anything I¡¯d been thinking about. ¡°What is he to you? Benny. He¡¯s

    old enough to be your father.¡±

    ¡°Old enough to be my grandfather, and he¡¯s most likely the reason that | didn¡¯t end up in the human foster care system. And

    you''re not exactly one to talk about being old. What are you, forty?¡±

    | scoff at herment about my age. | want to know more about Benny, but that will do for now. ¡°My name is Eli, I¡¯m 32, and

    does that mean that your parents are dead?¡±

    ¡°My mother is dead, | have no idea about my father, nor do | care.¡±

    ¡°But you''re an Alpha.¡±

    She turns, looking at me startled. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Uh, because youmanded me back there to sit down and | felt your Alpha

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 0299

    There¡¯s a lot for us to emotionally unpack in our first conversation.

    When her 30 minutes are up, shees to collect the dishes from my table before going behind the counter and disappearing

    into the back. | perk up my ears, ensuring that she doesn¡¯t n to sneak out the back. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised when she returns,

    with a purse hanging across her neck and chest, and sits down

    across from me.

    She stares at me a moment. ¡°Well? You wanted to talk? Talk.¡±

    ¡°Not here, I''ll walk you home.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. | have no intention of letting you know where | live.¡±

    | lean forward. ¡°You know what | am, so you know that | can track you. | don¡¯t think you want your human friend to hear our

    conversation, do you?¡±

    She looks past me and realizes that he¡¯s watching us and trying to listen in on our conversation.

    She stands. ¡°Goodnight Benny.¡±

    her out.

    She says and waits for me to stand up and follow

    Before we walk out the door, Benny calls out to her. ¡°Call me and let me know you''re okay Gracie.¡±

    She nods and we step outside. | have so many questions, but as jealousy res in my gut, Louis thrashing around in my head,

    the first one thates out of my mouth has nothing to do with anything I¡¯d been thinking about. ¡°What is he to you? Benny. He¡¯s

    old enough to be your father.¡±

    ¡°Old enough to be my grandfather, and he¡¯s most likely the reason that I didn¡¯t end up in the human foster care system. And

    you''re not exactly one to talk about being old. What are you, forty?¡±

    | scoff at herment about my age. | want to know more about Benny, but that will do for now. ¡°My name is Eli, I¡¯m 32, and

    does that mean that your are dead?¡±

    ¡°My mother is dead, | have no idea about my father, nor do | care.¡±

    ¡°But you''re an Alpha.

    She turns, looking at me startled. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    parents

    ¡°Uh, because youmanded me back there to sit down and | felt your Alpha

    ?+15 BONOS

    aura pushing over me.¡± | watch as surprise crosses her features and | raise an eyebrow. ¡°You didn¡¯t realize you were

    commanding me?¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°No, | didn¡¯t mean to. | just didn¡¯t want you hurting Benny.¡± ¡°What is your wolf''s name?¡± | shift the

    conversation.

    ¡°Maia.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m correct that you just got Maia since | saw you a week ago and you didn¡¯t have a wolf then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she awakened on my 18th birthday.¡±

    ¡°Happy bted birthday.¡± | make a note to get her a birthday present, although | have no idea what.

    She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly care for my birthday. | have too many negative memories surrounding it. Getting Maia actually

    made this one worth celebrating.¡±

    | don¡¯t push on that, but | n to learn more about why her birthdays haven¡¯t been good. I¡¯m getting a bad feeling about her

    being an Alpha, not caring about her father, losing her mother and not getting her wolf until she was 18. It''s quite possible that

    her father banished her, thinking she was a wolfless wolf. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I''d heard of Alpha children being banished

    or abused because they ¡®disappointed¡¯ their parents by not getting a wolf.

    ¡°Maia.¡± | address her wolf. ¡°Do you know what you are?¡±

    | watch her golden eyese forward, Louis pushing forward as well to see his mate. ¡°Yes, | am a Guardian.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    ¡°And do you understand what that means?¡±

    ¡°As our mate, our destiny is to protect you.¡±

    Okay, that wasn¡¯t what | was expecting. ¡°Protect me from what?¡± | ask her..

    ¡°Anyone or anything that may threaten you.¡±

    | blink a couple of times, clearing my head. ¡°Okay, we''lle back to that. But, | don¡¯t need your protection. However, | do

    believe that you need mine. Do you understand that if any Alpha finds you, they will try to force you into a mate bond with them.

    You are a powerful wolf and they will want you in their pack permanently.¡±

    She stops and turns to look at me. ¡°And what about you?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Do you want me because I¡¯m a powerful wolf?¡±

    ¡°| want you because the Moon Goddess fated us to be together. That means that you are the other half of my soul.¡±

    ¡°| don''t believe in the mate bond.¡± That came from Grace.

 Chapter 300

    ¡°This is me.¡± | tell him when we arrive at my apartment. Maia really could have given me the head''s up about being this guy¡¯s

    Guardian. | don¡¯t know exactly what that means, but Maia is adamant that we are now bound to him. This man who is practically

    old enough to be my father but is actually my mate.

    It''s not that he¡¯s unattractive. He has a dark and broody look to him, dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. Even through his

    clothes, | can tell that he¡¯s ripped. His broad shoulders and chest look like solid muscle. His legs are the size of tree trunks, and |

    can see the muscle cutting lines through his jeans like they are molded to him.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter. | know how toxic the mate bond is. | lived it, watching my father mistreat my mother, then slowly watching

    her die. | refuse to put myself in that position.

    ¡°Thanks for walking me home. Good talk.¡± | step up to open my door when he takes my hand.

    ¡°We''re not done yet. We still have a lot to talk about.¡±

    ¡°I''m done talking. | gave you more time than | would normally give a stranger. | have things to do. Goodnight.¡± | pull my hand out

    of his and go inside, shutting the door in his face.

    | wait about an hour before going outside. | sniff the air. | can still smell him, but he¡¯s not waiting for me. | take a deep breath,

    smelling his sandlewood scent which lingers in the air. Why did our Moon Goddess have to make our mates smell so good. As if

    it wasn¡¯t bad enough that shifters are physically attractive. already, but then you have to add a mouthwatering scent as well? It¡¯s

    almost cruel.

    | walk to the edge of the forest, quickly pulling off my clothes and shifting. | feel like someone is watching me, but as | look

    around and sniff the air, | can¡¯t detect anyone nearby. | turn and let Maia run. We follow our usual path, going in one direction

    until wee to the pack boundary, then turning and going in the other direction until we get to the next pack¡¯s boundary and

    finally to the river.

    Maia drinks some water and turns to head home when | see him. He¡¯s huge, easily the size of an Alpha wolf. He¡¯s solid ck,

    blending into the forest and the shadows. If the moon wasn¡¯t so bright tonight, | doubt | would have even seen him.

    Maia puts her nose in the air, breathing deeply. ¡®It¡¯s him.¡® She says, practically

    +15 BONDS

    purring in my head.

    ¡®Who?¡¯ | ask her.

    ¡®Our mate, Eli and his wolf.¡® She starts to walk toward him.

    ¡®What are you doing?¡±

    ¡®Going to see our mate. | want to meet him.*

    ¡®What? No! We''re going home.*Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    We stare at him for a moment, while | battle with her in my head. ¡®Fine.¡¯ She finally gives in.

    ¡°Thank you.¡¯

    When we get to where my clothes are, | can still feel him. | can¡¯t walk in my wolf form to my apartment. | don¡¯t want to change

    while he¡¯s watching, but | don¡¯t really have a choice. | turn my back from where | feel eyes on me and shift before putting on my

    clothes quickly and jogging home, locking my door behind me.

    I''m not sure if | appreciate having someone watching over me, or if it feels like | have a stalker.

    ¡®He¡¯s watching over us.¡¯ My love-sick wolf says. ¡®He was making sure we were safe.¡¯

    ¡®Do you know what he meant about Alphas wanting to force us into a mate bond?¡® ¡®Yes. The Guardians have a long history of

    being forced into mate bonds with Alphas who want to keep them in their packs. We provide strength and therefore power toa

    pack we belong to. He is right. Once word gets out that a Guardian has died, every Alpha in the country will be looking for us.

    We''ll have to be careful and stay away from other werewolves.¡¯

    ¡®Well, until today, it hasn¡¯t been a problem, so we''ll just keep doing what we¡¯re doing.*

    The next day is much the same. | get up and head to work. I¡¯m only there a few minutes, when | hear the bell ring over the door,

    and | smell his scent. | may not have allowed Eli into my home, but | can¡¯t exactly kick him out of the diner.

    He orders food and literally sits in the seat until the end of my shift. ¡°You know, most people eat and leave.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

    x

 Chapter 301

    ¡°I''ll leave when you do. You may be done talking but I¡¯m not.¡± He says and | sigh.

    ¡°I''m not sure you realize how at risk you are. | have some ideas for you, but we need to talk privately.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± | go

    behind the counter to clock out and get my purse before walking up to him. ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    We walk outside. ¡°You know, until you came along, | wasn¡¯t ¡®at risk¡¯ of anything.¡± | use my fingers to make air quotes when | say

    at risk.

    ¡°Up until a week ago, you didn¡¯t have a wolf either. Now, you not only have a wolf, but you have a Guardian. Add to that, you''re

    an Alpha female, and every male Alpha on the will be looking for you very soon. Word of Clint¡¯s death. will travel fast.¡±

    | feel Maia flinch in my head. ¡®Maia, what is it?*

    ¡®| remember Clint and Donovan. Donovan was the wolf with the Guardian spirit before me and Clint was his human.¡±

    ¡°How do you know Clint?¡± | direct my question to Eli.

    ¡°| know all three Guardians or did. | don¡¯t have the best reputation with all of them. However, | called the Alpha of Canyon Ridge

    Packst night, to find out which Guardian had died. They recently went to war with some vampires and one of the Guardians

    was killed, which is how you ended up with your Guardian. spirit.¡±

    at you

    you

    | nod. ¡°They want you toe there to visit them. | told Rik, the Alpha, that have some things going on, but I¡¯d try to convince

    you to go to their pack. You''ll be safe there until you agree to let me mark

    you.¡±

    I stop and slowly turn to look at him. ¡°Excuse me? Mark me?¡±

    He turns and stands over me. ¡°Yeah, you know, my canines go into your neck at your marking spot, yours go into mine and then

    we mate, solidifying the bond.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so old man. Not happening. And I¡¯m perfectly happy where I¡¯m at.¡±

    ¡°You''re perfectly happy working in a human diner, skirting around pack. territories at night, hoping that they don¡¯t realize what you

    are and try to force you into their pack so their Alpha or his heir can mark you?¡±

    He takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, getting so close that | can

    feel his breath on my lips, his eyes boring into mine. ¡°And I¡¯m not old.¡±

    | scoff at him but | have to admit, his close proximity is having an effect on me. | can feel the heat pooling in my center and that is

    nothingpared to M purring in my head. | swear she¡¯s ready to shift then smack him in the face with her tail before

    presenting her backside to him. How did | end up with a hussy for at wolf?

    ¡®lm not a hussy. He¡¯s our mate and look at him. He¡¯s big and strong. | wonder if every part of his body is as big as what we can

    see.¡¯ She drools over our mate.

    ¡°Seriously Maia?¡®

    ¡®Well, if you won''t...¡® And before | realize what she¡¯s going to do, she¡¯s pushed me forward enough to close the distance between

    us, my lips pressing against his. Before | can react and pull back, he¡¯s moved his hand to the back of my head, holding it in ce

    while he tilts his head, his warm, soft lips pressing against mine hungrily before sliding his tongue across my lips.

    I''m overwhelmed by his smell. The taste of him on my lips is making me dizzy and | moan without realizing it. As soon as | do,

    his tongue sweeps into my mouth and a soft growles from deep in his chest. | grab hold of his shirt, my head spinning with

    the sensations that he¡¯s causing. His other armes around me, holding me up as my knees go weak.

    His tongue dominates my mouth, tasting me, teasing me. | hope he¡¯s not

    disappointed with my inexperience. My one previous kiss was at age 8, where a pack member in my ss stole a kiss at school.

    Other than that, | haven''t exactly had the opportunity to kiss anyone.

    Wait! What am | doing?

    | push away from him. ¡°That, that can never happen again.¡±

    He gives me a cocky grin before leaning forward and rubbing his nose against mine. ¡°Your wolf seems to disagree.¡± He says and

    kisses my nose before letting me go.

 Chapter 302

    ?

    I''m pleasantly surprised when Grace pushes forward and kisses me. I don''t waste any time taking what she is offering. It bes apparent to me quickly that she is inexperienced, but her tentative exploration only excites me more.

    When she pushes away from me, I can see that her wolf and the mate bond overwhelmed her. I''m fine with that. Louis keeps pushing me to mark her and make her ours. But I made that mistake before, trying to push someone into a mate bond they didn''t want. I refuse to do it again.

    It was one of the first questions that Rik asked me when I called himst night, if I had forced the mate bond on Grace. After letting him know that she''s my fated mate and no, I have not yet marked her, he and I both agreed that this situation is not ideal. Her being a young, Alpha female who is also a Guardian, alone in the world, puts her at risk. I also told him that there is something going on with her past and I n to find out what it is. I let him know that she may not be as willing to leave here as he and I would like. If I can''t convince her toe on her own, we agreed to pull out the big guns.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    We begin walking again. "Will you tell me about your father?"

    "Why do you care?" She asks me. Yeah, there''s definitely a story there. Anyone that has seen the mate bond in action would know that I care because she''s mine. I would want to help her anyway, but her being my mate seals the deal

    "I care because I''m your mate. But beyond that, it seems like you''re out here on your own when you have a parent that should be looking out for you, but isn''t."

    As we walk up onto her porch, 1 stop and look at her. "If I had to guess, I''d say that as an Alpha, your father didn''t like that you didn''t have your wolf. He either banished you or began abusing you. I''m guessing your mother got you out of that environment or came with you in your banishment. If that''s the case, then the severed mate bond would be what killed your mother slowly, over time. How am I doing so far?" I ask her, but I can see by the look on her face that I''ve hit home.

    She turns, opening her front door before walking in. Tonight, she doesn''t close the door in my face. I stand at the door watching her. "Well, you may as welle in." She says, when she sees that I''m standing outside.

    I step inside to a ce that''s as small as my hotel room and that''s saying something, especially when this space has a kitchen as well. I can almost see the benefits of Grace working in the diner. At least there she can get a real meal. This kitchen only has a small refrigerator, sink and small counter space with a hot te and microwave, no stove. She puts a pot of water on the hot te to heat and grabs some tea bags from one of the two cabs.

    "Tea?" She asks me and I nod. I don''t usually drink tea, but if it gives me more time with my mate, I will.

    I watch as she pulls out two mugs, the only two mugs she has and ces a tea bag in each, waiting for the tea pot to whistle. When it does, she pours the hot water into each cup.

    "Cream or sugar?" She asks.

    "I''ll take it however you make it."

    She leaves it without cream or sugar and brings it over to a small table, sitting both mugs on the table. "You can sit in the chair." She tells me as she sits on the floor. Rather than taking the only chair in the room, I sit on the floor opposite her.

 Chapter 303

    I can see her mind working as she stares into her tea. | stay quiet, waiting her out. ¡°My father was a great father and Alpha for

    the first ten years of my life. | was his only child, the Alpha heir. When | didn¡¯t get my wolf at age 10, he was patient at first. But

    then, over time, he became angry and he changed. Eventually, he began taking it out on my mother, trying to get her to conceive

    another heir, one worthy of being Alpha.¡± She stresses the word worthy, and I¡¯m guessing that was his word.

    ¡°He banished me when | was 12. My mother refused to let me leave alone. | would have died on my own, and she knew it. We

    ran and found this ce. For the first year, we watched every move we made, every person we saw. We were ready to run at

    any moment. Mom was working as many hours as Benny would give her so she could stockpile cash in case we had to run

    again.¡±

    She stirs her tea, pulling her tea bag out and putting it on her spoon, setting it aside. ¡°Eventually, he began having sexual

    rtions with other women. | didn¡¯tpletely understand it at first. Mom just said he was cheating on the mate bond. But as

    time went on, it happened more and more frequently. My mom became weak, unable to shift into her wolf anymore.¡±

    She takes a sip of her tea before continuing. ¡°On my sixteenth birthday, something happened. Whatever he did, it killed my

    mother.¡± A sad smile crosses. her face, her eyes unfocused with her memory. ¡°We had spent a wonderful day together. We¡¯d

    gone hiking in the forest and were having dinner together when it happened. I¡¯m sure he knew exactly what day it was, since

    he¡¯d ruined several of my birthdays at that point.¡±

    ¡°What do you think he did?¡± | ask quietly, trying not to pull her out of this state she was in, caught in her memories, speaking and

    remembering at the same time. ¡°I think he marked another she¡ªwolf, taking another mate, knowing it would kill my mother.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t believe in the mate bond?¡±

    She looks at me, the faraway look clearing and a fierce resolve recing it.¡± Would you? I¡¯ve seen what the mate bond does.

    I''ve seen it at its best and I¡¯ve seen it at its worst. | have no intention of ever letting you or any other man have that kind of power

    over me.

    me.

    | nod, because what can | say. Her story isn¡¯t the only one where someone abused the mate bond. Many Alphas feel that they

    are above the pull of the mate bond or

    that it is a binding that chains them, making them weak. However, I''ve seen what a positive mate bond looks like. I¡¯ve seen the

    rtionship between Rik and Cara, as well as Liam and Angel. There is nothing about the mate bond that made those Alphas

    weak. If anything, it made them stronger, better Alphas.

    ¡°Not everyone is like your father.¡± | say quietly.

    ¡°But how would | know if they were or weren''t. If you would ever be like that.¡±

    ¡°How about you agree to spend time with me and get to know me before you assume that I¡¯m like your father.¡±

    She''s already shaking her head. ¡°My dad was different until | didn¡¯t get my wolf. If | had, | may never have known what he was

    really like.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Your father is an asshole. Not all men or werewolves are like that. | can tell your now, even if | was aplete jerk, Louis, my

    wolf, would never let me treat my mate or pup like you have been treated.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°| do know that. I¡¯ve lived most of my life without a father and all of my life without a mother. | would never wish that on anyone,

    especially not my own child.¡± | tell her.

 Chapter 304

    When Eli tells me he¡¯s spent most of his life without parents, I¡¯m shocked. | wasn¡¯t expecting that.

    ¡°What happened to them?¡± | ask. If I¡¯m telling my story, he should tell his too.

    ¡°My mother died giving birth to me.¡± He stops, his jaw tightening.

    ¡°And your father?¡± | ask quietly. | can tell that this won¡¯t be as simple as his mother¡¯s death.

    The muscle in his jaw twitches before he answers. ¡°The short version is my father challenged our Alpha heir to a duel after he

    caused the death of my older brother, the future Beta. The Alpha forbade it, but his son agreed. My father in his grief, killed the

    Alpha heir, the only child of our Alpha.¡± He stops and takes a sip of his tea before looking back up at me.

    ¡°The Alpha forced me to watch as he beheaded my father, med him for the death of my brother and the Alpha heir, called him

    a traitor, then he banished me. | was 12, so | understand your mother¡¯s concern about not surviving alone at that age. | almost

    died as well.¡±

    | swallow hard trying to get past the lump in my throat. Our stories are very simr, only he didn¡¯t have a mother to help him.

    ¡°How did you survive?¡± | ask him.

    He looks away from me, a small smile gracing his face. ¡°The Luna of a nearby pack found me after | had been on my own for six

    months. | was starving, dying really. She brought me clothes, food and would bring stories and read to me. Those few months

    with her were the only time in my life I''ve ever had a mother figure.¡±

    There¡¯s obviously more to the story. ¡°What happened.¡±

    He sighs. A deep, heavy sigh that seems toe from his soul. ¡°The Alpha that banished me wanted more power. He wanted

    another heir. So, he attacked the pack. | heard that he nned to kill the Luna in order to weaken her mate so he could kill him

    more easily.¡±

    His voice bes strained like he¡¯s choking back tears. ¡°I tried to save her, but | was toote.¡±

    He drinks his tea, and we sit in silence for a few minutes. ¡°Did your previous Alpha defeat the Alpha of the other pack?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, Alpha Leander killed him. However, they thought | was the one that killed Luna Este, and they hunted me for almost 20

    years. I''d only recently been

    released from Liam¡¯s dungeon when | found you.

    Okay, that took an unexpected turn. ¡°Who is Liam and why were you in his dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Liam is the only child of Alpha Leander and Luna Este. When his father passed away, he began hunting me.¡±

    I''m at a total loss for words, | don¡¯t even know what to say. His life has been worse than mine and | didn¡¯t think that was possible.

    ¡°How did you escape?¡±

    He gives me a rueful smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t. His mate, another Guardian, could tell that | was speaking the truth when | said | didn¡¯t kill

    Luna Este. After that, he bought me some clothes, gave me some money and put me on a bus that led me to you. ¡°So you

    see,¡± he continues, ¡°I know all about shitty Alphas. But | also know that they aren¡¯t all that way. Alpha Liam and the Alpha | spoke

    to about you, Alpha Rik, they are good Alphas. They are both mated to Guardians, and they all seem very happy.¡±

    We sit in silence for a while, both of us lost in our memories and the stories we''ve told each other. | finally break the silence.

    ¡°Where did you go? When you left a couple weeks ago. It seemed you left in a hurry.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I was listening to the humans in the diner. They were talking about the animal attacks in the area.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, | remember. | was a huge problem. Animals were attacking and killing people and then as suddenly as it started, it

    ended.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°They weren''t animals, they were vampires. The same vampires that were heading south to kill Alpha Liam and Alpha Rik¡¯s

    packs and take their Guardians hostage as blood bags. Alpha Liam¡¯s mate, Luna Angel, was held captive for seven years by a

    vampire prince. | had to warn them.¡± He takes a deep breath. couldn¡¯t save Luna Este, but | could and did give her son

    sufficient warning so he could save himself.¡±

 Chapter 305

    Wait. You went back to the guy who had you in his dungeon for however many months to warn him that the vampires were

    coming?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It was the right thing to do. But also, | owed a debt to Luna Este, at least in my heart. She saved me, when no one else would

    help me. | couldn¡¯t save her, but | could save her son.

    ¡°You have a weird sense of honor.¡± | tell him.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    He thinks for a minute. ¡°What if Benny found out what you are and fired you, maybe forced you to leave this town. He¡¯s helped

    you, protected you to some level, from what | can see.¡± | nod my head, not sure where he¡¯s going with this. ¡°Even if he turned

    against you, and you found out someone was going to hurt him, wouldn¡¯t you still feel the need to warn him?¡±

    | think about it, then nod my head. ¡°I guess so. | honestly don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been in that situation.¡±

    We''ve long since finished our tea. ¡°So, do you want to go for a run with me, instead of following me like a creeper tonight.¡± | say

    giving him a half smile.

    He smiles back. ¡°I¡¯d love to. But | would suggest staying farther away from those pack boundaries. Thest thing you need is to

    have theme sniffing around wondering about the lone female wolf that keeps hovering around their borders.¡± ¡°Well, | won¡¯t

    be alone tonight, will 1?¡± | ask before standing up and putting our. mugs in the sink.

    He follows me and we head out to the forest. | walk behind a tree to take

    my clothes off. Eli, on the other hand, seems to have no problem with nudity. | vaguely remember living in the pack and nudity

    was somethingmon since people were always shifting either from human to wolf or wolf to human. But I¡¯ve been living in the

    human world for six years and they frown on the whole walking around naked thing.

    When I''m done, | shift and Maia walks out. She sees Louis and walks over to him. Well, prances might be a better term. If she

    were a human, those hips would be swinging. She walks up to him, nuzzling him before taking her face and rubbing it down the

    length of his body. Then she swats him in the face with her tail and

    takes off. Pretty much exactly as 1 expected, my wolf is a hussy.

    ¡®lm not a hussy. He¡¯s our mate and look at him. He¡¯s perfect.¡¯ She purrs.

    ¡®Did you want to roll over and show him your tummy too?¡¯ | ask her.

    ¡®| would it | thought you''d let me.¡®

    ¡°You do, and I¡¯m disowning you as my wolf. We''re Alpha females, we don¡¯t

    submit.¡±

    ¡®We do if it''s our mate.¡±

    | roll my eyes, in my head, since we¡¯re now in wolf form. Maia is darting in and around trees, while Louis chases us, periodically

    nipping at her heels.

    She¡¯s having a great time, running with her mate. We''re not really paying attention to our surroundings, as Maia is too busy

    flirting with Louis, until the scent hits us. We''re close to the first pack border, but tonight, there are wolves standing there. They

    must have been waiting for us.

    Maia goes to turn and run off in the other direction, when two wolves jump out in front of us, cutting her off. Just as she turns

    again to try and evade them, Louis jumps over her body, attacking the two wolves as three moree up on his

    nk.

    With a vicious snarl, Maia turns to face the three new wolves.

    Cooper Author

    Thanks everyone for being on this journey with me! | hope you are enjoying Eli and Grace¡¯s story so far. As with the first two

    books, | will be updating every day. I¡¯m hoping to have a fourth book a prequel telling Clint and Lily¡¯s story out in the next couple

    of weeks, so keep a look out! And as always, let me know your thoughts Tread all yourments and appreciate all of your

    feedback and support!

 Chapter 306

    | hadn''t intended to tell Grace my history, or at least not yet, but it seems to have opened her up. Maybe our simr stories will

    help her see that I¡¯m not all bad and can possibly be trusted, if not as her mate, maybe as her friend.

    I''m thrilled that she asks me to run with her. | would have anyway, since | need to protect her, especially with the nearby packs. |

    didn¡¯t like how close to their boundaries she ranst night. It puts her at too much risk. All they have to do is see her eyes to

    know what she is. Only Guardians have golden eyes.

    Louis is beside himself in his happiness ying with Maia. She¡¯s definitely all in with the mate bond. He¡¯s enjoying the chase,

    periodically nipping at her heels when we smell them. | hadn¡¯t realized how close we¡¯d gotten to the pack¡¯s border, but there are

    three standing at the border, almost as if they are waiting for Maia to show up, and they probably are. If this is her pattern, they

    would have picked up her scent and would be waiting to confront her about why she¡¯s constantly at the edge of their territory.

    When Maia turns and two more jump out, | know it¡¯s going toe down to a fight. | don¡¯t waste any time as Louis leaps over

    her and begins fighting with the two wolves that blocked her escape. | know the other three will join the fight and | have to hope

    that Maia will run and get far enough away that they won''t follow her. They¡¯ve seen her eyes.

    I''m fighting off two at once and waiting for the bite toe to my nk, but it doesn¡¯t. | realize that rather than run, Maia has

    joined the fight and is taking on three at once. While the two I¡¯m fighting seem to have no problem with going for the kill with me,

    the other three don¡¯t seem to be doing that with Maia. This is good and bad because | don¡¯t think she¡¯s ever been trained as a

    fighter, but it also means that they know what she is and have called in reinforcements. | need to get her out of here now.

    | didn¡¯t want to kill these wolves, but now it¡¯s be serious. | kick one in the throat as | go for the legs on the other. | bite down,

    breaking one leg, before releasing him and mping down on his other leg. | turn, just as the first is jumping at me and Louis¡¯s

    teeth bite into his shoulder, ripping flesh from bone. He howls in pain, causing one of the wolves corralling Maia to turn toward

    me.

    As | watch, Maia turns, biting down on the wolf''s nk and | hear his femur bone break. His how! of pain is only going to bring

    more wolves faster. Time for us to

    1. go.

    Louis kicks out at one of the remaining wolves, breaking ribs. Thest one tries

    to bite down on the back of Maia¡¯s neck to restrain her, but she turnsst minute and bites through his throat, his gurgling sound

    thest thing we hear before he falls dead at her feet.

    I run to her, nipping at her to move. She seems to understand what | mean, she takes off toward her apartment. We''re running

    full out for probably 15 minutes before the howls go up.

    When we get to our clothes, we both shift quickly and get dressed.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We have to leave here.¡±

    ¡°| can¡¯t just leave. Where will | go?¡±

    and

    ¡°We''ll head toward Rik and Liam¡¯s packs. They will protect you, but we need to leave now. They wille for you, and not just

    because you are a Guardian. You killed one of their pack members.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t have a car. How will we leave and what about Benny?¡±

    ¡°You can call Benny. Do you need to get anything from your apartment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, everything | have left from my mother is there.¡± | nod.

    ¡°You go to your apartment and get what you want to take, and I''ll go get us bus tickets. Do NOT leave your apartment until |

    come to get you.¡±

 Chapter 307

    | take her face in my hands. ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    | reach down and kiss her quickly. ¡°Go, I''ll be there in less than 30 minutes, bet ready to leave.¡±

    I run to my hotel, grab my backpack then head to the bus station, looking for the next scheduled bus. The next one won''t leave

    for an hour, but that gives me enough time to get Grace and get back. | buy two tickets and run back to her apartment.

    | can hear the wolves in the forest. They have found her and are surrounding her apartment. | run up to her door and knock. ¡°It¡¯s

    me, we have to go now.¡±

    She opens the door, a bag over her shoulder. ¡°I need to stop and tell Benny.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time, you can call him from the bus. They¡¯re here. We can¡¯t fight an entire pack.¡±

    | watch as her eyes go wide. But she closes the door and we begin to jog back to the bus station. When we get there, | see the

    bus is mostly loaded.

    ¡°Get on. If we''re lucky, the bus is full, and they won''t be able to get a ticket. If we¡¯re not lucky, we''ll have to be ready to fight as

    soon as we stop somewhere.¡±

    We get on the bus and find seats together. ¡°What if they follow us?¡±

    ¡°I''m pretty good at evading capture. If they follow us, I¡¯ll get us out.¡±

    When the bus starts to pull away, | see several pack members pulling up in cars. | watch as they wave their hands around,

    pointing to the bus. As we pull out, | see a man standing hands on his hips. His eyes meet mine and | know he¡¯s the Alpha. Shit!

    This is worst case scenario.

    As we start to move, | grab my phone. ¡°I need to call Rik and after that you can. call Benny.¡± | look at Grace. She¡¯s looking at her

    bag, plucking at the seam.

    ¡°Hey.¡± | reach over and cover her hands, waiting until she looks at me. ¡°We''ll be okay, | won''t let anything happen to you and |

    won''t let them have you. You''re mine.¡± Thest is a low, quiet growl, Louis pushing forward.

    She nods but | can see she¡¯s scared. ¡°When mom and | ran, we switched buses every one to two stops until we finally ended up

    in that little town. Maybe we should do that. | have money, mom kept it hidden away in case something like

    this ever happened.¡±

    | take her chin and turn her head toward me. ¡°Will that make you feel safer?¡±

    She nods.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s what we''ll do. If there is a bus leaving within 30 minutes of our stop, we''ll take it. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    I call Rik. He¡¯s willing to send some pack members to get us, but | let him know we''re being pursued, and I¡¯ll call him when we

    can ditch the tail. Then | have Grace call Benny. He¡¯s understandably concerned and worried that I¡¯ve kidnapped Grace. She

    seems to convince him that I¡¯m helping her. When she tells him to call if anyonees to the diner asking about her, | think he

    finally believes her.

    When she¡¯s done, | wrap my arm around her. Sheys her head on my shoulder, but it¡¯s several hours before she falls asleep.

    It''s the middle of the night when we make our first stop. | hop off the bus, checking to see if anyone has arrived yet before going

    into the bus station and seeing that another bus is leaving soon, heading west. | buy two tickets and go back to get Grace.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    When | get onto the bus, she¡¯s awake, looking around concerned. When she sees me, her face rxes. | go to her, | quietly let

    her know our ns. ¡°Come on, | got us tickets on another bus, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We grab our things and head out to yet another bus. Over the next week, we travel in every direction. We were tailed for the first

    three days, but after that, | think we finally lost them.

 Chapter 308

    It''s exhausting constantly running, riding on bus after bus. We haven''t had a decent meal or shower in a week. Benny called the

    day after we left and let me know two ¡®shady looking men¡® were in the diner asking about a young woman. When Eli finally feels

    like we can stop overnight, we get a hotel room. At first, 1 was concerned about only having one room, but I¡¯m too tired to argue.

    When we get to our room, | see that there are two beds.

    ¡°Get a shower. I''ll be back in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± | ask him.

    ¡®I''m going to look around and make sure we aren''t being followed and then I¡¯m going to get us something decent to eat. Do not

    open the door for anyone.¡±

    Hees over taking my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. He pulls back and looks in my eyes. ¡°You''ll be safe. | won''t

    be gone long.¡±

    After he leaves, | grab my things and head to the bathroom. | turn on the water, letting it get warm before stripping off my clothes

    and getting under the stream of hot water. | lift my face, letting the water rx me.

    Over the past week, we¡¯d gone west to Arkansas, north to lowa then west again until we got to Wyoming. Once we got to the

    Rocky Mountains, we started heading south. We went through Colorado, New Mexico and finally started heading east through

    Texas. | wasn¡¯t sure if Eli had a n to get us back to Alpha Rik and Alpha Liam¡¯s packs, but he¡¯d been in constant contact with

    Alpha Rik. He was very concerned about me and wanted to hear from Eli at least twice a day to know where we were and

    ensure we hadn''t entered into any pack territories or been captured.

    That was harder while we were in the Rockies. Much like the Appchian Mountains back home, the Rockies are a great ce

    for wolf packs to live without too much interaction with humans. But we pretty much stayed on the buses and kept to ourselves.

    Now we''re in the middle of Texas, headed back home. At least | hope we are.

    | have to admit, while Eli took my advice about changing buses, he¡¯s a master at evasion. | guess twenty years on the run will do

    that. He¡¯s stealthy, quick and quiet when checking to see if we''re being followed. When we were, he was able to guide us onto

    buses that didn¡¯t have any wolves and get us out of the bus station undetected.

    | finish washing off the residue of a long journey, before getting out and dressing In clean clothes. | take my dirty clothes and put

    them in the sink to soak until after Eli has showered, then Ill put them | there with his and wash them so they can dry overnight

    before we head out again.

    I''m just finishing up when | hear our door open. ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡± He says just before the smell of food hits my nose and my stomach

    grumbles.

    |e out of the bathroom and see that he¡¯s managed to get us steaks, potatoes and sds. I¡¯m so hungry | could kiss him.

    He sets the food out on the small table in the room. ¡°Go ahead and eat, I¡¯m going to get a quick shower, then I''ll join you.¡± He

    says before heading to the bathroom. | hear the shower turn on just as | dig into my food. | can¡¯t help the moan that leaves my

    lips. We haven''t had real food in over a week and this tastes delicious. I¡¯m in my own world, enjoying the taste of the salty

    juiciness of the steak, my eyes closed, as | savor each bite when | hear a chuckle.

    My eyes snap open and | see Eli standing there watching me in nothing but a towel. My eyes travel down his body, and | was

    right about his physique. He is solid muscle. His broad shoulders slide into a narrow waist giving him a deep V, before branching

    out to his muscr thighs.

    | unconsciously lick my lips and when my eyes return to his, | see his have darkened. ¡°You need to stop looking at me like that

    Grace.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± | ask but my voice is breathier than | expected.

    He stalks over to me, leaning over the chair, his arms caging me in and bringing his face to mine. ¡°Like you¡¯re nning to skip

    dinner and go straight for dessert.¡±

    His body is so close that | can feel the heat emanating off of him. My throat has gone dry and any retort | might have had dies on

    my lips.

    | lick my lips and his eyes drop to watch the movement before returning to mine. I¡¯m caught in a trance as he moves closer until

    his lips almost touch mine. | feel his tongue slide across my lips and his eyes go even darker.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 309

    ¡°You taste exactly like you smell. Delicious.¡± And before | know what he¡¯s doing. his lips have crashed into mine and his tongue

    slides into my mouth. | moan into his mouth, my hands reaching up to grab hold of something, anything, andtching onto his

    strong biceps as heat spreads to my core.

    He takes his time tasting every inch of my mouth before pulling back.¡± Mmmmm, yum.¡± He says before licking my lips once

    more and standing up.. When he does, |e face to face with the proof of how much he enjoyed that kiss. | don¡¯t have

    anything topare it to, but the man looks big and definitely long if the towel poking in my direction is any indication.

    | know my eyes go wide as he steps back, chuckling. He walks over to his bag, grabbing it before disappearing back into the

    bathroom. He returns a few minutester dressed in basketball shorts and nothing else.

    Hees back over, leaning down and running his nose over my cheek before whispering in my ear. ¡°Baby, you smell divine,

    but you need to eat and so do |.¡± He says before taking the seat across from me.

    | can feel my cheeks me at his reference to scenting my arousal. Rather than saying anything, | dig into my dinner again.

    Eli speaks first, changing the subject, thankfully. ¡°I think our best course of action will be to continue to head east. I¡¯m very

    familiar with this stretch of highway that we¡¯re on. It¡¯s actually where Liam and his pack warriors caught me. I''d like to follow this

    until we get to Florida. From there, | think we should run in wolf form back to north Georgia. That¡¯s where we are going. | have a

    ce in mind where we can stop and get our bearings before going to Rik and Liam¡¯s packs.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take us?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Probably another week, depending on the bus schedules. They make so many stops in between that it¡¯s slow going, but | also

    think that if we continue to be safe, we can stop every night or two and rest.¡±

    ¡°| like the idea of resting every night. The constant traveling without real food or decent sleep is taking its toll on me.¡±

    If | hadn¡¯t been paying attention, | might have missed the quick tension in his lips before he wiped it away.

    ¡°What is it?¡± | ask him.

    He looks at me ¡°What''s what?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something you''re not telling me. What is it?¡±

    1 watch as he contemtes telling me before he sighs. ¡°I¡¯m running out of money. i¡¯m not sure how much longer | can pay for

    bus tickets if | also need to pay for hotels every night.¡±

    | blink at him. How had | not realized that he was paying for everything. I''d been so stressed out about being followed then

    exhausted and hungry, that it hadn¡¯t even urred to me. | get up and go to my bag, pulling out a wad of cash.

    ¡°Here. I¡¯m sorry | didn¡¯t think to give you money before.¡±

    ¡°No, you should save your money.¡± He starts to say before | cut him off.

    ¡°This money was always meant to be used if | had to run. Well, I¡¯m on the run. You don¡¯t have to pay for everything. The only

    reason you''re even running is because of me. | should be funding our trip, not you. Take it.¡±

    It¡¯s not the only wad of cash that | have. My mom had stashed nearly $10,000 before she died, and I''ve added another $4,000 to

    it in thest two years. I''ve only given Eli $1,000. | have plenty of money left if | need to leave on my own.

    ¡°Anything that¡¯s left over, I¡¯ll give back to you.¡± He tells me.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Keep it all and if we need more, | have it. As | said, | should have been funding this since the beginning.¡±

    | stand and begin clearing our takeout boxes, putting them back into the bag and cing the bag by the small garbage can in the

    room.

    ¡°What time do we leave tomorrow?¡± | ask.

    ¡°The bus leaves the station at 7am.¡± He tells me.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to get some sleep. Good night.¡± | say and | walk to one of the beds before pulling the sheets down and crawling

    in. | hear Eli get up and go to the other bed, before the light in the room turns off.

    ¡°Good night, Grace.¡±

 Chapter 310

    | hate that | don¡¯t have the money to support Grace. It¡¯s really bothering ine. | realize I''ve spent my life on the run and that I¡¯ve

    been in one of Liam¡¯s cells for thest six months, but it doesn¡¯t sit right not being able to take care of our mate. What''s worse,

    she and her mother seem to have stockpiled money over thest six years since they ran from Grace¡¯s father. How can Louis

    and | prove that we are worthy mates if | can¡¯t even afford a bus ticket and a ce to stay for longer than a week?

    I''mying in the dark, staring at the ceiling and contemting what | will need to do once | have her safely within the borders of

    Rik¡¯s or Liam''s territories when | hear her voice.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± She whispers. | was pretty sure she hadn''t fallen asleep. Her breathing hadn¡¯t changed to that deep breathing

    a person gets when the drift off

    to dreand.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    I sit up on my elbow and look over at her bed. Whether she did it intentionally or not, she put herself in the bed farthest from the

    door, which is where | wanted her. | know she¡¯s a Guardian, but she¡¯s untrained and if anyone breaks through the door, | want

    them going through me before they get to her.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m awake. Is everything alright?¡± | ask her.

    It''s quiet. | wait, but she doesn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Grace?¡±

    ¡°Can |ey with you? I...! don¡¯t mean for anything to happen, | just....I just got used to your scent when we were sleeping

    on the bus and now, | can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    | scoot over, keeping myself between her and the door, and pat the bed next to me. ¡°Come here.¡±

    When she crawls in beside me, |y on my back. She sits up next to me, looking down at me. I¡¯m not sure what she wants, so I

    pat my chest in invitation. She immediately curls up beside me andys her head on my chest. | wrap my arm. around her,

    holding her close.

    Asense of peace flows through me. It¡¯s a foreign feeling to me, not something you feel when you are constantly looking over

    your shoulder for someone who is chasing after you. And while I¡¯m still looking over my shoulder for a different reason, having

    my mate lying beside me calms me in a way I¡¯ve never felt before.

    ¡°What if they catch me?¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°They won''t, | won''t let them get to you.¡±

    ¡°But what if they do? You can¡¯t fight an entire pack, and neither can |.¡±

    | kiss the top of her head and take a deep breath of her cherry blossom scent. ¡°I''ll die before | let anyone forcibly mark you.¡± | tell

    her, my voice going deep and gruff as Louis pushes forward.

    She lifts her head up, looking at me. ¡°I want you to make me a promise.¡± She

    says.

    ¡°Tell me what it is before | promise. | won¡¯t promise you something when | don¡¯t know if | can keep that promise.¡±

    ¡°If it looks like I''ll be caught, if it looks like they are going to take me, | want you to mark me.¡±

    | jerk back as if she¡¯s struck me. ¡°I won''t let ite to that.¡± | say, my mind. reeling.

    Of course, | want to mark her, she¡¯s my mate. But | don¡¯t want to mark her under those conditions. | want her to ept me, to

    want the bond. | want what Rik and Liam have with their mates. | want the love and respect that | see between them. Forcing my

    mark, even if she¡¯s asking me to, will not give us the start to a rtionship where that type of love and respectes easily.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 0311

    ¡°Please.¡± Her voice sounds broken, like she¡¯s on the verge of tears. ¡°Please

    promise me. I¡¯d rather be forced into a bond with my mate then with aplete stranger. So please, promise me.¡±

    | clench my teeth. Can I promise this? | made this mistake once. | learned my lesson. A forced mate bond is the start of a

    fractured mate bond.

    1 look at her, her eyes glistening in the dark. ¡°I promise that if | cannot keep you safe, or get you away, | will mark you before |

    allow another wolf to mark you.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    She nods andys her head back down. | can feel the wetness of her tears on my chest. | kiss the top of her head, rubbing my

    fingers in her hair, massaging her scalp. Eventually, | feel her body rx and her breathing even out.

    | don¡¯t know when | fell asleep or how long I¡¯ve been sleeping when the sound of shuffling at the door wakes me up. When

    you''ve been on the run as long as | have, your subconscious bes hyper aware of every sound you hear in your sleep. |

    gently pull myself out of Grace¡¯s embrace and silently go to the door. | look out through the peep hole and see two people

    making out against the wall by our door. They are either really drunk and at the wrong door, or they are shifters. and pretending

    to be distracted to try to get closer to us.

    | take a deep breath. | can smell the alcohol on one, but the other is definitely a shifter. | can¡¯t tell if it''s a werewolf or some other

    kind of shifter. | growl low and quiet, so only the shifter can hear me and | can see his or her reaction. |

    immediately know it''s the male. His head jerks to my door and | see him take in a deep breath before turning to the drunk

    woman.

    ¡°Come on Cher, we''re at the wrong door. We don¡¯t want to wake anyone up.¡± He says with a Cajun ent before pulling her

    down the hallway. | listen until | hear a door open and sounds of their little make out session quiet down.

    I spent some time in Louisiana, and while there are wolf packs there, it¡¯s more. likely that he was a fox or maybe even a coyote

    shifter. Either way, | wait until | hear the sounds of the woman screaming her pleasure before | crawl back into bed with Grace.

    Her warm body immediately curls up next to mine. She throws her leg across my body, and | can¡¯t help the instant reaction. I¡¯m

    rock hard, my dick pinned against my stomach by her leg. Every time she shifts, it adds to the difort and the need for my

    mate that has been building inside me since | found her. | won''t be getting any sleep like this, but I''d rather be ufortable with

    herying against me, than alone without her.

    HS

    HIS BONOS

    | gently rub her back and grit my teeth until she settles against me and I¡¯m finally able to fall asleep again.

    The next morning, | wake her early. ¡°Grace, wake up baby. We need to go.¡±

    She groans before opening her eyes and realizes that she¡¯s practicallyying across me. ¡°Oh my goddess, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She says,

    leaping from the bed.

    ¡°It''s fine. But there is a shifter here that is staying a few rooms down the hall. I¡¯m notfortable staying here, just in case. Let¡¯s

    leave and we can stop and get breakfast on our way to the bus station.

    She grabs her bag and heads to the bathroom to change. | grab mine, trying to hide my morning wood. When shees out of

    the bathroom, | go in, quickly taking care of my growing erection, which doesn¡¯t take long since I¡¯m surrounded by her scent.

    After | get dressed, and we''ve both gotten ready, we head out. | make sure to check the area before letting Grace out and then

    quietly close our door, just in case the shifter was supposed to be keeping an eye on us.

 Chapter 312

    We stop on the way to the bus station and grab some breakfast. | make sure we are sitting at a table where we can¡¯t easily be

    seen from outside, but | can watch anyone walking by the diner. We order coffee and breakfast. As we¡¯re eating, | see the shifter

    fromst night walking by, looking around. He looks in the diner but doesn¡¯t see us. Shit, he is working for the wolves.

    on the

    ¡°Change of ns. Time for us to go.¡± | say to Grace. | drop some money table and we walk out the door of the diner, turning ina

    different direction than the shifter. | take a deep breath, trying to catch his scent.

    ¡°Do you smell that?¡± | ask Grace. She takes a deep breath and nods her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s who is following us. If you smell it again, even faintly, let me know.¡±

    She nods and we begin walking around the diner. | had checked out a map, so I¡¯m familiar with the grid-tikeyout of this town. |

    take us to a back road and begin making our way toward the bus station. Once we get there, | slowly make my way up to the

    buses, keeping my eye out for him. | finally spot him, waiting in the center of the bus station, sitting like he¡¯s waiting for a bus. If |

    hadn''t seen him earlier, | might believe that¡¯s what he was doing, but not now.

    | point him out to Grace, then begin sneaking around the buses, trying to find ours. When | do, | breath a sigh of relief that the

    door isn¡¯t facing the area where the shifter is sitting. | check the time and realize our bus will pull out in under 15 minutes. | push

    Grace on ahead of me and then follow her, keeping an eye on the shifter. My size makes me impossible to miss, so if he¡¯s been

    given any information about me, he''ll know it¡¯s me on this bus.

    | send Grace to the back of the bus. It isn¡¯t full, so | grab a seat closer to the front, in case the shifter decides toe looking for

    me. As | watch, he continues to scan the bus station, not looking inside the buses at all.

    When our bus finally pulls out of the station, | see two more men running up to the shifter. Fucking red wolves. This is going to

    make our travels more difficult. There are red wolves in Texas and in Louisiana. We need a n B.

    Once we pull out of the station, | move to sit next to Grace. She looks at me and | see the fear in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay. | don¡¯t think

    they realized we were on the bus. But we do need to think of another n. The red wolves are hunting you now.

    | put my arm around her. ¡°Do you have a driver¡¯s license?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°No, | never learned to drive.¡±

    Shit. Neither did |. Even if we could rent a car, neither of us could drive it. | pull out my phone to call Rik. | need a new n.

    Cooper

    Author

    +15 BONOS

    What do you think about Eli¡¯s promise to Grace? Do you think he should force his mark on her if she¡¯s at risk of being marked by

    others?

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 313

    | was seriousst night when | asked Eli to mark me rather than let some stranger mark me. Better the devil you know, right? At

    least | hope so. | may not believe in the mate bond, but | have a better chance with someone who might actually care about me

    than with someone who only wants me for the strength | can bring to their pack, someone who will treat me like amodity and

    a breeding machine.

    | know I¡¯m a Guardian, and I¡¯m supposed to be this strong wolf that all the Alphas want, but I¡¯m terrified. | don¡¯t know how to fight.

    Up until a couple weeks. ago, | thought | was a human. A human that was doing everything | could just to survive, much less

    learn how to fight or defend myself.

    So, as much as | hate this feeling of dependence, I¡¯m thankful that Eli is here with me. He makes me feel safe, or at least safer

    than | would feel if ! was running alone. | wasn¡¯t expecting to get any sleepst night, but afterying on his chest, smelling his

    intoxicating scent and listening to the steady beat of his heart, | fell into a deep sleep. When | woke, | had slept more soundly

    than | can remember sleeping in years. If | hadn¡¯t woken up practically on top of him, it would have been great. As it was, | could

    tell he was not immune to our close proximity. His hard length had been pressing against my thigh.

    | listen as Eli talks to Alpha Rik on the phone. | can hear another male voice in the background but can¡¯t decipher what he is

    saying. It sounds like the red wolves. know we are on the run and since they have territory in Texas and Louisiana, we need to

    divert from our course quickly and head north again. | listen as they talk through our trek north to Ohoma, then turning east

    and working our way to North Georgia.

    | miss the question that is asked, but Eli turns to look at me. ¡°No, we''re not at that point yet.¡± He says and | can guess the

    question. Can¡¯t he just mark me? Then there would be no need for this running.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Part of me is ready to agree, but then | remember my father, and | would rather run forever than live like that again.

    | turn and look out the window at the miles and miles of t nothingness. | hear Eli disconnect the phone. ¡°We have a n. I¡¯m

    not sure how good it is. If the red wolves are watching the bus stations, we''re screwed. At the next station, if it looks safe, we''re

    taking off in our wolf form. | need to get a map so we can skirt the pack territories, but it may be safest.

    | just nod. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you''re being dragged into this. | know this would be easier

    +15 BONOS

    if | would just let you mark me.¡±

    He puts is fingers against my lips. ¡°You have your reasons to not trust the mater bond. | can respect that, and | can wait. As long

    as it doesn¡¯t mean that you end up mated to someone else.¡±

    I turn to look back outside. We sit in silence for a while.

    ¡°That car should have passed us a long time ago.¡¯ Maia says in my head.

    | look and there is a car keeping pace with the bus. She¡¯s right, it seems like it¡¯s going very slow considering we''re in the middle

    of nowhere.

    ¡°Eli. Maia says this car is keeping pace with the bus. Do you think it¡¯s the red wolves?¡±

    He leans past me, looking out the window. | hear him curse under his breath before he grabs his phone and hits speed dial.

    ¡°They''re following the bus.¡± He says as soon as Alpha Rik picks up.

    ¡°How far are you from the bus station?¡± The voice asks but it doesn¡¯t sound like Alpha Rik.

    ¡°Thirty minutes. We¡¯re justing up on the town.¡±

    ¡°Give the phone to Grace.¡±

    Eli looks at me, then hands me the phone.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Grace, this is Alpha Liam. Do you recognize my name?¡±

    ¡°| know you''ve been talking to Eli.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t remember who | am?¡± ¡°No. Should |?¡±

 Chapter 314

    | hear him curse under his breath. ¡°What does your wolf remember about being a Guardian?¡±

    ¡®Maia?¡¯

    ¡®Just that | am a Guardian and that makes me powerful.¡±

    ¡°She knows we''re a Guardian and that we are strong.¡±

    ¡°But she doesn¡¯t know how to ess her strength? She doesn¡¯t remember anything about her past?¡±

    ¡°No. Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Grace, listen. | don¡¯t know that we can get you out of there without a fight. If the timees, you need to be prepared to

    run and possibly fight. Even if you have to leave Eli. We can go back for him but it¡¯s you that they want. And if you are not willing

    to have him mark you, then you will have to run. Head east. Listen to Eli, he¡¯s good at evasion, but if the timees, run. And if

    you have to fight, don¡¯t hesitate. Maia should get her memories if she¡¯s put in the position of having to fight.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± | answer, knowing | can¡¯t leave Eli. Maia has already told me that we''re his Guardian and we are bound to him, so

    leaving him isn¡¯t an option. | hand the phone back to Eli.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    He¡¯s watching me closely. ¡°Okay, yeah, I''ll let you know when we''re safe. If you don¡¯t hear from me in two days, send out a

    search party.¡± He tells Alpha Liam before hanging up.

    ¡°You need to do what Liam said. You need to run, even if it means leaving me behind.¡±

    ¡°| can¡¯t. Maia won¡¯t let me. We''re your Guardian and it means we are bound to you.¡±

    ¡°| have a n, but | don¡¯t know if it will work. When we get there, we need to be ready to move fast. They will have to park and it

    will give us a few moments to get off the bus

    and run. If we¡¯re lucky, all the scents around the bus station will confuse them. If we aren''t, they''ll follow us and call for

    reinforcements. Let''s

    hope Maia is fast.¡±

    When we see the bus station, Eli has us move forward to seats closer to the door. As soon as we stop, he has us up and at the

    door. When the doors open, he steps.

    #15 BONOS

    out, pulling me behind him and checking both ways before taking off at a jog. | follow him as we skirt around buses and the bus

    station. When we get to the back of the building, he looks around one more time before we race for the nearest trees. There isn¡¯t

    much area to hide so we run as fast as we can.

    As soon as we hit the trees, we shift and begin running in wolf form. We''ve been running for about an hour when we hear the

    howl go up. They are tracking us. Every time we find a stream orke, we run in or through the water as much as we can to hide

    our scent. We have to be careful of alligators, so we can¡¯t run in the water as much as we¡¯d like.

    We finally stop to take a break, catching our breath and getting a snack. Eli pulls. a map out of his bag and looks at it checking

    our surroundings trying to figure out where we are. ¡°We need to keep heading north, but | think we can start veering east a bit.¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°How is Maia? Can she keep running?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we''re good.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to run until dusk and see if we can find a ce to hole up for the night. If not, we''ll have to run

    through the night. There aren¡¯t any caves around here to hide, so we may have to make due with trees.¡±

    As the day goes on, my muscles ache, but we continue to run. | refuse to slow down. When the sun starts to set, we see a sign

    that lets us know we are near the Arkansas border. There is a small town and outside of the town there is an area with small hills.

    | follow Louis up the hill and wait while he sniffs around and finds a spot where he feels it is safe for us to rest.

    When he gives me the all-clear, | copse on the ground.

    BONDA SL-

 Chapter 315

    | have to hand it to my girl. Running all day is not for the weak. | pushed us hard, knowing the wolves were trailing us. | haven''t

    heard them howling in hours, so I¡¯m hoping that we have some time to rx.

    When we get to a small hill near the Arkansas border, | find an overhang where | can put Grace to let her rest while | keep watch.

    I''m used to not sleeping for days or only sleeping lightly for a couple of hours. That is how my life has been, but that is not the life

    that Grace has lived. She needs her rest and she will be sore after pushing so hard today. | know we''ll have to go more slowly

    tomorrow, but once we pass out of red wolf territory, we should be safe to slow down.

    When Maia copses, | shift and pull on some shorts before walking over and picking her up. She''s a big wolf, beautiful in her

    coloring, ck but with streaks of different shades of brown. I¡¯ve never seen another wolf like her.

    ¡°I''ve got you, gorgeous.¡± | tell her as she whimpers when | pick her up. ¡°You did. so well today. Louis and | are very proud of you.

    | know that was hard.¡±

    | find some pine needles, small branches and vines and build a make-shift bed for her,ying her on it gently. | run my fingers

    through her fur, massaging the muscles in her shoulders, down her back and to her nk. Maia alternates between whimpering

    and purring at my ministrations.

    When she¡¯s half asleep, | lean into her, running my fingers in the fur around her face. ¡°You rest, I''ll be back shortly.¡±

    Her eyes open in rm, and she begins to stand. | put my hand on her chest, holding her down. ¡°No, stay here. I''ll be back soon

    and | won''t go far. You''ll be safe. Don¡¯t shift, stay in your wolf form. Promise?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    She reaches out and licks my face. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. I''ll be back as soon as | can.¡± | tell her before shifting and running off to find

    us food.

    Louis finds and kills several rabbits. When we return, he proudlyys them at Maia¡¯s feet,ying down in front of her to see if

    she''ll ept his offering. I¡¯ve be used to Louis eating animals over the years. It was the only way | could survive. But Grace

    hasn''t lived that life, and this may not be something that she can handle. It¡¯s instinct for Maia but may be problematic for Grace.

    Louis and | watch as Maia sits up, sniffing the rabbits. She crawls forward and pulls one closer to her before tearing into it

    ravenously. We sit and watch her until she finishes. When she¡¯s done, she looks at them and then at us. Louis scoots forward,

    pushing another one toward her with his nose. She grabs it and

    IS BONOS

    devours it as well.

    When she finishes, she looks at us and then at thest rabbit. Louis goes to push thest one at her, when she stands and picks

    it up, dropping it in front of Louis beforeying down next to him. He leans over and begins licking her muzzle, cleaning her.

    When he¡¯s done, he grabs the remaining rabbit and eats it in two bites.

    He gets up, pushing her back into the safety of the overhang with his head. Once she¡¯s as safe as we can make her, heys

    down in front of her. She curls up beside him andys her head over his back. | can feel her deep sigh as she settles in and

    eventually falls asleep.

    Louis and |y awake for a while longer, keeping watch from our makeshiftir. Eventually, the warmth of my mate and the sound

    of her even breathing lull us to sleep.

    It''s still dark and the moon is still high when | jolt awake. My ears prick and | listen to the sounds of the night to see what woke

    me. | can hear the sounds of creatures scurrying over the rocks, the hooting of an owl in a nearby tree, the soft sounds of small

    creatures running through the grass below and in the distance, the sounds of a river flowing gently in the night.

    My eyes start to close when | hear it, the crunch of pine needles under a heavy paw. Louis lifts his head, taking a deep breath. |

    watch from our spot, listening intently, unable to smell what | am hearing.

    | hear it again, but this time, | hear more than one set of paws. The wolves are close, we have to go. | turn my head to wake

    Maia, only to see her eyes glowing in the dark. She¡¯s heard them too. She pokes her nose into my face, letting me know that she

    understands that we have to go.

    We silently get to our feet, climbing over the top of the hill, making no sound. The wolves will have to either climb up or go

    around, which gives us time to make our escape. It¡¯s why | chose this particr spot.

    When we get far enough away, | begin to run, giving Maia a few minutes to warm up to running again, before | begin pushing us

    hard. We cross into Arkansas and | push us through the morning and into the early afternoon, until we get to arge river.

    There are a lot of ces to hide here, | just need to find a ce away from human hikers. | finally find a ce where we can

    easily ess water and there are rock. formations where Maia can hide while | go get us human food. When | find the spot

    where | feel like she''ll be safe, | shift back, quickly grabbing my bag and putting on a pair of shorts.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Grace, I¡¯m going to go into town and get us some food, some human food. | want you to stay here and stay hidden. When | get

    back, we''ll eat and then we can find a spot to rest for a few hours and even bathe if you''d like. While I¡¯m gone, stay in wolf form.

    If you hear anything, or feel that you are in any danger, you head east.¡±

    She begins shaking her head, and | take it in my hands. ¡°Listen to me Grace. You are too important. Too important to me and too

    important to the other Guardians. If theye before | return, you run.¡±

    | put my forehead against her furry one. ¡°If you have to run, | will find you, but let''s hope it doesn¡¯te to that. | will be back

    soon, love.¡±

    I stand, removing my shorts and putting them in my bag, before shifting, taking my bag in my teeth and heading down the

    hillside.

    Cooper Author

    Updates ur daily.

 Chapter 316

    hate this feeling of helplessness. Worse, | hate the fear thates when Eli isn¡¯t around. I¡¯d rather stay with him and risk getting

    caught together than being left alone. It was different when | was in the town where mom and | lived. At least there | had a home,

    a job and Benny. Here, without Eli, | have nothing. Nothing is familiar, the sights and sounds are all new and every sound makes

    me jump.

    | tuck myself into the small cave that Eli found for me. I¡¯m continually amazed by his ability to find ces for us to hide while

    keeping us safe. | guess | shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he¡¯s been doing this most of his life.

    ¡®He is a good mate. He is taking care for us.¡± Maia says.

    | could tell she has not only fallen hard for Louis, but afterst night and the amazing rub down Eli gave her, she¡¯s a soppy mess.

    for him now too.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t have to do that. Not every mate would have realized how sore we were or taken the time to massage our muscles

    before going out and catching food for us. He¡¯s thoughtful, considerate and a good provider.¡¯

    | have to admit, my wolf has a point. Eli hasn''t tried to push the mate bond on me at all. He¡¯s been very considerate in our

    sleeping arrangements which have been less than ideal basically since we''ve met. And I''d be lying if | said that | wasn¡¯t affected

    by the mate bond. Having Eli close to me has beenforting, but it¡¯s also making it harder to be away from him.

    ¡°You should let him mark us.¡® Maia tells me.

    I''d been contemting letting him mark me. He¡¯s not a bad man. He¡¯s proven that he¡¯s willing to do whatever it takes to keep

    Maia and | safe. | just haven''t made the decision to trust him with the rest of my life. Once you¡¯re marked, it can¡¯t be undone

    except by the death of one of the parties.

    | had seen a sign as we were running. We''re in the Red River area. It¡¯s beautiful here, but | can¡¯t enjoy it. Every minute that Eli''s

    gone makes me more anxious. | should try to rx and take a nap, letting my muscles rest but I¡¯m nervous, on edge.

    I''m looking out over thend, watching the clouds go by when Maia¡¯s head pops

    1. up.

    ¡®What is it, Maia?

    Through her eyes and in her mind, | can feel her narrowing her focus on the ground below us, in the direction we came from.

    She pricks up her ears, listening

    +1G HONO

    intently, and that¡¯s when | hear it. | can¡¯t see anything from here, but | hear the sounds of bodies moving through the forest floor

    below us.

    ¡®Check the other directions, Maia. Are we surrounded?¡¯ | ask her, my fear spiking.

    ¡®Don¡¯t panic, Grace. I¡¯m strong, | can get us out of this if needed, but if you panic, they''ll be able to hear our heart beating faster.

    Rx and let me take the lead."

    | don¡¯t want to be forced into a mate bond. | don¡¯t want to end up with someone who sent their pack to hunt me down and drag

    me back to them. Someone that wants me because | strengthen their pack by forcing their canines into my neck.

    ¡°There. Maia says and through her eyes, | can see what looks like 10 wolves, slinking through the forest floor. As we watch, the

    leader lifts his head and sniffs the air, then begins sniffing the ground again.

    ¡®A tracker.¡¯ Maia says to me. ¡®We need to move. He will find us.¡±

    She slinks out of our cave and begins to move quietly over thendscape,

    jumping across small gaps in the rocks, moving around trees and bushes to try to keep us hidden from view as much as

    possible.

    ¡®Where are we going Maia?¡¯ | ask, not having any idea what direction we''re moving in.

    ¡®Eli told us to head east. But first, we¡¯re going south where | can smell water and we''re going to run through the water and try to

    lose them.¡¯

    As we''reing off the hill where we were staying, Maia begins running. She¡¯s fast and the trees and bushes in the area give us

    a lot of coverage. We haven¡¯t gone far, when | hear the howl go up. They found our cave and are alerting those nearby that they

    are on the hunt.

    What makes my blood run cold is the answering howls that seem toe up all around us.

    ¡®Change of ns.¡® Maia says. ¡®We¡¯re heading east and | hope we can find some water to cross. | don¡¯t know if we can outrun all

    of them.¡¯

    She takes off like a shot. Even though we''ve been running for days, Maia has no intention of getting caught, so she pushes

    through the pain. Unfortunately, the hunt will only incite the wolves and make them more determined to catch us. Without Eli, my

    only hope is that the Alpha doesn¡¯t catch us, giving Eli time to find us.

    As we''re running, another howl goes up, this one is much closer than thest. Maia is pushing as hard as she can. When we find

    a small creek, we don¡¯t even have time to run part way in it, we crash through and continue on the other side.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    +15 BONOS

    As we rush out of the creek, | can hear the sound of panting andrge paws pounding into the ground on our left.

    ¡®Maia!

    ¡°| know.¡± She says and veers right. We¡¯re running for only a short while when we hear the sound of pawsing from our right

    and behind us. She turns back toward the east, pushing herself harder than | thought possible. The further we go, the tter the

    land is bing. We don¡¯t have time to decide on a better route, they are catching up to us.

    I can feel theming up on all sides now. There aren¡¯t as many as when we first heard them howling, which means only the

    strongest are still following us. That also means it¡¯s very likely that one of these wolves is the Alpha of their pack and is nning

    to mark me.

    We''ve been running full out for nearly an hour and | know Maia is running on adrenaline only now. Eli will have realized that

    we''ve left and should be on our trail. At least | hope he is, | hope they didn¡¯t leave other wolves behind to keep him from getting

    tous.

    | feel a nip at Maia¡¯s heels, tripping her. She falls face first into the ground, rolling over a couple of times before getting up and

    trying to run again. She only gets a couple of steps when she is nipped on her other heel. She kicks back, her paw smashing into

    the face of one of our pursuers. His yelp does nothing to make me feel better about our situation. We are hopelessly

    outnumbered.

 Chapter 317

    rge red wolf runs up beside us and ms into our body sideways, knocking Maia off her feet. When she stands again, we are

    surrounded. There are six wolves that have us caged in, thergest is the red wolf that took Maia down.

    Maia stands panting, waiting to see what is going to happen. The red wolf, who is also panting, begins to shift. When he¡¯s done,

    he stands, bent over at the waist, breathing heavily before looking up at Maia, smiling possessively. Maia bares her teeth at him,

    snarling furiously.

    He puts his hands up in a surrounding position, but | don¡¯t trust it for a moment. He has us surrounded and he¡¯s been hunting me

    for days.

    ¡°You''ve given us quite a chase Guardian. But you''ve lost. My name is Alpha Brody, and | im you as mine.¡±

    If possible, Maia¡¯s snarl is even more ferocious, and she nips the air in between us and Alpha Brody.

    ¡°Now, now. None of that. I¡¯ve caught you and you can¡¯t get away from me. Be a good girl and shift and let me mark you as mine.¡±

    Even more disturbing than him wanting to mark me simply because I¡¯m a Guardian, is his body¡¯s obvious reaction to taking me

    as his mate. His growing erection, while it doesn¡¯t seem topare to Eli¡¯s, let¡¯s me know that he will force a mating immediately

    after marking me.

    ¡®Maia, that guyes close enough¡¯ | start to say before she cuts me off.

    ¡®I''m ripping his dick off.¡±

    d we''re on the same page, but that doesn¡¯t change things at the moment. We are still surrounded, and | have no idea how to

    get out of this mess.

    ¡°You can make this easy and | can be gentle, or you can make this hard and my pack here will hold you down while | force my

    mark on you, then mate you. Either way, this is happening. What''s it going to be?¡±

    This disgusting excuse for an Alpha is exactly why I¡¯ve been afraid. | should have just let Eli mark me. | would have been better

    off.

    ¡°The hard way it is.¡± He says before starting to shift. He¡¯s going to mark Maia, make herpliant then force her to shift so he

    can mark and mate me in human form.

    In ast bit of hope, | send up a howl hoping beyond hope that if Eli is nearby,

    he¡¯ll hear me and get here in time. As the Alpha finishes his shift, his pack pounces on me.

    Maia fights back immediately. She¡¯s ripping at anything she can sink her teeth into, fur, flesh, | think she even ripped an ear off.

    But we¡¯re no match against six full-grown, ranked wolves and warriors.

    Eventually, they have her pinned to the ground on her stomach. She continues to

    al and bare her teeth, but we can¡¯t move. | can feel the Alpha in wolf form

    walk over top of me beforeying his weight on me, holding Maia in ce.

    She turns her head and snaps at his face. The Alpha grabs her by the back of the neck, forcing her head to the ground, growling

    at her, trying to get her to submit. | can feel his aura pushing out, but it has no effect on us.

    | don¡¯t have time to think about what that means because | hear amotion behind me and feel some of the weight lift off me.

    The Alpha lifts his head and turns to look behind us. Maia takes the opportunity to reach up and grab the side of his neck, biting

    down and ripping a chunk of his throat out. The Alpha gives a gurgling howl before moving off us. Maia immediately starts to run.

    She''s running full out when the Alpha smashes into her again, blood dripping from the wound in his neck. His teeth are snapping

    at her neck, trying to bite down on her marking spot when he¡¯s knocked off his feet by a giant ck wolf. Louis.

    The two begin fighting, Louis putting himself between me and the Alpha. | know | should run, but | can¡¯t leave Eli. I¡¯m his

    Guardian, but also, he¡¯s magnificent. | know he told me he¡¯s descended from a Beta line, but Louis is bigger than this Alpha¡¯s

    wolf.

    Maia already injured the Alpha, so I¡¯m hoping that Eli can finish him off. | watch as they fight to the death over me. The other

    wolves are now surrounding Eli and Alpha Brody waiting for the battle to end. They won''t interfere, this is a battle for dominance

    and strength. If they were to interfere, it would mean they don¡¯t trust their Alpha to win.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Louis takes some swipes of the w and bites to his back and nk. This Alpha may not look like much, but he¡¯s an Alpha. In the

    shifter society, you don¡¯t maintain that rank unless you fight for it and win it. So, he is a strong fighter and is giving as good as he

    gets until Louis finally manages to bite down on the back

    of his neck.

    The sound of the Alpha¡¯s spine breaking is loud in the suddenly quiet field. Louis. shakes his head to ensure that the Alpha is

    dead before dropping his body to the ground. He shifts and Eli is standing in front of me, in all his naked and bloody glory.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Mine!¡± He says, pointing at me. He¡¯s definitely more animal than human right now and it¡¯s the only word thates out of his

    mouth before the other five wolves all jump toward me, as if they n to mark me as theirs. They are powerful wolves to have

    chased me this long, so I¡¯m guessing, they are hoping to seal their position as the new Alpha if they mark me.

    Eli jumps at the nearest wolf, turning slightly to me. ¡°Run!¡±

    Maia doesn¡¯t waste any time and takes off. | hear Eli shift back into Louis behind me as we run. It¡¯s hard to hear what is

    happening through all the growls and snarls that | hear behind me.

    | feel another nip at my heel, causing us to trip, but Maia gets her footing and continues on. Momentster, we''re brought to the

    ground, the heavy weight pushing us into the ground. In a moment, the weight is pulled off us and she stands ready to run again,

    when another bodynds on top of her, and | feel the sting of canines sinking into her fur at her mating mark.

    ¡°NO!¡± | scream in my mind, as everything around me begins to go ck. Thest thing | remember is trying to cry out for Eli, but

    the sound is only in my head.

 Chapter 318

    | left Maia in the safest ce | could find before heading into the town to get food. When | get close to the town, | shift and call

    Rik, letting him know that we were still running from the red wolves. | told him that I¡¯m hoping we have enough of a lead on them

    that we will make it without any further issues.

    As we''re talking, my eyes are moving around, watching everything, and | see it. Three cars with men standing and looking

    around, sniffing the air like only shifters do, and waving toward the direction that | left Grace.

    ¡°Rik, | have to go. They''ve found us.¡± | tell him before hanging up and turning around. | run back to the tree line before shifting

    and running back toward Grace and Maia. I¡¯m about halfway there when | hear the howl go up. They found her, or at least, they

    found where she was. The howl is the howl of the hunt, not a capture. | change course, hoping she followed my instructions and

    started running east. When | hear a second howl go upter, | divert south. She must be trying to maneuver around them but I¡¯m

    guessing they have her surrounded.

    |e around a bend and see several shifters, in their human form, working to set up camp and starting a fire. | don¡¯t have time

    for them, so | run around them. However, it tells me that their Alpha is here and he¡¯s after Grace.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Louis starts running faster and when we finally catch up to them, what | see nearly makes my heart stop. Maia is being held to

    the ground by multiple wolves and she has arge wolf on top of her, pinning her head to the ground. | can feel his Alpha aura as

    he tries to get her to submit. He obviously has no idea that Guardians are immune to the Alpha aura.

    Louis runs up, ripping first one wolf then a second off of Maia. This gives Maia a chance to run and she does before the Alpha

    pins her down again, snapping at her, trying to mark her.

    ¡®Louis, take that Alpha asshole down.¡¯ | shout at my wolf.

    ¡®No one touches our mate and lives.¡® He says before jumping in knocking him off Maia then turning so we stand in between the

    Alpha and our mate.

    The Alpha turns and | know this will be a battle to the death. | only have a moment to wish that Maia would take this opportunity

    to run, but | know she won''t. Maia has been clear about her responsibilities as a Guardian, even if she doesn¡¯t truly understand

    them.

    I''m full on in the fight. This Alpha is like every other Alpha I¡¯ve ever fought, he¡¯s

    fierce. Even though Maia has injured him, he¡¯sing at Louis with everything he¡¯s got. I¡¯m surprised that we''rerger than this

    Alpha¡¯s wolf, but it¡¯s still taking every bit of training and a lifetime of battling with rogues to hold my own against this wolf.

    When we get an opportunity, Louis jumps in and snaps his jaws on the back of the Alpha¡¯s neck, shaking his head vigorously

    making sure the spinal cord ispletely severed.

    | feel feral when Louis gives me control to shift and | shout ¡°Mine!¡± to the other wolves, letting them know that | will fight all of

    them for my mate.

    When | see them all jump after her at once, | tell her to run and | shift quickly, taking one out immediately, then grabbing another

    from behind and slicing my ws from their ribs, through their stomach and down their nk.

    Louis wants to go for the kill, but we see Maia get tackled and Louis jumps at him, grabbing him by the tail and ripping him off.

    | didn¡¯t want it to be this way. | didn¡¯t want to force a mark on her, but | have no choice and | gave her my promise. There¡¯s no

    way | can guarantee that none of these wolves will get past me to mark her.

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 0319

    ¡®She¡¯s ours.¡± Louis roars in my head as he jumps on top of her, his canines sinking into her neck.

    | immediately feel the mate bond kick in. | can feel her fear and just before she loses consciousness, | hear her screaming my

    name in her mind. Maia goes limp. | pump more venom into her while she¡¯s out, making sure that her scent changes to include

    mine before Louis pulls his canines out.

    Louis turns, standing over top of Maia who is now shifting back into her human form. He snarls at the four remaining wolves.

    She¡¯s marked, but that doesn¡¯t mean that they won''t try to kill me and remark her.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    | watch as they look at each other, then at their dead Alpha and the other one | just killed. | see them mind linking each other

    before they turn and run off. I¡¯m not foolish enough to think that we¡¯re out of the woods yet. | saw the others back at their

    makeshift camp and they''ll be angry that | killed their Alpha and what I¡¯m guessing is another ranked wolf. Knowing | have the

    Guardian will only make them more intent on killing me.

    I turn, shift quickly, and run back to where | saw Grace¡¯s bag before grabbing mine, pulling on a shirt and shorts. | sling both bags

    over my shoulder then pick Grace up and | begin to run.

    When we get close to the next town, | grab some of her clothes and dress Grace. | find a ce to leave her, tucking into an

    empty field right outside of town. | go into town and find a bus station, getting us tickets for the next bus heading east. It leaves in

    a couple of hours. I''d rather get out of here sooner, but this will have to do. | will somehow have to sneak an unconscious Grace

    onto the bus without it causing any raised eyebrows. On my way back to get her, | grab some food and some bottles of water. |

    know she must be starved by now and when she wakes up, she''ll need lots of water.

    | find her right where | left her and | pick her up, carrying her toward the bus depot. | take the back roads as much as possible

    until we get to the depot. There, | find where our bus will be leaving, and | sit her next to me, wrapping my arm around her as if

    she¡¯s sleeping until the buses. When it does, | wait until the bus empties and the driver goes inside. | hurriedly pick her up

    and carry her onto the bus, finding seats for both of us in the back.

    We take this bus overnight and into the next day. Grace still hasn¡¯t woken up and I¡¯m getting nervous. When we get to the

    outskirts of arger town, | decide to get a hotel. | need to check in with Rik and | need to make sure my girl is okay.

    | wait for the bus to empty before picking Grace up and carrying her off the bus. There¡¯s a hotel about a block away, so | quickly

    walk down the street carrying Grace. I¡¯m getting some weird looks, so | try to make it look like some kind of romantic thing where

    I''m carrying her and whispering in her ear.

    When | get to the hotel, | set her in a chair in the lobby and get a room. When | finally get her into our room, | change her clothes

    into one of my shirts and tuck her into bed. | lock up and go in search of food and supplies.

    Cooper

    Author

    Yay Eli marked her

 Chapter 320

    |e awake slowly. I¡¯mpletely disoriented, not recognizing any of the smells around me. When | open my eyes, | see that |

    am alone in a hotel room.

    4

    Everythinges flooding back to me and | gasp, my hand flying to my neck. | can feel where my neck has puncture wounds.

    from being forcibly marked.

    ¡®Maia? Do you know where we are?¡¯

    ¡®No. | was knocked out, the same as you.¡¯

    I sit up and look around. From where I¡¯m sitting, | see my bag and what looks like Eli¡¯s bag. | get up and run over to his bag,

    opening it and seeing that it is his and his things are still inside. | open my bag and see that it¡¯s pretty much untouched, my

    money still inside.

    The blinds on the window are closed and | go over and peek outside. | can see the bus station not far away. | turn and look at

    Eli¡¯s bag again. It¡¯s then that | realize that I¡¯m only in a t-shirt. A huge t-shirt that smells like Eli.

    ¡®Maia, do you think Eli got us out of there? Do you think it¡¯s his mark?*

    Just as I¡¯m thinking it, the phone rings beside the bed. | stare at it for a moment before walking over and picking up the receiver. |

    don¡¯t say anything, | just listen.

    ¡°Grace? It¡¯s me, Eli. | can feel your fear and confusion through the bond. |

    brought you to the hotel, I¡¯m almost back, | was getting food for us, | know you must be famished.¡±

    ¡°Eli! It''s your mark?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes. I''ll exin everything when I¡¯m back, but Grace? I¡¯m sorry, | didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°| know. Thank you for rescuing me.¡±

    ¡°ll always be here for your Grace. I¡¯m about 5 minutes out. | have a key, don¡¯t open the door for anyone. I¡¯m notpletely sure

    it''s safe yet.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I''ll be here.¡±

    | hang up and use the time to go to the bathroom and wash my face and the mark on my neck. It¡¯s sore, but the punctures are

    already closed over.

    Just as I¡¯m finishing up, | hear the door open. ¡°Grace, it¡¯s me.¡±

    | walk out and as soon as | see him, he opens his arms and | fly into them. Every

    +15 BONOS

    bit of fear, anxiety, and stress of the past few dayses pouring out of me. Eli holds me while | cry, rubbing my back and

    soothing me.

    When he realizes that this won''t be quick, he picks me up and carries me to the edge of the bed. Sitting down, he cuddles me in

    hisp and begins rocking me gently.

    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay. You''re safe now.¡±

    He holds me until I¡¯m done, then sits back, taking his thumbs and wiping the tears from my cheeks before kissing first one then

    the other eye. He grabs a tissue off of the nightstand and | wipe my nose.

    sme.

    ¡°Better?¡± He asks me.

    | nod. Looking up at him. If | thought the mate bond was strong before, it¡¯s definitely stronger now that I have his mark.

    He leans forward, kissing my forehead. ¡°You know | can hear your thoughts now, right?¡± He says smirking. ¡°And while | love that

    you are feeling the effects of the mate bond, | also know you haven''t eaten in far too long.¡±

    The moment he says it, it''s like my stomach was waiting for permission and growls loudly, making both of usugh.

    He sets me on my feet and stands, guiding me to the small table where he put the food. He pulls out a chair for me then starts

    pulling food out of bags, handing me a bottle of water.

    | guzzle the water down, watching him unload Italian, Mexican, and BBQ dinners. He looks over at me sheepishly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure

    what you¡¯d want and honestly, I¡¯m starving too, so | figured | get a little of everything and we could eat what we

    want.

    ¡°Sounds perfect.¡±

    He sits opposite of me and waits for me to begin, before grabbing some food for himself. | haven¡¯t really eaten since the morning

    we left thest hotel. I¡¯ve lost track of time and don¡¯t even know how many days ago that was.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡± | ask him.

    He tells me how he marked me, then challenged the others, before carrying me to the next town and getting us on a bus. When

    he became concerned that | wasn¡¯t waking up, he decided to stop until | was coherent again.

    ¡°| called Rik and told him that you are marked and that now there¡¯s a target on my back. He offered to send some of his men to

    meet us, but | wanted to talk to

    +15 BONOS

    you first and see how you are feeling. You¡¯ve had a rough couple of weeks, and | didn¡¯t know if going straight to his pack would

    be overwhelming for you.¡±

 Chapter 321

    ¡°Why is there a target on your back?¡± | focus on the most important thing he said, not understanding. | thought the point of him

    marking me was that we were no longer going to be chased.

    ¡°| killed that Alpha and I¡¯m pretty sure | killed either his Beta or his Gamma. Then | had the nerve to mark the Guardian that they

    had been chasing for a week. The only way they can get to you now, is through me, by killing me.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they are following us?¡± | ask. I¡¯m so tired of running-

    ¡°No, not really. | think they will have gone back to their pack by now to regroup, but | don¡¯t want to linger now that you are awake.

    As soon as you feel ready to travel again, we¡¯re going to keep heading east.¡±

    ¡°Where exactly are we, anyway?¡±

    ¡°We''re probably about a day¡¯s bus ride to the Mississippi border. From there, it will still be a few days until we get to North

    Georgia, which is our final destination. | think we''re safe to stop each night if you want, or we can push through. Again, | know

    this has been hard on you and | want to help make it as easy as possible now.¡±

    I finish eating, stuffed for the first time in a long time. ¡°Can | sleep on it? We can move tomorrow but honestly, | think I¡¯d like a

    real bed at least one more night. From there, I''ll have a better idea of how I¡¯m feeling.¡±

    ¡°Of course, whatever you need.¡±

    fear and

    ¡°Right now, what | need is a shower.¡± | say standing up. | start to walk to the bathroom and stop. ¡°What did you mean earlier that

    you could feel m confusion through the bond?¡±

    He looks at me a minute before responding. ¡°I marked you. That means that | can now feel your emotions and | can also hear

    you when you speak in your head, unless you block me out.¡±

    | turn to fully look at him. He can feel my emotions and hear the voice in my head?

    He¡¯s nodding. ¡°Yes, | can hear the voice in your head. Currently, it''s very loud. ¡± He says smiling.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°| marked you. Didn¡¯t your parents ever exin the mind link process?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but that was because they were part of a pack. You and | aren¡¯t part of a pack.¡± | say, starting to freak out a little.

    Ell stands andes to me, putting his hands on my arms. ¡°It¡¯s the same with a mated couple. | can feel your emotions and

    hear you even though we don¡¯t have a pack. It¡¯s a family bond. When you and your mother left your pack, you would have been

    able to continue to mind link her if you¡¯d had your wolf.¡±

    ¡°Then why can¡¯t | feel or hear you?¡±

    ¡°You haven''t marked me. When you do, you''ll feel my emotions and hear my thoughts.¡±

    ¡°So, | need to mark you?¡±

    He looks at me intently. ¡°If you mark me, it will increase our bond. You are already feeling a stronger bond toward me. If you

    mark me, it will be even stronger. If you are ready for that, | am happy to let you mark me, but you need to understand what

    you are doing before you do it.¡±

    ¡°So, if | mark you, I''ll be able to feel your emotions and hear your thoughts, and it will also make our bond stronger?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Id like to think about that before | do it then.¡±

    ¡°Of course. And when you''re ready, when you truly ept me as your mate, we will mate and mark each other in our human

    form. Then, we will havepleted the mating and marking process and our bond will be unbreakable.¡±

    ¡°It''s not unbreakable now?¡±

    ¡°| have marked you. You haven¡¯t marked me, and we haven¡¯t mated, so it¡¯s not a fully formed bond. It¡¯s basically one-sided. If

    you died, it would most likely kill me. | can hear your thoughts and feel your emotions. If something were to happen to me, you¡¯d

    probably feel intense sadness, but it wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem very fair to you. You''re taking all the burden.¡±

    ¡°You''re worth it to me. | never expected to be given a fated mate. So, for me, I¡¯m willing to take the risk until you trust me enough

    toplete this bond with me. | lift my face to his and kiss him softly. ¡°Thank you. For saving me, for keeping. me safe and for

    your patience. | may not be ready to fully trust you yet, but it means a lot to me that you care enough about me to do all of this for

    me.

    ¡°You''re my mate. | love you, unconditionally. Hopefully, one day, you¡¯ll feel the

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    same.¡±

    I turn and go into the bathroom to shower. Eli has given me a lot to think about.

    Cooper AuthorN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Updates ur daily.

    B

 Chapter 322

    | watch Grace go to the shower, listening as she turns on the water. Thank the Goddess she finally woke up. When | called Rik

    earlier, he assured me that it¡¯s not umon for females to be knocked unconscious when they are marked, but neither he nor

    Liam had that with their Guardians. However, neither of them were on the run, exhausted, half-starved and emotionally

    distraught at the time they were marked either.

    I''m thankful she doesn¡¯t hate me right now. | had some horrible shbacks to the time when | tried to force the mate mark on

    Cara. | know the situations were different, but | can¡¯t lose Grace. | wasn¡¯t joking when | said | never thought I¡¯d be given a fated

    mate. With everything that has happened in my life, | didn¡¯t think | deserved one. It just goes to show that the Goddess has a

    n, even if we don¡¯t know what it is.

    I clean up while Grace showers. She takes quite awhile and I¡¯m not sure if this is amon thing for her or if she¡¯s avoiding me.

    When she finallyes out, | grab my things and head into the bathroom. | didn¡¯t have many clothes to begin with and I¡¯ve lost

    some on this journey. I¡¯ll need to figure out how to pay for new ones soon, along with everything else.

    My n is to take Grace to my old packnds, the Silver Dawn Pack. | had started to rebuild it when | nned to take Cara as a

    mate. It still needs a lot of work, but it has be a ce where rogues can go for a second chance, a sanctuary ofN?velDrama.Org ? content.

    sorts.

    | had called myself their Alpha and they had followed me. Many were killed in the battle against the Canyon Ridge Pack when |

    kidnapped Cara. Any that acted like true rogues, those that killed indiscriminately or couldn''t abide by the hierarchy of the pack,

    were banished or killed. What is left, are those that are able to fight, and those that are willing to be a part of a pack again.

    There are too many stories of rogues that are on their own, simply because they came from poorly run packs that had

    overbearing or cruel Alphas. Grace¡¯s story and mine are not isted incidents. There are so many rogues that are packless.

    through no fault of their own. | created a pack, a ce where all the individuals. and families that wanted safety, wanted a ce

    to call home, coulde without fear.

    | haven''t been back in a long time. After Cara was rescued, | ran. Then | was caught by Liam and held as his captive for six

    months. Now I¡¯ve been on the run with Grace, keeping her safe. But it¡¯s time to go home. Time for Grace to see what

    +15 BONOS

    she¡¯s in for if she decides to ept the mate bond. All | have to offer her is a broken¡ªdown pack with a bunch of misfits trying to

    make their way in the world.

    I sigh, getting out of the shower, pulling on a pair of shorts. | like feeling Grace¡¯s emotions. It has calmed Louis, but | hope that

    someday, she will ept me and want toplete the mate bond. | want someone by my side, helping me to rebuild a ce

    that was broken into something amazing, something that everyone that lives there can be proud of.

    When | walk out of the bathroom, | see that she¡¯s already in the only bed in the room. | don¡¯t want to presume, so | pull the chairs

    at the table closer together and prepare to sleep on them.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Grace asks me.

    ¡°Just gettingfortable.¡± | say. When | look at her, she¡¯s frowning at me.

    ¡°In the chairs?¡±

    | look down at them. Yeah, nothing about them looksfortable at all.

    ¡°| already told you | can¡¯t sleep unless you''re lying beside me.¡± She pats the bed beside her. ¡°I mean, unless you don¡¯t want to.¡±

 Chapter 323

    I step up to the bed. ¡°I want to. | didn¡¯t know if you would befortable with that.¡±

    ¡°Well, we''re partially bonded, right? Won''t you sleep better if you¡¯re beside me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, then it¡¯s settled. Hop in.¡±

    | crawl into bed beside her, and she immediately curls up against me. | sigh heavily, rxing for the first time in days.

    ¡°I''m sorry | had to mark you. | didn¡¯t want it to be like that.¡±

    ¡°You kept those other wolves from forcing their mark on me. | have no idea what their pack is like, but based on their Alpha, |

    would have been miserable in that environment.¡±

    | tuck her closer to me, Louis¡¯s growl rumbling in my chest that someone almost forced their mark on our mate.

    ¡°Shhh, Louis, I¡¯m safe now. Thanks to you and Eli. Rest, sweet wolf.¡± Grace says, rubbing her hand against my chest, soothing

    Louis''s growl.

    ¡°Sweet?¡± | ask her. Louis has been called many things, but sweet has never been one of them.

    I can feel her smile against my chest. ¡°He¡¯s very sweet to Maia. She¡¯s got a soft spot for him, too.¡±

    Louis¡¯s growl turns to a purr, and | feel Grace chuckle. ¡°See? He¡¯s so sweet.¡±

    ¡°What about me? Am | sweet?¡±

    Am | fishing forpliments? Yes. Am | jealous that she seems to like my wolf more than me? Yes.

    She lifts her head and looks at me. ¡°You are amazing, kind and generous.¡±

    | lean up kissing her gently. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    When she doesn¡¯ty back down, | turn to look at her again. She slowly lowers her face to mine, kissing me tentatively.

    In an instant, | have our positions flipped with her underneath me, my body settling between her legs. | slowly increase the

    intensity of the kiss, wanting to taste her. | use one arm to keep most of my weight off of her while the other

    strokes her cheek, moving into her hair as my need to touch and taste her overwhelms me.

    | nip at her bottom lip, making her gasp. When her mouth opens, | slide my tongue into the sweet tartness of her cherry taste. |

    moan as her taste floods my tongue and | hold her face gently as | take my time, tasting her mouth, feeling the soit plumpness of

    her lips, letting her get used to my tongue teasing hers.

    Her arms go around me and | feel her nails dragging down my back. Exquisite pain. | can feel her tentativeness through the

    bond, but also her arousal which is perfuming the air around us. Her scent and her taste have me feeling intoxicated, drunk on

    my mate.

    | gently begin kissing my way down her neck, sucking gently on my mark. Her gasp changes to a moan and | feel her knees

    come up on either side of me and she begins rubbing herself against me, trying to ease the pressure I¡¯m causing and find her

    release.

    | lift up, looking into her eyes. Her embarrassment hits me though the bond and she begins toy her legs back down..N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°Don''t.¡± | say quietly, and slide my hand to her knee, pulling it back up. | slowly draw a line from her knee to the inside of her

    thigh. | watch her as my hand pulls closer to her core, waiting to see if she''ll stop me.

    When she doesn''t, | move my hand to her hip, sliding her night shirt up, my hand stroking up to her breast. Her nipple is a hard

    peak and | rub my thumb over it watching her eyes flutter closed, a soft whimper escaping her mouth. | gently tug on her nipple,

    causing her to arch her back into my hand.

    ¡°| want to make you feel good. Will you let me?

    She opens her eyes and nods. ¡°Yes.¡±

    | lift up and pull her shirt over her head. | kiss her lips, pulling back to look at her again before dipping down licking her nipple

    then sucking it into my mouth. Her response is instant, her moan of pleasure making my already hardened length turn painfully

    hard. My hand goes to her other breast, tugging on her nipple while | take my time licking and sucking on this one. When | shift, |

    look up at her. Her mouth is open slightly, her eyes are closed in her pleasure. This is a look | want to put on her face every day.

 Chapter 324

    | move to her other nipple, giving it equal attention, my hand sliding down between us, feeling her heat through her panties. | can

    feel how soaked they are and | can¡¯t help my own moan, knowing it is me causing this response in my

    mate.

    | slide a finger under her panties, running it through her slippery wetness before sliding it up to her clit. Her hips buck at the

    sensation, and | begin rubbing circles around her clit, listening to the sweet sounds of her whimpers.

    | graze my teeth over her nipple as | finally release it, kissing my way down her stomach, licking and tasting her as | go. When |

    get her panties, | grab them with my teeth and begin pulling them down her thighs. | look up and see her watching me with a look

    of surprise and excitement.

    | keep my eyes on hers as | toss her panties to the floor and hook her leg over my shoulder as | move back up her body. | lick

    her, core to clit as | watch her. She sucks in a breath but doesn¡¯t take her eyes off me. A possessive growl of pleasure rumbles in

    my chest at her taste. If | thought | was drunk on her taste before, it¡¯s nothing to how | feel now.

    | begin running my tongue in circles on her clit, her hips pushing up against my face. | slide my hand up her thigh and slip a

    finger inside her, feeling her warm wet walls fluttering around me. Her legs start to tighten around my head and | take one hand,

    pushing her leg to the bed, and her knee up toward her hips, opening her even wider for me.

    Her hand goes to my head as her hips start rocking against my face, her whimpers increasing in intensity. | slide another finger

    inside her, feeling how tight she is. | gently turn my fingers in a corkscrew motion and | suck her clit into my mouth, eliciting a

    much louder moan from her.

    When | feel her walls starting to tighten, | increase the speed of my movements and curl my fingers up looking for the perfect

    spot. When | find it, | suck down hard on her clit, sending her over the top. Her scream of pleasure and the friction from the bed

    moving under me has me joining her, my own orgasm ripping from me like I¡¯ve never felt before.

    | slowly let her ride out her orgasm, her walls contracting around my fingers slowly lessens. When | lift my head, my face and

    chin are covered in her sweet arousal. | kiss her inner thigh, before moving my way back up to her face. | slide my tongue into

    her mouth, letting her taste herself.

    +15 BONOSC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You taste delicious baby. I¡¯m going to go clean up and then we can get some sleep. You should be able to sleep now.¡± | tell her.

    | go to the bathroom and wash my face, pulling off my shorts to wash my release off my body. After wiping myself clean, | go

    back out to see my little mate fast asleep, still naked.

    | climb in behind her, curling up around her, and tucking her against me before pulling the sheet and nket over us and

    following her into blissful sleep.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 0325

    | wake up slowly, warm and surrounded by the scent of sandlewood and cedar. | haven''t feit thisfortable in a long time.

    As |e awake, | begin to realize certain things. First, I''m naked. Second, there is an arm wrapped around my waist ending

    with a hand that is cupping my breast. And finally, there is arge, warm, strong body behind me and something long and hard

    pressing against my backside.

    | move to get out of Eli¡¯s embrace, but his arm tightens around me, pulling me to him. He kisses my shoulder.

    ¡°Not yet. Just a few more minutes.¡± His voice is thick and husky with sleep.

    ¡°Eli.¡± Ites out more like a squeak than a demand.

    ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± He replies, snuggling his body even closer to mine and kissing the back of my neck, sending goosebumps over my

    body.

    ¡°Eli, I¡¯m naked.¡±

    ¡°You were asleep when | got out of the bathroom, so | let you sleep.¡± His voice is still low, his breath caressing my ear as he

    speaks.

    ¡°You''re naked too.¡±

    ¡°Baby, afterst night, there¡¯s no part of you that | haven¡¯t seen and tasted. And I¡¯ve been around shifters my entire life. Nudity

    isn¡¯t something that bothers me.¡±

    My cheeks heat at hisment. What felt right in the darkness of night, sounds almost elicit in the morning light.

    | feel his teeth gently bite down on my shoulder. ¡°I can feel your embarrassment, love. We''re mates. You may not have decided

    toplete the bond yet, but you and your wolf will be feeling the pull to me and Louis. There is nothing to be embarrassed

    about. This is the way the goddess nned it.¡±

    ¡°I''m going to jump in the shower and then we should head out. We have a bus to catch, right?¡±

    He lifts his head to look at me. ¡°Are you feeling up to traveling again today?¡±

    | look at him over my shoulder and | can see the worry in his eyes. | blush but answer honestly. ¡°I feel pretty good actually.¡± | tell

    him.

    His answering smifk says everything | need to know. He¡¯s very proud of himself for being the one that made me feel this good.

    And as much as I''d like to scoff at

    +15 DONOS

    him, he¡¯s right. My body feelsnguid and rxed.

    | lean up and peck his lips, but before | can pull away, he¡¯s captured me for a much longer and deeper kiss. I¡¯m immediately lost

    in his scent and taste, moaning softly into his mouth as his tongue ys gently with mine.

    He rubs his nose against mine. ¡°Go shower, and Ill get us something to eat and check the bus schedule.¡± He tells me.

    | scoot out of bed and start walking to the bathroom, feeling his eyes on me. | turn and look at him over my shoulder. ¡°What?¡±

    He is propped up on one elbow, the sheet falling low on his hips, his eyes slowly slide down my body beforeing back up.

    ¡°Just enjoying the view.¡± He says.

    | turn taking thest few steps to the bathroom, making sure to swing my hips a little more than necessary, earning me a wolf

    whistle as | close the door to the bathroom.

    | can¡¯t help butugh out loud. It¡¯s a powerful, heady feeling to captivate a man¡¯s attention like that, especially a man like Eli.

    When | finish showering, | half expect him to still be in bed, but he has gone so | finish getting ready and wait for him to return.

    When he does, he has several egg and meat sandwiches, coffee and lots a water.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Drink some water and pick whichever sandwiches you want.¡± He says before sitting down with me. ¡°I know you drink coffee, but

    | wasn¡¯t sure how you take it, so | have cream and sugar.¡± He says as he dumps a bag with that, napkins and coffee stirrers onto

    the table.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 0326

    | drink half a bottle of water in one go, then dig into the food. ¡°So, what''s the n?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a bus leaving at 1pm heading toward Jackson, Mississippi. We''ll stop at a small town tomorrow on the other side of

    Jackson, stay the night then head out the following day toward Birmingham, where we''ll n to stay another night before

    heading toward home. At that pace, we''ll get to north Georgia by the end of the week. But that also gives us two nights in a hotel

    to get decent food and sleep. I¡¯ve already called Rik and given him the n. I''ll call him again when we stop outside of Jackson.¡±

    After breakfast, Eli showered, we check out of the hotel and head back to the bus station. Eli was still watchful of everything,

    making sure there was no one suspicious. The bus ride to the area outside of Jackson was tiring, but uneventful. | took the

    opportunity to ask Eli about where we are going and try to get to know my mate a little bit better.

    ¡°We''re headed to my old packnds, the Silver Dawn pack. | had started to rebuild the pack and was inviting anyone that needed

    sanctuary toe and be a part of a new pack. Not surprisingly, there are many with stories like ours Grace. So, you can

    imagine how many wolves came to the borders, asking for a safe ce to live.¡±

    ¡°Are they all still there?¡± | ask, wondering what we''re going to be walking into. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. It¡¯s been close to a year

    since I¡¯ve been back. At the time, | was the self-proimed Alpha of the pack, and | left my assigned Beta in charge. | guess

    we''ll find out when we arrive.¡±

    When we get to the town, we find a hotel and quickly wash off the dust of traveling, before heading out to get dinner. Eli is more

    rxed, having spoken to Alpha Rik and hearing that the red wolves seemed to have gotten word out that I¡¯ve been marked and

    am no longer eligible to mark and mate.

    We go to a popr steak house and it¡¯s the most normal experience I¡¯ve had since my mother passed away. We have a nice

    dinner, talking andughing. I¡¯ming to realize that Eli is a caring individual. If my mother and | had met him. in our travels, he

    would have looked after us, as he seems to do with every stray he finds. He doesn¡¯t call them strays, but that¡¯s what they are. It¡¯s

    what my mother and | were. We were lost, with no pack and no ties to anyone.

    He doesn¡¯t seem to recognize that he gives others a sense of peace and belonging.

    +15 BONOS

    He just sees it as the right thing to do, something that he wished someone would have done for him when he was a child, alone

    in the world.

    We walk back to our hotel room, hand in hand. When we get there, he turns to me. ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    | shake my head. ¡°No.¡±

    He grabs the remote and sits on the bed, turning the TV on. ¡°Do you have anything that you''d like to watch?¡±

    | have an idea, but | don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m hoping instinct, the bond and maybe Eli will guide me.

    | get on the bed, but rather than sitting next to him, | straddle his hips, facing him. | put my hands on his chest as he looks up at

    me, a half¡ªsmile on his face. ¡°Something on your mind, Grace?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    | nod. ¡°You made me feel really good the other night. Now | want to return the favor.¡± | say as | slide my hands down his stomach,

    to his shorts.

    Cooper

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 0327

    Hello everyone,

    | hope you are enjoying Grace and Eli¡¯s journey so far. There is a lot more in store for them still toe!

    My new book, For the Love of a Guardian, went live today. This book will tell Clint and Lily¡¯s story. It starts as a prequel when

    they are 17/18 years old, but will go through the time frame of the first two books (Broken Warrior and Guardian Angel).

    Since | started writing Broken Warrior, Lily has been banging around in my head, wanting me to tell her story, so now it¡¯s out. If

    you enjoyed the glimpses of her life with Clint in the other books, check it out. This story will have more information on Anders¡®

    and Calista¡¯s romance, as well. It will be more of a romance but if you¡¯ve read the other books, you also know there will be

    tragedy. For those of you keeping track, yes the name of the book is the same as the one that Clint gave to Cara for her 18th

    birthday, and yes, that was intentional.

    For the Love of a Guardian will only update three days a week, as Banished Beta is my primary book until it is finished. Once this

    book isplete, Clint and Lily''s story will begin updating daily.

    Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me. | hope you are having as much fun reading abut these characters as | am

    writing about them. | read and appreciate all of yourments. | don¡¯t know how to respond in this system, but | promise | do

    read them.

    Cooper

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 328

    I''m instantly hard as Grace¡¯s hands slide over my stomach to the waistband of my shorts. I¡¯m thrilled that she wants to be

    intimate, but | also want to make sure we both understand what she wants.

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± | ask, as her hands slide up under my shirt and back up my stomach to my chest. She¡¯s pushed

    my shirt up with her hands, so | lean forward and pull it over my head, dropping it on the floor.

    Her eyes take me in, feasting on me like I¡¯ve done with her, before meeting mine. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure.¡±

    ¡°You can do whatever you want, but only if you¡¯refortable doing it. | have no limits with you. I¡¯m all yours, Grace.¡±

    She leans in, kissing me and | let her set the pace. It¡¯s difficult as my body and Louis are screaming at me toplete the bond.

    | want nothing more than to bury myself in her warm, wet folds while | sink my teeth into her neck. But | won''t, not until | know

    that I''ll feel her teeth sinking into mine at the same time.

    | slide my hands up her thighs, to her hips. She¡¯s moving against me, causing my dick to be rock hard. One of her hands

    goes to my shoulder, the other around my neck as she deepens the kiss, taking control.

    She begins kissing her way down my neck and | can¡¯t help but groan when she nips at my marking spot, causing my dick to

    twitch under her. | see her smile as she sits back just enough to look at me, before beginning to kiss her way down my chest.

    She continues nipping at me, biting into me in ces, leaving little love bites on my pecs as she continues her path to my

    stomach.

    When she gets to my shorts, she does what | did to her. She grabs them with her teeth and begins pulling them down, getting off

    the bed to take them offpletely, leaving me in only my boxers.

    ¡°You should take your clothes off too.¡± | say, my hunger for her making my voice deeper than normal.

    She stands, looking at me. ¡°Would you like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s a deep, breathy reply and | know my eyes are dark with my need for

    her.

    She reaches down and slowly pulls her shirt over her head. | lick my lips at her beauty. | want this woman like I¡¯ve never wanted

    anyone in my life.

    +15 BONDS

    Her eyes stay on mine as she reaches behind her and unhooks her bra, letting it fall to the floor. My eyes trail down to her perfect

    breasts. They are perky and smaller than some, but they are perfect to me.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    She turns her back to me, looking at me over her shoulder as she bends down, pulling her shorts down, giving me a perfect view

    her spectacr ass. Oh, how | want to sink my teeth into those fleshy globes, and one day soon, | will.

    When she turns back around, | can feel her confidence wane. She is getting into her head and letting embarrassment take over.

    ¡°Come here.¡± | say to her, crooking my finger at her.

    She listens, crawling back over top of me. I¡¯m not sure if she meant it to be sexy, but it definitely is. When she¡¯s close, | grab her,

    pulling her to straddle me again. | can feel her warm, wet heat over my dick with nothing between us but my boxers. It won¡¯t take

    much to get me off.

    ¡°What were you thinking baby?¡± | ask her, trying to get her out of her head.

    ¡°| wanted to make you feel good, but I¡¯m not sure how.¡± She says.

    | push up against her. ¡°Do you feel how excited | am? How much | want you?¡± | ask her. | want her to know that | want her, but |

    still don¡¯t want to push her. She has to befortable with whatever we do.

 Chapter 329

    When | push up against her, my dick slides through her wet, warm folds. | groan in pleasure, letting my eyes close. ¡°You feel so

    good Grace. | don¡¯t know what you want, but | can¡¯t be inside you. When you''re ready, we will. But | will want to mark you, and |

    know you''re not ready for that yet.¡±

    ¡°| can use my mouth like you did.¡± She says in her sweet voice. | groan at the thought.

    ¡°Have you ever done that before baby?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°No, but | want to.¡±

    | grit my teeth. I''ll be lucky if | don¡¯t shoot my load the minute her lips touch my dick.

    ¡°Do you want me to guide you?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    | reach up and kiss her deeply beforeying back. ¡°Pull my boxers off and find a position that¡¯sfortable between my legs.¡±

    When she does, she looks at my dick, then up at me. ¡°Take me in your hand, stroke me up and down.¡±

    She does, watching as my dick twitches as soon as she touches it and my body. tenses in pleasure.

    ¡°Use your tongue, lick me then suck the head into your mouth.¡±

    She does, and it takes everything in me not to shoot off like a rocket. ¡°That feels so good baby. So good. Slide me farther into

    your mouth, use your lips and suck gently as you slide me in and out.¡±

    I''m gritting my teeth, trying hard to keep some semnce of control, but I¡¯m about to lose my shit. Her warm mouth feels so.

    good. Her hand continues stroking me and she takes me in and out.

    I hiss a bit as her teeth scrape my cock. ¡°Careful with your teeth baby.¡±

    She immediatelyes off me, looking up at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did | hurt you?¡±

    ¡°It''s okay, just be careful. Biting me there isn¡¯t pleasurable.¡±

    She takes me back in her mouth, hollowing out her cheeks and begins sucking me in harder this time. | suck in a breath, and my

    hand goes into her hair,

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°That''s it, love. When | tell you, you need to stop so | don¡¯te in your mouth.¡± | tell her as she continues. She begins moving

    faster and I¡¯m hitting the back of her throat.

    ¡°Oh god baby, that¡¯s it, yes.¡±

    | feel my balls contracting and | know I¡¯m close. ¡°Grace, stop, I¡¯m about toe.¡± | tell her, knowing it¡¯s only a matter of seconds.

    She doesn¡¯t stop, if anything she moves faster. At thest second, she somehow takes me into her throat. My hips thrust

    forward, pushing me even deeper into her throat as the force of my orgasm has me growling my release, her gag reflex only

    increasing. my orgasm. My instinct is to hold her there while | finish, but | won¡¯t do that to her. Thankfully, she takes everything

    I''m giving her before she finally slides off, licking every bit of my release off of me before sitting back and looking at me.

    ¡°Fuck, Grace. That was amazing!¡± | say, watching as a self-satisfied smile. spreads across her face.

    ¡°I''m d you liked it.¡±

    | pull her up to me, kissing her. ¡°Like isn¡¯t the word | would use. You are incredible my little mate.¡±

    She giggles and | growl at her. ¡°I can smell your arousal. Now, it¡¯s my turn to feast.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    | flip our positions and have my mate screaming in pleasure multiple times before | finally curl up behind her and we both drift off

    to sleep.

 Chapter 330

    | can definitely get used to waking up in Eli¡¯s arms. It''s warm,fortable and safe. | love that I''m getting to know him better,

    mentally and physically.

    The physical part is nothing like | was expecting. | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the mate bond, or if it¡¯s him, but | never expected an orgasm

    to feel like this. | can¡¯t imagine what it will be like when weplete the bond. | remember hearing stories about how incredible it

    is, and | can¡¯t imagine it being better than this.

    | don''t feel nearly as self-conscious this morning as | snuggle back into Eli¡¯s embrace. | love the sound of his sleepy growl when

    | wiggle myself against him, causing his already hard length to twitch against my back.

    ¡°What are you doing baby?¡± He asks me sleepily.

    ¡°Snuggling up against you.¡± | say as | wiggle myself even closer to him.

    His arm pulls me impossibly closer and he pushes his erection against me. ¡°I like waking up with you pressed against me.¡± He

    says, kissing my neck and biting down gently, making me shiver. ¡°But we have a bus to catch this morning. One more stop and

    then we should be home, or to what was home when | left.¡±

    He lifts his arm and | move off the bed, turning to stand in front of him. | feel bold this morning.

    ¡®He¡¯s a sexy man and he wants us. We''re Alpha females, we should feel powerful because we are.¡¯ Maia says.

    | lean over the bed, watching as Eli¡¯s eyes darken. ¡°Come on old man,e shower with me.¡±

    In an instant, he¡¯s out of bed and has scooped me up. | wrap my legs around his waist, chuckling as he begins walking to the

    bathroom. I¡¯m a tall woman, at 5''11", but Eli carries me like | weigh nothing at all. | like it.

    ¡°Who are you calling old?¡± He asks, growling in my ear.

    ¡°Did | seem oldst night when you had my hard length in your mouth?¡± | shake my head, no.

    ¡°Did | seem old when | had you screaming your pleasure over and over?¡± | gently nip his neck as he turns on the water. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do

    you need a reminder of just how young | am?¡±

    | giggle like a schoolgirl. ¡°Yes.¡±

    12

    +15 BONDS

    And he does remind me, in the shower, three times. Yep, | could definitely get used to this.

    We spend the next two days on the road, working our way to Birmingham, again finding a small town on the east side of the city.

    We had nned to stop earlier, but realized we were in the middle of wolf territory, so we kept going for another half day.

    By the time we stop, we¡¯re both ready for a shower, food and bed. Much like our previous hotel visits, we get to know each other

    over dinner then again in bed. I¡¯m bing more and morefortable with the thought of Eli and | finalizing the mate bond. |

    want to see this pack he put together and make sure there is nothing that gives me an indication that he¡¯s been lying to me this

    entire time. But if it''s as he says it is, then I think I¡¯m ready toplete the bond.

    ¡®It''s about time.¡® Maia says in my head.

    Between her constant desire toplete the bond and my body''s own pull to Eli, it is getting harder and harder to resist the

    temptation to mark him. My canines. came outst night while | was kissing his neck and | had to pull away quickly before the

    need to mark him became too strong. And while I¡¯m ready to take our sexual rtionship to the next level, | know he won¡¯t until

    I¡¯m ready toplete our bond. After the canine issue, | have to agree.

    Thest leg of our journey is another two days. While we''re enjoying our time together and getting to know each other, | think

    we''re both weary of traveling. I¡¯m excited to see what this pack looks like. ording to Eli, it¡¯s run down and needs to be rebuilt. |

    never really considered how exciting that might be, to build something of my own from the ground up. If his makeshift pack is still

    there, they are the type of people that would be invested in rebuilding the packnds. They would want a ce to call home, one

    that they could be proud of. It sounds like they just need the guidance of their Alpha.

    he¡¯s

    Eli has told me several times that he¡¯s not an Alpha, he only proimed himself to be one. But there is more to being an Alpha

    than just blood. Although | do think it''s possible that Eli has Alpha blood, he also acts like a leader. He¡¯s strong,passionate

    and from everything I¡¯ve gathered from what he¡¯s told me, caring. He may not know exactly how to run a pack, but | have some

    of that knowledge, and as mates, we can build something together, helping each other as we go.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    +10 SONOS

 Chapter 331

    Thest part of our trip takes us through the Blue Ridge mountains. It¡¯s beautiful and I¡¯m d to be back in the Appchian

    Mountain range again. When we get to our final bus stop, we grab our things and head out.

    ¡°The packnds are about a two hour run in wolf form.¡± Eli tells me.

    ¡°Excellent! Maia is dying to stretch her legs.¡±

    We grab a quick lunch and then head into the forest range before shifting. | follow Eli as he keeps a steady pace. In this form,

    you can see more of the beauty of the mountains, the streams and everything that makes the mountain range majestic.

    | pick up the scent of other wolves a second before Louis howls our arrival. Within moments, patrols are in our way, guarding the

    packnds. | hope this is a good thing. It either means that they have been managing the pack well in his absence or someone

    else has taken it over.

    Eli shifts and stands in front of the wolves. ¡°Who is in charge here?¡± He asks.

    One of the wolves shifts, looking briefly at Eli. ¡°I am.

    ¡°He says

    before looking at me. ¡°Guardian.¡± He inclines his head toward Maia. ¡°My name is Jared. How can | help you?¡±

    ¡°Is Carlos still Beta here?¡± Eli asks.

    Jared narrows his eyes. ¡°He is.*

    ¡°Tell him Eli is home.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha?¡± Jared asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jared inclines his head at Eli. ¡°We had heard you were taken prisoner in a neighboring pack. We didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d escaped.¡±

    ¡°| was released, and | found my mate.¡± He points to me.

    ¡°If | may, which Guardian is this?¡±

    ¡°My mate¡¯s name is Grace, her wolf is Maia. Clint Nelson was killed in the vampire war and his Guardian spirit passed to Grace

    and Maia.¡±

    ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Maia, Grace.¡± Jared says to me. | notice the other wolves are also showing deference to Eli and to

    Maia.

    ¡°We''ll escort you to the packhouse Alpha. Everyone will be happy that you''ve returned.¡±

    They both shift and we run to the packhouse.

    It''s been a long time since I¡¯ve been on any packnds. It almost gives me a sense of d¨¦ja vu. As we get closer to the

    packhouse, | hear howls as peoplee running to see Eli. Wolves join our run and there is a happy yipping along with cheering

    from those in human form. This pack is happy to have their Alpha home. There is no fear, no anticipation, the only thing | can

    sense is happiness and excitement.

    As we run up to the packhouse, | see a man standing there waiting for us. | can smell that he¡¯s an Alpha, but something is off

    about his scent.

    ¡®He has no wolf.¡± Maia says to me.

    ¡®Awolf less Alpha? Like | was?¡±

    ¡®Yes, but | don¡¯t think he will get a wolf. His wolf isn¡¯t waiting to awaken. | can¡¯t feel a wolf in him at all.¡¯

    This must be Carlos. Eli said his appointed Beta was a wolf less Alpha.

    Eli shifts and pulls on a pair of shorts before walking up to Carlos. ¡°Alpha, it¡¯s good to have you home.¡± Carlos says before the

    two embrace in a back¡ª-thumping hug.

    There are so many people that I¡¯m ufortable shifting, but if | don¡¯t, | won¡¯t be able to talk. | begin to shift and immediately Eli

    is there with one of hisrge shirts, pulling it over my head before | can even stand.

    ¡°And | see you''ve brought a Guardian with you.¡± Carlos says, stepping up to me.¡± Wee.¡± He says. | can see right away why

    Eli would want this man to be his Beta. He may not have a wolf, but he oozes confidence, while also putting you at

    ease.

    ¡°You must be Carlos.¡± | say, holding out my hand.

    ¡°Carlos, this is Grace, my mate. My fated mate.¡± Eli introduces me, stressing the fated part. ¡°Grace, as you guessed, this is

    Carlos.¡±

    I''m about to say something more when | hear a squeal and see a woman running full out toward Eli. In an instant, she has

    jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and is kissing him soundly on the mouth. | have a moment. of stabbing

    pain in my chest before Maia takes over, ripping her out of Eli¡¯s arms and sending her flying across the yard.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Mine!¡± She says in a ferocious snarl, standing in between the woman on the

    ground and Eli.

    | feel Eli move behind me, his hands on my hips. ¡°Shhh, Grace.¡±

    But it''s not me in control, Maia is out for blood and this bitch doesn¡¯t know when to shut up.

    ¡°| don¡¯t see a mark on his neck, so he¡¯s not yours.¡± The woman spits at me.

    Maia spins around and | have a moment to see Eli¡¯s stunned expression. ¡°Maia.¡± He says, just as she leans forward and sinks

    her canines into his neck.

    HONGE

 Chapter 332

    Never in a million years would | have dreamed that Crista would jump into my arms like we''re long-lost lovers. There was a short

    time, over a year ago that we were, but that time is long past.

    I''m angry because | know that Grace must have felt it when Crista kissed me, but | don¡¯t even have time to react before Grace

    sends her flying, her rage and possessiveness slicing through the bond. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised at her reaction. | knew we''d

    gotten closer during our time on the run, but she¡¯s never actually imed me. At least, not until now.

    | move forward, wanting to soothe her, her aura is pulsing out of her angrily. | intend to tell her there is nothing between Crista

    and me, but Crista just has to open her mouth. You¡¯d think after living so long on her own as a rogue that she¡¯d have more self¡ª

    preservation, but apparently not.

    When Grace.turns and | see it''s Maia, | have a moment to be shocked before she sinks her canines into my marking spot. The

    minute she does, | feel a rush of power like | have never felt before. | roar with the influx of energy and strength, one arm holding

    Grace against me while the other holds her head as Maia milks her canines into my flesh, pushing her venom into me, changing

    my scent to include hers. | can feel her need to show everyone here that I¡¯m hers through the bond. She¡¯s staking her im.

    Generally, wolves mark each other during the mating process and there¡¯s a reason for that. Having the strongest orgasm of my

    life in front of my pack. members that | haven¡¯t seen in over a year wasn¡¯t on my to-do list. Add to that whatever this crazy power

    surge is that I¡¯m feeling, and | really wish | was in a bed rather than standing in front of my pack, getting reacquainted.

    All that aside, | wouldn¡¯t change this. She marked me. She¡¯s made me hers and she did it publicly in front of the entire pack. A

    sense of belonging and contentment that I¡¯ve never felt before floods through my system.

    The bond, already stronger after | marked her, just snapped into ce, stronger than before. Tonight, we''llplete the mating

    process and then nothing can take her away from me.

    ¡°Mine.¡± | hear her say through our mind link, still milking her venom into me.

    ¡°Yes, baby, I¡¯m yours.¡± | reply in our mind link as she finally pulls her canines. from my neck.

    | take her face in my hands and kiss her, opening our mind link and flooding her

    +15 BONOS

    with my love, admiration and pride.

    ¡°Mine.¡± She says quietly when | pull back. It¡¯s deathly quiet and | know everyone heard her.

    ¡°From the very first moment that | saw you.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°Eli?¡± | hear Crista whining.

    | pull back, looking past Grace.

    ¡°Crista, meet my mate and your future Luna, Grace.¡±

    Grace turns but | keep my arm wrapped around her, holding her in front of me. If she walks away, the evidence of my orgasm will

    be on disy for everyone. And while I¡¯m sure all mated couples know what just happened, | don¡¯t want the pups. and unmated

    wolves witnessing this.

    ¡°Grace, this is Crista. She¡¯s a member of the pack.¡±

    ¡°Crista, if you every a hand on my mate again, you will face the wrath of an Alpha female and Guardian. Am | clear?¡± Grace''s

    voice is deep, oveid withOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Maia¡¯s.

    | watch as Crista looks at me to see if | will intervene, but | have no intention of saying anything. Grace is my mate and the future

    Luna of this pack. | won¡¯t undermine her authority in front of the pack.

    Carlos steps up. ¡°Alpha, perhaps you and Luna would like to wash up after your long journey. Your room is untouched.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Carlos.¡± | kiss the top of Grace¡¯s head. ¡°Come on baby, let¡¯s go get cleaned up.¡±

    As we turn to go, Carlos stops me. ¡°Alpha, you''re here to stay, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 0333

    ¡°Good. We need to talk when you''re settled.¡±

    | nod. I¡¯m sure there is a lot to catch up on, but | need to speak with Grace, and 1 need to call Rik and let him know we made it

    home.

    | take Grace upstairs to what was my room. It¡¯s not much, and there¡¯s still so much work that needs to be done in this pack. As

    soon as we walk into the room, she turns to me.

    ¡°I''m sorry, Maia took over and | know we didn¡¯t discuss it...¡±

    | capture her lips with mine, showing her how happy | am that she imed me. When | pull back, | look at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry, not

    for a moment. Do | wish that it had been a bit more private, yes. But you staking your im on me in front of the entire pack?

    That was sexy as hell.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You''re not mad?¡±

    ¡°Mad that you marked me or mad that you did it in front of everyone?¡±

    ¡°Mad that | marked you because that she¡ªwolf*, she snarls the word, ¡°touched what was mine.¡±

    ¡°Whatever your reasons, I¡¯m d you decided to mark me. | told you, with you, | have no limits. I¡¯m yours Grace, yours and

    Maia¡¯s.¡±

    | kiss her nose. ¡°Now, | need a shower to wash off the mess you made by marking me.¡± | smirk at her as | step back. ¡°But

    tonight? Tonight | will make you mine in every sense of the word. Are you prepared for that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says, giving me a coy smile.

    | can¡¯t help the growl that escapes as | close the short distance to her taking her in a passionate kiss. ¡°I feel more like an Alpha

    when you say it than | do any other time. Usually, | feel like an imposter.¡±

    | turn and head to the shower, looking to make sure there are towels avable.

    ¡°You''re more of an Alpha than you realize, Eli. You may not recognize it, but everyone out there does.¡± Grace says as | walk into

    the bathroom and turn on the shower.

    I step in, letting the water flow over my head. | feel Grace step in behind me. You''ve created something here, something special.

    People like us never had a ce to go, a safe ce to pick up the pieces and rebuild our lives. You¡¯ve created

    +15 BONOS

    that here. That makes you an Alpha. A good Alpha.¡± She says, running her hands. over my back.

    I turn to her. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the lifestyle that you probably had in mind when you thought about your future. But is this a life that

    you can see yourself having with me? There¡¯s a lot of work that needs to be done, but | think, eventually, we could make it

    something amazing.¡±

    ¡°| would love to build a life with you, Eli, build something where others like us cane and be safe. A sanctuary for those that

    are lost or need assistance.¡±

    | lean my forehead against hers. ¡°How did | get so lucky to be mated to someone like you?¡±

    She pulls away. ¡°You mean a Guardian?¡±

    | look at her. ¡°No. Honestly, | wouldn¡¯t care if you were an omega, or even a human. Hell, | thought you were a human when | first

    met you and | wasing back for you. Alpha Liam¡¯s Beta is mated to a human and from what | hear, she¡¯s incredible. It''s not

    about your gifts, although | think you have to be special in order to receive the Guardian spirit. It''s about who you are as a

    person, Grace. You may have been born an Alpha female, have be a Guardian, but you aren¡¯t even having second

    thoughts about getting your hands dirty to build a pack almost from scratch.¡±

    She steps back up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. ¡°I¡¯m not foolish enough to think that this will be easy, and we both

    have a lot to learn about running a pack, but if we¡¯re together, | think we can do it. | feel like together, we can do anything we put

    our minds to.¡±

    Cooper Author

    What do you think of these two building a pack together?

 Chapter 334

    When we finish showering, Eli calls Alpha Rik. He wants to meet, but | have Eli put him off. | haven¡¯t even settled into this

    environment, and | don¡¯t know what to expect from those two Alphas. They seem to have expectations of me as a Guardian, and

    I''m not ready for that yet.

    When he¡¯s done, he takes my hand, and we go in search of Carlos. We arrive at a door that is cracked open and we hear raised

    voicesing from inside.

    ¡°| don¡¯t care that he¡¯s back, this pack is mine!¡± An unfamiliar voice yells.

    ¡°And | told you before, you are not Alpha here. You do not make the rules and | will not step aside for you to ruin everything that

    we have built.¡± | recognize Carlos¡¯s voice. It is strong and unwavering. Eli made a good choice making him Beta, wolf or no.

    Eli walks in without knocking. ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± He asks.

    | take in the room. Carlos is standing behind a desk. Three other men are in the room, standing around his desk in an

    intimidating stance. The leader turns and looks at Eli.

    ¡°You''ve been gone for too long. You are no longer Alpha here.¡± He says to Eli.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Eli says and | feel his aura push out. Once again, | have to wonder if he has Alpha blood. His aura is stronger than

    any Beta | have ever met, and | met a lot when | was a child.

    | watch the other man flinch when Eli''s aura hits him. Eli steps up to him, getting in his face. ¡°I''ll be more than happy to ept

    your challenge of my position as Alpha if that¡¯s what this is.¡± Eli says in a quietly menacing tone.

    The man looks from Eli to me. ¡°Big words from a man who can hide behind a Guardian.¡±

    | scoff. ¡°Why would he hide behind me? He¡¯s obviously the stronger fighter. | have no doubt he would put you down easily.¡± | say,

    letting this man know that there is no question in my mind that Eli could defeat him on his own.

    ¡°So, what''s it going to be?¡± Eli asks him. It would be impossible for him to not be intimidated by Eli. Eli stands nearly a head taller

    than this guy and is at least four inches wider at the shoulders, and that¡¯s not even talking about his muscle mass. Eli is all hard

    muscle. This guy looks like his only exercise is when he lets his wolf

    run.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Fine.¡± He turns to his friends. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He says and they begin to file out. He tries to shoulder check Eli as he passes, but it

    ends up back firing as Eli doesn¡¯t budge and | watch the guy flinch from the contact.

    When they leave, | reach over and close the door. Carlos sits heavily in the chair, running his hands over his face. ¡°This is what |

    wanted to talk to you about.¡± He says, looking at Eli.

    Eli pulls a chair out, standing behind it, waiting for me to sit. When | do, he takes the seat next to me. ¡°So, talk.¡±

    ¡°There have been rumors of several wolves who n to vie for the position of Alpha. You¡¯ve been gone a long time and I¡¯ve been

    able to fight some and maintain the peace, but without a wolf, | can only do so much. Christopher isn¡¯t the only one.¡± He says

    motioning to the man who just left.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°How many?¡± Eli asks.

    ¡°Three to five, I¡¯m not sure. And some may back off now that you¡¯re back.¡±

    Eli nods, thinking. ¡°Set up challenges for anyone that wants to fight me for the right to be Alpha.

    ¡°Eli.¡± | say. This is not how | had hoped our first days would go.

    He turns to me. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to get the pack in line. If there are questions about hierarchy, it will cause chaos. The sooner

    we work this out, the sooner we can begin to rebuild. This time, we''ll make it official with an Alpha, Luna and Beta ceremony,

    having each member pledge themselves to us and the pack. | want to make this an official pack. | have other things to talk to

    Alpha Rik and Alpha Liam about, so I''ll find out from them how we can do that.¡±

 Chapter 335

    ¡°Okay, well, while you battle for your Alpha position, | can take a look at what needs to be done around here. How are you getting

    food and supplies for the pack. members?¡± | ask Carlos.

    He sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything structured in ce. The pack has no way to make money, so me and some other warriors have

    been hunting, and some of the she¡ª-wolves have built a garden to help supplement with fruits and vegetables.¡±

    ¡°I''ll be working on the ie, that¡¯s one of my questions for Rik and Liam.¡± Eli says before turning to me. ¡°And | think it would be

    good for both of us to get a tour of the pack. | need to see what has been done in my absence and you need to see what we¡¯re

    up against.¡± He says, taking my hand and squeezing it.

    | smile back at him. ¡°I guess you''re not the only one facing a challenge.¡± | say to him. As overwhelming and intimidating as all of

    this sounds, it also sounds exciting. | don¡¯t want to say anything in front of Carlos just yet, but | still have quite a bit of money,

    which could go a long way toward at least getting food for the pack.

    ¡°How many pack members are there now?¡± Eli asks.

    Carlos moves some papers around his desk before finding the one that he was looking for. ¡°Currently, we''re at just under 300

    pack members.¡±

    Eli whistles softly. ¡°That¡¯s considerably more than when | left.¡±

    Carlos nods. ¡°You know how it is. Too many people thrown out of their packs with no where to go. The word seems to have

    gotten out and | swear we have new peopleing to our borders asking for sanctuary every day. I¡¯ve been keeping a list, but

    when we have some money, it would be great to get aputer so we can keep electronic files of our members. By myself, |

    can barely keep up with the paperwork.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So, you need an assistant?¡± | ask.

    Heughs sardonically. ¡°What | need is a mate that can act as the Beta female, but | doubt that¡¯s in my future, not without a wolf.¡±

    ¡°I''ll tell you a secret Carlos. | didn¡¯t get my wolf until | turned 18 a couple of months ago. | was living alone, working in a diner just

    to keep myself from starving and being homeless. Then, | got my wolf and Guardian spirit all at once,

    and now, here | am, mated to Eli, the Alpha of Pack and about to be a

    Luna. So you see, anything can happen. You''re an Alpha, just like me. It doesn¡¯t

    matter if you have a wolf. | don¡¯t know you well, but | can already tell that you have a lot to offer a mate. You''ll find her.¡± | tell him.

    He¡¯s run this pack on his own for a year. That says a lot about his strength and hispassion for the people in this pack.

    He smiles at me sadly before changing the subject. ¡°If you want, | can give you that tour now. I¡¯ll get word out that anyone that

    wants to challenge you for the position of Alpha needs to let me know and I''ll get it set up this week.¡±

    We all stand. ¡°Start setting it up tomorrow. The sooner the better.¡± Eli says.

    Carlos raises his brow at Eli. ¡°Are you sure you want to start tomorrow? I¡¯m assuming you''ll bepleting your mate bond

    tonight. | doubt you''ll be getting much sleep.¡±

    Eli stops, looking at me, a mischievous smile on his face. | can feel my cheeks warming in my embarrassment of this open

    discussion of our uing sexual interaction. ¡°Good idea. Start setting it up for the day after tomorrow.¡± He says

    to Carlos.

    Carlos tries unsessfully to hide his grin. ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    Cooper

 Chapter 336

    As much as I''d like nothing better than to take my mate back upstals andplete our mating bond, | need to see the pack

    lands, | know there is a lot of work that needs to be done, but I¡¯m hoping some has been done in my absence.

    We don¡¯t spend much time in the packhouse, | had started these repairs before 1 brought Cara here. It doesn¡¯t appear that any

    more has been done. As we walk out back Carlos begins pointing out the structures that are being built.

    ¡°We''re repurposing the concrete blocks from the dpidated buildings around the pack to build homes for new families. As you

    can see over there,¡± he points to another group of houses, ¡°Those houses had a strong structure, so we are just refurbishing

    those.¡±

    ¡°How do you keep track of which houses are full and which ones are avable?¡±

    He looks at her sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s another stack of papers that | have. | just try to keep up with

    have. N. how many families we have and how many unupied homes we

    have. No one seems to mind doing the work if we can give them a house, but we ran out of structures and are now having to

    build more to keep up with the influx of people.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    All around the pack, people are working. Some are breaking down buildings that are crumbling, some toting salvageable

    concrete blocks from the broken¡ªdown buildings to a stack where they can be used for new construction. | can see at the edge

    of the forest line, a number of trees have been cut down. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that those trees were used for lumber?¡± | ask, pointing to

    where several tree stumps.

    are in view.

    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but we needed more supplies, and that was our only option.¡± Carlos says.

    to

    There¡¯s so much work and so much money needed to bring this pack up normal standards. I¡¯m d to hear that people are just

    happy to have a ce to live, but in the end, the pack has to run on more than justbor.

    We walk up to a fenced in area and | see lots of nts in various stages of growth. ¡°This is the garden.¡± Carlos says as a woman

    | don¡¯t know stands up.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Alpha. Luna. Beta.¡± She inclines her head to first me, then Grace, then Carlos. Grace steps forward.

    ¡°What are you growing here?¡± She asks and the woman puts down her spade and

    +15 BONOS

    pulls off her gloves.

    ¡°I''m happy to give you a quick tour if you''d like.¡±

    ¡°| would love that.¡± Grace says, looking at me. | nod in agreement. It will be good to know what we can grow here versus what

    we need to buy.

    ¡°lm Maddison.¡± She says, extending her hand.

    Grace steps up, shaking her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Maddison. I¡¯m Grace. and this is Eli.¡±

    Maddison smiles. ¡°Yes, word travels fast around here. And please, call me Maddie.¡± She looks at me. ¡°Good to have you home

    Alpha.¡±

    She turns and begins showing us around the garden. There¡¯s quite a variety of nts, from tomatoes and pepper nts to

    melons, beets and broli. There are also peach trees, apple trees and blueberry and ckberry bushes. The garden is

    extensive, and it would need to be to be able to feed 300 pack members.

    ¡°How many people help you work the garden?¡± Grace asks her.

    ¡°Right now, while we¡¯re just making sure the nts are watered and parasites aren''t getting into the food and eating it, there are

    about five of us thate out and look after the nts. During harvesting and nting times, we need many more people just

    given the number of nts that we have.¡±

    ¡°And how do you go about getting people to assist you?¡± Grace continues her questioning. | can see her wheels turning, but I¡¯m

    not exactly sure what she¡¯s thinking.

    ¡°We ask and we hope.¡± Maddie tells her. ¡°But mostly, people want to eat, so it¡¯s not hard to get helpers. Plus, it¡¯s a great way to

    get the pups involved and keep them busy.¡±

    We finish our tour of the garden, thanking Maddie before moving on to the patrols. ¡°Carlos, how are you setting up patrols?¡±

    ¡°We have several men and women that have done patrols in the past. | have assigned patrol leaders for each team on every

    shift. Shifts run in 8-hour increments with a break for food alternating between the shifts, so the borders are always monitored.¡±

    ¡°Have there been any attempts from other packs to breach the borders?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Not many. Most don¡¯t realize that we¡¯re here and when they do, they are easily diverted around our packnds. Only a couple

    had to be encouraged to move along.¡± He says. I¡¯m guessing by ¡®encouraged¡¯ he means there was a fight and

    our side won.

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 0337

    ¡°What about warrior training?¡± | ask.

    ¡°That¡¯s been a bit problematic. Almost no one wants me leading the training since | don¡¯t have a wolf. We''ve had a couple other

    warriors step up, but their training isn¡¯t up to your standards. Also, those are the men most likely to challenge you for Alpha. They

    feel as if they¡¯ve been running the pack because they lead the warrior training.¡±

    I stop and look at him. ¡°So, you haven''t been involved in warrior training at all?¡± I''m shocked. Carlos has extensive training as an

    Alpha, even without a wolf.

    ¡°Oh | train, but it¡¯s with the she-wolves and pups. The Lead Warriors haven''t wanted the she¡ª-wolves to participate in regr

    training.¡±

    The sun is starting to set as we begin to make our way back to the packhouse. ¡± I''d like to look over the patrol schedules

    tomorrow and after this Alpha challenge mess is handled, you and | will be taking over warrior training.¡±

    ¡°What about the women?¡± Grace asks me.

    ¡°Oh, | can¡¯t wait to see those she¡ª-wolves hand the warriors their asses. | won¡¯t know for sure until | see them, but | trust Carlos¡¯s

    assessment of the Lead Warriors¡¯ skills. And if they are ascking as he¡¯s said, the group that Carlos has been training will wipe

    the floor with them.¡±

    Carlos has a huge, smug smile on his face. ¡°Yeah, they will.¡±

    When we get back to the packhouse, we go to the kitchens. The number of people who are working in the kitchen is severely

    lacking, given the number of people they need to cook for.

    ¡°Why are there so few kitchen staff?¡± Grace asks.

    ¡°Honestly, | haven¡¯t had time to even begin thinking about interviewing and hiring staff for the kitchens and the pack house. It¡¯s all

    | can do to manage the one training | have, keeping up with construction and keeping track of the new families entering the pack.

    And that''s if no one is contesting Eli¡¯s im as Alpha and | have to fight or y peacekeeper.¡±

    | bring my hand to Carlos¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve done an amazing job. And you''re not alone any longer. Grace and | will begin

    helping and will take a lot of this burden off of you.¡±

    ¡°I''m truly grateful for that. | can¡¯t tell you what a relief it was to see you when

    YRIT

    you got here.¡±

    ¡°I''ll start with the kitchen and packhouse staff tomorrow while you two go over the patrol schedules.¡± Grace says.

    ¡°Thank you, Grace.¡± Carlos says and | can see the relief on his face.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    We grab the tes that are already filled with food. The amount of food is only half what should be provided given the faster

    metabolism of wolves, but at least there is something for people to eat.

    As we sit and eat, | make note of the atmosphere in the room. Many seem happy that | have returned, but there are definitely a

    couple of groups that are obviously unhappy. | decide to nip this in the bud right

    now

    you

    I stand, clearing my throat and wait for the room to quiet down. ¡°Many of know me, but for those that don¡¯t, | am Alpha Eli, and

    this is my pack. | have been informed by my Beta, Carlos, that some of you may think that you would be better Alphas than | am.

    Beta Carlos will be scheduling Alpha challenges starting the day after tomorrow. Anyone who wishes to challenge me, get with

    your Beta and he will set it up.¡±

    I''m intentionally calling Carlos my Beta over and over. It seems that some have forgotten who and what he is to this pack, and |

    n to remind them.

    ¡°What if we defeat you?¡± Someone asks from the back.

    ¡°As with any Alpha challenge, the winner bes Alpha of the pack.¡±

    ¡°Will it be a battle of submission or death?¡± Another person shouts out.

    ¡°| will leave that up to the contender. | would rather have a battle of submission. | do not want to kill anyone needlessly, but if

    someone feels that strongly that it must be a battle to the death, | won¡¯t hesitate to kill them.¡±

    ¡°What about your Guardian?¡±

    ¡°My mate,¡± | stress the word, ¡°will not interfere with the Alpha challenge.¡±

    | field a few more questions before sitting down and finishing my dinner. When Grace is finished, | take her hand and lead her out

    of the dining hall.

    It''s time toplete our bond..

 Chapter 338

    As we walk up the stairs toward Eli''s room, | start asking questions, trying to alm my aerves. | know what¡¯sing and while I¡¯m

    no longer timid aboutpleting the bond with Eli, it is something new and unknown for me.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Most girls probably learn about sex from their mothers or their friends. Unfortunately for me, my mother was suffering from my

    father¡¯s rtionships with other women, and | couldn''t bring myself to approach the subject with her. Add to that, her death when

    | turned 16 and my utterck of friends, | don¡¯t know more than the basics of what to expect. So, to try to ease my nerves, | ask

    Eli something that I¡¯ve been wondering about.

    ¡°Were these always the Alpha¡¯s rooms?

    ¡°No, actually the floors for the ranked wolves were on the other side of the packhouse. | couldn¡¯t bear to be in my old room, and |

    didn¡¯t want to be in Alpha Jerome¡¯s or Alpha James¡® old rooms after what they did to my family, so | moved the ranked wolves to

    this side of the packhouse and that side is meant for visitors, but based on what we learned today, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s full of

    people waiting for housing.¡±

    He opens the door for me, and we walk into our room. | look around at it more this time, seeing the bare walls and basic

    furniture. Elies up

    behind me, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Once the pack starts making money, you can decorate this room any way you''d like.

    | know it¡¯s not much...¡± He starts to say, but | turn around and put my finger to his lips.

    ¡°| like that we are starting our life together, that everything we build, buy or decorate will be both of ours. Usually, the woman has

    to assimte to her mate¡¯s space. Everything in our life will be both of ours, not yours or mine.¡±

    He rubs his nose against mine. ¡°Do you know how utterly perfect you are Grace?¡±

    He kisses me gently. ¡°Are you ready toplete our mating bond?¡±

    | take a deep breath and step back. | don¡¯t know where my sudden confidence.es from, but | decide to take control, at least

    at first.

    | begin unbuttoning my shirt, watching Eli''s eyes darken. ¡°Take off your clothes, Eli.¡± | tell him, continuing to take off mine.

    He never takes his eyes off me as he removes his shirt and pulls his shorts and boxers down, kicking them aside and standing

    naked in front of me. A growl of pleasure rumbles in my chest as Maia and | take in our gorgeous mate.

    +15 BONOS

    After | slide my shorts and panties off, | walk up to him. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± When he does, | take his fingers and slide them

    between my wet folds. | watch as his eyes close, his nostrils ring as he smells my arousal. ¡°Does it feel like I¡¯m ready to

    complete our bond, Eli?¡±

    He opens his eyes and looks at me. ¡°Yes it does, Grace.¡±

    ¡°Did you want to taste me, Alpha?¡± | saw how it affected him before, so | decide to call him Alpha again. His growling response

    was instantaneous, causing my core to clench and heat to flood my walls, dripping down my thighs. He pulls his hand from

    between my legs and slides them into his mouth, licking them clean. ¡°You taste like cherries.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°On your knees, Alpha.¡± | wasn¡¯t sure he would do it, but he does, without fighting me at all. When he¡¯s kneeling in front of me, |

    lift one leg over his shoulder, running my fingers through his hair. ¡°Taste me, Alpha.¡±

    The words are barely out of my mouth before he¡¯s devouring me. He¡¯s like a starving man and I¡¯m the only food he¡¯s had in

    weeks. His hands have gone to my ass, pulling me toward him, holding me in ce.

 Chapter 339

    Between his skilled tongue and both of our emotions flooding the bond, my orgasmes hard and fast. | grip his shoulder,

    trying to stay standing and he continues his onught. One hand slips between my thighs and he slides two fingers inside me,

    slowing the movement of his tongue to the rhythm of his fingers.

    | begin to whimper as | feel his fingers twisting inside me, building up the pressure again. When he curls his fingers, hitting that

    perfect spot and sucks down hard on my clit, my knees go weak, and | scream his name as another orgasm rips through me.

    His growling response only heightens my orgasm as my body contracts over and over. His fingers slide out of me, his hands

    going under my legs to my lower back as he pushes his other shoulder under my leg and lifts me, standing with his mouth still

    sucking on my clit.

    My body contracts over him as he carries me to the bed,ying me down before sliding his fingers inside me again. This time, he

    keeps the faster speed, his fingers sliding in and out of me, his tongue swirling around my clit over and over, until he pushes me

    over the crest again and | feel myself mp down hard on his fingers.

    His fingers continue to slide in and out as he lifts his head. ¡°I like when you scream my name in pleasure, Grace.¡± His voice is

    rough and growly and | feel my pussy clench at the sound.

    He slides us up the bed,ing toy over top of me. | wrap my arms around him, holding on to him as his mouthes to

    mine, dominating me. His tongue. swiping across mine, so | can taste myself on his tongue.

    He pulls back, his forehead against mine. He takes one hand between us, grabbing his hardened length and rubbing it against

    my entrance. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    The minute | nod, he thrusts himself all the way inside me. The pain is immediate and intense, making me gasp. He begins

    kissing me again, holding still, letting me adjust to his size and length. It takes a few minutes for my body to stretch around him,

    but when the pain subsides, | begin to feel an ache deep inside me. | need him to move, to ease the ache.

    He seems to know what I need and begins to slide in and out of me, slowly at first, but as my need for him grows, his speed

    increases. He reaches down,

    +16 BONOS

    pulling my knee up, changing the position slightly but allowing him to go even deeper.

    | scratch my nails down his back. ¡°Eli.¡± | say, not sure if I¡¯m asking, begging or demanding. | just know | need something and he¡¯s

    the only one that can give it to

    1. me.

    His speed increases to a brutal pace, pounding into me until | no longer know where | end and he begins. It only takes another

    minute before my orgasm rips. through me, causing me to see stars.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| love you, Grace.¡± He says a moment before his canines sink into my neck, officially marking me as his. | scream his name, my

    walls mping down hard on his dick as my own caninese out and | sink them into his marking spot. His roar of pleasure

    comes a moment before | feel the heat of his cum coating my insides while we continue to milk our canines into each other.

    We don¡¯t remove our teeth from each other until both of us havee down. Then we slide our canines out, licking the spot to

    seal it.

    | take Eli¡¯s face in my hands. ¡°I love you too, Eli.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    And the bond ispletel

 Chapter 340

    | love waking up wrapped around my mate, smelling her cherry blossom scent. Her body fits against mine perfectly and her

    breast sits in my hand as my arm wrapsfortably around her waist. She¡¯s perfect in every way.

    | was thrilled to see her showing her Alpha naturest night, telling me what she wanted and controlling the situation, until she

    wasn''t. | knew there woulde a point where her confidence andck of knowledge would shift, and | would take

    over.

    I''m not sure she recognizes the impact she has on me when she calls me Alpha. It''s empowering to have a strong, dominant

    woman call me Alpha. Coming from my mate, it¡¯s exhrating.

    | had nned to be gentler, taking things slowlyst night, but between her taking control, calling me Alpha and the feelings

    flooding through the bond between us, | lost the battle in my head and my body took over. She assured me that she was finest

    night, just a little sore. So, | didn¡¯t take her again, even though my body was ready almost immediately. Instead, | tucked her

    against me, in my favorite sleeping position and we both fell asleep.

    | feel hering awake and | know what she wants when she begins to arch her back, rubbing herself against my already

    hardened length.

    ¡°Good morning baby. How are you feeling?¡± | ask her, rubbing my hand over her hip and waist.

    ¡°Good morning. | feel good, and I¡¯m ready for more of what you gave mest night.¡± She says, pushing her bottom against me

    and wiggling it enough to have me hissing.

    | slide my hand to her breast and tug on her nipple, causing her to moan. | move my hand to her backside and lift her leg slightly

    before lining my dick against her entrance. ¡°Is this what you want baby?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± And that¡¯s all it takes before I¡¯m sliding into her warm, wet folds. This time, | take my time, ying first with her

    nipples then with her clit. | love feeling her walls contracting around me and by her third orgasm, | can¡¯t hold back any longer and

    | let myself release inside her.

    When we''ve bothe down, | nip at her neck and shoulder yfully. ¡°You know exactly what you¡¯re doing when you call me

    Alpha, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Her soft chuckle is all the answer | need. ¡®I like this position. We''ll have to use it

    more often.¡± She says instead of answering me.

    | nibble on her car. ¡°There are many positions, and we''ll try them all. You can tell me which ones are your favorite.¡±

    Yes

    ¡°Mmmin, Alpha.¡± My sexy mate says as she arches against me, causing me to go hard again inside her. So, | take her again in

    her new favorite position.

    After showering, | take her hand and we walk downstairs together to the dining hall. | find Carlos there, but very few others.

    He looks up and smiles. ¡°All good?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± | say and pull Grace¡¯s hand up, kissing her knuckles. | love watching the blush that colors her cheeks.

    | turn back to Carlos. ¡°Where is everyone?¡±

    ¡°Well, it''s a bitte, so most everyone is already working in the areas they are assigned. Would you like to get started on the

    patrols?¡± He asks.

    | look at Grace. ¡°What are you nning to do today?¡±

    ¡°| was going to start with the kitchens and see what we have as far as staff, supplies, etcetera. How about you go get

    and bring it up to you. Carlos, have you ed, and I''ll fix us something to eat

    ¡°I''m fine, thank you Luna.¡±

    ¡°Okay then. I''ll see you in a bit.¡± She says.

    ¡°Mind link me if you need anything baby.¡±

    She asks, turning to him.

    | watch her walk off to the kitchen. ¡°She will make a good Luna.¡± Carlos says.

    ¡°Yes, she will.¡± | say as | follow him to his office. | realize | need to allocate a space for my office and one for Grace as well.

    Carlos and | spend the next hour going over the patrol schedules, looking at the new pack members that have yet to be assigned

    to work and identifying those that may be added to the patrol schedule.

    Grace had a tray of food sent up and even though Carlos said he had eaten, she still sent food for him. As we eat, we go over

    the list of pack members and where everyone is housed. | was correct that almost every room in the packhouse is full. ¡°Where

    do you n to put new peopleing in? You said new folks areing in almost every day

    He nods. Honestly, | was nning to start putting them on the Beta and Gamma

    floors. You never assigned a Gamma, so that floor is still vacant and other than me, the Beta floor is vacant.¡±

    ¡°What about the first floor? There used to be lots of rooms for omegas.¡±

    He nods again. ¡°There still are. However, omegas are a lot of who we geting to our borders. They¡¯ve been abused, raped,

    mistreated and have found their way here. There isn¡¯t one room that doesn¡¯t have two or more omegas. We have someone that

    knows how to build furniture, so some of that wood we cut went to making bunk beds so we could house them all.

    As we talk, | realize that many of the wolves that havee in are unmated, either never having found their mate, having been

    rejected or having lost their mate. It would be worth while talking to Rik and Liam about having our packs co- mingle to see if any

    of their unmated wolves are mates with mine. | make a mental note and add that to my growing list of things to discuss with

    them.

    Rik is insistent that | need to bring Grace to see them. He feels confident that once she sees them, her memories wille

    flooding back. It¡¯s possible, but we also have a lot to work on here. Until the Alpha challenges areplete, or until Grace

    decides that she¡¯s ready to meet them, it¡¯s not my top priority.

    The morning flies by and another omega knocks on Carlos¡¯s door. When shees in, it looks like Grace has sent up lunch. |

    look at the clock. It¡¯s already early afternoon.

    As we eat, | make a n for the rest of the day. ¡°I''ll take the interviews of the new pack members to see which ones might qualify

    to be added to the patrol

    rotation.¡± | say, taking the stack of folders that Carlos uses to keep track of our pack members.

    ¡°I''m going to check on Grace before | get started and see if she needs anything.¡± ¡°I''d like to stretch my legs too.¡± Carlos says,

    standing with me.

    We grab our trays and head to the kitchen. When we get there, | stop in my tracks, amazed at what I¡¯m seeing.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 341

    After leaving Eli and Carlos, | head straight to the kitchens. There are only four people working cleaning up from breakfast and

    getting ready for lunch.

    ¡°Hello everyone.¡± | say as | walk in. They are three omegas and Maddie. ¡°Hi Maddie. You work in the kitchens, too?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Yes, Luna. May | introduce you to Cam, Eleanor, and Abigail. They all go by their nicknames like me, so you can call them

    Cammy, Ellie and Abby.¡±

    ¡°Hellodies, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Grace.¡± | say.

    They all incline their heads and quietly say hello. | look at Maddie and | can see that this behavior is not unexpected. Well, they

    aren''t here because they were treated well at theirst pack, and the only way they will learn that I¡¯m different is to work with me,

    side by side.

    Okay.¡± | say, pping my hands together. | notice immediately that the three omegas jump at the sound. ¡°First. This is a safe

    ce. No one here will hurt you. Not me and not Alpha Eli. Okay?¡± | wait until all three look at me and nod their heads.

    ¡°Good. Second, you are woefully understaffed in this kitchen. We need more helpers and | n to get you some. But before we

    do that, | need to know what you can do, and what you are good at. | want to make sure that we put the right people into the right

    positions. It won¡¯t help us to put someone who can¡¯t boil water in the kitchens.¡± | say, eliciting augh from everyone.

    ¡°So, Maddie, let¡¯s start with you. What do you do in the kitchens and what are you good at? I''d also like to know what you used

    to do and what you want to do.¡± | started with Maddie intentionally. She isn¡¯t as skittish as the omegas, and this will help them

    realize | don¡¯t have any ulterior motives.

    ¡°Well, Luna, | only started in the kitchens because | was bringing in the food from the garden. | stayed when | realized they

    needed help. | usually clean the vegetables and prepare it for whatever is being cooked, if they know what they need. And, if |

    have a choice, I¡¯d like to continue to work in the garden. | like working with my hands.¡± She says, shrugging.

    | nod, looking at the other three. ¡°Cammy, how about you?¡±

    She is picking at her clothes, looking at the floor. ¡°I used to help cook in myst pack.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. What do you know how to cook?¡±

    ¡°| can cook stews, soups and any kind of meat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, you''re hired.¡± | smile at her, earning a small smile in return.

    | turn to Eleanor. ¡°How about you Ellie?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know how to cook. I¡¯ve just been searching for what we need or finding recements when we didn¡¯t have what Cammy

    wanted for the meal.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, you''re hired as a stock person.¡±

    ¡°Andst, but certainly not least", | turn to Abigail. ¡°How about you, Abby?¡±

    ¡°| do what everyone else tells me to do.¡±

    ¡°A sous chef! You''re hired.¡± | tell her, smiling.

    She smiles softly back at me. ¡°So, first, | need to make something to eat for Eli and Carlos. What do we have?¡±

    While | mix up peppers and mushrooms with some sausage left over from a wild pig that was caught, | continue to talk to the

    girls.

    ¡°Who makes meal ns?¡± They all look at each other, then at me before shrugging.

    ¡°| usually just figure something out based on what hase in or what we have.¡± Cammy says.

    ¡°And what were you thinking for lunch?¡± | ask.

    | see Maddie from the corner of my eye. She¡¯s washing vegetables but paying attention to our interaction.

    Cammy looks at Abby. ¡°We haven''t decided yet. We''re still cleaning up from breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Right, so first, do you know anyone that wants to work in the kitchens?¡±

    Their eyes go wide. ¡°Yes. There are many that want to help but don¡¯t know where to go. Beta is very busy and doesn¡¯t have time

    to assign everyone to a position.¡±

    | pour scrambled eggs over the omelet innards I¡¯ve cooked, letting the eggs. bubble and cover the vegetables and sausage.

    ¡°Abby, do you know who might be willing to assist?¡±

    ¡°Yes Luna.¡±

    | turn to face her, giving her a smile. My mouth is starting to hurt with all this smiling, but | want them to feelfortable around

    me.

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Good, go get them. Anyone that wants to work, bring them here. I¡¯m going to do a mass interview today and give people

    something to do to help in the pack.¡± Abby runs off to go get helpers..C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Now, Ellie. What do we have in stock that can use for lunch and dinner today?¡± | ask as | finish up the omelets and begin ting

    them for Eli and Carlos.

    ¡°Oh, well, I''m not sure yet.¡± Abby says, opening the refrigerator.

    ¡°We have some ham left over from the wild pig and somerge pieces of pork.¡± | walk over and look at what we have. It¡¯s not

    enough to feed everyone as we should, but it¡¯s enough to feed everyone something.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 0342

    ¡°Do we have bread?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Abby says before turning to me, guessing what I¡¯m going to say. ¡°And cheese and lettuce. But no mayonnaise or mustard.¡±

    She grimaces at me. ¡°We can¡¯t afford it yet.¡± So, the whole pack knows how poor we are. | guess that¡¯s a good thing. It manages

    expectations.

    I''m about to direct us to start lunch preparations when | hear loud footsteps running into the kitchen. Two young girls stop

    suddenly when they see me.

    ¡°Luna.¡± They say in unison and bow their heads.

    ¡°We heard you needed helpers.¡± One says.

    ¡°We''re here to help.¡± The other says..

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. We need all the help we can get.¡± | tell them. They smile and look at each other before back at me.

    ¡°So, who wants to take this to your Alpha and Beta?¡± | ask.

    The first girl steps up. ¡°I will.¡±

    We grab a tray and while we are putting the food on the tray, the second girl pours them each a drink.

    ¡°They are in the Beta¡¯s office. Off you go.¡± | tell her before turning to the second girl.

    ¡°What''s your name?¡± | ask and that is how the rest of my morning goes.

    We get set up to make ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. There are not chips, but we do have lots of potatoes, so | have

    them cut them into thin slices and we bake them until they are crisp, making homemade potato chips.

    More helperse in and | begin to assign them to their duties. | have Cammy working on slow cooked pulled pork for tonight

    and have some others using what we have to make something simr to a barbeque sauce.

    As the first group of patrolse in, | have some omegas take the tes out to the tables, serving the group. There is a moment

    of surprise before they settle in and begin to eat. We continue this process through the next rotations.

    | make a couple sandwiches for Eli and Carlos, making sure to grab one for myself, since | skipped breakfast, choosing to feed

    Carlos my helping of food instead. | wasn¡¯t confident that he¡¯d eaten.

    As | send an omega to take the food to Eli and Carlos, | stop to take inventory of how things are going. There is a lot of happy

    chatter and excitement. Omegas, in general, are used to being mistreated and unappreciated in packs. However, in my

    experience, they are the backbone of every pack. Without them, the packs would fail apart. They work hard and they appreciate

    having a job. It makes them feel needed and an integral part of the pack, which they are. But they also thrive. when they are

    acknowledged for their hard work, just like everyone else.

    lam standing in the pantry that is so poorly stocked that it¡¯s hardly worth calling it a pantry, when the kitchen goes quiet.

    | turn and see Eli and Carlos holding the tray and empty tes that | sent up to them. Both of their mouths are open slightly and

    their eyes are wide. | quickly look around and see that every omega¡¯s eyes are now on the floor. These poor people are so used

    to being mistreated by their leaders.

    ¡°Alpha. Beta.¡± | say, stepping out of the pantry and walking toward them. ¡°What a surprise to see you.¡±

    Eli steps up to me. ¡°Grace. What is going on?¡± | can hear the awe in his voice, but | also know that his words are causing

    concern with the omegas. They don¡¯t know how to interpret his question. | need to guide this conversation so he understands

    that he must tread lightly.

    ¡°Your omegas have stepped up and are working to make sure that your pack members are fed not only lunch, but also dinner.

    Aren''t you proud of them, Alpha?¡± | say, hoping he''ll catch on.

    He looks at me for a moment before reaching out to kiss my forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve ever been prouder of my pack

    members.¡± He says, walking into the kitchen.

    ¡°Tell me, what do we have here?¡± He asks, pointing to some food preparation.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    An omega looks at me and | nod encouragingly at her. ¡°Well, Alpha, we have a lot of potatoes that were harvested recently. For

    lunch we made homemade potato chips and for dinner, we¡¯re going to make roasted rosemary potatoes with rosemary from our

    garden.¡±

    He looks at her, touching her shoulder gently, ignoring the way she flinches and smiles at her. ¡°That sounds delicious.¡± He says.

    In true omega fashion, they all want their Alpha¡¯s approval, so many start talking at once. Eli is incredible. He takes time to go to

    each one, listening to what they are doing and giving them approval and praise for their hard work. Carlos jumps in as well and

    adds some extraments and praise.

    +15 BONOS

    The overall mood returns to one that is rxed and happy as Eli returns to my side.

    ¡°Have | mentioned how amazing you are?¡± He says quietly.

    | look up at him. ¡°All | did was organize the people in our pack. They are the amazing ones.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Luna Grace for the win!

 Chapter 343

    The difference in the kitchen from this morning to now is almost unrecognizable. When Carios and | walk in, | don¡¯t know what to

    say. Thankfully, my unbelievable mate cues me in that | need to help our omegas feelfortable and positive about their work.

    | make sure to go to each one and listen to what they are doing and praise them for their hard work. In my experience, omegas

    look to their ranked members, but specifically their Alphas, for praise and reinforcement that they are doing well. Knowing that

    every one of them is here because they were mistreated, | want to set a new standard that, as their Alpha, they are very much

    appreciated.

    When I''m done, | walk back over to Grace. ¡°I need to do some work on scheduling patrols. | just wanted to check on you and see

    how things were going, but | apparently am not needed here.¡± | tell Grace with a smile. | still can¡¯t believe the transformation in

    the kitchen. And based on some of the warrior¡¯s faces, they are also surprised that they are being served like they would be ina

    normal pack.

    | pull Grace into me, holding her close. ¡°What do you have nned for the rest of the day, baby?¡±

    ¡°I need to make a food n and figure out what food we have and what we need. Then | want to start on the packhouse and

    begin to inventory our supplies, rooms and find some workers who want to be a part of the packhouse cleaning crew. | have a

    couple already from this morning, but we''ll need more than that.¡± ¡°Do you need anything from me?¡± | ask her, not sure that she

    does at this point. ¡°We need more meat. The pig that they caught a couple days ago will be gone after dinner tonight. Is it

    possible to send some wolves out this afternoon to hunt some more meat for the pack?¡± She asks.

    | look at Carlos. ¡°Who do you have that usually goes out to hunt?¡±

    ¡°| usually go with the lead warriors that aren¡¯t on duty.¡± He says.

    ¡°Perhaps you and | should go instead. What do you think?¡± | ask him.

    His answering smile is all the answer | need.

    ¡°We''ll be back with more food shortly.¡± | kiss Grace, leaving her to her work, knowing she has it all in hand.

    When Carlos and | walk out, there are several warriorsing in from their patrol. One steps up to us before we pass.

    ¡°Beta Carlos, Alpha Eli, may | have a word?¡±

    ¡°Noah. What can we do for you?¡± Carlos asks.

    ¡°| noticed that the kitchen is being staffed better today, but that also means we will need additional food. | just came off shift and

    was wondering when you might be going out to hunt again. I¡¯d like to join you.

    | look at Carlos to get his read on Noah. I¡¯m not getting any discontent from him, but Noah addressed him, so | decide to let

    Carlos answer.

    ¡°We''re heading out now, Noah. You''re wee to join us.¡± Carlos tells him.

    He falls in line with us, and we begin heading to the forest again.

    ¡°| saw that you caught a wild pig before. What other game do you hunt in these woods?¡± | ask as we continue walking.

    It''s Noah that responds. ¡°The wild pigs are plentiful and have be nuisance animals, so it''s good to hunt those. Also, there

    are plenty of deer in the forest. Besides that, there are duck, rabbits, turkey and bear in this area. We haven''t caught a bear as of

    yet, but that would definitely help feed the pack. We do periodically send the older pups out to fish as well.¡±

    ¡°| take it you¡¯re one of the primary hunters for the pack?¡± | ask, wondering if he is one of my contenders tomorrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct Alpha. And | should be honest and let

    u know I¡¯ve put my name in for the Alpha challenge tomorrow. No offense to you at all, but this pack needs a strong leader and |

    feel | could be that leader.¡±

    ¡°Understood and thank you for your honesty. That''s also a quality that an Alpha needs, but many don¡¯t have.¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, Noah is the strongest contender for your position Alpha.¡± Carlos

    says.

    I turn to Noah. ¡°Then | expect good things from you during our hunt today, Noah.¡±

    ¡°Same goes, Alpha.¡± We chuckle as we strip out of our clothes before shifting. | let them lead me to the area where they usually

    hunt. Several hourster, we have deer, rabbits and turkeys that we begin to carry back.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡®Nice job, Noah. Your wolf is an excellent hunter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha, but he¡¯s not quite as good as yours.¡±

    ¡°Louis and | have been hunting our own food for most of our lives.¡± | reply as we continue to toward the packhouse. ¡°If you don¡¯t

    mind me asking, what brought you to this pack, Noah?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. | know almost everyone here has a story that brought them to this pack. It makes us unique from other packs. My

    story isn¡¯t terrible. | was the second son of a Beta. My brother took over when the Alpha¡¯s son took over as Alpha.¡± | watch as he

    shrugs his shoulders, eyes lost in the past.

 Chapter 344

    ¡°| never wanted to be the Beta. | knew that position was meant for my brother. Unfortunately, | was stronger and faster than my

    brother in most ways and it made him jealous, concerned that | would take his position in the pack. | got tired of fighting with my

    brother about it, worrying what he would do next to try to undermine me. When he made up rumors about me wanting to take his

    position and went to the new Alpha with his im, the Alpha gave me two choices fight of the position or leave the pack. | chose

    to leave.¡±

    He looks at me and shrugs again. ¡°As | said, | didn¡¯t want the position.¡±

    ¡°But now you want to be Alpha?¡± | question. A Beta position is a lot of work, but an Alpha position is even harder if it¡¯s done right.

    ¡°| want this pack to thrive. And no offense to you Beta, but with no leader that has a wolf, I¡¯ve felt that the pack has beencking

    a true leader. Too many people are depending on this pack¡¯s survival, too many need this to survive themselves. | don¡¯t believe

    that everyone that wants the Alpha position deserves it, so | decided to throw my hand in as well.¡±

    ¡°Caring about your pack members is another great quality for a ranked member, Noah. You seem to have many qualities that

    make you a good candidate for Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, | appreciate that.¡± He says as we arrive at the back of the packhouse.

    We drop the carcasses at the door and | step inside to let Grace know we have food. Carlos and Noah follow me and all three of

    us groan at the smellsing from the kitchen. It smells divine.

    ¡°Grace.¡± | call out to her as we walk to the kitchen. | watch as shees around the side of the kitchen, looking perfectly

    mussed. She¡¯s been working while we were gone. Her hair is in disarray and she has something smudged on her cheek. My

    need to touch her overwhelms me and | move to her, taking her in my arms.

    She takes a whiff. ¡°Phew, you smell like the hunt and death. Does this mean we have more meat?¡±

    ¡°You smell like bleach and fabric softener, so | guess we''re even.¡± | tell her, stealing another kiss.

    ¡°And yes, we caught three bucks, several rabbits and a few turkeys.¡± | tell her, watching as her eyes light up.

    She turns, stepping out of my grasp and ps her hands. The chatter in the

    kitchen immediately silences.

    ¡°Who here knows how to skin and strip a deer carcass?¡± She asks the room atrge. Five hands go up.

    ¡°You five, you''re on deer duty.¡± She turns, looking at Carlos and Noah. ¡°Where are the carcasses usually prepped?¡±

    ¡°I''ll show them.¡± Carlos says and motions to the five individuals that will begin working on the deer meat.

    ¡°Anyone know how to strip a rabbit or turkey?¡± She asks again and a few more hands go up.

    She turns to Noah. ¡°Where can we clean the smaller animals?¡±

    ¡°| know where we can do it, Luna.¡± One of the

    One of the omegas says to her.

    ¡°Okay Jesse, you lead the way. Make sure to take whatever knives you will need. When you''re done, bring the meat back here

    and we''ll figure out how to store it.¡± She says.

    ¡°Oh and, bring the turkey carcasses back with you. | can use them to make a turkey soup.¡± Cammy, one of the girls from this

    morning says.

    ¡°You heard her, we''ll take the turkey carcasses too.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Achorus of ¡°Yes Luna¡± follows as they rush to begin their work.

    Then my mate turns on me. ¡°You!¡± She says pointing at me. My smile drops.. Me?¡± | ask, not sure what she¡¯s about to say.

    ¡°And you.¡± She points to Noah. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    | see Noah trying hard not to smile at my mate in all her Alpha glory. Luna.¡±

    ¡°Noah,

    ¡°Noah, you and Eli need to hit the showers. You both smell and are stinking up my kitchen. Off you both go. Dinner will be ready

    in about an hour and a half and we''ll be serving at the tables. Spread the word.¡±

    ¡°Yes Luna¡± He says, before grinning at her and turning on his heel. I¡¯m right behind him, but | stop and grab Grace from behind,

    pulling her into my chest.

    ¡°You are sexy as fuck when you are in charge like this.¡± | whisper in her ear. | immediately smell her arousal and feel her push

    her backside against me. She turns and looks at m¨¦ over her shoulder. ¡°You can show me just how much you like it

    tonight.....Alpha.¡±

    | growl low and deep in my chest, letting it reverberate through both of us. ¡°Oh I

    2/3

    definitely will little mate.¡±

    With that, | join Noah as we begin to head to the stairs in the front of the packhouse. ¡°She is an excellent Luna.¡± He says.

    ¡°That she is.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Grace is definitely in charge!

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 345

    After Eli and Carlos went hunting, | turned to Maddie who had just returned from the garden. ¡°Can you begin to make a list of

    items we need to stock the pantry. Eli and Carlos are going back out for meat, but | know we''recking in condiments and I¡¯m

    sure many other things.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Luna. Happy to help.¡±

    | begin to interview the new omegas that are streaming into the kitchen. Those that had no cooking experience but have some

    cleaning experience are now joining us to get assignments in the packhouse.

    | start with kitchen and dining room clean up, adding themunity bathrooms on this floor to the list. | find someone that was a

    Lead Omega in her previous pack and set her up with a helper to go room by room in the packhouse to find out how many

    people are in each room and what supplies they need and cleaning rounds they would like.

    As with the pantry, the linens and towel supply are dreadfully low. We''ll have to set up a rotation of washing linens and towels so

    that we don¡¯t run out. | assign another person to begin working on what that rotation will look like. Then we get started on making

    sure that all the currently unused towels and linens are clean, as many are just in a pile on the floor.

    | have Maddie add cleaning supplies to our list of needed items. We''re making good progress and I¡¯m a sweaty but happy mess

    when Eli, Carlos and another man | don¡¯t recognizee back from their hunt.

    Once | get the assignments made for cleaning the fresh animals brought in and take a moment to tease my mate, | send him on

    his way.

    | pull Cammy and another omega with extensive, but different cooking experience over and begin talking about the meals we can

    cook with the meat that we have. Wee up with meal ns for the next week and | ensure that the amount of meat that will

    be fed to the pack members will increase. We have Maddie add the missing ingredients to her list as we go.

    ¡°Luna, if | may,¡± Autumn, the omega with cooking experience says. Her sister, Summer, is the Lead Omega | sent to inventory

    the rooms. They are from the same pack and ran together to escape.

    ¡°We could get eggying hens and build a coop near the packhouse. The women that look after the garden could look after the

    hens and young pups always like to collect eggs. If we get them at various ages, then we¡¯d have a consistent flow of

    +15 BONGE

    eggyers. And if we decided that we had enough eggs at any point, we could always let the chicks grow and have more of our

    own eggyers or decide we want some as meat. It would be another way that we could be self-sufficient.¡±

    ¡°Excellent idea.¡± | have Maddie make a note to research this. Without aputer, it may be difficult unless there are some local

    hen sellers.

    As dinner time gets closer, | have the omegas begin ting food, while others set the tables for dinner. As we are about done, a

    couple of womene in carrying small baskets of flowers.

    ¡°Hello Luna. I¡¯m Victoria and this is lvy. We work with Maddie in the garden, and she told us what you are doing here. We''re so

    excited to finally have structured mealtimes that we thought it would be nice to have centerpieces for the tables to celebrate, so

    we picked some flowers from the forest to put at the tables.¡±

    ¡°They''re perfect. Thank you both.¡± We ce them on the tables, just as the warriors begining in. They immediately see the

    tables set and stop, looking

    at me.

    ¡°Have a seat everyone. Tonight, we are having pulled pork, roasted rosemary potatoes and steamed spinach for dinner.¡±

    Everyone looks excited as they sit. | mind link Eli toe join us. There are more people tonight than there werest night. Word

    has spread that there is food avable or perhaps they just want to see their Alpha and Luna. Either way, we have to set up

    additional, makeshift tables to seat everyone.

    v.we

    | make sure that all the omegas are seated and have food, including the ones that are still working on stripping the carcasses.

    Once everyone is eating, | find my ce next to Eli. He looks at me with awe and pride.

    ¡°In one day, you have managed to make this pack feel like a home. | don¡¯t know how you did it, but as usual, | am amazed and

    awed by you, my little mate.¡±

    The mood tonight in the dining room is considerably different thanst night. While almost everyone seemed happy to have Eli

    back yesterday, there was a sense of anxiety of the unknown. Today there is a peaceful feeling around the room with a lot of

    happy chatter andughter.

    Several pack members make a point toe over and thank us, or just say hi, wanting to get to know us better. When they are

    done, everyone disperses, going back to their work or to their homes to rest for the evening. Eli goes back upstairs to work on

    the patrol schedule, and | make sure everyone is set with their assignments in the kitchen and tomorrow''s cooking and cleaning

    before heading upstairs to join Eli.

    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 346

    When | get to our room, he isn¡¯t back yet, so | strip, ready to wash the sweat and cleaner of the day off of me. | pull on one of

    Eli¡¯s t-shirts and crawl into bed, thinking about what needs to happen tomorrow before and after the Alpha challenge.

    Just as I¡¯m wondering if Eli is nervous about tomorrow, he walks in. | don¡¯t have time to think any more as he makes sure to

    show me just how sexy he thought | was earlier, several times.

    The next morning, we wake early. | can tell that Eli is already awake. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± | ask the question | was wondering

    aboutst night.

    ¡°Not really, but there¡¯s always the chance that | might lose. Carlos said there is only one person he feels is a true contender. That

    warrior you met yesterday, Noah.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s challenging you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and his reasons are valid. He has the qualities that a good Alpha should have and he has Beta blood. He¡¯s strong. If he

    defeats me, | will be okay with him taking over. The others, not so much.¡±

    ¡°How many others are there?¡± | ask, thinking there would only be a couple.

    ¡°Five others, including that guy Christopher that we met the first day.¡±

    ¡°How many do you think will want to battle to the death?¡± | ask, as | know this. must be weighing on him. He may not be afraid

    that he''ll lose but having to kill a pack mate is never easy.

    ¡°| can¡¯t say for sure, but I¡¯d bet Christopher will.¡±

    We get up and get ready for the day. Eli dresses infortable clothes, ready for the Alpha battles today. | dress in leggings and

    a t-shirt. If we''re going to have the battles, then | want to be ready if needed.

    Eli must hear my thoughts. Hees up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, putting his chin on my shoulder.

    ¡°You can¡¯t interfere today. You know that right?¡±

    ¡°| won''t let you die. If we have to leave this pack, so be it, but Maia and | won''t stand by and let you die.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°It won''te to that, hopefully. But you do have to let me win these battles on

    my own.¡±

    ¡°That''s fine if it¡¯s a submission only battle. If it¡¯s to the death and it looks like you will lose, | won''t hesitate to jump in.¡±

    ¡°Grace...¡±

    ¡°No!¡± | interrupt him. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to watch while you die. It¡¯s not possible. Maia says it¡¯s not something she can control. It¡¯s in

    our blood, in our soul. It¡¯s how the Moon Goddess made us. | won''t kill them, but | won''t let them kill you either.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go start our day.¡±

    The mood at breakfast is considerably more somber than it wasst night. Everyone is talking in whispers and most of the

    discussion is about the challenge. The entire pack will be watching the Alpha challenges today. Whoever wins bes their

    Alpha and could change the entire dynamic of this pack.

    After breakfast, as one, we all head outside. Carlos is overseeing the challenges and calls the first contender to face Eli.

    | stand back, watching. The contender states that he wants a battle of submission, and the fight begins. It doesn¡¯t take long for

    Eli to have him down and the contender taps his submission. The second fight goes much the same way, but it takes a bit longer

    for Eli to pin this contender, nearly 45 minutes.

    The third contender is Christopher. ¡°I want a battle to the death.¡± He states.

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± Eli asks him.

    Christopher looks cocky as he replies. ¡°Oh yes, and know this, Alpha,¡± he says, sneeringly. ¡°When | kill you, | will take your mate

    as my own.¡± He looks at me as he says this, taking his time looking me up and down. I¡¯m d | didn¡¯t eat. My stomach is

    churning at hisment. I¡¯ve had enough of Alphas and wolves thinking they can force their mark on me.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Eli¡¯s snarl is feral and menacing, but Christopher doesn¡¯t seem to notice, or maybe he doesn¡¯t care. Carlos calls the fight to start.

    Unlike the first two

    challenges, this time, Eli takes the offense. Christopher has infuriated him and he¡¯s ready for blood.

    | have to admit that Christopher is better than | thought he would be. He¡¯s dancing around, not getting in as many punches as Eli,

    but he¡¯s holding his own.

    ¡®He¡¯s getting too close to us.¡± Maia says in my head, right at the moment that he makes his move. He must have nned it. He

    grabs me, putting me in front of him. He has one hand in my hair, the other wrapped around my waist, holding

    +15 BONOS

    me in ce.

    ¡°Or maybe I''ll just mark her now, making her MY Guardian.¡± He says, and | can feel his breath on my neck.

    Cooper

 Chapter 347

    As soon as Christopher said he would take Grace as his mate, Louis and | saw red. Oh yes, this asshole is going to die. No one

    is taking my mate from me. No one. He¡¯s faster than | expected, able to move at thest minute to avoid my punches. He gets a

    few in, but in my furious state, | hardly feel them. We''re dancing around and | realize a moment toote what he¡¯s nning.

    When he grabs Grace, threatening to mark her now, | freeze. | have no idea how remarking a Guardian when their mate is still

    alive will work. But | don¡¯t care, she¡¯s mine and he can¡¯t have her. Louis is thrashing around in my head, wanting to rip this guy to

    shreds for threatening our mate.

    ¡°You''ve invalidated the Alpha challenge by pulling my mate into this.¡± | tell him. ¡°Your challenge is now forfeit.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No one will be able to defeat me once I¡¯m mated to a

    Guardian.¡± He says and I¡¯m about to jump on him when Grace winks at me, her eyes bleeding to solid gold. Maia.

    | watch, stunned, as she turns in his arms, her hand punching through his chest. I¡¯m not sure, but it looks like she takes his heart

    in her hand. The look of shock on Christopher¡¯s face is priceless and | hear a collective gasp from the pack.

    ¡°No one forces their mark on me.¡± Maia says, before ripping his heart out of his chest. His shocked expression remains on his

    face as his dead body drops to the ground. | look back up and see Maia turn to the crowd.

    ¡°Anyone else think they can use me against my mate?¡± She says, crushing Christopher''s heart in her hand before tossing it to

    the ground.

    You could hear a pin drop it¡¯s so quiet, but every pack member begins to adamantly shake their head, no.

    | walk over to her, taking her in my arms. ¡°Are you okay, love? Did he hurt you? Maia turns to me. She hasn''t given control back

    to Grace yet. ¡°Only you and Louis get to sink your canines into me,¡±

    | smile down at her, kissing her passionately. Whether she meant it or not, she just imed me in front of our pack again.

    Goddess, | love this woman.

    ¡°And no one but you and Grace can sink your canines into me.¡± | tell her before kissing her nose. ¡°Now give Grace back control

    so we can continue the Alpha challenge.¡±

    +IS BONDS

    When her eyes go back to their normal milk chocte color, | turn to Carlos. ¡± Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    Carlos looks like he wants to protest but changes his mind. ¡°You two,¡± he says, pointing to Christopher¡¯s friends. ¡°Get his body

    out of here.¡± They don¡¯t object. but they give Grace a wide berth.

    Carlos looks at his sheet. ¡°Next up, Noah.¡± This isn¡¯t the fight | want to have right after Christopher¡¯s death. My mind isn¡¯t

    completely in this fight, but the sooner we finish this, the sooner this pack can get back to normal.

    Noah steps forward. ¡°I would never risk weakening our pack by challenging Alpha Eli to the death. His death would most likely

    cause the death of our Guardian, Luna Grace.¡± He turns and looks at the pack. ¡°Every one of you has seen what these two have

    done for the pack in less than 48 hours. Can you imagine what they will do with years as our Alpha and Luna.¡± He turns back to

    me. ¡°It is because of this, and because | believe that you are worthy of being our Alpha, that | withdraw my petition to battle you

    for the position of Alpha.¡± He says before stepping back.

    ¡°However, if | may Alpha, | would like to spar with you at some point in the future.¡± He says, grinning at me.

    ¡°Deal.¡± | say, smiling, before turning back to Carlos.

    The next two contestants for Alpha both rescind their challenges, and the battles are over. | am officially the pack¡¯s Alpha again.

    I stand in front of the pack, pulling Grace to my side.

    ¡°You all know that we have much work to do to rebuild this pack. | have some ideas for how we can bring in some money for the

    pack and | will be speaking with the Alphas of our neighboring packs, Alpha Rik and Alpha Liam to discuss. this, as well as how

    we can make this an official pack. Once that ispleted, | will be scheduling an official Alpha, Luna and Beta ceremony so that

    everyone of you can pledge your loyalty to this pack and we can begin using a pack mind link.¡±

    I stop as a cheer goes up around the group.

    ¡°Your Luna is already making changes within the packhouse, and | believe everyone has seen some of those changes in the

    meals that have been prepared since yesterday.¡± Another cheer.

    ¡°If anyone is still looking for a work assignment, please let me, Luna Grace, or Beta Carlos know. We will find a ce for you.

    Finally, | know many of you have

    +15 BONDS

    either not found your mate or have lost your mate whether through death or rejection. When | speak to Alpha Rik and Alpha

    Liam, | will be discussing having inter¡ªpack gatherings so you can try to find your mates among our neighboring packs.¡± | stop,

    as more cheering urs.

    ¡°You are always wee toe talk to your ranked members. You do not need to fear mistreatment in this pack. We are a

    sanctuary for all those that need a safe ce. If you have any concerns or questions, | want you to feel safe and wee in

    coming to the three of us.¡± | open my arms to include Carlos and Grace.

    ¡°Okay, everyone. Back to work!¡± | dismiss them. | send Grace inside to shower. Several individualse up to congratte me,

    many want to talk about the patrol schedules that I¡¯ve been working on.

    | send Carlos in to take care of his duties and | tell the group to meet me in the dining hall in 15 minutes and we can go over the

    schedules. As | head in to shower, | see Noah.

    ¡°Hey, Noah.¡±

    ¡°Alpha.¡± He says, showing me his neck in submission.

    | put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Have you ever considered bing a Gamma?¡±

    He looks at me, startled. ¡°I hadn¡¯t ever given it any thought.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Well, | need one, and I''d like it to be you. So, think about it and let me know.¡± | tell him before walking off, leaving him looking

    stunned.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 348

    After showering, | get dressed and realize, | have no idea if anyone in the pack. even has a car. | need to go to the store to get all

    the items that Maddie has on her list. | also have no idea what is around here other than the small town that Eli and | came into

    when we got off at thest bus stop.

    Thankfully, Elies in as I¡¯m finishing up. ¡°Do you know if any of the pack members have a car?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°| know Carlos does and some of the others, why? Going somewhere?¡± He asks while taking off his clothes. | take a moment to

    enjoy his muscr body. Any injuries he sustained this morning look like they¡¯ve already healed.

    ¡°Grace. If you keep looking at me like that, neither of us will get to the work we need to do today.¡±

    ¡°It''s not my fault that you look so good naked.¡± | say stepping up to him and running my hands over his chest and down his

    abdominals, feeling each square of this 8-pack as | go. | smile as my hands are smacked by his very happy membering

    quickly to attention.

    | look at him through myshes and I¡¯m about to get on my knees and take him in my mouth, when he spins me around, pushing

    me against the wall, pulling my pants down to my ankles. | step out of one leg, arching back, pushing against him. | barely have

    a moment to brace myself before he lines himself up at my entrance and thrusts inside me. | moan in pleasure. | really do love

    this position.

    He has one hand on my hip, the other around my throat as he pounds into me relentlessly. We both climax quickly, both needing

    this release after the stress of this morning.

    He¡¯s leaning against me as we catch our breath, holding me against the wall.

    ¡°That was very naughty, Little Alpha.¡± He says as he steps back and smacks my ass hard. | jump at the contact, turning and

    looking at him over my shoulder. His eyes are smoldering, even after our release. Oh, this man is just encouraging me.

    ¡°Well, | guess I''ll have to be naughty more often then.¡± | say before pushing away from the wall, taking my time bending over to

    get my pants. His answering growl is the only hint | get, before he¡¯s inside me, holding me down in my bent over position while

    he takes me again. Goddess, this is a good position, too.

    This time, just as the pressure is building to orgasm, | feel his hande down hard on my ass and it¡¯s all | need to push me

    over the edge, screaming his name.

    When | stand, the blood rushes out of my head. I¡¯m dizzy and | lean back against him, letting him hold me up. ¡°There¡¯s more

    where that came from, Little Alpha. But for now, get dressed. We have work to do and a pack to clean up.¡±

    I finish getting dressed. ¡°Go see Carlos, he¡¯ll know who has a car in the pack.¡±

    1 kiss him goodbye and head out to find Carlos. When I do, | find Noah in his office as well. They look like they are in the middle

    of a heavy conversation.

    ¡°I''m sorry, | didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. | was wondering if there is someone in the pack who might have a car and could drive me to

    the nearest town.¡±

    Noah stands up. ¡°I can drive you, Luna. Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Noah. We''re going to get food and supplies for the packhouse.¡±

    Carlos looks at me. ¡°Luna, we don¡¯t really have money for that.¡±

    ¡°The pack doesn¡¯t, but I do.¡± | turn to Noah. ¡°So you''ll also be acting as guard to make sure | don¡¯t get robbed by any humans.¡±

    | can see Noah fighting his smile, but Carlos snorts. ¡°Yeah, because you need to be protected. If anything, | should ask you to

    protect our future Gamma here.¡± Carlos says, gesturing to Noah.

    ¡°Carlos.¡± Noah says, exasperated, before turning to me. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, Luna. Alpha just asked me a little while ago.¡±

    ¡°You seem like a smart man, Noah. I¡¯m sure you''ll make the right choice.¡± | say meaningfully. Eli, once again, has made an

    excellent choice in a ranked member.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡± He says, looking embarrassed. ¡°When did you want to leave?¡±

    ¡°As soon as you''re ready.¡±

    ¡°Let me get my keys and I''ll meet you at the front door.¡±

    | grab my purse and money and head downstairs to wait for Noah. Elies around the corner. ¡°Hey, you distracted me earlier.

    Where are you going?¡±

    Noah walks up as we''re talking. ¡°Noah is taking me to get some needed food and supplies for the pack.¡±

    ¡°Baby, we don¡¯t have money for that.¡± He says, stepping up to me, pulling me against him.

    ¡°The pack doesn¡¯t have the money for that, we do.¡± | tell him, including him in case others are listening in.

    ¡°You mean you have the money for that. | don¡¯t want you spending your money

    +15 DONOS

    on the pack.¡±

    I turn, looking at Noah. ¡°Can you give us a minute?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°Sure, I''ll just go see what¡¯s cooking for dinner.¡± He says, walking toward the kitchen.

    1 turn, stepping out of his grip and put my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Am | or am | not the Luna of this pack?¡± | ask

    him, daring him to deny it.

    ¡°Grace, that¡¯s not the......

    ¡°Is itas much my responsibility as yours to make sure this pack is happy and healthy?¡± | interrupt him.

    ¡°Grace...¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to have it both ways Eli. Either we are a team and share

    everything, or we don¡¯t. You need to check your male ego and ept that this is what is best for the pack.¡±

    | watch as he grinds his teeth together, looking away from me, battling with himself. | get it, he¡¯s the Alpha. It¡¯s his job to provide

    for the pack. And he will, | have no doubt. But right now, | can help, and | need him to ept that.

    ¡°Fine, but I''ll pay you back.¡±

    ¡°Wrong. This is for the pack, and we aren¡¯t keeping score.¡± | step up to him and take his face in my hands. ¡°I knew what | was

    getting into when | agreed to be your mate.¡±

    ¡°You mean when you sank your canines into my neck when you were jealous and angry?¡± He asks, but the frustration is

    lessening.

    ¡°| already knew | wanted you. But this,¡± | sweep my arm around showing | mean what we are building together. ¡°This is exciting.

    We really have a chance to do something good here, something special. Please don¡¯t let your ego get in the way of that.¡± | say,

    putting my forehead against his. ¡°I know you can provide for this. pack. You just need time to get there. | have the ability to make

    things better for the pack now. Let¡¯s do this together, like we agreed.¡±

    ¡°Goddess, | love you.¡± He kisses me, slow and deep. ¡°Someday, when all this is done, I¡¯m taking you somewhere special.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    I step back. ¡°Noah, you ready?¡± | call out. ¡°Coming Luna.¡± He says, before we head out.

 Chapter 349

    First, | can¡¯t provide for Grace, now she¡¯s providing for the pack because | can¡¯t. | have to be the most ipetent Alpha on the

    net. Thankfully, she has faith in me, but it means that | need to speak to Rik and Liam sooner rather thanter. Now that the

    Alpha challenge is done, | will call and set up a time to meet with

    them.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    | go to the dining hall and meet with the new individuals that want to be put into the patrol rotation. | pulled one of the patrol

    leaders into the meetings so he could discuss the current structure of the patrols. | realize | need to run patrols. with the team so

    | can see how it flows and where our weaknesses are in the borders. | would have already done it but mating with Grace took

    precedence and being newly mated, it¡¯s hard being away from her for long periods of time.

    We''re nearly done when | hear a howl go up. The patrol leader lifts his head, listening. ¡°There¡¯s someone at the border, Alpha.

    Would you like to go see who it is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We take off, headed in the direction of the howl. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not an attack?¡± | ask, since we¡¯re jogging at a steady

    pace, rather than shifting.

    ¡°Different howls. It will be great when we have a pack link. We''ve learned tomunicate in wolf form, but it¡¯s much easier with

    a link.¡±

    When we jog up, | see a woman, and what looks like a baby in her arms, kneeling on the ground. One of the patrols is squatting

    down next to her. ¡°Alpha. This is Amber and her child.¡±

    She looks up at me. ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha here?¡± Her face is bruised, and | can smell

    blood on her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say, walking closer and bending down in front of her. ¡°You''re safe now.¡±

    She throws herself into my arms and sobs. | hold her until she gathers herself.

    ¡°Can you walk?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    | keep my arm around her and guide her back to the packhouse. ¡°How old is your child?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just a month old.¡±

    SONOI SIT

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± | ask as the packhousees into view.

    She looks at me. ¡°Hunters. They''ve been getting bolder. | was lucky to get away, but they may have tracked me here. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    | turn and look at Daniel, the Patrol Leader, and he takes off to alert the patrols.

    We walk into the back of the packhouse, and | hear an angry growl. | look up and see Grace, Maia shining bright in her eyes at

    me touching another she¡ªwolf. | watch as her nose goes up and she smells the same blood that | did. Her eyes go back to

    brown, and she rushes over.

    ¡°What happened?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Amber was running from hunters and came here for safety.¡± | tell her, thankful that she was able to take in the situation quickly

    and not misinterpret what was happening.

    ¡°Summer? Where do we have an empty room?¡± She asks, just as Amber lifts her nose in the air.

    ¡°Mate.¡± She says quietly. | look up and see Carlos standing absolutely still, looking at Amber.

    Grace looks behind her and then back at Amber. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put you in one of the empty rooms on the Beta floor.¡± She says

    looking me with wide eyes.

    ¡°Summer, what is ready on the Beta floor?¡±

    Ayoung woman grabs a pad of paper sitting on the counter. ¡°Uh, the one right next door to Beta Carlos¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°Amber,e with me.¡± She says before turning to me. ¡°Do we have a pack doctor?¡±

    | look at Carlos. He¡¯s still in a trance looking at his mate. ¡°Carlos, do we have a pack doctor?¡±

    That snaps him out of it. ¡°You''re hurt.¡± He says before taking in the baby. ¡°And you have a child.¡± He says quietly. | watch has the

    hope in him detes.

    It''s my incredible mate that steps in. ¡°How about we get her settled and seen by a doctor before we jump into other discussions,

    okay Carlos?¡± She says as she guides Amber to the stairs.

    ¡°Of course. We don¡¯t have a doctor, but we have someone with some medical training.¡±

    ¡°Get them for us.¡± Grace tells him.

    TT4

    ¡°Cammy, can you make a te of food and give it to Ell or Carlos to bring up?

    ¡°yes Luna.¡±

    ¡°Eli, can you help Noah unload the car? | got twoputers, one for you and Carlos to share for now and one for me to use for

    the packhouse supply tracking and shift scheduling.¡±

    I''m about to take the te of food upstairs, when the howl goes up. This one | recognize immediately. Danger.

    1 turn and shift as 1 jump out

    e door. | feel Noah shift right behind me. | hear another howl go up, before it is abruptly cut off. | head in that direction and when |

    get there, | see that there are 30-40 hunters with arrows and guns, firing at my pack members.

    Louis snarls ferociously. How dare theye here and attack my pack. | can see multiple pack membersying on the ground,

    some in mid-transition, so | know the hunters are using silver. | hear the bullets whizzing by my head, but I jump into the fight

    without hesitation, noticing that Noah does the same.

    | feel a bullet hit my shoulder as Louis¡® ws rake down the body of a hunter, eviscerating him where he stands. As an arrow

    laced with wolfsbane hits my nk, | grab the arm of another hunter aiming an arrow at a pack member and I rip his arm from his

    body. The wolfsbane is slowing my movements and pack members are being taken out at an rming rate, but those of us still

    standing continue to tear into the hunters.

    Maiaes flying out of nowhere. She takes an arrow to her nk, but it barely phases her. | take another bullet to the thigh, the

    silver burning a hole into my body that Louis can¡¯t heal.

    Maia begins cutting down the hunters, ripping heads from bodies, slicing

    through flesh and bone. Grace may have never learned to fight, but it¡¯s in Maia¡¯s Guardian soul. Her skill and lethality are

    extraordinary.

    | continue to fight, feeling my strength wane as the wolfsbane and silver try to force me to shift back. As | look around, | see

    many of our pack members are lying unconscious, forced to shift due to their injuries. Many aren¡¯t healing and | can¡¯t tell how

    many are dead and how many are injured, needing medical attention so they don¡¯t die.

    Thankfully there weren¡¯t more hunters. The problem is their weapons. Without those, there wouldn''t have even been a fight. As

    Maia takes out thest of the hunters, | limp to her, making sure she isn¡¯t hurt too badly. | can smell the wolfsbane on her and

    she¡¯s barely using the leg where the arrow punctured.

    Louis licks her face and whines at her before surrendering to the darkness.

    +15 BOAICE

    Cooper

    Author

    Carlos found his mate, but she has a child? And, how about Maia showing off her

 Chapter 350

    I''ve just gotten Amber into her room when | hear the howl go up. | can tell there¡¯s been a breach in the borders. Amber

    immediately starts crying, holding and rocking her baby in her arms.

    ¡°Shhh, you''ll be safe here.¡± | tell her. ¡°But | need to go fight.¡±

    As soon as the words are out of my mouth, | feel pain slice through my shoulder. Eli has been hit. A feral snarl leaves my mouth

    and Maia takes over, pushing the shift, and rushing out the door past Carlos and another pack member | assume is the doctor.

    | race out the back doors of the packhouse, sniffing the air to find out where they are. | can smell them, the hunters, 38 of them.

    Their scent is filled with hate and fear. | can hear the bullets and what sounds like arrows whistling through the air.

    | feel another shock of pain, this time in my thigh and | know Eli has been hit again. When | get there, pack members are strewn

    all over the ground. Eli and what is left of the warriors are outnumbered. They are fighting hard, but it¡¯s difficult to get to the

    hunters to kill them.

    Maia pushes harder and jumps into the fray. She doesn¡¯t hesitate in taking the hunters down. They came here to hurt and kill our

    pack members and they have hurt our mate. They will not live to see another day.

    We barely take notice of the stinging pain in our thigh, but it¡¯s the sharp pain. thates from our other thigh that let''s me know

    that Eli has been hit again.. Maia continues to shred bodies until there are no more hunters standing. She stands, panting,

    looking to make sure they are dead when Louises up, licking her bloody muzzle and whining, before falling, unconscious.

    | immediately shift, grabbing onto Eli, making sure he¡¯s still alive. | lift my head up and howl out a call for help. The hunters may

    be dead, but the pack membersy injured and dying on the field of battle. | can¡¯t lose Eli. | won''t.

    Pack memberse running and | see Carlos among them. ¡°Do we have a pack hospital?¡± | ask, taking charge quickly.

    ¡°No, we''ll need to use the packhouse.¡± He says, as he starts checking the wolves thaty unconscious on the ground.

    ¡°Get the injured to the packhouse. We''ll set up a makeshift emergency room in the dining hall.¡±

    Noah limps over and helps me pick up Eli to carry him back. Otherse and

    begin carrying our injured back to the packhouse.

    When we get there, |y Eli down, looking him over, ¡°Where is that medical student?¡± | ask the room atrge. Someone hands

    me a shirt and | pull it on.

    It''s Carlos that answers. ¡°I''ll get her, but we have another person with medical experience.¡±

    ¡°Get both of them here, now.¡± He bolts out of the dining room.

    ¡°Noah, find out who is healthy enough to run patrols. Double them until we know that there aren¡¯t more huntersing.¡±

    ¡°Yes Luna.

    | look around seeing several she¡ª-wolves looking for something to do to help. Who here has trained with Carlos?¡± | ask, knowing

    Eli said these she¡ªwolves. would be better trained to fight than the warriors patrolling the borders.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    The women look at each other. ¡°All of us.¡± They say.

    ¡°Pick the strongest among you and set up a perimeter around the packhouse. If the hunterse back and get past our patrols,

    you are our second line of defense.¡± They start to move.

    ¡°Ladies.¡± | call their attention back to me. ¡°No one gets through your line.¡± Maia has pushed forward, making my voice deep and

    dark.

    ¡°Yes Luna.¡±

    Carlos returns with a man and a woman. ¡°Luna, these are the medical students | told you about.¡±

    | look at them as they take in the carnage of the battle. ¡°We need to triage the injured and we need to treat your Alpha. We need

    to get the bullets and arrows out so the wolves can start healing. Eli¡¯s been hit three times.¡± | look at him. Two silver bullets and

    one arrow.¡±

    ¡°Luna, do we have any medical supplies?¡±

    I turn and look at Carlos. He shrugs. ¡°Only what we may have at the pack hospital.¡± He says as Noahes rushing back in.

    ¡°You and Noah go to the pack hospital and get scalpels, forceps, bandages, anything you can find. We''ll have to dig these bullets

    out and cut the arrows out.¡±

    They take off to find supplies as the two medical students begin assessing the injured. The woman looks up at me. ¡°Luna, you

    will need that arrow removed. from your leg as well.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | look down, only now realizing one of the injuries | felt earlier was my own and | have an arrow sticking out of my leg. | extend a

    w and slice the arrow down to keep it from catching on anything. ¡°Treat them first. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Cammy.¡± | call out.

    ¡°Luna.¡± She responds from the kitchen, rushing into the room.

 Chapter 351

    ¡°We''ll need lighter food for the injured. You should begin making that turkey soup you! inentioned. Those recovering will need it

    and anything else you can think of that might help them to recover more easily.

    ¡°Yes Luna.¡± She says just as Carlos and Noah return with supplies.

    ¡°You must be Grace.¡± A deep, unfamiliar voice says from behind me. | spin around to see a man standing beside one of the

    women | sent to guard the packhouse.

    ¡°Luna, this is...¡±

    | recognize him. | don¡¯t know how, but | recognize this man. ¡°Liam.¡± | finish for

    her.

    His answering smile is like the sun breaking through a cloudy day. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡± He says, looking around.

    ¡°Although | wish it were under better circumstances. Angel and | heard your call for help. | am here to assist, and | have brought

    some warriors and my doctor as well. Angel wanted toe, but she¡¯s pregnant and | didn¡¯t know what we were going to be

    walking into.¡±

    | shake my head. ¡°Liam, thank you.¡± As | stare, he raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you go

    going to tell your Amazonian squad that it¡¯s okay for my pack members toe in?¡± He asks dryly.

    ¡°Of course, let them in.¡± | tell my pack member.

    ¡°Where''s Eli?¡± Liam asks,ing in and beginning his own assessment of our injured.

    ¡°Here. He¡¯s been hit three times.¡± Liames over and looks at him, nodding.

    ¡°Get the bullets out and the arrow and he''ll be fine. My guess is that he''ll be up and walking around before tomorrow morning.¡±

    | turn to look at him. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°Gifts of being mated to a Guardian.¡±

    He looks at me for a moment. ¡°You''ve been avoiding us, Grace. It¡¯s time Maial came to meet her sisters. You don¡¯t know what it

    means to them and will mean to you until she gets her memories back. But it¡¯s time. We¡¯re family. Maia just needs to remember

    that.¡±

    Liam takes a scalpel and begins cutting into Eli¡¯s shoulder before taking forceps.

    and reaching in to pull the bullet out. He drops it on the floor beside him.

    ¡°Angel has an immunity to silver and therefore, now, so do I. | don¡¯t think you have that Guardian gift, but it looks like you are

    resistant to wolfsbane.¡± He says nodding to my leg. ¡°If so, Eli will have it now as well. That will help his healing.¡± The moment

    Liam¡¯s doctor enters the room, Noah¡¯s head shoots up. ¡°Mate!¡±

    Her head lifts in the same way, looking at Noah in awe. ¡°Mate.¡±

    ¡°Well, fuck, | just lost my best doctor.¡± Liam says, working on the other bullet in Eli¡¯s thigh.

    The adrenaline is wearing off and having Liam here feels surreal, so my response is not appropriate for the situation. ¡°Yeah, Eli

    said we have a lot of unmated pack members and wants to set up pack gatherings between the three packs.¡± | tell

    him.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Great idea. Rik and | have done something simr, but we¡¯ve pretty much cleared out all of our mated pairs.¡±

    ¡°lm bummed about losing Dr. Phillips. She¡¯s great, but we have another doctor. It sounds like you need her here anyway.¡±

    He moves to start cutting the arrow out of Eli¡¯s thigh. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this was hunters?¡± He says, looking at me.

    ¡°Yes. We had a woman and her babye to our borders asking for refuge.¡± | look up to see Carlos. He hasn¡¯t stopped working

    on the injured. ¡°She was

    running from the hunters, and they must have chased her here. She¡¯s mated to our Beta.¡± | say, nodding at Carlos.

    Liam nces over, lifting his nose in the air. ¡°He smells like an Alpha to me.¡± He says, before tilting his head. ¡°But, no wolf?¡±

    I can see Carlos flinch, having heard Liam. ¡°He¡¯s a great Beta, wolf or no.¡± | say defensively.

    ¡°Never said he wasn''t, | just said he¡¯s got Alpha blood.¡± He says as he pulls the arrow from Eli¡¯s thigh, dropping it to the floor.

    ¡°Okay, you''re next.¡± He says, standing up.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He arches his eyebrow at me. ¡°You''re a Guardian, but the arrow still needs toe out. I¡¯m nota

    He arches his eyebl so I''ll only work on you and Eli since whatever |

    screw up, | know your body can heal.¡±

    -IL BONDS

    He kneels down in front of me, looking at my thigh, before taking the scalpel and slicing a cut beneath the arrowhead. | hiss as

    he pulls it out, blood dripping downll my thigh.

    ¡°Liam, get the fuck away from my mate.¡± Eli¡¯s exhausted and pained voice says.

    ¡°Eli!¡± | say and drop to the floor beside him,ying over him and letting the stress of the day go. | didn¡¯t realize how scared | was

    that | might lose him. As my tears begin to fall, his arms wrap around me, his scent enveloping me. ¡°I¡¯m here, baby.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Did you like getting to see Liam again? Time for Maia to meet her

 Chapter 352

    |e awake slowly, my body aching and the sounds of chaos all around me. When | open my eyes, I¡¯m not thrilled to see Liam

    on his knees in front of my mate. | can¡¯t see what he¡¯s doing, but | can see that she¡¯s only in a t-shirt that¡¯s barely covering

    anything.

    | feel better the moment Grace is in my arms, even if she is crying. | look up and see Liam. He¡¯s making a point of showing me

    the arrow he just pulled out of Grace¡¯s leg.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± | ask, giving my mate a moment to collect herself as | rub her back.

    ¡°Maia sent up a how! for help. Angel and | heard it, and | am here answering that call. My warriors are outside helping yours

    patrol until we can get a handle on things and Rik should be here any minute.¡± He says just as another howl goes up, letting us

    know someone is at the borders.

    Liam turns his head to listen. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s him now,

    sure.¡±

    As he turns to go, I stop him. ¡°Liam, thank you.¡±

    but I''ll go make

    ¡°We''re all family now. We need to get Grace and Maia on board with that. I¡¯m still learning what that means, but | do know that in

    this family, we help each other when they need it.¡±

    When he leaves, | move to sit up. Grace sits back, wiping her eyes hurriedly before helping me to sit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. | just...¡± She

    starts to say.

    ¡°Shhh, a lot happened all at once and based on what I¡¯m seeing, you did a great job at taking charge and getting everything

    handled.¡±

    I''m taking inventory of the injured as | sit up. It doesn¡¯t appear that any of our pack died, but many will be out recovering for a

    while.

    Grace stands to go assist, now that I¡¯m awake. ¡°You stay put.¡± She orders me and | can¡¯t help but smirk. She¡¯s such an Alpha

    female. | love it.

    | see Liame back in with Rik right behind him. ¡°You''re Rik.¡± Grace says, walking over to him. | can see she¡¯s confused about

    how she knows him.

    ¡°You must be Grace. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you. | was hoping it would be under better circumstances.¡± Rik extends his hand to

    her.

    After they shake, he looks around. ¡°Liam says you were attacked by hunters.¡± He

    tira

    +15 BONOS

    sees me and begins to head over. Grace falls into step beside him. ¡°Yes, thirty- eight of them.¡± She says.

    ¡°How do you know how many there were?¡± | ask her.

    She stops, looking at me, frowning. ¡°I could smell them.¡±

    Rik turns to look at her. ¡°You could smell them individually?¡±

    She stops, thinking. ¡°I could smell them, and it was like | could almost see them, could sense how many there were. | don¡¯t know

    how to describe it. | guess Maia could be wrong and that¡¯s not how many there were.¡±

    Rik smiles at her before looking at me. ¡°I would never bet against a Guardian. My pack did it once but never again. If you say

    there were 38, then there were 38.¡± He

    says.

    Grace looks at him like he¡¯s crazy. He just smiles at her. ¡°Gifts of being 4 Guardian.¡®

    ¡°| thought the gifts were being mated to a Guardian.¡± She says looking at Liam. ¡°The Guardian has the gifts,¡± he says. ¡°Then

    when youplete the bond with your fated mate, you share them.¡± He turns to me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel the rush of power when she

    marked you?¡±

    | know | must look shocked. ¡°Is that what that was?¡±

    ¡°Gifts of being mated to a Guardian.¡± Rik and Liam say in unison. It¡¯s weird seeing them so in sync.

    ¡°And, you must realize that it''s her Guardian healing that has you awake before any other wolf in here. I¡¯m guessing you were

    injured more than some of these that look like they were knocked out with wolfsbane. Yet, you¡¯re awake and they¡¯re still out.¡± |

    look around and realize Rik¡¯s right. | am the only one that hase to after the fight.

    ¡°You got that from Grace.¡± Liam adds. ¡°I''d really love to have a go at you now. | can¡¯t imagine how strong you are, being mated to

    the strongest Guardian.¡±

    Grace is snarling before he finishes. He raises his hands in a cating gesture. ¡± Not to hurt him Grace, just to see how strong

    he really is. Your Guardian spirit is the strongest one. Or was, Angel¡¯s pretty strong and Cara¡¯s show of power during the vampire

    war was scary. Impressive, but scary. Which is why we need to get together. You need to learn about your gifts and find out how

    you can work with Angel and Cara to strengthen yours. Once you tap into Donovan¡¯s memories, you''ll understand a lot more

    about who and what you are.¡±

    15 BONOS

    ¡°Cara.¡± Grace whispers, her eyes going out of focus. Both Rik and Liam¡¯s head. whip to her face.

    ¡°Do you remember Artemis?¡± Rik asks softly.

    ¡°My...daughter?¡± Grace says her brows furrowing in confusion.

    ¡°Daughter?¡± | ask, confused as well. | thought Artemis was Cara¡¯s wolf.

    ¡°There is much for us to discuss, but now isn¡¯t the right time and I''d like to have our mates present. They can answer many of

    your questions.¡± Liam says.

    Rik¡¯s doctor, Dr. Harrises over. ¡°Alphas, Luna.¡± He says bowing his head to each of us. ¡°All of the wolves have had the

    bullets and arrows removed. Is there not a better ce to put them so they can rest?¡± He asks, looking at me.

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 0353

    I turn to Grace. ¡°Do any of them need on-going medical attention?¡± She asks the doctor.

    ¡°Most of them won¡¯t need medical attention, but | would suggest having someone close by when they wake up. They will be sore

    and will need food and water to help them get stronger. There are a few, however, that will need on going medical attention. Am |

    correct that your pack hospital is not operational?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± | say, trying to push myself up. | immediately feel two hands on my shoulders, one is Grace¡¯s and one is Rik¡¯s.

    ¡°We''re here to help you brother. Let yourself heal. Liam, Grace and | can handle. this.¡± Rik says.

    ¡°Brother?¡± | ask. After everything that happened, | really didn¡¯t expect Rik to ever truly forgive me.

    ¡°You''re mated to a Guardian. Regardless of our past, you¡¯re family now. And | have very strong feelings about family.¡± He says.

    ¡°Yeah, he does.¡± Liam says behind him. ¡°You''d better get used to it, But I¡¯ll tell you, it¡¯s weird.¡±

    Rik stands, shaking his head before turning back to me. ¡°I think you should take the doctor¡¯s orders and get some food and rest.¡±

    ¡°I''ll rest when my pack is settled.¡± | say.

    ¡°Spoken like a true Alpha.¡± Rik says, putting his hand out to help me up. ¡°But | would suggest perhaps finding a seat and

    supervising while you rest and eat.¡±

    When | stand, I¡¯m unsteady on my feet and Grace is immediately at my side, pulling my arm over her shoulders. She helps me to

    walk to a table, pulling up a chair. She then calls to Cammy to prepare a bowl of soup and some water.

    As | eat, | watch Grace organize the injured to be ced back in their rooms if they live here in the packhouse or to be taken

    home if they have one. If they have mates, their mates are assigned to stay the night with them. If they don¡¯t, she gets omegas to

    volunteer to watch over them, letting them know to contact her if anything happens or if they need help.

    One of Rik¡¯s warriors walks in to give an update on the border patrols when | watch his nose lift in the air. ¡°Mate!¡± He says

    excitedly, looking around. | watch as Maddison, the one from the garden, looks up with the same dazed, excited

    +15 HONOSOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org.

    look on her face. ¡°Mate.¡± She says back.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s two.¡± Grace says as she walks over to take my empty bowl.

    ¡°Two?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Noab met his mate, too.¡± She says, pointing to where he is helping a doctor work on a patient. | can see from here how

    enamored he is already. Thankfully, his mate seems to be just as happy. Maybe finding his mate will make him more willing to be

    my Gamma.

    ¡°What about Carlos and Amber?¡± | ask.

    ¡°You''re right, | forgot about them. | guess that¡¯s three. Liam likes your idea about having pack get togethers. Obviously, there is a

    need. I''ll be sad to lose Maddie, she¡¯s a good worker and a strong pack member. But we''re getting a doctor from Liam¡¯s pack, so

    that¡¯s good.¡±

    | watch as all the injured are moved to their rooms, or their houses with either their mates, or those that volunteered to watch

    over them. Bowls of soup are set aside or sent home for the injured. A total of 22 wolves were injured but only two were injured

    severely. Rik offered to take them to his pack hospital to have medical supervision until they healed.

    ¡°Liam and | will leave some of our warriors here to help with your patrols overnight. They can send us a pack link if you¡¯re

    attacked again, and we can get here much quicker. I''d also like to request that you allow my Lead Warrior, Trevor, to stay so he

    can get to know his mate.¡± He nods his head at the man speaking to Maddison.

    ¡°Maddison.¡± | tell him. ¡°And of course. I¡¯m happy to have some of our pack members finding their mates.¡±

    ¡°Liam mentioned you wanting to have pack gatherings. It¡¯s a good idea, something we should discuss. Soon.¡± He says

    meaningfully.

    ¡°| have several things to discuss with you and Liam. I''d like to get together this weekend if everything settles down here after this

    battle.¡±

    ¡°We''re going to head out. Call me tomorrow and let me know how things are going. | hope we can see you and your mate this

    weekend.¡± He says, before walking over to Trevor, letting him know he can stay. | watch as Maddison¡¯s face. lights up like

    Christmas before taking Trevor¡¯s hand and walking away. I¡¯d bet money they will be fully marked and mated by tomorrow

    morning.

    ¡°Let''s go, old man. Time to get you into bed.¡± My little mate says,ing up behind me.

    +15 BONDS

    | stand, wrapping my arm around her. ¡°Haven''t we had this conversation before, Little Alpha. I¡¯m not old.¡±

    ¡°Well then, when you''re healthy, you can show me just how young you are.¡± She says, leading me up to our room where | curl up

    around her, letting her scent of cherry blossoms lull me to sleep.

    Cooper Author

    And another old friend, Rik! Looks like we''ll be seeing Angel and Cara soon, too.

 Chapter 354

    When | wake the next morning, | leave Eli sleeping in bed and | head downstairs. to check on the injured and find out how many

    awoke overnight. No one came looking for me, so I¡¯m hopeful that everyone is either still resting quietly or has awakened.

    When | get to the kitchen, | see several omegas that volunteered to stay with the injured overnight. | find out that all but five of

    the injured are awake. Many ate some soup when they woke and are now getting ready toe down to join the pack in the

    dining room for breakfast. I¡¯m about to go check on the ones that

    groom for breakfast. I¡¯m about to go haven¡¯t woken yet when Noah and Dr. Phillips walk in, both looking sleepy but happy with

    fresh mate marks on their necks.

    | smile at them. ¡°Good morning. It looks like you both had a good nightst night.¡± | say, smiling at them. Being newly mated

    myself, | understand the feeling perfectly. | reach my hand out to Dr. Phillips as she blushes softly. ¡°I¡¯m Grace and you must be

    Dr. Phillips.¡±

    She shakes my hand. ¡°Please, call me Sirona, Luna. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Noah has told me what you and Alpha Eli are

    trying to do with this pack. | would be thrilled to be a part of something so exciting.¡±

    | look at Noah, smiling. ¡°She¡¯s perfect!¡± | say, already knowing his response.

    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± He says, kissing the side of her head.

    ¡°| know you two probably don¡¯t want to be separated so quickly, but could | possibly steal you away Sirona. There are five of our

    pack members that have not yet awakened, and I''d like to check on them.¡±

    ¡°Of course, let me grab my bag.¡± She says before running back upstairs.

    Noah watches her until she turns and walks out of his sight. He turns to me, and | can¡¯t help the pleased smirk on my face.

    ¡°Luna, is Alpha awake yet? | have an answer for him.¡±

    ¡°Do you? And is this answer going to make your Alpha and Luna happy, Noah?¡± | ask teasing him.

    He smiles brightly. ¡°I believe it will, Luna.¡±

    ¡°Good, then you can join me in Carlos¡¯s office.¡± Eli saysing up behind me.

    I turn, rushing to him. ¡°You should have woken me, baby.¡± He says softly. He¡¯s still limping a bit, but he wraps his arms around

    me.

    +15 BONGE

    ¡°You were still sleeping and | wanted to check on everyone. Sirona, that¡¯s Dr. Phillips and | are going to see the five that haven''t

    yet woken up. Most of the rest havee down for breakfast. You and Noah should join them after you talk. Don¡¯t overdo it,

    Alpha.¡± | tell him as Sironaes down with her bag. ¡°We''ll meet you in the dining room when we¡¯re done.¡±

    By the time we check on the warriors that are still unconscious, two have woken. For the other three, | rotate the person sitting

    with them, letting the person who watched them overnight get some sleep.

    ¡°We''re very excited to have you in our pack, Sirona. | know it¡¯s probably a lot for someone who has been in a well-run, happy

    pack to take on, but we n to make this ce a home for everyone that needs one.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, being a doctor, I¡¯ve never run from a challenge. | actually prefer it, so this is perfect for me. And | hear that the pack

    hospital is still in ruins which gives me a chance to rebuild it the way | want it rebuilt.¡± She turns and looks at me. That is, if you

    and Alpha agree.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    |ugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know the first thing about supernatural medicine and I¡¯m sure Eli doesn¡¯t either, so it¡¯s all yours. Whatever you

    want or need, let us know. It may be slow getting there, but we will get there. We also have two medical students here, so you

    won''t bepletely alone. You''ll have to assess their skill set for yourself, but at least you''ll have some help.¡±

    We walk into the dining room, and | see Amber sitting with Eli, Noah and Carlos. As | watch, Eli and Noah¡¯s noses go up in the air

    before they both rise out of their seats and turn toward us. Eli pulls me into an embrace before pulling out a chair for me.

    ¡°Have something to eat, Grace. Give me an update on our injured.¡±

    Sirona and | update everyone on the status of our pack members. ¡°I called Alpha Rik this morning. The two that he took to his

    pack are still unconscious.¡± Carlos says. | watch as Amber looks at him, but doesn¡¯t say anything, looking back down at her

    te. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s quiet or if there is something more going on here.

    ¡°Amber, how did you settle inst night? | apologize for noting back to check on you and your baby.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have a baby?¡± Sirona asks. ¡°How old?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just one month old.¡± She says quietly, looking at Carlos through hershes. Okay, so that has yet to be resolved. ¡°And

    thank you Luna, | did settle in, and we were able to sleep some.¡±

 Chapter 355

    Eli looks past me at Amber. ¡°Is there someone we should call, someone that may be looking for you so we can let them know

    you''re safe.¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°No, thank you Alpha, but there is no one.¡±

    | can feel Eli''s confusion through the bond. How does this woman have a brand new baby if there is no one.

    ¡°The baby is a hybrid.¡¯ Maia says.

    ¡®A hybrid?¡¯ | ask. ¡°You mean part wolf, part human?¡±

    ¡®| don¡¯t think so. Part wolf, yes. But, I¡¯m not sure what the other part is.

    ¡°Amber, do you have everything you need for your baby? What is her name, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Oh, | haven¡¯t named her yet. I...¡±

    I can see tears welling in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± | say reaching out cing my hand over hers. | can see Carlos¡¯s hand twitching,

    wanting to hold her hand like | am. | sigh internally. | was hoping he would find someone, and it would be great. This seems like it

    might be a struggle. | just hope it¡¯s one they can ovee.

    ¡°Do you want toe around with me today? | have some things that | need to finish taking care of and | could show you around

    at the same time.¡± | ask her. ¡°That would be great. | want to work, | want to be useful, so anything that you need for me to do, I''d

    be happy to do.¡±

    Eli puts his hand on my back, rubbing gently. ¡°Well, we have a lot of work that needs to be done. There¡¯s no shortage of that.¡± |

    sayughing.

    ¡°We''re d to have you here, Amber. Grace is whipping everything into shape and I¡¯m sure she can find something that will suit

    your needs. But please, take whatever time you need to rest and recover.¡±

    ¡°I''m good Alpha. | want to work.¡± She says.

    ¡°You''re injured? From the attack yesterday?¡± Sirona asks her.

    ¡°No, before. | was held captive by the hunters, but | escaped and found this ce, thankfully.¡± She says with the briefest of

    smiles.

    ¡°Have you been checked, medically?¡± Sirona asks, going into doctor mode.

    ¡°Someone,¡± she looks at Carlos, ¡°checked me yesterday.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Carlos is watching her intently. ¡°Dr. Phillips is a real doctor. You should let her check you over.¡± He tells her softly,

    ¡°Okay.¡± She agrees.

    ¡°Okay! Then after breakfast, | have my first assignment.¡± She turns to Noah. ¡± What will you be doing today, my love?¡± She asks

    him.

    He looks at Eli questioningly.

    ¡°That reminds me.¡± Eli says standing up. ¡°Attention everyone.¡± He says and the room goes quiet. ¡°| have asked Noah to be our

    pack¡¯s Gamma and he has agreed. When

    we have our ranked member ceremonies, he will be included as the pack¡¯s Gamma and his mate, Sirona Phillips, will be

    included as our Gamma female. She is a doctor from the Shadow Falls Pack and we are very happy to have her join our pack

    now.

    Cheers go up and people begin toe to the table congratting Noah and Sirona. | watch as Amber quietly slips away.

    Carlos pretends not to notice, but | see him watching her out of the corner of my eye. When he turns back, he sees me watching

    him. | raise my eyebrow at him, but he just shakes his head.

    ¡°| have one more announcement. Our own Maddison Gray found her mate yesterday as well. Trevor is the Lead Warrior with the

    Canyon Ridge Pack, so while we are gaining a doctor, we are losing one of our best gardeners. Thankfully, we have a strong

    alliance with both packs, and we''ll continue to work together and see members from those packs.¡±

    There¡¯s a lot of congrattions and back pping for Trevor, and some tears for Maddison, I¡¯m guessing from her garden crew.

    Eli raises his hands, and everyone quiets down again. ¡°Yesterday we received a surprise attack from the hunters and while many

    were injured, | am happy to announce that no one was killed. Our neighbors answered your Luna¡¯s call for help, reinforcing our

    alliance and bond with those packs. However, it did bring to light our pack¡¯s need for more intense warrior training. | will be taking

    my mate to the Shadow Falls Pack over the weekend, but starting Monday, you will all be training with me and Carlos. We will

    set up training twice daily for all warriors. Every pack member who has a wolf will train at least once a day. Men and women will

    train together.¡± There is a cheer from the women in the room.

    ¡°Until then, you will train with Carlos. He is your Beta, and you will give him the respect he and his position deserve. Grace and |

    will be leaving tomorrow morning. If you have any questions or concerns, see me before | leave.¡±

    He sits back down, kissing me on the side of my head before we both turn back to

    our food and finish eating.

    Cooper Author

    What do you think of Carlos and Amber? And why does Amber not have anyone looking for her? Updates ur daily.

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 0356

    ¡°What are your ns for today, Grace?¡± | ask as we finish our food.

    ¡°| want to get theputer set up for the kitchens and packhouse.¡± She stops, turning to me. ¡°Did you get them out of the car

    yesterday, or were you

    interrupted.¡±

    ¡°They must still be in the car.¡± | look up at Noah. ¡°You didn¡¯t get them out, did. you?¡±

    ¡°No, Alpha. After everything happened, itpletely slipped my mind. And once | found Sirona,¡± he pulls his mate closer to him,

    kissing her. ¡°Well, after that, my mind was focused on other things.¡±

    Sirona is a blusher. | can tell Noah will enjoy making his mate blush as frequently as possible. From the corner of my eye, | see

    Carlos flinch at their show of affection. Time for me to find out what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Carlos, how about you and | go get theputers. Hopefully there wasn¡¯t any food left in the car.¡± |

    I say.

    ¡°No, the omegas were helping us unload.¡± Grace says.

    | extend my hand to Grace, helping her to stand, taking any opportunity | can to touch her. | kiss her hand before letting her go.

    ¡°I''ll bring yourputer to you and then Carlos and | will go set up theputer in his office. Noah, why don¡¯t you start looking

    around for offices for the ranked members. Try to keep us as close together as possible. Then, take your mate to the pack

    hospital and let her see what she¡¯s up against.¡±

    I turn to her. ¡°It will be a lot of work, | hope you''re ready for that.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°As | told Luna Grace, | don¡¯t mind hard work and | love a challenge.¡±

    | can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Well, then, you¡¯ve found your mate in the right pack because hard work and a challenge are what we''ve

    got for you.¡±

    | drop Grace off in the kitchen before Carlos and | make our way out to Noah¡¯s car. It¡¯s unlocked, but | have to pop the truck to

    get theputers out.

    ¡°So, you want to tell me what¡¯s up with you and your mate?¡± | ask him and watch. as his lips press into a thin line.

    He may not want to talk about it, but he needs to, so | wait him out.

    Finally, he sighs, and we lean against the car, setting theputer boxes on the

    ground. ¡°She has a child, but | don¡¯t know what it means that no one is looking for her. | assumed that she was in a rtionship

    with another wolf. | mean, wouldn¡¯t the father want to know where his child is? | know it¡¯s a girl, and some wolves, especially

    Alphas, feel that girls aren¡¯t worthy of being heirs, but 1 couldn¡¯t image letting a woman who was carrying my child just walk out

    of my

    life.¡±

    ¡°Why haven''t you talked to her?¡±

    ¡°It was a little chaoticst night.¡±

    | look at him, raising my eyebrow. ¡°Noah found time to fight against the hunters, help the injured and still mark and mate his

    newly found mate. And you''re telling me you didn¡¯t have time for a conversation with yours?¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine. | didn¡¯t know what to say. And....¡± He stops, running his hand through his hair. ¡°And maybe she doesn¡¯t want a

    wolfless mate.¡± He says quietly.

    And there itis, the real issue.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like it to me at breakfast. She seemed sad to me, maybe even a bit heartbroken that her mate is ignoring her. She

    has no one, and she¡¯s going to remain in this pack. You¡¯re going to have to talk to her and figure this out. If you decide to reject

    her...

    He cuts me off. ¡°I would NEVER reject my mate! | can¡¯t believe the Moon Goddess even gave me one. Why would | give that

    up??¡± He practically yells at me.

    ¡°Then act like her mate. Or at least, talk to her and find out how she got into this position. She¡¯s not just running from hunters,

    Carlos.¡±

    His brows pinch together. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a single mother, with a baby, alone in the world. Do you even know how long she¡¯s been with the hunters?¡±

    | can see the moment he understands my meaning. If no one is looking for Amber and she has a baby, maybe her pregnancy

    urred while she was with the hunters. Or maybe the baby¡¯s father was killed while she was pregnant. Either way, it means

    she¡¯s been through a lot..

    ¡°You''re right. Thank you, Alpha. I''ll talk to her.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Now is good.¡± | say to him as | reach down and pick up one of theputer boxes.

    ¡°Now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, now. No time like the present. | can set up theputer while you take

    +15 HONGS

    your mate and have a good conversation. Figure things out with her and when you¡¯re done,e meet me in your office and

    we''ll talk about our new training schedule.¡± | say as we walk into the kitchen, and | nod for Carlos to put hisputer box on the

    counter.

    ¡°Here¡¯s yourputer, Grace.¡± | say, noticing that Amber is helping to clean the breakfast dishes while her babyys in a

    improvised crib nearby. She looks up and immediately looks back down when she sees Carlos, her cheeks turning pink.

    | turn and watch him staring at her before he finally looks at Grace. ¡°Luna, might | take Amber and have a word with her?¡±

    Grace looks at me before answering. ¡°Of course. Amber, we''ve got this. Why don¡¯t you go speak with Carlos. Do you want me to

    watch your baby?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you Luna. I''ll take her.¡± She says before drying her hands, picking up her child and following Carlos out of the kitchen.

    Grace walks up to me, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°I hope that will be a good conversation.¡± She says, leaning up and kissing

    my lips softly.

    ¡°Me too, but at least there will be a conversation. He¡¯s more concerned about being rejected than her having a child. | think she¡¯s

    more worried about having a child than him not having a wolf.¡±

    ¡°What a motley crew our pack is.¡±

    ¡°| wouldn''t have it any other way, baby.¡± | kiss the corner of her mouth. ¡°Will you be ready to leave tomorrow morning. | have to

    speak with Liam and Rik, and they really want you to meet Cara and Angel. You''ll like them.¡±

    ¡°Yes. | need to figure out who can run aputer and set it up for me while I¡¯m gone, but that won''t take me long. We have our

    meals nned, food for the pack and | think everything will be good with Carlos and Noah here while we are gone.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to go get myputer set up and start putting all of Carlos¡¯s paper into the 21st century.¡±

    Sheughs as she pulls out of my arms, turning to get back to work. | can¡¯t help but smack her perfect ass, loving her startled

    gasp and the surprised look on her face. | give her my best smirk before turning and heading to the office.

 Chapter 357

    I''m d Eli talked to Carlos. It was obvious that Amber was miserable, and it was because her mate wouldn''t speak to her. |

    don¡¯t know how things will go, but at least there will be a conversation.

    As | walk back into the kitchen, | p my hands. ¡°Okay, who knows how to use aputer.¡± Only one hand goes up, Autumn.

    | point to her. ¡°You''re hired!¡±

    As | set up theputer, | talk to her about her past experience with aputer. It¡¯s not that | can¡¯t or won¡¯t run the scheduling

    of the kitchens and pack house staff, but it¡¯s time consuming. It¡¯s usually two jobs and | need time to work on other things, so I¡¯m

    d that Autumn has at least some experience.

    Not surprisingly, her experience is with the packhouse management, since her sister was a Lead Omega in their previous pack. |

    get theputer set up and put together a temte of the scheduling roster | want her to use. | set her up to work with her sister

    so that they have a rotation of individuals working every day and ensure that everyone has time off as well.

    We''re just finishing up when Amber and Carlos walk back in, Carlos holding Amber''s baby in his arms. ¡°Luna, might we have a

    word?¡± He asks. Amber looks nervous, but Carlos puts his free arm around her, pulling her to him.

    | try to hide my smile. ¡°Of course. Maybe we can find a private ce in the dining room since we¡¯re between meals?¡± | say and

    begin walking to the dining room.

    Thankfully, there is no one else in the room, so we sit at a table, and | wait for them to speak.

    Carlos looks at Amber, who gives a barely noticeable nod before turning to me. Luna, as you probably guessed, Amber and |

    needed to talk about our mate bond. As you know, | don¡¯t have a wolf.¡± He says, and Amber¡¯s hand curls under his bicep, holding

    on to him as she leans into him. He turns, smiling down at her and kissing her forehead.

    ¡°Amber doesn¡¯t care about that, thankfully.¡± | know my answering smile must be huge as | look at Amber. | knew almost

    immediately how amazing Carlos was. I¡¯m d his mate has realized it too.

    ¡°However,¡± he starts, and | see Amber tense. He shifts the baby and wraps his arm around her. ¡°Amber was experimented on

    when the hunters had her. They injected her with some male¡¯s sperm causing her to get pregnant. When she had

    +15. DONOS

    her baby, they intended to take it and experiment on it. She fought them, trying to save her baby and they beat her. She was

    finally able to get her baby and escape. She ran until she found us.¡±

    | look at Amber. ¡°You don¡¯t know what the father was?¡± | ask her. Amber¡¯s head whips up at my question.

    ¡°You mean who, don¡¯t you, Luna? Not what.¡± Carlos asks.

    | never take my eyes off Amber. ¡°Maia said your baby is a hybrid. So, the father is not a wolf. She can¡¯t tell what species the

    father is, but she doesn¡¯t think he¡¯s human.¡±

    Tears start streaming down her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She whispers.

    Carlos pulls her into his side, whispering in her ear, trying to calm her.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hey.¡± | say gently. ¡°We don¡¯t judge, we don¡¯t care. I¡¯m only wondering for you and your child¡¯s sake. But it doesn¡¯t matter. You

    and your baby are still a part of this pack, and we will ept her, just like we¡¯ve epted you.¡±

    She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Luna. | was afraid to say anything, but Carlos said you and Alpha Eli

    would be epting of her.¡±

    ¡°There is too much exclusion in the packs. Here, we ept you for who you are and allow you to be the best you can be. Or

    that¡¯s our goal at least. We''re still working on that part about making things the best they can be.¡± I say smiling at her.

    She wipes away her tears, then looks at Carlos before looking back at me. ¡°I really do want to be of help.¡±

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 Chapter 358

    Chapter 0358

    ¡°Do you happen to know anything about working in a kitchen orputers?¡± | ask her, jokingly.

    ¡°Yes, actually. | worked as the scheduler for our kitchen staff before | left my pack.¡± She says. | make a note that she ¡®left¡¯ her

    pack, not that she was taken by hunters. Another person mistreated by her pack. There are too many.

    ¡°Well, then, | have the perfect job for you, and you are about to make my day.¡± | tell her. ¡°Ready to get to work?¡± | ask and stand.

    ¡°Yes Luna.¡±

    | introduce Autumn and Cammy to Amber and exin that she will be scheduling the kitchen staff and sharing theputer with

    Autumn.

    ¡°Luna, what would you like me to do with the rest of my time?¡± She asks me.

    | look at her and back at Autumn who shrugs. ¡°The rest of what time?¡±

    ¡°In myst pack, this didn¡¯t take the full day, what else would you like me to do?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work a full day here. Our pack members have time for their lives, families and to enjoy the packnds. You

    don¡¯t have to work every minute you are awake.¡± | tell her, having had this conversation with some of the omegas already.

    ¡°But, if | wanted to do more, what could | do?¡± She asks, trying to find a way around my expectation for rxing.

    ¡°Well, we just lost one of our gardeners. Do you know anything about gardening? It would be a nice way to get some fresh air for

    you and your daughter.¡±

    ¡°| can garden.¡± She says.

    ¡°Okay, I''ll introduce you to Victoria and Ivy and you can find out what they need.¡±

    | leave her in the kitchen with Cammy and Autumn and go looking for Victoria or Ivy. As I¡¯m passing Carlos''s office, | have an

    idea. | poke my head into the office and knock on the door jamb.

    ¡°Hey, Carlos.¡± He stands, moving toward me quickly.

    ¡°Is everything okay with Amber? With the baby?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but | wanted to ask you something. You said there was someone in the pack.

    +15 BONOS

    that can make furniture. Perhaps you can ask them if they can make a crib for the baby? Or maybe we can find one and

    refurbish it?¡±

    He blinks at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about that. I''ll get on it. Thank you, Luna.¡±

    | wink at my mate, leaving him smiling before | go out to the gardens and find Maddison and Victoria.

    ¡°Maddison, I¡¯m surprised to see you here.¡± | say, walking into the garden.

    ¡°Luna. | wanted toe visit the garden one more time. Trevor and | are leaving with you and Alpha Eli tomorrow. | don¡¯t know

    when | might be back.¡± She stops. and looks around. ¡°I''ve put so much time and energy into this garden. I¡¯m going to miss it.¡±

    ¡°Im sure Alpha Rik and Luna Cara would love to use your skills in their pack. Or you could always create your own personal

    garden wherever you and Trevor end up living.¡± | suggest.

    ¡°Yes, | hope so. And | hope I''ll be able toe back and visit?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Any time.¡± | say, taking her hands. ¡°Now, Victoria, | have a recement gardener for you. Her name is Amber. She¡¯s the one that

    came to us yesterday. She¡¯s mated to Beta Carlos and will be running the schedule for the kitchens, but she wanted another job,

    so | told her you and Ivy could talk to her about helping in the gardens.¡±

    ¡°That would be great, Luna. Having the Beta female helping with our food supply and knowing what food we need as well as

    what we have growing will be great for the pack.¡± Victoria says.

    ¡°| agree. Find me during one of the meals today and I''ll introduce you. Then you can work together to find a time toe out and

    show her around.¡±

    | turn to head back to the packhouse. ¡°Maddison, I''ll see you in the morning. And congrattions. From what | hear, Trevor is a

    catch.¡± | tell her smiling. ¡°That he is, Luna. That he is.¡± She says, smiling brightly.

    Cooper Author

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 359

    The rest of the day goes by, and I¡¯m exhausted by the time | head back to our room. Carios found the carpenter and asked him

    to build a crib. Apparently, the carpenter was so excited he said he¡¯d build him a bass as well. | was happy to see him being

    more affectionate with Amber at dinner and watched as Grace. introduced her to Victoria, getting her set up to see the gardens

    while we are away.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    When | get to our room, | see that Grace has packed a bag. | begin looking for my backpack before spotting it on the bed,

    looking like it¡¯s already packed. ¡°Did you pack my bag as well?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°| did, | hope that¡¯s okay. You looked tired at dinner, and | wanted you to be able toe up and rx. You''re still recovering

    from yesterday. Why don¡¯t you go take a shower while | finish up.¡± She says, pulling some clothes out of the closet.

    | walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me in the shower and then we can curl up and go to

    sleep.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°Why Alpha, are you trying to get me naked and wet?¡± She asks, coyly. | growl, deep in my chest, pushing against her.

    m now.¡± | say, pulling her into the bathroom. ¡°We did discuss trying new positions and seeing which ones are your favorite. I''d

    be remiss if we didn¡¯t at least try shower sex.¡± | tell her, before stripping off her clothes.

    Later, I¡¯m curled up around my naked mate in bed, enjoying her warmth. ¡°We''ll have to do that again soon, Alpha.¡± She says

    sleepily.

    ¡°Grace.¡± | saw warningly. She knows what calling me Alpha does to me.

    She chuckles, her body shaking in my arms. ¡°Goodnight Eli.¡± It''s quiet for a moment. ¡°I love you.¡± She says softly.

    ¡°| love you too my little Alpha.¡± | tell her and we both drift off to sleep. The next morning, we wake up early. As we head down to

    grab breakfast, | call Rik and let him know we''ll be leaving shortly. We''re running since it¡¯s faster to get to his packnds through

    the canyon instead of driving around it. And since neither Grace nor | have a car or know how to drive, we aren¡¯t taking anyone

    away from the pack that may need to be here to help cover for those that are still recovering from the hunter attack.

    At breakfast, we meet up with Trevor and Maddison. She will have toe back for her things, but Trevor will bring her in his

    car. When we''re ready, we all go out to the forest and strip, collecting our clothes before shifting and grabbing our

    bags. The run is nearly two hours, but as we begin to run through the canyon, Maia stops short, looking around.

    Louis turns around and Trevor¡¯s wolf stops, turning to walk back to Maia. | shift, looking at her. ¡°Maia, what is it?¡±

    Trevor shifts and turns, looking around. ¡°This is where Clint died.¡± He says softly.

    | go to Maia, getting down on my knees and running my hands through her fur as she sniffs the ground. ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± |

    ask her.

    She lifts her head and lets out a mournful howl that is heartbreaking to hear. | can hear the answering howls of wolves from both

    packs as they echo around the

    canyon.

    | hold her face and put my forehead against her furry head. ¡°I¡¯m here. Anything you need baby. Take your time.¡±

    ¡°She remembers the fight.¡± Grace says through the mind link. ¡°She remembers Clint and Donovan dying here after being drained

    by a vampire. She remembers the pain.¡±

    As she looks around, remembering, | hearrge paws pushing through the ground, headed our way. | stand up, looking in the

    direction of the sound and | see what looks like Cyran, Liam¡¯s wolf, carrying Angel.

    up to

    When they get close, Cyran slows down. Angel crawls off his back, her grey eyes turning olive when her wolf pushes forward.

    ¡°Sister.¡± She says and walks Maia, leaning down and hugging her. ¡°I''ve looked forward to meeting you. Alessia would love to

    meet you in her wolf form, but we¡¯re expecting, so | can¡¯t shift right now.¡± She tells Maia.

    Maia begins to shift, and | reach into my bag, grabbing a shirt, shoving it over her head the moment she shifts. As shifters, we

    may be used to nudity, but | don¡¯t want my mate naked around other Alphas.

    Grace stands, looking at Angel, Maia still glowing in her eyes. ¡°Alessia?¡±

    Angel''s smile is breathtaking. ¡°You remember me?¡± She says, taking Grace¡¯s

    hands.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Grace says,ughing while tears trek down her face. ¡°Yes, | remember you.¡±

    As they embrace, | hearrge pawsing from a different direction. Kai, Rik¡¯s. wolf, runs up carrying Cara. He gentlyys

    down, letting Cara slide off him before he hurriedly shifts and picks her up. ¡°I told you I¡¯d pull out the big guns if you couldn¡¯t get

    her toe see us.¡± Rik tells me. | guess Cara is ¡®the big gun¡¯.

    2/3

    +15 BONDS

    However, when Grace turns, Maia¡¯s gold takes over her eyes and her voice, when she speaks, is deep. ¡°Artemis.¡± She says,

    moving toward Cara, whose emerald eyes are now rimmed with gold.

    ¡°I''d call you father, but that¡¯s not urate. You are still my parent, yes?¡± The deeper voice of Artemis asks Maia.

    Grace walks to Cara, wrapping her arms around her, holding her close even though she¡¯s still in Rik¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Yes, you are mine.¡± Maia replies.

    When she releases her, Grace turns and looks at me, swaying a bit. | immediately step up to her, holding her. ¡°Baby?¡±

    ¡°| remember. Everything.

    ¡°Come.¡± Rik says, nodding his head in the direction of his pack. ¡°This must be overwhelming for you Grace, and | don¡¯t want my

    mate overdoing it in her condition. We can walk back to the packhouse.¡±

    He turns and begins walking with Cara still in his arms. | lean down grabbing our bags then sweep Grace¡¯s legs out from under

    her, picking her up.

    ¡°Eli, put me down.¡± Her voice is weak, | have no intention of putting her down.

    | kiss her nose. ¡°You''re had another big shock, baby. I''ll carry you. Just rx and let Maia¡¯s memories return. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a lot to

    take in.¡±

    Trevor shifts back to his wolf and he and Maddison take off ahead of us. Liam and Angel fall into step beside us. Angel reaches

    out holding Grace¡¯s hand in hers as we walk. Rik slows down and falls into step on my other side, allowing Cara to reach out and

    hold Grace''s other hand.

    ¡°We''re so d to have you back.¡± Cara says, a sad smile on her face.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of getting to spend some time with Cara and Angel?

 Chapter 360

    The memories thate when | see the ce where Clint and Donovan died is nothingpared to the flood of memories that

    start when I see Angel and Alessia. But the dam breaks when | see Cara and Artemis. | don¡¯t know what it is about her, maybe

    because Artemis is the daughter of my Guardian spirit, but everythinges flooding back. It''s overwhelming and while | was

    embarrassed to have Eli carrying me, I¡¯m not sure | could have walked on my own.

    When we reach the packnds, the difference in this pack and my pack with Eli is apparent. But, | can also see the difference in

    this pack and my father¡¯s pack. Where my father needed to be the most intimidating wolf in the pack, Rik seems to lead with love

    and patience. Pack members of all ages run up to him, surrounding us and walking with us back to the packhouse. There is no

    fear or intimidation as they ask him and Cara questions and are asked questions in return. Both Cara and Rik seem to know

    every pack member by name and know their lives enough to ask them questions as we walk.

    Eli and | are introduced and when it bes overwhelming, Rik and Cara tell them that we''ll be introduced at dinner tonight.

    When we arrive at the

    packhouse, a young woman who looks to be as pregnant as Cara is standing at the back door of the packhouse.

    ¡°Wee to Canyon Ridge.¡± She says, smiling at me and Eli. She steps back. motioning for us to enter. ¡°I¡¯m Lacey, the pack¡¯s

    Beta female. If you''ll follow me, I''ll show you your room and you can get settled. We have lunch scheduled in an hour on the

    patio. Does that give you enough time to get settled and shower if you''d like?¡± She asks as she guides us through the packhouse

    and up the stairs.

    ¡°That will be great.¡± | tell her.¡± Thank you.¡±

    She shows us to our room and when she leaves, Eli sets me down and | look around. ¡°Will our packhouse look like this one

    day?¡± | ask him.

    Hees up behind me and wraps his arms around me. ¡°Our packhouse will look whatever way you want it to, baby. It will just

    take some time.¡±

    | turn around, my arms snaking around his neck. ¡°You are a good man, Eli Gunnar.¡± | say, meaning it from deep within my heart.

    He leans his head down against mine. ¡°I haven''t always felt that way, but when you say it, | believe it. And | want to make sure

    that you always feel that way about me.¡±

    I step out of his embrace, taking his hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get showered and

    +15 BONOS

    changed so we can eat. I¡¯m starved.¡±

    When we''ve freshened up, we head downstairs to find Rik and Cara. Cara is already seated at the table, Rik hovering near her.

    She pats the seat next to her, wanting me to sit beside her.N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    ¡°| can¡¯t tell you how much it means to me that you are here. Losing dad was... She stops, her voice breaking. Rik is right there,

    his hands on her shoulders.

    ¡°Little Guardian, if it¡¯s too much for you...¡±

    She cuts him off, taking his hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s good to know that some part of them survived. It¡¯s just still painful for me. Angel has

    been amazing and having her and Alessia has helped. And, of course, Rik has been amazing.¡± She says gazing up at him with

    love in her eyes. ¡°But now that you''re here, it¡¯s like our family is back together.¡±

    She smiles through her tears, and | can see that Rik wants nothing more than to whisk his mate away andfort her, but he

    doesn¡¯t. Maybe she needs this just as much as she needs hisfort. ¡°You''ll have to excuse me. Pregnancy hormones.¡± She

    says,ughing through her tears.

    +15 ACHOS

 Chapter 361

    ¡°I''m here to tell you, they¡¯re real and they¡¯re awful.¡± Angel says, walking in. She leans down, hugging Cara, then me before taking

    the seat across from me. Rik sits on Cara¡¯s other side and Eli and Liam sit in between me and Angel.

    We are able to order our lunch from several different options. | look at Eli. ¡°I definitely want to be able to do this in our

    packhouse.¡± | mind link him.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± He says, deciding what he wants to eat.

    After we''ve ced our order, Cara looks at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you, but Angel and | already know everything about

    each other. You should have those memories now, and know that, while my life has been fairly simple, Angel¡¯s was difficult.¡±

    I nod, realizing that | do have memories of both their histories.

    ¡°We''d like to hear about you and how you came to have Donovan¡¯s Guardian spirit.¡±

    | look at Eli and then at everyone at the table. | wasn¡¯t sure | was ready to discuss what had happened to me, but | feel a strange

    familial bond with Angel and Cara and therefore, Liam and Rik as well. The environment here feels safe, caring and supportive.

    Eli reaches out to grasp my hand. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything you¡¯re notfortable with Grace.¡±

    Our food arrives and | decide that | might as well tell them. Based on my memories, Angel''s life has been worse than mine. ¡°My

    story isn¡¯t a happy one, so maybe we should wait until after we eat.¡± | suggest.

    We all agree, and lunch is a festive event. It''s rxing and it¡¯s interesting to see pack members, specifically omegas, interacting

    with their Alpha and Luna without fear. In our pack, it¡¯s so different, but Eli and | will change that.

    | turn and see him watching the same interactions | have been. He looks at met and I know that we¡¯re in total agreement. Our

    pack will one day look and feel like

    this one.

    After lunch, we sit back and rx, letting our food digest. Cara looks at me. Whenever you''re ready, we want to hear your story.¡±

    She tells me, reaching out. and taking my hand.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    So, | start from the time | was 10 years old and go through my life, watching my

    ?+15 BONOS

    mother slowly deteriorate and eventually holding her while she died. | talk about my time alone until | met Eli and then our time

    on the run. I¡¯ve been lost in my story, not looking at their reactions, but when | finish, | look up and see that both Angel and Cara

    have been pulled into their mates¡®ps and are crying.

    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± | say, worried that | have upset them unnecessarily.

    ¡°No, no.¡± Both Angel and Cara say. ¡°Pregnancy hormones.¡± They say in unison, then look at each other andugh. | can¡¯t help

    butugh, too.

    ¡°Who''s your father?¡± Liam asks me.

    ¡°Edgar Winters.¡± | say, guessing they know him. Alphas have meetings and gatherings throughout the year. | know, | used to

    attend them with my father.

    | watch as Liam looks at Rik.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°When did you say your mother died?¡± Rik asks me.

    ¡°A little over two years ago.¡± | say.

    | watch as they look at each other again.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Eli asks this time.

    ¡°You were right, Grace. Your father took a new mate just over two years ago and they have a son, nearly two years old.¡±

    | knew it. | knew that¡¯s what happened to my mother.

    But having it confirmed still feels like | just received a swift kick to the stomach

    Cooper

    Author

    | didn¡¯t like Alpha Edgar before, but | definitely dislike him

 Chapter 362

    | can feel the impact that Liam and Rik¡¯s news has on Grace. It¡¯s one thing to assume and another to find out you were correct. |

    pull her face to me, leaning into her. ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡±

    She just nods, a single tear sliding down her cheek. My sweet mate has had so much thrown at her in such a short period of

    time. Sometimes | forget that she¡¯s still so young. She¡¯s a strong and fierce woman, but there are moments, like right now, that

    she¡¯s fragile.

    | look up at the others at the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my mate to rest for a bit. Thank you for lunch. We look forward to spending

    more time with you and getting to learn more about Maia¡¯s Guardian spirit, but right now, Grace needs. some time.¡± | say, before

    standing up, picking up my mate, much to her surprise and walking us to our room.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡± She says quietly, her head resting against my shoulder.

    ¡°Yes, | did. The actual job description for ¡®mate¡¯ is to take care of the one that is given to you by the Moon Goddess. | could feel

    how much their confirmation of what your father did hurt you. We can take some time. We''re here all weekend. Let me hold you.¡±

    I say as we get to our room.

    | take off her shoes and tuck her into bed, before taking off my shoes and curling up around her. | wrap my arms around her and

    let my scent help her rx, allowing her tears to fall. She turns, curling into me, letting me hold her while she cries. | don¡¯t say

    anything, | just rub her back, and kiss the top of her head, letting her cry it out.

    ¡°| hate him. | know | shouldn''t, but | hate him for what he did to my mother.¡±

    ¡°You and | both know that there are people in positions of power that don¡¯t deserve it, people that abuse the power that they

    have been given. I¡¯m thankful that | have you for a mate, someone that will never take that power for granted and will never

    abuse it.¡± | tell her, looking at her.

    ¡°And as much as | hate the life that | had before | met you, I¡¯d do it all over again if it brought me to you. Every step we¡¯ve taken,

    every heartache we''ve suffered, has brought us here. And | know, for me, | wouldn¡¯t change it. | wouldn¡¯t change anything that

    might mean | didn¡¯t end up here with you.¡±

    She reaches up and kisses me. It¡¯s a slow, tender kiss, full of love and a promise of a future together.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She says, rubbing her nose against mine.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t do anything.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t realize how much you do for me. You have quickly be my rock, my solid ground. You are the ce that | know

    I''m always safe. You are the

    foundation that allows me to be a stronger person. So, yes, my mate, you do and are my everything.¡±

    | take my time, stripping us out of our clothes before slowly making love to my mate, showing her how much she means to me,

    how desperate | am for her. This woman who is my everything. This woman who makes me feel like the most powerful, amazing

    man in the world. And | learn that hearing her whimper and cry my name softly as she finds her release, her nails biting into my

    back as her body contracts around me is just as unbelievable as hearing her scream my name. Afterward, we curl up together,

    wrapped around each other, and we fall asleep.

    It''s mid¡ªafternoon before we emerge from our room again. We go in search of our hosts and find Angel and Cara having tea on

    the back porch, looking out over the packwn and forest beyond.

    When they see us, Angel immediately jumps up,ing to Grace. ¡°Are you alright? I¡¯m sorry Liam and Rik upset you. We didn¡¯t

    want your first day with us to be so tense.¡± She says, pulling Grace over to where she and Cara are sitting.

    ¡°It''s okay. It was just a lot to have my suspicions about my father confirmed.¡± She says, sitting down while Cara pours her some

    tea.

    ¡°Where are the guys?¡± | ask, wondering why they left their mates alone.

    ¡°They''re in Rik¡¯s office. They said you should join them if you came down. Let me get someone to take you.¡± Cara says, before

    her eyes go unfocused.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Amomentter, one of the packhouse omegases out and offers to take me to Rik¡¯s office. | look at Grace and she nods,

    letting me know she¡¯s okay. | walk over and kiss her before turning and following Rik¡¯s pack member to his office.

    SONO8 GI+

    +15 BONGS

 Chapter 363

    When | get there, | see that it is Rik, Liam and another Alpha | don¡¯t know. Rik immediately stands up, gesturing for me toe

    in and sit down. ¡°How is Grace? We didn¡¯t mean to upset her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s better. She¡¯s stronger than she knows, but that was a tough blow. What she didn¡¯t tell you was that her father marked his

    new mate on her 16th birthday.¡±

    ¡°| never liked that guy.¡± The older gentleman says.

    ¡°Eli, have you met my father, Alpha Anders?¡± Rik asks.

    I stand again. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we''ve ever met sir. Eli Gunnar.¡±

    ¡°| know who you are, son. It¡¯s nice to finally put a face to a name.¡± He says, shaking my hand.

    ¡°Bourbon?¡± Rik asks, holding up a bottle.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Liam turns to me. ¡°So, you said you had some things you wanted to talk to us about. You have our undivided attention.¡± He says,

    sipping his own ss of bourbon.

    ¡°Well, the first thing was about the mate gatherings, and | think we''ve all agreed that¡¯s a good idea.¡± | say as Rik hands me the

    ss of amber liquid. The color immediately reminds me of Grace¡¯s eyes when Maia is shining in them.

    ¡°I''ll talk to Angel. With Cara being mostly on bedrest and your pack needing some clean up, we can host the first couple of get-

    togethers.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. And that brings me to my second issue. As I¡¯m sure you both saw, my pack is in quite a state of disrepair. Everyone

    is pitching in, but it will take time and money. | need to get a job to start bringing in money for the pack. | was hoping that you

    might have some ideas for me.¡± | tell them, swallowing my pride.

    | watch Rik and Liam look at each other again. It¡¯s almost as if they are having a private conversation between them.

    ¡°Actually, Rik and | were talking about that after we left your pack the other day. Did you know that I own a business? Holstin

    Enterprises, Inc?¡± Liam asks me.

    ¡°Uh, no. | didn¡¯t know you owned your ownpany. What do you do?¡±

    ¡°Funny you should ask. Mypany has two arms. One is in security and the other is in construction.¡±

    n

    ¡°Construction?¡± Liam could be my supplier, or at least would have knowledge that | don¡¯t have about where to get construction

    materials.

    ¡°And we have a proposition for you.¡± Rik says.

    | take a sip of the bourbon, which is delicious. ¡°What kind of proposition?¡±

    ¡°Liam and | would like to loan your pack the money to rebuild.¡±

    ¡°And, if you and your pack are willing, | can hire you through mypany and pay you and whoever chooses to work for me. We

    cane up with n, but | can take a percentage of the sries to pay back the loan, while still ensuring that you and your

    pack members have an ie while you rebuild your pack.¡±

    | don¡¯t know what to say. This is so exceptionally generous and it¡¯s a perfect. solution to how we can get the packhouse and

    homes rebuilt quickly and efficiently.

    ¡°Why would you do this for me?¡± | ask. It seems too good to be true.

    Liam snorts, but it¡¯s Rik that answers. ¡°We''re family now. Family helps family.¡±

    | look at Liam and he just shrugs. ¡°I told you, Rik has very specific ideas about family. And | did warn you that it would be weird.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, thank you! | don¡¯t know how many of my pack members will

    participate...¡± | begin.

    ¡°Doesn''t matter, however many there are, we''ll figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Now that that''s settled, was there anything else?¡± Rik asks.

    ¡°Yes, one more thing. | need to know how to make my pack official.¡±

    ¡°| believe | can help you with that.¡± Alpha Anders says. ¡°It''s simply a matter ofpleting the application, getting the backing of

    three Alphas, and submitting it to the werewolf elders for approval. I¡¯m guessing the three Alphas in this room will back you and

    since I¡¯m on the council, | can help push it through quickly. But you will need a name for your pack. Have you given it any

    consideration?¡±

    ¡°| have, but I''d like to run it by Grace first.¡± | say.

    ¡°We can get started on the rest of the application and put in the name when you decide.¡± Anders says, moving to Rik¡¯s desk and

    motioning me over to beginpleting the application that will make our pack official.

    +15 JOHOBOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 364

    | decide very quickly that, not only are we sisters through our Guardian bond, but Cara, Angel and | would have been friends

    regardless of the bond. We are all very different, but very much alike in the ways that matter.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    | tell them about our pack and how all of the pack members havee from packs where they were mistreated. They are

    shocked at our numbers and the separate number of packs where our memberse from.

    ¡°How can an Alpha and Luna allow their pack members to be treated so poorly? It¡¯s their job to care for their pack.¡± Cara says.

    Angel is nodding. ¡°I agree. | almost lost it when | thought Liam was allowing our omegas to be abused. He had to rein me in

    because my aura had pushed the pack to their knees and was causing them pain. It¡¯s a partnership. As Alpha and Luna, we

    have to work together. There will be times when we lose our temper or be frustrated. That¡¯s when the mate bond is so

    important, not just for each other, but for the health and safety of the pack. I¡¯ll never understand those that don¡¯t value the mate

    bond.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, | never understood it. Watching my mother suffer for so long, | hated the idea of the mate bond. It felt like chains

    forcing my mother to feel things that she no longer wanted to feel for a man that didn¡¯t love her and willingly mistreated her. |

    never wanted it. But then | met Eli and | realized it¡¯s not the bond that is the problem, it¡¯s the person. If you both ept the bond

    and treat each other with love and respect, then it grows

    and develops into som beautiful.¡± | say, thinking about how much my belief in the mate bond has changed since meeting Eli.

    Cara leans her head back, rubbing her hand over her baby bump in gentle circles. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anything more wonderful than

    the mate bond. My father told me about it all my life.¡± She lifts her head up and looks at me. ¡°Do you know, he never took another

    mate. Never even considered it.¡± She looks thoughtful. ¡°Now, knowing what | have with Rik, | understand. You could never have

    this feeling with anyone else. There could never be anyone for me, but him.¡±

    ¡°I''m really d to hear you say that, love.¡± Rik says, walking out and chuckling at his mate before picking her up and putting her

    in hisp. ¡°How are my mate and my little Peanut doing?¡± He asks, kissing her nose..

    ¡°We''re just fine, daddy.¡± She says as Rik rubs his hand over her protruding stomach.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°When are you due?¡± | ask as Liames out and also picks Angel up, sitting her in hisp. | watch as she gives him an

    exasperated look but doesn¡¯tin. He just smirks at her before burying his nose in her hair. She has a lot of hair.

    ¡°I''m due in about 6 weeks.¡± She tells me and | turn to Angel. ¡°I¡¯m due about a monthter, so I¡¯m about halfway through my

    pregnancy.¡± Angel says,

    answering my unspoken question.

    ¡°And do you both know what you¡¯re having?¡± | ask, already knowing the answer. Maia can smell the babies.

    Cara rolls her eyes at Rik before answering. ¡°We''re having a girl. Rik is so proud of himself for realizing it first. He could smell

    her, or so he says.¡± She swats his arm, yfully.

    ¡°We''re having a boy.¡± Liam says. ¡°And Rik is right, | could smell him before the doctor confirmed it.¡±

    I''m wondering where Eli is and why he didn¡¯t follow Rik and Liam outside. ¡°He¡¯s putting in an application to make your pack

    official. My father is helping him. He''ll fill everything out except the name. He wants your input on that.¡± Rik tells

    1.me.

 Chapter 365

    Another womanes outside. She¡¯s pregnant as well, but not as far along as Cara and Angel and not yet showing. ¡°Oh, Lunas,

    Alphas. | didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡± She says, before turning to go.

    ¡°It''s no problem at all, Willow.¡± Cara tells her.

    ¡°So, you''re having twins. Is there something in the water here | should know about?¡± | ask jokingly.

    The woman, Willow, turns to me as the other four all direct their attention to me as well. ¡°What did you say, Luna?¡± Willow asks

    me.

    ¡°You''re having twins.¡± | say, but as | look around my confidence wanes. ¡°You did know you were pregnant, right? I¡¯m sorry if you

    didn''t.¡±

    Willow looks at Rik and Cara before turning back to me. Rik eyes areser focused on me. ¡°I just found out that | was pregnant

    this morning. | haven¡¯t told anyone. other than my mate.¡±

    ¡°Oh, | apologize. | didn¡¯t realize you hadn¡¯t told anyone. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°You said twins?¡± She says, her voice going up an octave.

    | look back at the other four who are all watching me intently. | lift my nose in the air and sniff. Definitely twins.

    ¡°Yes, two boys.¡± | tell her. | watch as her eyes glisten with unshed tears and her hands go to her mouth. ¡°I need to go tell my

    mate.¡± She says before running off.

    ¡°When is Ailduin scheduled to return?¡± Angel asks.

    ¡°A couple of weeks.¡± Cara says,

    ¡°You''ll have toe back when he¡¯s here. He will want to chronicle this gift. | think it¡¯s new.¡± Rik says. ¡°You said you knew how

    many hunters there were and now this. He''ll definitely want to know about this.¡±

    ¡°I''ll have him bring the chronicles of Maia¡¯s Guardian line as well. | know my father appreciated reading them.¡±

    As soon as Cara says it, the memories flood into my head and | begin nodding. ¡°I remember. Just now when you mentioned it, |

    remember the chronicles.¡±

    At that moment, Elies out with another Alpha behind him. | stand to introduce myself, but before | can, Rik jumps in. ¡°Grace,

    let me introduce my father, Alpha Anders. Dad this is Grace Gunnar, Eli''s mate.¡±

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you.¡± | say, before turning to sit down. Before | can, Eli has pulled me into hisp.

    ¡°Eli!¡± | say, embarrassed as this public disy.

    He just shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s apparently the thing to do, pulling your mate into yourp.¡± He says, smiling and kissing the corner of my

    mouth.

    ¡°If he¡¯s anything like these two, you''ll be lucky if your butt ever touches a seat. Angelughs.

    ¡°Before we go to dinner, | have a question for you both.¡± Liam says. ¡°Since your pack will be official, have you considered joining

    in the Tournament of the Moon Goddess this year?¡±

    The Tournament of the Moon Goddess. | had forgotten all about it. It is the werewolf equivalent of the human Olympics. It urs

    every four years and it¡¯s where the strength of the packs are ranked and the poptions of the packs are tracked. Each

    continent has their own since there are so many packs worldwide Even here, there are hundreds of packs that participate. |

    attended the year 1 turned 10 with my father, cheering on our pack. Obviously, | didn¡¯t attend the one that urred when | was

    14 and now here it is again.

    | look at Eli to judge his desire and willingness to participate. He looks at me. ¡°We will consider it. When will it take ce?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°It will be in three months¡® time. | can give you the information on it, but it would be beneficial to have your pack attend. It would

    validate your pack¡¯s existence to the other packs.¡± Rik says.

    ¡°Grace and | have a lot to talk about. We''ll add that to the list.¡±

    Cooper

 Chapter 366

    At dinner, we sat with Rik, Cara, Liam, Angel, Rik¡¯s Beta Chase and his mate, Lacey, bis Gamma Jason, and his mate, Willow,

    the one pregnant with twins. | realized Rik¡¯s entire team of ranked members is pregnant at the same time. In addition to them,

    Rik¡¯s parents, Alpha Anders and Luna Calista joined us.

    Rik introduced us to his pack and let everyone know that we were forming our own official pack. He exined how our pack

    came into being and | could tell by the looks some of them were passing back and forth, that they knew of others that may need

    to escape to our pack.

    During dinner, we talked about getting together tomorrow and seeing what strengths the girls could use together. | can see Rik is

    hesitant to let Cara do much, but she likes the idea. ¡°It¡¯s not the Guardian gifts that tire me out, Rik. I''ll be fine.¡± And that was the

    end of that discussion. | couldn¡¯t help but smile. At least I¡¯m not the only one willing to do just about anything for my mate.

    After dinner, we sat outside for a while, enjoying the evening air before retiring

    to our room.

    ¡°Rik said you had an idea for the pack¡¯s name. What were you thinking?¡± Grace asks me as we settle into bed. | pull her against

    me, so her back is flush against my front, curling my arm around her waist before answering.

    ¡°| wanted to see what you thought. Most packs are named for the area they are in, or some significantndmark on their pack

    lands. But.....¡±

    ¡°But?¡± She says, turning and looking at me over her shoulder.

    ¡°| was thinking we could call it Safe Haven. | know it¡¯s not typical...¡± | rush to continue, but she stops me.

    ¡°| love it. It¡¯s perfect and it¡¯s exactly what we are. | think the pack will like it too.¡± She says.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± | feel better knowing she agrees with the name and feels that the pack will too. | didn¡¯t thinking up with a name for a

    pack would cause this much trepidation, but once it¡¯s named, it permanent. It¡¯s kind of like naming your child, you don¡¯t want to

    get it wrong and have them deal with a crappy name. their entire life.

    ¡°I''l finalize it with Anders tomorrow and get the application process started. Now, tell me why the idea of the Tournament of the

    Moon Goddess had your

    +15 BONOS

    anxiety spiking earlier.¡±

    She shifts ufortably in my arms. | kiss her shoulder, rubbing my nose against her neck, waiting her out.

    ¡°My father will be there.¡± She whispers.

    It hadn¡¯t urred to me that she might have to face her father. After all these years, | understood her reluctance. ¡°You don¡¯t have

    to go. | think we should, as a pack, formalize our ranking among the other packs, but we can do that without you, baby.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± She says offended, turning in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m a Guardian, our pack will not battle for a ranking of strength without

    me. I¡¯m the strongest member of our pack, with the possible exception of you.¡±

    ¡°Geez, you spend one day with Cara and Angel and now it¡¯s all ¡®I¡¯m a Guardian¡®.¡± | say, changing my voice to a high-pitched

    nasal voice.

    She smacks my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t sound like that.¡±

    ¡°How do you know? | think that¡¯s exactly what you sound like.¡± | tease. ¡°I¡¯m a Guardian, and an Alpha female, hear me roar.¡± |

    say in the same high-pitched voice again.

    She rolls over on top of me, straddling me, her hands pinning my arms to the bed. ¡°Did you want to see just how loudly | can

    roar, Alpha.¡±

    I''m thankful we sleep naked, as | grab her hips, and slowly slide my dick between her folds, loving how wet she already is for me.

    ¡°Every minute of every day, baby.¡± | tell her before shifting and thrusting inside her.

    She sits up, her head falling back as she takes me deep inside her. Looking back down at me, she rubs her hands over her

    breasts, her eyes never leaving mine ast she plucks her nipples, bringing them to hard peaks. My dick twitches inside her and I

    growl my pleasure as my hands guide the movement of her hips until she gets her rhythm. Once she does, | rece her hands

    with mine, pinching and tugging her nipples while she rides me like the Alpha female she is, hard, fast and dominant. | reach up

    taking one of her breasts into my mouth, sucking and teasing as my hand finds her clit rubbing circles in time with her pace. Her

    hands. grab onto my shoulders as | feel her walls start to tighten on me and she increases her speed, mming herself up and

    down on my dick until we both are roaring our pleasure together.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 0367

    HICHT

    We copse, herying on top of me, catching our breath. | wrap my arms around her as our breathinges back to normal. ¡°I

    really don¡¯t think | can choose a favorite position. That one was fun too.¡± Says my sexy mate. She kisses. my chest, looking up at

    me. ¡°I like being in control.¡±

    | burst outughing before rolling us onto our side and curling her up against me. ¡°Of course you do, little Alpha.¡± | say, kissing

    the top of her head, before we drift off to sleep.

    The next day, Rik and Liam want to assess Grace¡¯s fighting skills. ¡°So, here¡¯s the thing.¡± | say, knowing Grace has no fighting

    skills and feeling the need to defend her. ¡°She was raised as a human. She hasn¡¯t been-trained.*

    ¡°That may be true, but Maia has the knowledge of not just her, but also Clint. Clint was a great warrior. You should be able to tap

    into that knowledge, Grace.¡±

    ¡°Knowledge is one thing, Rik. But you''re talking about someone that doesn¡¯t have the muscle memory, or the physical strength

    yet. She will, but she¡¯s not there yet.¡±

    ¡°| think you are underestimating her gics. She¡¯s an Alpha and on top of that, she¡¯s a Guardian. Let''s just give it a try and see

    if she can tap into her power.¡±

    | look at Grace, who shrugs. ¡°Worst case scenario, | suck and I¡¯m not worse off than | think | am.¡± She says,ughing.

    ¡°Liam, you''re great at pissing off Guardians and helping them tap into their strength. Why don¡¯t you take this one.¡± Rik says, with

    a smirk on his face. | hear Angel scoff behind me.

    Liam just shrugs. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong.¡± He says before taking a defensive stance. against Grace.

    ¡°Okay, show me what you''ve got Grace.¡± He says, waiting for her to strike out.

    She looks at me and then back at him. ¡°You want me to hit you?¡±

    He nods. ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong you are.¡±

    She looks at me again before looking back at Liam. ¡°But | don¡¯t want to hit you.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, | see Rik put his hands on his hips and narrow his eyes, like he¡¯s waiting for something to happen. |

    feel like | should know what''s about to happen and I¡¯m about to go up to Rik and ask when Liam speaks.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to hit me?¡± He asks, tauntingly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She says, staring at him.

    ¡°What if | told you that | beat the shit out of your mate every day for over six months?¡±

    | see Grace tense up. | don¡¯t think this is a good idea.

    ¡°Did he tell you that I''d beat him so badly that he couldn¡¯t even stand when | was done?¡±

    Grace is growling now.

    ¡°Liam.¡± | say, trying to impart his need to be cautious. They did just state that she¡¯s an Alpha and a Guardian. She¡¯s going to be

    stronger than Liam if he pushes her too hard.

    He starts bouncing around on his feet, dancing toward her. ¡°And | enjoyed every minute of it.¡±

    He hasn¡¯t taken his eyes off of her, but it''s not going to matter. | can see the air around her starting to shiver. Whatever power

    they wanted her to tap into, she¡¯s tapping into it, and it¡¯s not going to be good for Liam.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    | feel rather than see Angel standing up, moving closer as Liam continues. ¡± Maybe I''ll take him back down there and....¡±

    11-

    Whatever else he nned to say, was cut off as Grace went flying at him. She¡¯s fast and her punches and kicks areing at a

    speed | didn¡¯t know was possible. Her fist connects with Liam''s stomach, and | hear him grunt as he shifts and dodges out of her

    way. | can see that he¡¯s using every bit of his strength and training to keep from being injured by her onught of anger.

    ¡°You stay the fuck away from my mate. | will end you.¡± Grace screams and in an instant, Angel is in front of Liam, her arms flying

    out on either side of her. | have a moment to feel the power surge that pushes me backward, nearly off my feet before watching

    as the wave of energy hits the forest line and the trees shake and creak from the pressure.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 368

    move to Grace, wrapping my arms around her. ¡°Stop baby. Stop. He was pushing your buttons. He¡¯s not going to hurt me.¡± Her

    breath is heaving in her chest.

    ¡°Dammit Angel. | told you to never step in front of me again.¡± Liam grabs her, his hands going protectively around her stomach to

    protect the baby.

    ¡°Her power can¡¯t hurt me Liam, but it can hurt you.¡± She says, then looks at

    Grace.

    ¡°Like Cara¡¯s power didn¡¯t hurt you?¡± Liam snarls at Angel.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t know what to expect then. | do now.¡± She tells him before turning back

    to Grace.

    ¡°Eli is right, Grace. Liam didn¡¯t mean it. He did the same thing to me, made me angry so | could tap into my Guardian strength.¡± |

    can tell Liam wants her to

    but she¡¯s holding steady.

    move,

    Grace looks at Liam. ¡°We¡¯re family, Grace. | would never hurt my family. | know what | did to Eli was awful, but you and he are

    my family now. | won¡¯t hurt him, and | didn¡¯t enjoy hurting him before.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    When she rxes against me, her breathinging back to normal, Angel finally drops her arms and let''s Liam pull her aside.

    ¡°We will have wordster Angel. He tells her before turning to Grace.

    ¡°Did you feel your strength, your power? Can you tap into it now?¡± He asks her. She steps out of my arms and cracks her neck.

    ¡°| feel it.¡± She turns to me. ¡°It¡¯s a LOT of power.¡±

    Angel is nodding. ¡°Yes, it is. But we¡¯re all here to help you learn how to harness it and how to boost it using our strengths as

    well.¡± Angel says, motioning to Cara and herself.

    ¡°What was that you did just now Angel?¡± | ask her, wondering how she and Liam were able to remain standing when both Rik

    and | were pushed backward. Thankfully, Cara was seated already.

    ¡°Cara can punch out her power, simr to what Grace just did. | can direct it, guide it. When we are working together, | can help

    Cara direct her power too. So, if | wanted to hit you with my power, but leave Grace untouched, even if she¡¯s standing right next

    to you, | could.¡±

    ¡°Really? Let''s see.¡± | said, interested in how this works since I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before.

    Liam raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± He asks. ¡°My little angel is pretty tough.¡±

    #16 BONOS

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t kill me, just show me. And you¡¯re sure you can keep it from hurting Grace?¡± | say, stepping up to stand beside Grace.

    ¡°Yes. Ready?¡± Angel asks.

    ¡°As I''ll ever be.¡± | say and in an instant, I¡¯m on my ass on the ground. It felt like | was punched in the stomach.

    ¡°Damn. That''s impressive.¡± | say, when | notice that Grace is untouched.

    She turns and helps me up before turning back to Angel with a smile on her face. ¡°Okay, let''s get started.¡± Grace says.

    Cooper

    Author

    Does not use ability to senda

    power surow

    surge from

    +15 DONOS

 Chapter 369

    For several hours, | train with Angel and Cara, tapping into and manipting each other¡¯s power. Then Rik wants me to train

    physically. As we walk to Clint¡¯s and Cara¡¯s old house, he exins.

    ¡°You''ve found your Guardian strength and power, but you need the physical. strength in your human form. It will also help Maia

    for you to train both in human and wolf form. You probably remember that Clint had an entire training center set up for Cara.¡±

    When we get there, | recognize the house. It has feelings of both happiness and sadness, loneliness and family. It¡¯s a strange

    combination.

    ¡®Clint lived here after losing Lily. While he had Cara and loved her, and Anders visited every week, he still felt the constant

    emptiness of losing his mate.¡¯ Maia exins to me.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Eli asks as we walk up and see an incredible training center.

    ¡°This is only the outdoor training equipment. There¡¯s an entire indoor training center as well.¡± Cara says.

    ¡°Clint built it over the years to train Cara.¡± | say, getting the memories from Maia. | walk up, running my hands along the training

    equipment. ¡°He worked on it every day while she was at school. It was how he was able to survive Lily¡¯s death. It gave him a

    purpose.¡±

    | turn and see a tear fall down Cara¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the memories...¡± | say.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Like you said yesterday, it¡¯s one thing to know something and another to have it confirmed. Dad was amazing at

    training me, andter the pack warriors as well.¡±

    ¡°| just wish he would have started training them earlier.¡± Anders says, walking outside from the house.

    ¡°Hey dad. We wanted to have Grace and Maia train today, if that¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Of course, as long as | can watch.¡±

    ¡°You live here now?¡± | asked him.

    ¡°We do, Cali and I.¡± He turns and looks at Cara. ¡°She happens to have a batch of your favorite browniesing out of the over

    in a few minutes.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    A huge smile spreads across Cara¡¯s face. ¡°I do have an insatiable appetite for

    +15 BONOS

    brownies.¡± | notice Rik¡¯s eyes darkening.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started before this gets awkward.¡± Liam says. | notice that when Rik sets Cara down in a chair beside his father,

    his kiss seems exceptionally passionate. | don¡¯t want to know what it is with them and brownies.

    Liam exins the obstacle course, Cara jumping in to remind ine of the different ways the course is set up to knock you off your

    feet, forcing you to concentrate and maintain your bnce.

    ¡°| find it¡¯s more fun to trainpetitively, Grace. Do you have a preference who you train against?¡± Liam asks.

    ¡°I''m training with my mate.¡± Eli says before | can answer.

    Liam looks at Rik. ¡°Then | guess it''ll be you against me.¡± He says, rubbing his hands together, a gleam in his eye.

    Rikughs. ¡°How about we all take turns against each other. Grace needs to train for longer than just the one time. That way we

    can all run it three times.¡±

    ¡°Grace, do you remember the course, or do you want Rik and Liam to run it first?¡± Cara asks me.

    ¡°| remember it, but Eli won¡¯t know anything about it.¡±

    ¡°I''m good. Remember, | lived in the wild for nearly two decades. I¡¯m used to managing unexpected thingsing at me.¡± He

    says.

    I shrug. ¡°Okay. And if | remember, the goal is to not only get through the obstacles but to be the first to hit the stop button at the

    end?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Everyone watching says in unison.

    Eli and | line up. | turn to look at him, smirking. ¡°You think you can take me, Alpha.¡±

    His low growl answers me just before Anders shoots the start gun. In my memories, Clint was never able to run the course. He

    built it and worked out in

    the sections meant for upper body workouts, but he never ran the obstacle course. It felt good to be able to run his course for

    him.

    BONOS

 Chapter 370

    | almost immediately fall behind Eli who is extremely muscr and uses his upper body strength to pull ahead. I¡¯m strong, but |

    don¡¯t have the training that he¡¯s had. However, he¡¯s not nearly as good at bnce as | am, and add to that, the flying logs

    intended to knock you off the small beam, | am able to gain some ground on him.

    | have to admit, mypetitive nature is spurred by having to run this course against Eli. | can see he¡¯s having the same

    response. We''re pushing ourselves harder and harder as we get closer to the end.

    into a

    We''re almost to the end when a huge loges swinging down, | duck just in time, but Eli is too big and gets smacked off the

    stump he¡¯s jumping on, pool of water below. I¡¯mughing as | jump to the end and hit the stop button. | look down, watching him

    come up and shake the water out of his hair. He grins up at me before pulling himself out of the water.

    ¡°That was fun! I¡¯m d | get to run it again.¡± He says.

    Rik and Liam line up at the beginning of the course and when the starter gun goes off, it¡¯s mayhem. They are ultrapetitive

    with each other, both pushing to get ahead. Liam is more muscr than Rik but Rik has the edge with agility. They are fairly

    equally matched and end up hitting the stop button at the same time.

    For the rest of the afternoon, we run the obstacles, sometimes in wolf form and sometimes in human form. | only beat the guys in

    human form if they fell off the obstacle, and even then, Liam still tied with me.

    However, in wolf form, Maia kicked all their butts. I¡¯d like to say that she is a gracious winner, but not at all. She pranced around

    smacking their wolves with her tail, howling her dominance and unting her superiority. Angel and Cara loved every minute of it,

    giving Maia lots of hugs and ¡®atta girl¡¯s. By the time we were done, | was exhausted.

    Thankfully, Luna Calista ended up making dinner for us, so we were able to sit outside and eat. I¡¯m ming the extremely long

    work out session for the embarrassing way | fell asleep in Eli''s arms. After dinner, he pulled me into hisp again. | can tell this is

    his new favorite thing, but | wasn¡¯tining. | leaned against him, tucking my nose under his neck and the next thing | know,

    he¡¯s putting me into bed. He must have carried me all the way back to the packhouse, which is miles away from the Clint¡¯s and

    Cara¡¯s home. Or, | guess it¡¯s Anders and Calista¡¯s now.

    1/2

    +15 BONOS

    The next morning, | woke up sore, but we had already discussed having me workout again before we head back to our pack. Eli

    nned to leave after lunch, so this time, we worked out in the inside gym. This obstacle course was built differently, but it was

    no less gruesome, especially considering my sore muscles. After lunch, Cara gave me some muscle soak, after ensuring that we

    have a functional bathtub. She told me to make the water as hot as | could stand before pouring the salts into the tub. | can¡¯t wait

    to use them.

    Rik, Liam and Angel ran with us to the canyon, where Liam and Angel broke off to head to their pack and Rik said goodbye as

    we left for ours. All in all, it was a good weekend. I¡¯ve agreed to continue my training,ing to see them again in two weeks

    when Ailduin returns. After that, we''ll see how often | cane to train with Cara and Angel. | think the more we train together,

    the stronger we will all be. But some of that will also depend on their pregnancy and delivery of their babies. Either way, |

    know the bonds that we have started to forge this weekend will only continue to grow and strengthen.

    Cooper AuthorC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 371

    When we arrive back at our pack, | know Grace is exhausted. It¡¯s been a grueling couple of days for her. | was able toplete

    our application to make our pack official, | applied for us to participate in the Tournament of the Moon Goddess, we set a date for

    the first mate gathering with Rik and Liam¡¯s packs and | told Liam that I¡¯d have numbers for him in a couple of days for those that

    want to work for hi

    Allin all, it was a very productive weekend.

    When we get to the packhouse, Carlos is waiting for us, Amber¡¯s baby in his arms. ¡°Alpha, Luna. Wee home.¡± He says. We

    shift and put on some clothes before walking into the packhouse.

    ¡°Carlos, nice mark you¡¯re sporting.¡± | say, referencing his new mate mark.

    He smiles sheepishly. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡± Grace says to him,ing up beside me.

    ¡°Uh, | know you both probably want to go clean up and check in on everything that¡¯s happened while you were gone, but before

    you go, Amber and | would like to share something with you.¡±

    Amberes walking up and she has her own, strangely designed mate mark. | raise | brow, looking at her. ¡°You were able to

    mark Amber?¡± | ask Carlos.

    He looks at her and | can see his embarrassment. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to restrain myself, and even though | don¡¯t have a wolf, it seems

    to have worked. We both felt the mate bond snap into ce.¡± He says, pulling Amber into his side and hugging her close.

    ¡°I''m very happy for both of you. Is that what you wanted to share with us?¡± | ask, ready to get caught up before dinner. | have a

    lot to announce to the pack.

    ¡°Actually, we wanted to introduce you to our daughter. Amber and | wanted to give her a name that meant something to both of

    us, something that we both feel we have now. So, may | introduce you to our daughter, Hope.¡±

    Grace steps forward, putting her finger in Hope¡¯s hand, letting her grasp her finger as she leans down and kisses her forehead.

    ¡°Wee to Safe Haven, Hope.¡± She says quietly.

    Carlos looks at me over Grace¡¯s head. | smile at him. ¡°Spread the word, | have some announcements to make at dinner. Anyone

    that can, should attend tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha!¡± Carlos says excitedly.

    Grace reaches out and touches Amber''s arm. ¡°A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you, Luna.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± Grace says turning to me. ¡°I¡¯d better check to make sure we''re set to feed everyone for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°I''ll join you, Luna.¡± Amber says before taking Hope from Carlos and following Grace into the kitchen.

    Carlos falls into step beside me. ¡°So, it¡¯s done?¡± He asks as we begin walking to his office.

    ¡°The application isplete and submitted. It''ll be a couple of days before we get confirmation.¡± I¡¯m about to walk into his office,

    when he stops me.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± | turn as he opens the door to the office next to his. | stop in the doorway and see that in my absence, it¡¯s been set up.

    ¡°You tasked our Gamma with finding offices for all of us. He took it a step further and set them up. This is your office.¡± He says,

    sweeping his arm in a gesture for me to precede him into the office.

    | walk in and see that there is a desk with a chair, some bookcases, a small round table and two chairs. ¡°Where did you get the

    furniture?¡± | ask, astonished that there is any at all.

    ¡°Jeremy, that¡¯s the carpenter that is making Hope¡¯s crib, had some that were in various states of disrepair. He¡¯s taking the pieces

    that are still good and creating new pieces of furniture. We started with yours and Luna¡¯s. Noah¡¯s furniture is in process and then

    we''ll set up offices for Amber and Sirona, although Sirona is expecting to spend most of her time at the pack hospital.¡±

    At that moment, Noah walks in. ¡°Alpha! Wee back. What do you think?¡±

    +IS BONOS

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 0372

    ¡°| think I¡¯m impressed with your ability to get an office set up for me so quickly. Nice job.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    He looks around, as if assessing the space. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but we can add to it as more furniture bes avable. We''ve let

    the pack members know that if they have any spare furniture or anything that they don¡¯t want, to let Jeremy know. He¡¯s created

    his own provisional workspace just outside the packhouse.¡±

    ¡°Since you''re both here, close the door and have a seat. I¡¯ll update you the events of the weekend. A lot has happened and will

    continue to happen. And I''d like to hear about how training went this weekend, as well.¡± Carlos smiles at that and Noah snorts,

    so | know there¡¯s a story there.

    After filling them in on the application for the pack, the uing tournament and the date for the mate gathering, | tell them

    about Liam and Rik¡¯s loan for the construction of the pack as well as Liam¡¯s ability and willingness to hire our pack members to

    rebuild our pack and pay our pack members.

    ¡°That¡¯s....well, it¡¯s incredible. | never would have expected that.¡± Carlos says, Noah nodding in agreement.

    ¡°It means we will be able to get this pack up to a livable standard before the tournament. How many of us will he hire?¡±

    | let them know that Liam is willing to hire anyone that is interested in working. It¡¯s a great opportunity for the pack. | discuss their

    thoughts around the

    repayment amount from the sries and we all agree that 50% is fair, especially since everyone will get a home out of it and

    right now, they are doing the work for free.

    Afterward, | find out that Carlos got some ck at the first training session. Some of the warriors challenged his ability to train

    them properly. He shut them up be having the she¡ª-wolves he''d been training pair up with the warriors that have basically been

    training themselves. In each instance, the she-wolves were victorious in the sparring, forcing their opponent to tap out. After that,

    everyone began to train at Carlos¡¯s level. Apparently, now there is a lot of grumbling about how sore they are after training.

    When we finish, | head to the kitchen, getting Grace before heading upstairs to finally shower before dinner.

    ¡°| have them adding a dessert tonight since we have a lot to celebrate. I¡¯m hoping the pack is just as excited as we are. | think

    they will be.¡± She tells me and | can

    +15 BONOS

    feel her excitement through the bond at our uing announcements.

    When we get downstairs, we sit at the head table with Carlos, Amber, Noah and Sirona, our ranked members who will be official

    in the next week, if all goes well. As the packes in, | wait until the omegas have served the food and have seated

    themselves before starting. The news traveled, so everyone is expecting an announcement. | stand, taking Grace¡¯s hand and

    having her join me.

    ¡°Attention everyone! It¡¯s good to be home.¡± | say and everyone ps andughs. ¡°As you all know, your Luna and | went to the

    Canyon Ridge Pack over the weekend. There were many things that needed to be addressed and | have several

    announcements for you. First, | am proud to announce that your Luna has tapped into her Guardian memories as well as her

    strength and power.¡± The entire room breaks out into apuse. | look at Grace proudly and see her cheeks. are slightly pink.

    She didn¡¯t know | was going to praise her publicly. But, as is evident from the apuse, the pack understands the value of

    having her, a strong Guardian, as our Luna. When the apuse dies down, | begin again. ¡°Second, our first mate gathering will

    be at the Shadow Falls Pack in three weeks¡® time. Every unmated male and female of age is wee to attend. All mate

    pairings will be wee at either pack, so when you find your mate, you can choose which pack you will live in.¡± Another round

    of apuse and cheering.

 Chapter 373

    ¡°Next, | have applied for this pack to be official. Alphas Rik, Liam and Anders supported our im, and we should know in

    the next couple of days if the application was approved.¡± The room erupts in loud cheering and foot stomping. ¡°Once the

    application is approved, we will have an official ceremony naming all of your ranked pack members and when everyone has

    pledged their loyalty to us and this pack, we will have a pack link.¡± More cheers.

    | wait for the cheering to die down again. ¡°I had to choose a name for our pack. Your Luna and | chose together, and we hope

    that you all agree, that while it isn¡¯t traditional, it is exactly what our pack is. Our pack¡¯s name will be Safe Haven.¡± There is a

    moment of utter silence before the room erupts into apuse, howls and cheers.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I smile. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that means you all agree.¡± | say and receive several

    chuckles.

    ¡°My next announcement is rted to our pack bing official. While | was away, | also applied for our new pack to participate

    in the Tournament of the Moon Goddess this year. The tournament will take ce in three months¡¯ time. If you are interested in

    participating, Carlos and | will be having additional training sessions to get pack members ready to participate.¡± There is a lot of

    chatter and quiet discussion at this announcement.

    ¡°| know that this might be scary for some of you. Most of you here ran from your previous pack. But remember, we will have an

    official pack and you will be part of that pack. Your previous Alpha or ranked members cannot take you from our pack.¡± | say but

    stop as | hear Grace growl beside me.

    ¡°And if they try, they will have to go through me.¡± Grace snarls with Maia oveying in her voice. ¡°We do not live in fear. And you

    do not have to cower away from those that have mistreated you in the past. So, do not let that be a factor in your choice to

    participate in the tournament.¡±

    I can see that this has significantly impacted the pack members, but | still have possibly the most important announcement left.

    ¡°Finally,¡± and | receive a lot ofughter since this ¡®announcement has gone on for nearly 30 minutes. ¡°Alpha Liam and Alpha Rik

    have offered to loan this pack the money needed to rebuild our homes and buildings. Alpha Liam owns his ownpany, and

    thatpany has a construction business. He is willing to hire as many of our pack members as would like to work. He will pay

    us for rebuilding our pack. The repayment of the loan wille from the sries that are you paid

    +15 BONOS

    to build. Carlos, Noah and | have agreed that 50% of the sries of everyone who works will go back into the loan. The rest

    belongs to you. It may sound like a lot of money taken from your pay, but remember, right now, you are not getting paid anything

    to rebuild, and it will take a lot longer to finish everything that needs to be done in this pack. Also, when the construction is

    complete, everyone will have their own home. Also, anyone who wants to continue working for Alpha Liam will have the

    opportunity to apply after our work here isplete.¡±

    | turn and look at the omegas. ¡°I also confirmed that anyone that may not be strong enough to help with the actual construction

    can also be hired to do things like painting, trimming, adding gutters, things like that. So, everyone is eligible to participate if you

    would like. Please think about it and let me, Beta Carlos or Gamma Noah know if you would like to participate. | told Alpha Liam |

    would have a list for him by Wednesday. Any questions?¡±

    | answer a couple of questions, but mostly everyone looks like | did at first, overwhelmed and needing to take time to think about

    everything that I¡¯ve told

    them.

    Grace and | sit back down and begin eating, listening to the happy chatter goin on around us.

    Cooper

    Author

    It looks like Safe Haven will be an official pack soon

 Chapter 374

    The announcements went as well as expected over dinner. Afterward, | took a much-needed soak, mentally thanking Cara for

    the muscle soak. The rest of the week became a whirlwind.

    | began training with Eli and Carlos in the morning and again in the afternoon. Afternoons are now three hours of training, the first

    two are required for warriors in the pack and thest hour is for those that want to participate in the tournament. We found out

    that the packs can only take their top 20 individuals, so our members will have to battle for their right to represent our pack. Eli

    and | are both pleasantly surprised at the number of individuals that are vying for those positions. It seems our pack members

    are proud of their pack, officially named Safe Haven.

    That¡¯s right. On Tuesday after we returned to our pack, Eli received a verbal notification from Alpha Anders that our pack was

    approved. We are official. Then on Wednesday, Eli informed Liam that 250 of our nearly 300 pack members want to be hired to

    rebuild our pack. | was stunned by the numbers. Basically, everyone that isn¡¯t a pup will be helping at some level to rebuild. Eli

    wasn¡¯t surprised at all. ¡°Our peoplee from nothing Grace, the same as you and I. They left their packs with only the clothes

    on their backs in many instances. They understand the value of creating something for themselves and if they can make money

    for their family or future family in the process? Well, it¡¯s the best opportunity that they''ve ever been given.¡±

    Liam said he would bring his job superintendent over on Friday afternoon, since he and Angel will be staying for our ranked

    member ceremony on Saturday.. We''ve also invited Rik, Cara, Anders and Calista to participate and witness our pack bing

    Official since they have helped us to make it happen.

    We sent another group out hunting for meat in preparation for the festivities on Saturday. The packhouse is bustling with the

    anticipation of having three visiting Alphas and Lunas. Summer has been making sure that the rooms are cleaned and cleared,

    with fresh linens. Autumn and Amber are working to create new work schedules starting on Monday since nearly every omega

    working in the kitchens and packhouse requested to assist at some level with the rebuilding effort.

    Our hunters caught three wild hogs, allowing us to n for arge barbeque with pork butts, loins and ribs. Because we have so

    many potatoes, we''ll be making potato sd and since | had purchased pounds of macaroni when | went shopping a week ago,

    we have what we need to make a macaroni sd. We''ll

    round that out with some baked beans, cooked slow with some bacon slices from the hogs and some freshly made rolls.

    On Friday morning, I¡¯m approached by a couple of my pack members as | am finalizing everything for Saturday. As one woman

    approaches, everyone in the kitchen goes quiet.

    ¡°Luna.¡± | turn, looking at her, as my eyes take in the room. Everyone has stopped what they are doing to watch our interaction.

    My name is Anna, | am Jeremy¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°Anna, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± | say, having no idea what is going on or why everyone is watching us.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Luna, you may not know this, but | was a seamstress in my previous pack and we were able to find a sewing machine that my

    husband and | have restored.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. | know many people here need new clothes and as a pack we still don¡¯t have the money to pay for store

    bought clothes. Your skills will be very helpful to the pack members.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, that brings me to the reason | wanted to speak with you. Me and most of the females in this pack really appreciate

    what you and Alpha Eli are doing to give us a ce to live where we can be happy and are treated with respect. And, we know

    that you don¡¯t have the money to purchase a gown for your Luna ceremony.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, but that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s about creating the pack, not about what | am wearing that¡¯s important.¡±

    She smiles at me, looking around the room. ¡°Well, we disagree Luna. We wanted our Luna to stand in front of our neighboring

    packs¡¯ Alphas and Lunas dressed as you should be for your inauguration. So, we all pitched in and found material that | have

    used to create a gown for you. | hope you don¡¯t mind that Summer went to your room to get your measurements, but we wanted

    to surprise you with a gift from us, your pack, for your inauguration.¡±

    | can feel my eyes burning and my throat constricting from the sudden flood of emotions | am feeling. As | stand there trying to

    get my emotions under control, another womanes up carrying a beautiful rose gold dress with a V-neck, red sleeves that

    wille to my elbows and a slit that wille up to mid- thigh. It''s beautiful and the sequins which adorn the entire dress make

    it feel elegant in its simplicity.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know what to say.¡± | whisper as | reach out to touch the gown. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. | love it. Thank you all. Thank you all so

    much.¡± | say, and | fight hard,

    but a single tear escapes as the women all start toe up and hug me.

    ¡°Grace?¡± Eli walks in, concern etched in his voice. He must have felt my

    emotional turmoil.

    ¡°Eli. Look what the pack has gifted me for our ceremony tomorrow night.¡± | point to the dress, watching as a proud smile spreads

    across his face. He walks to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing the side of my head.

    ¡°This is beautiful. Thank you all for doing this for your Luna. It¡¯s very generous.¡±

    They all look at each other before turning back to us. ¡°We were able to create dresses for Beta Amber and Gamma Sirona as

    well, but we wanted to give Luna hers before Alpha Liam arrives and we lost our chance. We''re all very proud to be

    members of this pack.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to hang it in your closet, Luna?¡± Summer asks me.

    ¡°No, thank you, I''ll take it.¡± | reach out, holding the dress up before turning to face the room again. ¡°I cannot tell you all what this

    means to me. Thank you.¡±

    | take the dress to my room, careful to hang it so the bottom doesn¡¯t touch the floor. As | step back, looking at what must have

    cost my pack members everyst penny they have, my heart is so full | feel like it might explode.

    Cooper

    Author

    Next up, ranked member ceremonies!

 Chapter 375

    I''m so proud of my pack. The gift that they are giving their ranked females speaks volumes about their feelings toward our pack.

    It''s a good thing and reinforces what we are doing here, creating this ce for those that have nowhere else to go.

    Liam, Angel and Liam''s foreman, Perry, arrive just before lunch. Grace and | meet them out front as they arrive and lead them to

    a table on the back patio we had set up for lunch. Noah and Sirona join us.

    ¡°Dr. Phillips, how have you settled in?¡± Liam asks her.

    ¡°Sirona please, Alpha. And very well. It''s very exciting what we are nning to create here. I¡¯m d to be a part of it.¡± She tells

    him.

    ¡°If you decide you want toe back to the easy life, our pack is always open to you.¡± He says and Angel smacks him with the

    back of her hand. He rubs his chest, pretending she hit him hard, as he smiles down at her.

    ¡°What are your ns, Sirona?¡± Angel asks her and sheunches into her ideas of how to rebuild the pack hospital. Perry is

    paying attention and making notes on his clipboard.

    After lunch, Noah and | take Perry and Liam on a tour of the packnds and the buildings that need to be built. We start with the

    pack hospital, and | can see the wheels turning in Perry¡¯s head. From there, we go around to the houses that are in various

    stages ofpletion, the ones that are being torn down for refurbishment and the areas where we are keeping the reusable

    materials.

    Perry walks up to the materials, lifting some of the pieces and looking them over with a critical eye. ¡°You''ve done a great job

    here. These are good materials and if we use them, it will reduce the overall cost of rebuilding, lowering the materials we will

    need to buy.¡± He says, nodding his head, making a note on his clipboard as we walk along.

    When we''re done, we meet Carlos in his office and sit down to discuss the n. We get an anticipated cost, which makes my

    stomach twist into a knot.

    ¡°| know a lot, but remember, you¡¯re rebuilding an entire pack. If

    it sounds like you break it down into a price per house, including the pack hospital and the packhouse, it¡¯s really not that much.

    You and your pack members will more than be able to repay that loan through this process.¡± Liam says to me.

    ¡°Okay, so what''s the n?¡± | ask.

    15 BONDS

    It''s Perry that answers my question. ¡°We''ll start on Monday. I''d like to have two crews, one for demolition and one for rebuilding.

    Once the demolition is.plete, we''ll put that crew on rebuilding as well. We''ll focus on the houses that are in process first, get

    those knocked out quickly and then begin building the others.¡± He stops, looking over his notes.

    ¡°| do have one other suggestion, if you don¡¯t mind me saying.¡± He says, looking up at me.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He looks down at his notes again. ¡°Other than the pack hospital and packhouse, you haven¡¯t allotted any space or time for

    building other structures, such as restaurants, clothing stores, florists, anything that your pack would want or need to runa

    business on packnds. It may not be something that you¡¯ve thought of, but I¡¯d suggest talking to your pack and seeing if any of

    them have skills that would warrant a storefront. You''re not so far from Canyon Ridge or Shadow Falls that those packs wouldn''t

    come to shop here or bring their mates and kids for a meal. Just a thought.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    It''s a good thought and one | had not considered. It¡¯s been so long since either Grace or | have lived in a pack that we didn¡¯t think

    about having a ce for our pack members to work on the packnds, but it''s how many other packs sustain themselves.

    ¡°I''ll speak to the pack about it. Thank you, Perry.¡±

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 0376

    After we finished, he said his goodbyes and left, promising to arrive first thing Monday morning.

    We go in search of our mates, finding them outside, watching some of the pups running around the garden. | see Jeremy

    working on another structure not far from the garden.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Grace asks as Liam pulls Angel into a hug.

    ¡°It''s good. Perry had some other ideas, and ways we can save money, but he¡¯ll be back on Monday to get started.¡± | push my

    chin in the direction of Jeremy. ¡± What''s Jeremy building now? | thought he would be focusing on furniture or Hope¡¯s crib.¡±

    ¡°Actually, while we were gone, Amber found a ce that sells eggying hens. Autumn had a great idea about having our own

    hens of various ages and Amber searched for a ce that has them. This way, we can have eggyers and allow some to

    mature so that we can start our own chicken coop. Then, eventually, we''ll have our own supply of eggs and chicken, making us

    more independently sustainable. But, before we can pick up the hens, we need a hen house. That''s where Jeremyes in. He

    said he had what he needed to build it and it wouldn''t take more than a day.¡±

    | look at my mate in wonder. ¡°Hens?¡±

    She smirks. ¡°And maybe a rooster as well. We just needed to find a ce away from where most people shift. Noah is taking

    Autumn and | on Sunday afternoon. to get them.¡±

    ¡°You continue to amaze me, baby.¡±

    Rik and Cara arrive before dinner, and | introduce them to our pack. Anders and Calista will arrive tomorrow morning. Anders will

    be presiding over our ceremonies.

    Nearly my entire packes up to thank Liam and Rik for loaning us the money to rebuild. They talk about their ns, and |

    take the opportunity to find out some of the storefronts that my pack would like to have. Since Noah will be taking the lead

    working with Perry during construction, I''ll give him my ideas of where we can put a ¡®main street¡¯ with rows of shops on either

    side.

    OverOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org.

    dinner, Angel, Cara and Amber talk about)

    and pups. Amber

    didn¡¯t really have a chance to enjoy her pregnancy, since she was in captivity, but

    + 15 BONOS

    she still seems to enjoy the conversation and is able to rte to the ¡®pregnancy hormones¡®. Whatever that means. When | look at

    Grace, | can see and feel a little sadness in her. We haven''t had an opportunity to talk about having pups. We also haven¡¯t had

    the money for condoms, so that conversation needs to happen sooner rather thanter. If she wants to wait, maybe Sirona has

    some ideas for birth control options.

    Later that night, when I¡¯m curled around my mate, | ask her. ¡°We¡¯ve never had the pup conversation, baby. What are your

    thoughts? Do you want them?¡±

    She¡¯s quiet for a moment. ¡°I do. | didn¡¯t think | would, not with the direction my life was going. But with this life, with you, |

    definitely do.¡± She turns in my arms, putting her hand on my face. ¡°But, would you be disappointed if | said | wanted to wait a bit?

    I''m young, so there¡¯s no rush. But we have so much to do here, and | want to participate in the tournament, which | wouldn''t be

    able to do if | was pregnant. So, maybe we can start working on a pup after that?¡±

    | rub my nose against my mate¡¯s. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. | definitely want to have pups with you, but now doesn¡¯t feel like the

    right time. Would you be

    comfortable talking to Sirona to see if we have any options for birth control, at least until | can make some money to afford

    condoms?¡±

    She chuckles, turning back around, pressing herself into me. Goddess, | love this

    Woman.

    ¡°Til talk to her this weekend.¡±

 Chapter 377

    The day of our inauguration ceremony starts exactly as | expected it to, chaotic. People are bustling around everywhere. Luna

    Calista and Alpha Anders arrive after breakfast. With them, they brought suits for the guys. | guess they heard about our dresses

    but knew the guys didn¡¯t have anything to wear. While his pants fit fine, the shirt and jacket were very snug on my mate. | called

    Anna to see if she could think of anything and she was able to find seams that she would let out so that the clothes fit Eli better.

    My hair was a simple affair. Since it¡¯s short, | just slicked it to my head. With the dress, it gave the hairstyle an elegant feel. A

    stage had been set up on thewns. behind the packhouse. Chairs for everyone were set out with the front row being reserved

    for Rik, Cara, Liam, Angel and Calista. Anders will be on stage with us, presiding over the event.

    Eli and | meet Carlos, Amber, Noah and Sirona on the back patio. Amber¡¯s dress is a beautiful teal, floor¡ªlength dress with

    spaghetti straps and a criss cross pattern in the bodice. Sirona¡¯s dress is closer to mine in color but without the sequins. Hers is

    a dusty rose, the top collects at her throat with a strap that attaches. around her neck and a satin bow at her waist. The pack has

    made sure that we all look amazing for our ceremony.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    There is a low murmuring chatter from the pack, the anticipation and excitement in the air are palpable. Eli turns to me, a smug

    look on his face.

    ¡°Is everyone here, Luna?¡± He asks me, indicating my ability to count numbers with my smell.

    | lift my nose in the air and sniff. ¡°Two hundred and ny¡ªeight pack members, and six traveling Alphas and Lunas.¡± | tell him

    with an answering smirk.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Sirona asks, looking between me and Eli.

    ¡°Gifts of a being a Guardian.¡± Eli says before turning to walk outside.

    We walk side by side, in three lines, Eli and | go first, followed by Carlos and Amber and Noah and Sirona bringing up the back.

    Everyone goes quiet as we walk to the stage, moving to stand in front of the table that has been set up. Anders walks over to us.

    ¡°Ready?¡± He asks quietly.

    ¡°Ready.¡± We all say at once.

    He turns to the crowd. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen of Safe Haven. Today we begin a new era for your pack. Today we make Safe

    Haven an official pack by inducting

    your ranked members into their positions. After your ranked members swear their allegiance and fealty to this pack, each of you

    wille forward andmit your loyalty and faithfulness to them and this pack. Is there anyone here today that is unwilling to

    Officially be a member of Safe Haven?¡± He asks, his voice ringing out with the power of his Alpha aura.

    When no one says anything, he turns back to Eli. ¡°Then let us begin.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Eli, step forward. Do you swear by the power and strength that the Moon Goddess has provided to you that you will love,

    support and protect the members of your pack, even with your life if necessary?¡±

    Eli turns to our pack. ¡°I, Alpha Eli Gunnar, swear by the power and strength provided to me by the Moon Goddess that I will love,

    support and protect you, the members of my pack, even if it means giving my life for you.¡±

    Alpha Anders takes his hand, slicing it down the palm and cing it over a chalice, letting Eli''s blood drip into the cup. | realize

    that someone must have brought the knife and chalice, since Eli and | certainly didn¡¯t have anything this fancy for our ceremony.

    When he¡¯s done, Eli turns to me. As the Alpha, he will preside over the rest of the

    ceremony.

    ¡°Luna Grace, step forward.¡± He says and | take his hand in mine, stepping up to

    him.

    ¡°Do you, Grace Gunnar, swear by the power and strength provided to you by the Moon Goddess that you will love, honor, and

    protect the members of our pack even if it means giving your life?¡±

 Chapter 378

    | repeat the words back, giving my oath. Eli then cuts his hand and mine, putting them together. | feel the power of our joined

    hands as our blood drips into the chalice. We are no longer ranked members in name only. The ceremony is solidifying our roles

    within the pack.

    We go through each member, as they swear to love and support the pack, willing to give their lives to protect the pack if needed.

    Each time Eli cuts another hand, grasping it with his own, | feel the strength and power of our pack growing. Our mind link has

    opened up and now we can all speak to each other, including Carlos. | wasn¡¯t sure if it would work for him, without a wolf, but he

    is able to mind link as well.

    When we are done, Alpha Anders steps back up. ¡°Now it is time for each of you to swear your love andmitment to your

    ranked members and your pack. One by one, you wille forward, swearing your allegiance to your ranked members before

    sipping from their blood. Once done, you will feel the mind link and you will officially be members of Safe Haven pack.

    It takes hours, but gradually, every memberes forward, pledging their loyalty andmitment to the pack. Only the pups

    that do not yet have a wolf are excluded from the ceremony. They will officially join the pack when they get their wolf spirit.

    As thest person sips from the chalice, opening thest mind link, a cheer goes up. Eli lifts his hands in the air to quiet

    everyone. ¡°Members of Safe Haven pack. We will have a pack run before our barbeque. Let us all shift to our wolf form and run

    our packnds together. Anyone that is unable to join the pack run, you can follow Carlos inside and begin the festivities with our

    guests from Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs.¡±

    We had decided that Carlos was the best choice for ranked member not only because he cannot shift, but Hope is too young to

    leave alone. Angel and Cara had offered to help him watch any little ones that would be left while their parents went on the pack

    run.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    | watch for a moment, seeing that some parents are dropping their pups off before turning back to Eli. He has stripped and is

    ready to shift. | join him and we jump to the front of our pack, shifting mid-air. He howls up at the sky and the pack¡¯s answering

    howls reverberate through the ground. Louis takes off, Maia right behind him.

    There are a lot of happy howls and yips as we make our way around the pack

    -15 BONOS

    lands. When we return, the smell of food makes my mouth water. | had been so busy and also nervous for tonight that | hadn¡¯t

    eaten much today. When we shift and change back into our formal attire, the sun has set and the twinkling lights. that are

    decorating the outdoor patio and seating area are lit up, giving the ce a delicate, romantic feel.

    As our pack members walk inside, chatting happily amongst each other, | pull Eli to a stop.

    ¡°Look at that, Eli. Look at what you have done, what you have created.¡± | tell him, my heart full of pride for my mate. | know that

    pride is shining in my eyes as | look up at him. He created this, built something from nothing. | want him to take a moment to truly

    appreciate what he has done.

    He wraps his arms around me. ¡°We did this Grace. | couldn¡¯t make this work until | found you. You have brought the heart and

    soul that this pack has needed. | am so proud to have you as my mate and my Luna.¡±

    We turn, looking inside the ss doors, watching theughter and happiness of our new pack.

    Cooper

    Author

    Now the pack is official, let the rebuilding begin!

    Updates ur daily.

 Chapter 379

    On Sunday, our friends left after breakfast. Angel and Cara were excited about the garden and wanted to purchase some of the

    fruits and vegetables when they are harvested. It¡¯s another way the pack can make some money and Victoria and Ivy are already

    making ns to expand the garden. They were part of the group that wanted a store on our new ¡®main street¡¯, although they

    want theirs to be mostly an open-air market environment.

    Grace, Amber and Noah picked up some eggying hens. They seem to like their new living arrangements. It will take a few

    days for them to adjust, but we¡¯ve assigned some of the older pups to watch out for them, feed them and let them graze ina

    fenced in area every day. We started with 30 hens, we''ll see how many eggs they can produce, but I think that Grace is already

    working on a n for bring in more for the pack. If we produce an excess, we can sell the extras in the market.

    On Monday, Perry shows up with a crew and we get started with the morning shift. We had to divide everyone into shifts so that

    we can continue to manage the pack, run patrols and basically not shut down the operation of the pack. So, Carlos and | spent

    Sunday afternoon revising teams into 6¡ªhour shifts for both construction and pack work. If they choose to work more in

    construction, they can. All of the ranked members are pulling patrol duties. Carlos insisted he be included in the rotation and

    while he can¡¯t shift, he still manages to keep up with the other wolves patrolling and his eye for things that are out of ce and

    his instincts as an Alpha havee in handy more than once.

    In addition, we¡¯re still managing 5 hours of training each day. I¡¯ve assigned Carlos to train the pack members that can¡¯t shift,

    whether they are too young, too old or pregnant. He is working with them on learning to throw knives and shoot arrows. Ever

    since our attack by hunters, we want to be ready and ensure that the pack feels confident in their ability to fight off anyone that

    comes into our territory. Noah and | run the morning training with most of the other pack members and Carlos joins me in the

    afternoon for warrior and tournament training.

    To say it¡¯s a lot and | fall into bed exhausted every day would be an understatement. Some days it¡¯s all | can do to pull my mate

    against me before | fall asleep.

    Over the next two weeks, the pack, with Perry and his crews¡¯ oversight, demolish the rest of the homes that could not be saved.

    Five houses that were in various states of rebuilding arepleted except for things like painting and trims. After

    getting my first paycheck from Liam, | was able to buy several different colors of paint for the houses, letting the pack members

    decide on their own internal and

    external colors. Some pack members chose to buy their own and make their homes feel more personal or eclectic. The general

    attitude of hap¡°?

    and

    excitement that started with our inaugural ceremonies has continued, even though most of the pack feels as exhausted as | do.

    arge group of workers over to the

    Once the destruction isplete, Perry working closely with Perry toC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    pack hospital. Sirona has been there every

    make sure that the hospital is set up in a way that is conducive to treating multiple types of injuries, long-term issues, childbirth,

    you name it, Sirona is thinking about it.

    I''m looking over our financials getting ready for our trip back to Canyon Ridge to meet King Ailduin, the Fae King, who is

    chronicling the Guardians lives and has been for a couple of centuries. Yes, centuries. He¡¯s over two hundred years old.

    Liam was right about paying back the loan. He¡¯s waiting to order supplies until we need them, and it allows the pack to repay the

    loan almost immediately. I¡¯m feeling much better about this process, especially since more and more pack members have ideas

    for buildings they want to build.

    On the Friday we are going back to Canyon Ridge, Grace and | are checking to make sure everything is set. We''ll be gone

    through the weekend again. We used the money Grace got from working for Liam to purchase food for the pack. It¡¯s been great

    to finally feed everyone the amount of food that they need, especially when we are working everyone so hard. Our hunters are

    still going out to catch wild game, but we can supplement that with other food now too, making itst longer. Grace¡¯s hens have

    startedying eggs as well, so eggs with breakfast is now a daily urrence. I''ve also noticed that Cammy is using some of the

    fruit that has been harvested and is making jams and jellies.

    Sirona is using her money to supply the pack hospital with medical supplies and Amber has used hers to buy material that Anna

    used to sew her, Hope and Carlo some much needed clothes. Overall, it feels that the pack is really starting toe together.

 Chapter 380

    When | get to our room, | see Grace has already packed our bags. | love the sweet little ways my mate shows me that she loves

    and cares for me. Neither of us have had a lot of time, so it¡¯s the little things, like packing my bag, that we do to show each other

    how much we love each other.

    | have a gift for my mate as well. | used some of my money to get her some clothes to train in. She¡¯s been wearing her shorts

    and t-shirts but they aren¡¯t going tost long with the grueling workouts we are having and now, going back for Guardian

    training, | expect it will only get worse.

    | take the clothes | had Summer secretly wash for me and quickly put them into Grace¡¯s bag. | took the opportunity to get myself

    some much-needed clothing as well. Rik, Liam and Anders have been very generous in providing the things that we¡¯ve needed

    to this point, such as the knife and chalice and the clothing for me, Carlos and Noah for our pack inauguration. But it¡¯s time for us

    to be independent and begin taking care of ourselves financially.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    As I''m checking my bag to make sure | have everything | need, Gracees in. She walks up behind me, wrapping her arms

    around me.

    ¡°Are you about ready?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Yes, because apparently my mate loves me and packed my things for me. | say, turning in her arms and wrapping mine around

    her.

    ¡°How are you feeling about this trip?¡± | ask. We haven''t really had a chance to discuss this, or much of anythingtely.

    ¡°Only a little nervous. Angel and Cara seem veryfortable with King Ailduin and Maia has some memories of him from

    Donovan, something about testing our strengths. If he can help me tap into our Guardian strength even more, it''ll be worth it.¡±

    We grab our bags and walk downstairs, saying our goodbyes to everyone before shifting and running the two hours to Rik¡¯s pack

    lands. When we get there, Trevor and Maddison are there waiting for us, and they escort us to the packhouse.

    I''m a bit surprised to see Cara and how much her stomach has grown in just two weeks. She¡¯s about a month away from having

    her pup, and it already looks pretty ufortable to me.

    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± She says from her chair. ¡°Angel and Liam just arrived and are

    getting settled. You are in the same room asst time, so feel free to drop off your bags, get settled and join us back here. Rik

    will be back in a moment and Ailduin and Aolis are due to arrive around dinner time.¡±

    We f get settled and join everyone on the back porch. The girls immediately begin talking about the mate gathering which is

    scheduled for next weekend at Angel and Liam¡¯s pack. | know some of our unmated pack members are excited to have this

    chance to meet their mates, while others have indicated that they would like to stay and work, nning to join in the next

    gathering.

    ¡°How many people should we n for next weekend?¡± Angel asks Grace. She turns to look at me. ¡°I believe there are about 50,

    right?¡± | nod.

    Angel frowns. ¡°Only fifty? | thought you had more than 100 unmated wolves.¡± ¡°We do, but some want to continue to work on their

    homes. I''ll speak to them again and let you know if that number changes, but if not, for the second event we will have different

    folks joining. Also, my omegas wanted me to rify that they are wee at this event. | told them everyone was, but they will

    feel better if | confirm that with you.¡±

    ¡°| have no intention of excluding anyone. Everyone is wee. It¡¯s a mate gathering. I¡¯m hoping all of our members find their

    mates, no matter their status in the pack.¡±

    ¡°That will increase our numbers, but I¡¯m not sure by how many. The omegas didn¡¯t want to agree until they knew for sure that

    they were wee.¡±

    ¡°| think we have about 75 members going, right Rik?¡± Cara asks.

    ¡°About that. And we know that our pack members and yours, Angel, already have had the opportunity to meet their mates and

    haven''t found them, unless you have any wolves that have recently turned 18?¡± Rik asks.

    ¡°We have a few, but mostly it will be the individuals that didn¡¯t find their mates in your pack. I¡¯m excited to have fresh blood.¡± She

    says, rubbing her hands and we allugh. ¡°We''ll have about 75 from our pack as well, so if you only send 50, that still puts us at

    200 for the event. That¡¯s a good turnout and if you send more, even better.

    Rik stands up. ¡°Ailduin and Aolis are here. I''ll go meet them and bring them back here.¡±

 Chapter 381

    When | think of fae royalty, King Ailduin is exactly what I¡¯d expect. He is tall, at least 7 fro, his hair is white, even lighter than

    Angel''s, but not gray, just very white. His skin is pale but seems to glow giving him the look of someone in excellent health. And

    he walks with such elegance it¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s floatinOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    His son, Aolis, is a smaller version of Ailduin. When | say small, | mean at 10 years old, he¡¯s already over 5 feet tall, much taller

    than a normal human his age. Eli and | stand up to greet him. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m supposed to bow or curtsy, so | follow the

    example of the others and just shake his hand.

    ¡°Guardian. It is good to meet you. May | have your name?¡± He says, holding my hand as he speaks to me. His touch has a

    strange warmth to it. It¡¯s more than body heat, it¡¯s feels more like a rxing heat. | instantly feel calm.

    Maia pushes forward. ¡°King Ailduin. | remember you, although most of my memories are vague. | am Maia and my human is

    Grace.¡±

    ¡°Maia, Grace, it is good to meet you both. Cara mentioned that you have memories of Clint reading your Guardian line¡¯s

    chronicles, but we have brought them just in case you decide you¡¯d like to look them over while we are together this weekend.¡±

    Over dinner, Ailduin tells me of our Guardian line, descending from Aloysuis and that our Guardian has increased strength and

    the ability to mind link from long distances. We discuss Cara¡¯s abilities and how they seem to have been passed down from her

    parents. And while she has them, they should be stronger at the source, namely me.

    ¡°We weren''t able to get aplete assessment of Donovan¡¯s power due to Clint¡¯s paralysis. This weekend | would like to test

    your powers and | also hear you have a new power that I¡¯d like to witness and test if you are agreeable.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Anything you can teach me about my Guardian strengths would be helpful. | didn¡¯t get Maia until | was 18, and she came to

    me with her Guardian spirit, so we''ve not really had a chance to explore our power too much.¡±

    ¡°And, as long as everyone isfortable, I¡¯d like to see if we can continue the training we started with Clint and Donovan and

    have you draw from the other Guardians power to boost your own.¡±

    He turns to Eli. ¡°After we have tested your mate¡¯s powers, I''d like to test yours as well.¡±

    ¡°Finally!¡± Liam says, rubbing his hands together. Eli justughs at him.

    ¡°We''d better include Trevor as well. You know he loves testing his strength against the Guardians.¡± Cara says to Rik, who nods

    his agreement.

    We finish dinner and make ns to meet first thing in the morning. As we rx outside, watching Rik¡¯s wolves running in the

    forest, | can¡¯t help but notice that Aolis makes a point to be near Cara. She doesn¡¯t seem to mind, but | notice that Liam watches

    him too. | had also noticed that Liam made a point to ensure that Ailduin didn¡¯t hug Angel too long when they arrived. She was

    the only one he hugged, and Liam got tense, but didn¡¯t say anything. There are definitely some odd dynamics between the

    Guardians and the fae.

    Liam and Angel tell us about a strange visit they had from a supernatural. ¡°King Urien came and pledged his loyalty to Angel and

    Cara.¡± Liam tells Ailduin.

    ¡°The vampire king?¡± Ailduin asks. Both Rik and Liam nod.

    ¡°We''ll make a note, but | would expect that if vampire royalty areing to pledge their fealty to the Guardians, the other

    supernaturals won''t be far behind. Keep me informed and we can continue to document who and when the supernaturals swear

    their allegiance to you.¡±

 Chapter 382

    He turns and looks at Eli and 1. ¡°You two should expect to start hearing from some supernaturals as well. Word of your

    awakening and cement in a newly formed pack will spread quickly, Grace.¡®

    I nod, not entirely sure what to expect if other supernaturalse to our borders.

    The next morning, as we are getting ready, | notice new clothes in my bag.

    ¡°What is this?¡± | ask, turning to Eli, holding the clothes in my hands.

    He walks up to me. ¡°Just a little something | know you need and will help you with your training.¡±

    | wrap my arms around his neck. | love low

    he is always thinking of sweet little ways to show me how much he loves me. ¡°Thank you.¡± | tell him, kissing him and pressing

    myself against him.

    ¡°Don''t start something you can¡¯t finish, little Alpha.¡± He says kissing my nose

    ¡°Later, then.¡± | promise.

    ¡°Later.¡±

    When we''re ready, we head out to the training field and | note that several of Rik¡¯s warriors stay behind to watch.

    | walk over to where Rik has set up a seat for Cara. | have never seen someone that is supposed to be on bedrest spend so

    much time out of bed. ¡°What''s going on over there?¡± | ask, watching the group of warriors as they nce around and look like

    they are passing money back and forth.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Dean. He¡¯s our resident bookie. They¡¯re making bets on today.¡±

    ¡°Bets about what?¡±

    ¡°Hey Dean.¡± Cara calls out to him. Hees trotting over.

    ¡°What are today¡¯s bets?¡± She asks him.

    He looks at his sheet. ¡°There¡¯s a bet on who will win between Alpha Liam and Alpha Eli. Currently, odds are in Alpha Liam¡¯s

    favor. There¡¯s a bet about whethe Trevor can withstand Luna Grace''s aura and for how long. Those odds are in Luna Grace¡¯s

    favor, although not as much as I''d expect since she¡¯s a Guardian. He stops, looking up at me. ¡°No offense, Luna, but you are an

    unknown.¡±

    He looks down at his pad again. ¡°There¡¯s a bet on whether or not Luna Grace an

    Alpha Eli can mind link to their pack from here. Odds in favor of no. And here¡¯s bet on who will win it Alpha Rik and Alpha Liam

    spar, odds on Alpha Rik.¡± He looks up. ¡°Anything else Lunas? Want to ce a bet?¡±

    | shake my head. When he jogs back to the group, | look at Cara. ¡°I think your pack has a gambling problem.¡± | say, only half

    joking.

    Sheughs. ¡°It¡¯s a fun way for them to blow eam. Dean knows that if things

    get out of hand with someone that he needs to let Rik know, and he handles it privately. It doesn¡¯t happen often, but it does on

    asion.¡±

    Ailduin calls me over. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start with your aura. You know how to manipte your aura, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Liam helped me find the strength in my aura.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± He turns to Rik. ¡°Who will be our test subject today?¡±

    ¡°Hey Trevor.¡± He calls and Trevores jogging up and huge smile on his face. He stops in front of us.

    ¡°So, | get to take on another Guardian.¡± He starts hopping back and forth on the balls of his feet like he can¡¯t wait for me to push

    him around with my aura. The people in this pack are a bit crazy.

    Ailduin tells me to push my aura out, trying to control it until | feel Trevor start to push against it. Then to continue to add strength

    until | force him to his knees. | look at Trevor.

    ¡°You''re okay with this?¡± | ask him. Who volunteers for this?

    ¡°Are you kidding? A chance to test my strength against a Guardian. I¡¯d do that all day every day. Let''s see what you''ve got Luna.¡±

    He says, cracking his neck then standing back before giving me the e on¡® gesture with this hands.

    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 0383

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry in advance if | hurt you.¡± | tell him.

    | close my eyes and reach inside myself, pulling on my Alpha aura. Maia pushes. her aura into mine, adding it, boosting it with

    hers. | follow Ailduin¡¯s instructions and slowly push my aura toward Trevor. | notice that Ailduin takes a couple steps back as my

    aura pushes out.

    When it gets to Trevor, | hear him grunt, and feel him pushing back on my aura. ¡°Okay Grace. Can you put any more power into

    your aura.¡± | open my eyes and

    look at Ailduin.

    ¡°I''m barely using any strength. I¡¯m concentrating so | don¡¯t hurt Trevor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. You have control. Slowly add power to your aura.¡± He says and | turn to watch Trevor, not wanting to st him

    back. As | slowly push my aura, | can see sweat start beading on his forehead, trickling down his face. He grits his teeth and lifts

    his neck in submission.

    ¡°Really, this isn¡¯t any power?¡± He manages to ask through his clenched teeth.

    ¡°Not much.¡± | say. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±

    ¡°No, keep going.¡±

    | push more power but the moment he drops to his knees, | pull my aura back. He stays on his knees for a moment, panting,

    before standing up.

    ¡°What would happen if you threw your aura at me?¡± He asks me before looking. at Ailduin. | also turn to Ailduin. I''ve never done

    that before.

    Ailduin looks thoughtful before looking back at me. ¡°If | had to guess, I¡¯d say that it would be something like what | was told

    happened with Cara when Clint died. I¡¯m guessing the ability to send a power surge came from this Guardian line. So, most

    likely, she would throw you across the training field.¡±

    ¡°Let''s see.¡± His eyes light up, a smile on his face.

    ¡°I''m not sure I¡¯mfortable taking out Rik¡¯s Lead Warrior and my recent pack member¡¯s mate. I¡¯m not sure | have enough

    control not to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, half power then. I''d love to see just how strong you are.

    you are.¡± He says.

    ¡°| can see why you''re Rik¡¯s Lead Warrior. You have no fear and no self- preservation. | need to talk to Maddison while I¡¯m here.¡± |

    tell him.

    Heughs me off. ¡°Half power, Luna. | trust you not to kill me.¡±

    | turn and look at the others. Rik and Cara just shrug. | look at Ailduin.

    ¡°The only way we will know how strong you are is if we test it.¡±

    | turn back to Trevor. ¡®Maia, don¡¯t let me kill him.¡±

    ¡®Half power.¡¯ She says,ing forward to help me control it.

    ¡°Ready?¡± | ask Trevor. When he nods, | push out my power.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Trevor goes flying across the training field, almost hitting a tree at the forest line. He was thrown nearly 300 feet, or the distance

    of a football field. But he wasn¡¯t the only one. Since | can¡¯t direct my aura, Ailduin, Rik, Liam, Eli and Rik¡¯s warriors were also

    thrown backward several hundred feet. Behind me | see Angel with her arms out, protecting her and Cara from my st.

    | watch as they all stand up, no one injured badly. They are all looking at me in astonishment.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Grace at half power? Pretty awesome!

 Chapter 384

    | am stunned at the power that Grace just pushed out. And ording to her, it was only half her power. She literally knocked all

    three Alphas, a fae king and a group of warriors on their collective asses.

    Cara starts pping. ¡°Nice job, Grace!¡±

    Rik jogs over to Trevor who is limping but not injured badly.

    | walk with Ailduin and Liam back over to my mate. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asks me, her eyes looking over my body for injuries.

    ¡°I''m fine. But, wow, baby. | had no idea you were that strong.¡±

    ¡°| told you, it''s a LOT of power that | can feel now.¡±

    As Trevor limps closer she goes to him. ¡°Are you alright? Did | hurt you?¡± She asks him, concern etching her voice.

    ¡°I''m good, Luna. | asked for it and wow, that was something else.¡±

    ¡°Maia? That was only half of your power?¡± Ailduin directs his question to Maia, rather than Grace.

    ¡°Yes. | pushed my power into Grace¡¯s Alpha aura and then helped her hold it back.¡±

    ¡°Impressive. | will have toe up with another way to test your strength, since your full strength would cause injury to the

    pack.¡±

    ¡°| think I''m done for now.¡±

    ¡°Are you fatigued from pushing your aura?¡± Ailduin asks her, his brows furrowing.

    | walk over and put my arms around her. ¡°No, she¡¯s concerned about hurting Rik and Cara¡¯s pack. Can we switch gears to

    something else for now?¡± | answer for my mate. | can feel through the bond that she feels guilty for hurting Trevor, even though it

    wasn¡¯t bad, and he is already healing.

    ¡°Of course. | want to test your strength as well.¡± Ailduin says and | walk Grace to a chair, helping her to sit her, before kissing her

    forehead and walking back.

    ¡°Well, | can tell you, I¡¯can¡¯t do what she just did.¡± | say.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Ailduin chuckles. ¡°No, | wouldn¡¯t expect that you could. But that doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not stronger than you used to be. Have

    you tested your strength?¡±

    Not specifically | train like the other Alphas, but | can¡¯t say I¡¯ve tested my trength other than during the obstacle course we did a

    couple weeks ago.

    I''m not as knowledgeable about the gifts of being mated to a Guardian. Based on what I¡¯ve learned from Rik and Liam, you gain

    some of your Guardian''s abilities. I¡¯d like to see if that¡¯s true for you. | believe Liam has agreed to spar with you today?¡± He asks,

    looking at Liam.

    ¡®Hell yeah!¡± He says, hopping up anding over.

    ¡°You letting me get some payback?¡± | ask, as | take a defensive stance.

    ¡°No way, you''ll have to fight for it.¡± He says, beforeing at me.

    | quickly realize that I¡¯m faster than | used to be. I¡¯ve fought against Alphas before, and | always struggled to hold my own. Now,

    however, it feels like I¡¯m faster than Liam.

    I''m also very familiar with how hard Liam punches, having been his punching bag for six months. But now, his hits don¡¯t seem so

    powerful, and my own punches are making an impact.

    After about 30 minutes, Ailduin calls us to stop.

    Whew. Were you always this strong?¡± Liam asks me, holding his ribs. | got some good hits in.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. | know | wasn¡¯t this fast, and | also know that your punches feel weaker than before. Unless you''re getting old.¡± |

    say, lightly punching him in the

    arm.

    ¡°Who are you calling old, old man. You''re older than me.¡± He says, punching back.

    If someone had asked me a year ago if I¡¯d be sparring with Liam Holstin in the back of Rik Forte¡¯s packhouse, joking with both

    Alphas, | would haveughed in their face. And yet, here | am.

    ¡°How about you, Rik. Are you going to give the old man a go?¡± Liam says tauntingly to Rik.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know if the old man can take a young stud like me.¡± He says, walking over. ¡°But, if he¡¯s game, so am I.

    I''m not as experienced with Rik¡¯s fists as | am with Liam¡¯s, but | have some memory of our fight when | was trying to kidnap Cara.

    It''s the same as before, even though Rik is nearly 13 years younger than me, I¡¯m skipping in and out of his reach, getting my

    punches in. Hends his share on me, but they don¡¯t feel

    nearly as powerful as | remember.

    When Ailduin calls us to stop, | give the same feedback. | feel faster and Rik¡¯s hits feel weaker than | remember.

 Chapter 385

    We stop for lunch, and | take the opportunity to pull my mate into myp. | haven¡¯t had time to really spend with hertely with

    everything going on in our pack, but while we are here, I¡¯m going to take full advantage.

    ¡°Really, Eli?¡± She asks, giving me an exasperated look. | just smile, kiss her nose and pull her te over so she can eat while

    sitting in myp.

    Angel snickers from her position in Liam¡¯sp. ¡°Told you you¡¯re butt would never sit in a seat.¡± Liam whispers something in her

    ear that | choose not to hear, but no one can ignore the astonishing shade of pink Angel¡¯s cheeks get or the smug smirk on

    Liam¡¯s face.

    After lunch, Ailduin wants to test our ability to mind link. He says we both should have the ability to mind link farther than is

    normal. He has us walk back outside, not that it¡¯s necessary, but it¡¯s where we¡¯ve been ¡®training¡¯ with our Guardian gifts.

    He starts with Grace. ¡°I would like you to try to contact someone in your pack. Think of a person that you are close with and

    reach out like you normally would.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    When she does, she says she can¡¯t hear anyone.

    ¡°Let Maia put her Guardian strength behind it.¡± Ailduin says. ¡°Like she said she did with your Alpha aura, let her strength push

    your mind link.¡±

    Grace closes her eyes and | can see her concentration. She stands there for a minute before she gasps and her eyes fly open.

    ¡°They''re havingsagna for dinner tonight.¡± She turns to me. ¡°I could hear Cammy and she could hear me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± | look at Ailduin.

    ¡°Excellent. Now, Eli, you try.¡±

    ¡°But, | don¡¯t have a Guardian spirit to push behind my mind link.¡±

    ¡°No, but Louis should be able to give you his strength. You need to be able to tap into the gifts that you have been given through

    the mate bond.¡± He tells me.

    ¡®Louis? What do you think?¡±

    ¡®We can try. I¡¯m not sure what strength | can give you, but I¡¯ll push what | have toward your mind link. Let¡¯s try to speak to Carlos

    first and if that doesn¡¯t work, try Noah.¡±

    | close my eyes, like Grace did and focus my thoughts on Carlos. | begin to feel a

    whisper of his mind before it shuts off.

    ¡®Let''s try Noah.¡®

    | push my mind out, this time looking for Noal. His mind is easier to find, probably because he has a wolf. When | find him, his

    response is startled. ¡°Alpha, are you back?¡±

    ¡°No, we''re practicing long-distance mind linking. We''re still in Canyon Ridge.¡±

    ¡°You''re still....whoa, that¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°Anything | need to know?¡±

    ¡°Sirona got a shipment of medical supplies.¡±

    | chuckle through the link. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised if | reach out again. Not sure what else this Fae King wants us to do. By the way, |

    could almost reach Carlos, but not quite. Is he near you?¡±

    ¡°No, Alpha. He¡¯s actually out running patrols.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Noah.¡± | say before disengaging and looking at Grace. ¡°Sirona got a shipment of medical supplies.¡± | tell her smiling.

    ¡°So, it worked?¡± Ailduin asks.

    ¡°Yes and no. | tried mind linking Carlos first. He has no wolf, but he can still mind link. Noah said he¡¯s out running patrols and |

    could just feel his mind but couldn¡¯t connect.¡±

    ¡°Good, then that will be our next test. Grace, | want you to try to reach out to Carlos.¡±

    She does and is able to reach him, fairly easily. ¡°He¡¯s running patrols.¡± She says, confirming what Noah told me.

    Okay, now, | want you to hold hands. Grace, | want Maia to push her strength toward Louis. Eli, | want you to try to reach

    Carlos.¡± Ailduin instructs us.

    | take Grace¡¯s hand and | focus on my mind link, while Louis focuses on Maia. We try several times, before | break into a sweat

    and start to get a headache before

    we stop.

    ¡°It may not be possible, but | wanted to try it. | know you can boost each other¡¯s Guardian gifts, but we haven''t tried boosting

    your mates¡¯ gifts.¡± Ailduin says.

    ¡°| think that¡¯s enough for today. Tomorrow, I''d like to work on boosting the Guardians¡¯ gifts before we leave. Aolis and | will spend

    the rest of the evening documenting our findings today.¡± He says before taking Aolis and walking back

    inside.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Grace¡¯s abilities?

 Chapter 386

    Eli and | went to our room early. This weekend, while taxing emotionally, has been good for us. It¡¯s the most time we¡¯ve been

    able to spend together in weeks and when we return to our pack, we''ll have to get right back to long, tiring days.

    | keep my promise from earlier and finish what | started. It feels good to reconnect with my mate, to be able to shut out the world

    and let it just be him and me for a couple of hours.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    The next morning, we both wake feeling refreshed and reconnected. We join everyone downstairs for breakfast before starting to

    work on pooling our

    Guardian strengths.

    Rik wasn¡¯t happy about having Cara participate, so Ailduin had me and Angel work together.

    ¡°Angel, since you''ve done this with Cara, let''s see if you can direct Grace¡¯s power as well.¡±

    Angel walks up to me, taking my hand. ¡°Ready?¡±

    I nod, looking at Rik¡¯s warriors that volunteered to be part of our experiment. Ailduin tells us to start with half of the warriors being

    protected by Angel and the other half getting my aura.

    ¡°| want you to push out like you did with Trevor to start. Let Angel feel your aura, let her manipte it then push it out slowly like

    you did before.¡±

    | do, and it¡¯s a strange feeling letting Angel control my aura, almost like it¡¯s being molded like y. Ailduin has us move around,

    picking and choosing

    individuals here and there to be protected, working Angel¡¯s gift at the same time

    as mine.

    When he calls for a break, he paces while we go sit in our mates¡¯ps.

    ¡°We''ve been using one Guardian¡¯s strengths to manipte another and that has worked well. But I¡¯d like to see if a Guardian can

    pull a gift from another Guardian.¡± He says, making us all look at each other in confusion.

    ¡°What do you mean Ailduin?¡± Rik asks.

    He turns to Liam and Angel. ¡°You have my gift of being able to detect a lie. Both of you have it, correct?¡± They nod.

    He turns to me and Eli. ¡°I''d like to see i

    then detect a lie.¡±

    Grace can pull on that strength and can

    | look at Angel ¡°You know when someone is lying?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it tastes...¡± She¡¯s cut off by Ailduin.

    ¡°Don''t tell her. Let¡¯s see if she can figure it out on her own.

    When we''ve rested, Angel and | stand back up. This time we face each other and hold hands.

    | look at Ailduin. ¡°Okay, what do | do?¡±

    ¡°Well, I''m not exactly sure. This is uncharted territory, but | want you to feel like you want to tell if someone is lying. Have Maia

    reach out to Alessia.¡± He looks at Angel.

    ¡°Alessia, you will try to push your gift to Maia.¡±

    Both wolves are forward as we begin. | close my eyes, trying to focus on finding at lie.

    ¡°My name is Ailduin.¡± Nothing

    m a Fae King.¡± Nothing.

    ¡°| rejected my mate.¡± | get a funny taste in my mouth, my mouth screwing up. | open my eyes and Angel is looking at me.

    ¡°Is that....metal?¡± | ask as Angel¡¯s face breaks into a huge smile.

    ¡°YES! Lies taste metallic.¡±

    ¡°It''s gross.¡±

    ¡°Now that you know what you are looking for, let¡¯s continue.¡±

    We do this a few more times and the taste gets stronger each time | taste it.

    ¡°Before we switch, I''d like to see if you can pull from Liam as well.¡± Ailduin says.

    Liam switches positions with Angel, holding both my hands. | hear Eli grumbling behind me. ¡°Shh, you know | love you, Eli.¡± | tell

    him before closing my eyes.

    Maia reaches out to Cyran. | tilt my head. ¡°Is that the Alpha in you that feels different than Angel?¡±

    | open my eyes and see Liam, his eyebrow raised. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like?¡± Ailduin asks.

    | close my eyes again. ¡°Angel''s is....softer, lighter. Liam¡¯s is darker, harder. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m exining it well, but it''s different.

    Cyran is very powerful.¡±

    +15 BONGS

    | hear Louis growling behind me. ¡°You''re still the only wolf for me, Louis.¡± | tell him before | feel Elis hands on my hips. | turn

    looking at him over my shoulder, but his eyes are on Liam.

    ¡°| have my own mate, Eli. I¡¯m not trying to take yours.¡± Eli doesn¡¯t move.

 Chapter 387

    I shake my head and close my eyes again, pulling on Cyran¡¯s strength.

    ¡°My name is Rik Forte.¡± Nothing.

    m Alpha of Canyon Ridge Pack.¡± Nothing.

    ¡°Trevor is my Gamma.¡± Metal.

    ¡°Yep, that worked.¡± | say, smacking my tongue around in my mouth and trying to remove the taste.

    Chapter 0387

    ¡°It really does taste terrible.¡± Eli says behind me.

    All of our heads turn to look at him.

    ¡°You can taste it, too?¡± Ailduin says, looking intently at Eli.

    ¡°Yeah. Grace is right, it¡¯s gross.

    I look back at Ailduin. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    He¡¯s looking at us and I can almost see the steaming out of his ears his brain is working so hard.

    ¡°Let''s try something else. Angel.¡± He motions for her toe back over.

    ¡°| want you to try to mind link your pack, using Maia¡¯s abilities. Liam, | want you to touch Angel while she¡¯s pulling from Grace.

    Once Angel says she can link, | want you to try as well.¡±

    | feel Alessia reach out, pulling from Maia¡¯s strength before Angel¡¯s eyes go unfocused. ¡°I''ve connected to Sarah. She says

    Dustin is with her.¡± She says.

    | watch as Liam¡¯s eyes go unfocused and a momentter, a smile spreads across his face. ¡°Dustin says we have terrible timing.

    He turns looking at the group. ¡°We couldn''t do this with Cara.¡± He says before looking back at me. ¡°It must be your power.¡±

    It worked. Cara hops up. ¡°I want to try.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, Cara. We don¡¯t know how it might impact your or our little Peanut.¡± Rik says,ing up behind

    her.

    Cara looks at Angel. ¡°Do you feel tired at all?¡±

    ¡°No, it was more tiring when Maia was pulling from Alessia. But, Alessia pulling from Maia almost energized me.¡®

    Cara turns to Rik. ¡°We''re trying it. If | start to feel fatigued, well, any more than | already do, I''ll stop.¡±

    Rik lips press into a thin line, but he walks up to Cara, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m holding on to you, just in case.¡±

    Cara smiles, then wiggles back against him before reaching out to me. | take her hands and look at Ailduin. ¡°What do you want

    us to try?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any pack members away from the pack?¡± He asks Cara.

    ¡°We do. We have a couple visiting family in a pack that¡¯s in the next state over, several hours drive from here.¡± Cara replies.

    ¡°Let''s try. Don¡¯t overexert yourself, we don¡¯t want to hurt your child, but I¡¯d like to see if Artemis can pull from Maia¡¯s strength.¡±

    When | take Cara¡¯s hands, the connection between our wolves is instantaneous,

    ¡°Whoa.¡± | say, startled by how easy it is to connect.

    ¡°We are family.¡± Maia tells me out loud. ¡°I will always be able to connect to my child, just as Alessia will.¡± | turn and see that

    Alessia has pushed forward again.

    ¡°Always.¡± She agrees.

    ¡°See what | mean? It¡¯s weird.¡± | hear Liam whisper to Eli.

    ¡°It definitely is.¡± Eli agrees.

    ¡°Cara, | want you to concentrate. | know you have the ability to mind link long distances, but with Maia¡¯s help, Artemis should be

    able to mind link your pack distances, members, even though the distance extends past your reach.¡±

    Cara, like Angel, focuses on my face. | feel it when Artemis pulls Maia¡¯s strength and Cara inhales sharply. Rik is instantly on

    alert. ¡°Cara, do we need to stop?¡±

    ¡°No, Angel is right. Maia¡¯s strength is almost...invigorating. | feel great.¡±

    | watch as she focuses on her task and then her eyes go unfocused. It takes a few minutes, but suddenly she speaks. ¡°I have

    them, both of them.¡±

    Ailduin looks at Rik. ¡°Your turn Rik. Have Kai pull from Artemis and see if can also link your pack members.¡±

    you

    Rik¡¯s eyes go unfocused. It takes him a bit longer, but suddenly his face lights up with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got them.¡±

    We drop our hands and take a moment to appreciate the significance of what just happened.

    ¡°| believe we have underestimated the strength of Aloysius¡® line. Or perhaps, as with Bellona¡¯s line, it has strengthened with a

    reincarnation.¡± Ailduin says.

    ¡°This has been most enlightening. Aolis and | have much to chronicle. | want to go back and look through my books, but | don¡¯t

    believe that the Guardians have ever worked together like this. | believe the more you practice, the stronger you will be,

    individually and together. | would like toe back in two weeks¡®

    +15 BONOSOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org.

    time to practice and test some more. But in the meantime, you can practice together or with your mates to see if you can boost

    your Guardian strengths.¡±

    We all agree to meet back here in two weeks¡¯ time. Hopefully, Cara won''t deliver early, and she can also participate in the

    training. We say our goodbyes and head back to our packs.

    Cooper

    Author

    The Guardians are getting strenger

 Chapter 388

    When we arrived home, we were greeted with howls and yips of happiness from the pack. We found out quickly that more

    people hade to our borders seeking shelter. One group required Sirona¡¯s medical attention due to their significant injuries.

    Not only had they run from their pack to avoid the persecution of an unjust Alpha, but they had been attacked by rogues.

    Noah told us that she had them in a portion of the pack hospital that has been rebuilt. It wasn¡¯t ideal, since the hospital was still

    under construction, but it gave her the ability to treat them and keep the family of four together.

    Eli and | went to see the two other groups that had arrived, two adult sisters and a young boy and his sister. They had lost their

    parents after being banished and just happened to find us. Cammy and Summer made sure they had food and rooms in the

    packhouse.

    ¡°We need to build an children¡¯s home.¡± Amber tells me. ¡°They won''t be the only children thate to us without parents. We

    have the space to keep them on our floor for now, but eventually, we won¡¯t have enough rooms.¡±

    She''s right. Orphaned werewolf children are often mistreated in their packs or kicked out if they are considered to have no value

    to the pack. | will need to speak to Eli about rebuilding part of the packhouse as a ce for the orphaned children. to live while

    we find them homes, or they are adopted.

    Once | have checked on the ones staying in the packhouse, ensure that they have everything they need and reassure them that

    they are wee, Eli and | head to the hospital.

    When we arrive, we see that the parents are in bad shape. They must have been protecting their children, who are mostly

    unharmed, just some scrapes and bruises. Sirona has them all staying in one room to help keep the children calm. She has set

    up her own cot in the room next door to make herself avable as needed.

    ¡°| have the students rotating to help me, but they need 24-hour care at the moment.¡± Sirona tells us before we go in. ¡°I¡¯m not

    sure if | can save the father¡¯s leg. Theceration is deep, and he lost a lot of blood before they got here. His wolf is weak and

    hasn''t healed the leg yet. If he doesn¡¯t in the next day or so, I''ll have to remove it.¡±

    ¡°The mother has nasty w marks down her face. It¡¯s likely she will lose an eye. Her wolf is also weak and unable to heal her.

    I''m doing what I can, but | can only

    +15 BONOS

    do so much.¡± She says before walking us into the room..

    The children look up from where they are sitting next to their parents. ¡°Children, | want you to meet Alpha Eli and Luna Grace.

    The children look terrified. Sirona crouches down on her heels, getting at eye level with them. ¡°Do you remember what | told you

    about the Alpha and Luna of this pack?¡±

    They nod, looking from her to us and back again. | walk up and crouch down beside her. ¡°What are your names?¡± | ask them.

    ¡°Alfred and Allie, Luna.¡± The boy, who is older than his sister, says.

    ¡°And how old are you, Alfred and Allie?¡± | ask.

    ¡°I''m seven and my sister is four.¡± Alfred says.

    ¡°We''re going to do everything we can to help your parents. You are wee in our pack.¡± | assure them.

    I stand and Eli and | move to the parents. The father is unconscious, but the mother is looking at us with her one eye open,

    terrified.

    ¡°Alpha. Luna. We didn¡¯t mean...¡± Her words are muffled, and | can tell it¡¯s hard for her to talk. | immediately put my hand on her

    arm, noticing her flinch.

    ¡°You and your family are wee here. Our pack is made up of those that have fled other packs or are in need of a safe ce.

    Our pack is named Safe Haven for that reason. Our doctor, Gamma Sirona, will look after you until you are well enough to leave

    the hospital. Once you are stronger, we will talk about you and your family staying here in our pack.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Eli steps up to her. ¡°Everything my mate says is the truth. Rest easy, let your wolf heal. Your children are safe here. | give you my

    word as an Alpha, even though I¡¯m afraid you won''t trust it. No harm wille to you or your family while you are in our pack.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 389

    | watch a single tear slip down her face before she closes her eyes, and she whispers a muffled thank you. Eli puts a hand on

    her shoulder. ¡°We''ll be back again tomorrow to check on you. Until then, rest and get your strength back.¡±

    When we get back to the packhouse, | stop in the kitchen to check on how things have gone while we were away. | notice

    several omegas looking at me and looking

    away.

    ¡°Is there something you want to ask me?¡± | say to the room atrge.

    It''s Cammy that responds. ¡°We were wondering, Luna, if you happened to ask if omegas were wee at the pack gathering.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes. | did, and as | said, everyone is wee. Luna Angel was quite excited to have more attendees, so you need not

    worry.¡± | say and while | expect that to cause them to rx, it doesn¡¯t.

    ¡°Is there something else?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Well, it''s just, it''s just that....¡± Cammy begins, stammering her response.

    ¡°We''re all terrified to go to another pack without one of the ranked members there.¡± Summer finishes for her and | look around to

    see everyone nodding their heads.

    ¡°You''re afraid they might mistreat you, or worse, not let you leave?¡± Eli asks,ing up behind me.

    Again, everyone nods their heads. | look at Eli before turning back.

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that. | guess I''ll be apanying you to the pack gathering next weekend.¡± The change in their demeanor

    is instant and their happiness at being able to possibly find their mates finally bes apparent.

    Over the next week, Joel and Peyton, the parents in the hospital recover slowly. Joel ended up losing his leg, but Peyton was

    able to keep her eye. She''ll always have scars on her face, but they will fade. Peyton and her children were able to move to the

    packhouse by the end of the week. As houses are beingpleted, we have more rooms avable.

    Peyton had worked in the kitchens as the person responsible for smoking and curing meat in her previous pack. Eli immediately

    found out what she needed to set up a smoke house for smoking and curing meat. This way, we can send out pack members to

    hunt for food more often and we will have a way to store it

    1/2

    other than filling the freezers.

    The news spread that | would be going to Shadow Falls for the mate gathering. and 30 omegas agreed to go, bringing our

    numbers to 80 for the gathering. Angel was thrilled that we would have more peopleing and that | would be joining them.

    She suggested we take the time to practice boosting our gifts.

    Eli stayed behind to continue helping with the rebuilding effort while | led our pack to Shadow Falls. It was my first time in their

    pack, and | loved it. The falls are beautiful and the view from the top is amazing.

    | count our first mate gathering a sess as 26 pairs, or 52 wolves found their mates. Fifteen of those wolves are omegas from

    our pack. Of the remaining eleven, six are warriors and the other five are workers, one is a worker in the garden. She is mated to

    a warrior in the Canyon Ridge pack and has decided to move their where she and Maddison can begin building a garden for their

    new pack. Surprisingly, the warriors chose to stay in our pack, having the opportunity to build their own home and create a new

    life for themselves and their families. Thankfully, their mates agreed.

    Not surprisingly, the omegas are reluctant to leave our pack. That was not a problem for most of them, but there were five that

    are mated to warriors who have achieved some status in their pack and want to stay there. In addition, most of our pack¡¯s

    workers are mated to warriors and the same issue applies.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Rik, Cara, Liam, Angel, Eli and | have a meeting and we agree that the newly found mates can spend a week together in each

    pack before making a final decision.

    l insist that the newly mated pairs hear from both Alpha Rik and Alpha Liam that they will not be forced to stay in the pack if they

    choose not to stay. | also remind them that Eli and | will be going back to Canyon Ridge in a week, and we will bring them back

    to our pack with us at that time, if they choose to return with us. That settles their concerns, and they agree to spend the first

    week in their mates packs.

    Cooper

    Author

 Chatper 390

    Grace returned from the pack gathering with an additional 16 pack members. Six of those are warriors and the other ten are

    omegas. Carlos finds a ce for the warriors and begins training them, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. It¡¯s an

    adjustment for them at first, our pack being so young and needing so much work. But eventually, they appreciate being needed

    and begin to enjoy building a life with their mate literally from the ground up.

    Grace easily found ces for the omegas, especially as our pack is growing. They were excited to be able to build their own

    houses and if they have a skill, they have the ability to expand that into a business if they choose.

    The ten pack members that went to spend time with their mates chose to stay in those packs. Once they realized that Rik, Cara,

    Liam and Angel are good leaders, they were morefortable staying. It helps that they were evenly divided between the packs

    and therefore have some friendly faces around them.

    Over the next month, we continue to build. Once Joel left the hospital, Perry and Sirona were able to get the building finished

    and Sirona is working on the final touches. She now has two more individuals we acquired through the mate gathering that have

    requested to learn medicine. She¡¯s got them working to help her build out the rest of the hospital while they are in school.

    With the continued housing development, more and more space has opened up in the packhouse, so Perry assigned some

    members of his team to look over the first-floor rooms, previously assigned to omegas to begin development of a nursery and a

    children¡¯s home for those children who have lost their parents. In addition, he assigned some members to begin development of

    the main street. shops, starting with the open-air market.

    We quickly realized that 30 eggying hens would not be sufficient, so Grace has purchased another 150 hens. She also got a

    rooster this time and the hens who will produce baby chickens were separated from the eggying hens. This way, we can

    ensure that the rooster only fertilizes the eggs that are meant to develop.

    After the first group of mates found each other, we had a ceremony initiating them into our pack along with the new members

    that came to us for sanctuary. As more and more peoplee to our borders, Grace and | decided to have a monthly ceremony,

    at least for now.

    Our next trip to Canyon Ridge allowed Grace to really showcase her strengths and that she and Maia could share that power

    with her Guardian sisters. Their ability to boost each other¡¯s power is getting stronger. Grace is careful not to pull too

    much from Cara and Angel, so she doesn¡¯t impact their pregnancies. But | wonder what will happen after they have their babies.

    It will be interesting to see how her strength impacts her ability to draw on theirs.

    Grace and | had been practicing with Maia pushing her power to Louis. And, while we were in Canyon Ridge, | tried to mind link

    Carlos again. This time, | was able to do it. We then reached out to find the patrols and while they were even farther

    away, | was able to reach them.

    While we were in Canyon Ridge, Grace checked on our previous pack members. and found them flourishing. She suggested that

    some of theme to the next mate gathering to share their experiences with those that may find their mates, so they know itis

    safe to move to another pack if they choose.

    Two weeks after that, we again arrived at Canyon Ridge to train. However, baby Lily had other ideas. Cara¡¯s delivery was

    difficult, and it was good that we were there. Angel was able to provide her healing to both Cara and baby Lily and afterward,

    Grace had Angel pull from her strength to regain her own.

    Grace and | had talked about the strange connection between the fae royalty and the Guardians. But, as it turns out, Aolis

    recognized Lily as his mate, which exins his odd draw to Cara. He seems too young to recognize his mate, but it¡¯s obviously

    different for the fae than it is for wolves. Angel exined that Ailduin was mated to a Guardian nearly a century ago, but his mate

    was taken from him. So, it¡¯s not surprising that Aolis is mated to the daughter of a Guardian.

    The sadness that Cara had before having Lily seems to evaporate when she holds her daughter in her arms. | think Rik is just

    relieved that he didn¡¯t lose his mate or daughter during the delivery. I¡¯m not sure what happened with Aolis, Angel and Liam

    wouldn''t say, but he had some involvement in helping with the delivery process as well. We were with Ailduin when Aolis returned

    from the hospital. They had a strange mentalmunication between them, and they left soon afterward.

    We''re about a month away from the Tournament of the Moon Goddess. I¡¯ve chosen the first 10 individuals who will participate.

    Grace and | will be involved as the strongest members of the pack. Carlos, even though he doesn¡¯t have a wolf, is very strong

    and wants to participate. I¡¯m still assessing Amber, but she is showing her strength and is a contender to participate as well.

    Several other warriors have shown themselves to stand out and are in the top 10, including one of Rik¡¯s previous pack members.

    He is looking forward to showing up his friends in his previous pack. Noah wanted to participate, but Sirona told him she would

    need to stay behind to finish the hospital and to be avable in case any other people came to ouf pack needing medical

    attention. So, he will stay behind and run the pack while we are away.

    +15 BONOS

    Liam and Angel had agreed to have two mate gatherings and the second was scheduled a week before Angel was due to deliver.

    An additional 25 mate pairs. found each other, and we reshuffled the packs again. Grace and | have agreed to host the next

    mate gathering after the Tournament of the Moon Goddess. As our pack ising together, we will be proud to have others

    come to see what we have aplished.

    As I''m finishing up some pack paperwork and about to go looking for my mate, | get a mind link.

    ¡°Alpha. We have some.....creatures at the border. They are asking to see Luna Grace.¡± Carlos says.

    ¡°They specifically asked to see Grace, not me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°We''ll be right there.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    | turn the corner and see my mate is looking for me. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go see who wants to speak with me.¡± She says as we take off at a jog to where our visitors are waiting.

 Chatper 391

    As Eli and | head to the border, | have an idea of what this is. Over the past couple of months, both Cara and Angel have had,

    mostly vampires but other

    supernaturals as well,e to pledge their allegiance to the Guardians of the Realm, as they call us. Word of Angel''s

    imprisonment and the Guardian''s defeat of the vampires has spread quickly.

    However, when we arrive, | instantly understand why Carlos called them¡® creatures¡¯. | have no idea what these little fairy looking

    supes are. There are five of them and they are flying around with their little wings. They can¡¯t be more than about a foot tall, if

    that. They are shining and look like they are lit from within. They have strange, flowing gown-like clothes that look like they were

    made from nt leaves. Their hair and bodies seem almost opaque, and probably would be if not for the bizarre light shining

    from them.

    ¡°Oh, | knew she¡¯d be more beautiful up close.¡± One of the two males says in a stage whisper, looking at me.

    ¡°Oh, and he is so much bigger this close, isn¡¯t he?¡± The woman next to him says, as if we can¡¯t hear them speaking about me

    and Eli.

    ¡°Have | mentioned how much | like wolves. They''re very...wild.¡± The other male. says reverently.

    | can¡¯t tell if they are speaking to each other, or if they are speaking out loud to themselves. Their voices remind me of a human

    movie | watched one time where these little people called munchkins lived in Munchkind. Their voices were higher pitched

    than a human and these little creatures sound very simr.

    Eli and | step up next to Carlos. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Alpha Eli and this is my mate, Luna Grace. You''ve already met my Beta, Carlos.¡± Eli

    introduces us.

    ¡°Sir Alpha Eli.¡± One of the males says and gives quite a grand bow for someone with wings on his back. ¡°My name is Funichio

    and this is my sister, Fane. This is Draiden and the twins are Leni and Lna.¡±

    ¡°I''ve seen this one naked, and with what¡¯s hanging between his legs, he¡¯s no Beta.¡± One of the twins says in another stage

    whisper that everyone hears.

    ¡°Definitely an Alpha.¡± Her twin responds as they look Carlos up and down like they are seeing him without the clothes he¡¯s

    wearing.

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace. It is an honor to meet you.¡± Funichio says to me. I¡¯m about to respond when the twins continue their loud

    discussion of Carlos..

    ¡°And the way he makes Lady Beta Amber siiiiiiiing,¡± she says, in a trilling bird sound, ¡°like songbird when he takes her in the

    pond...¡±

    ¡°Or when he does that thing...¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Carlos says sternly, attempting to end the discussion of his sexual escapades with his mate.

    ¡°Oh, do you think that was his Alpha aura? It made me tremble.¡± The twins continue, their voice enraptured,pletely

    disregarding Carlos¡¯s difort at the situation.

    ¡°| do. It makes me want to agree with Sir Beta Carlos as loudly and frequently as Lady Beta Amber does.¡±

    Carlos drops his head, looking at the ground, his jaw clenched. I¡¯m not sure if he wants to strangle them orugh at them.

    ¡°Funichio, Fane. Did you have something you wanted to speak to me about?¡± | ask, trying to get this shitshow under control. |

    can see Eli is about to burst outughing and the wolves that were patrolling are moving closer, intrigued by these little ones.

    ¡°Oh yes. We are the Woond Sprites of your surrounding woond. King Ailduin has instructed all of us under his reign to

    come to a Guardian and pledge our allegiance.¡±

    ¡°Our undying loyalty.¡±

    ¡°Our absolute fealty.¡±

    It''s hard to keep up with them. It¡¯s almost as if they have one mind working in multiple bodies,pleting each other¡¯s

    sentences.

    ¡°Sprites?¡± Eli asks.

    ¡°Yes, Woond Sprites to be exact. There are other kinds, water sprites, forest sprites...¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what we are isn¡¯t it, forest sprites?¡± Draiden says

    ¡°Yes, except we call ourselves the Woond Sprites, so we¡¯re better.¡± Funichio. insists.

    ¡°So, you follow King Ailduin¡¯s rule?¡± | ask, again trying to gain some control of this conversation.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Fane says. She hasn¡¯t stopped eyeing Eli like he¡¯s a feast and she¡¯s starving-

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°| thought King Ailduin was over the elves.¡± Eli says, frowning.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s over all the fae- dwarves, fairies, the good kind; faeries, the bad kind; pixies.¡±

    ¡°Goblins, elves, leprechauns...¡±

    ¡°All of those exist?¡± Carlos asks.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Replies Funichio, flitting closer to me. While Fane is staring at Eli, Funichio has been staring at me.

    ¡°You wolves are so big...¡±

    ¡°Soooo big.¡±

    ¡°So. Very. Big.¡± The twins chime in looking at our pack members still in wolf form.

    ¡°Yes, you are so big, and we are so very small, that you don¡¯t see us unless we want you to.¡± Fane answers Carlos.

    ¡°Like now.¡±

    ¡°Or we hide so you don¡¯t run us over.¡±

    ¡°Look at that one over there.¡± One twin points to Alexander who has walked up beside me in his wolf form.

    ¡°He could run over us any time he wants.¡± Alexander is a flirty wolf and | see the wolf equivalent of a smirk as the twins flit closer

    to him, openly eyeing him.

 Chatper 392

    ¡°Look at his fur.¡±

    ¡°It looks so soft,¡±

    ¡°He smells like the forest.¡±

    ¡°| wonder if he tastes like the forest.¡± The twins continue their assessment of Alexander while he sits and stares back at them,

    enjoying the attention.

    ¡°| bet he¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°So warm.¡± They flit close enough that Alexander reaches out and licks one of them from toes to hairline.

    As | watch, she shivers in what | can only describe as ecstasy.

    ¡°Oh, sister, | feel.....delicious.¡±

    ¡°What??¡± Her twin exims before turning to Alexander.

    ¡°Lick me! Lick me!¡±

    And he does, this time going a bit slower. Her body has the same type of shivering convulsions.

    ¡°You''re so right, sister. It feels...¡±

    ¡°Delicious.¡± They say in unison, their voices quiet and breathy as if they just had the most incredible orgasm of their lives.

    ¡°What about you Lady Luna Grace?¡± Funichio asks me.

    ¡°What about me?¡± | ask, having no idea what he means but not having any intention of being licked.

    ¡°Would you mind me sinking my teeth into your fleshy bum?¡± He licks his lips but rather than beingscivious, it''sical. His

    eyes have moved to my ass and he¡¯s looking at it like it¡¯s the most tantalizing thing he¡¯s ever seen.

    Eli growls in warning, causing Fane to whimper and shiver in pleasure as Funichio looks at him, his eyes widening.

    ¡°If you sink your teeth into me, | think Alpha Eli will sink his teeth into you.¡± tell him, meaning it as a gentle warning. However,

    that¡¯s not how he takes it.

    ¡°Oh, do you think so?¡± Now he¡¯s licking his lips looking at Eli. | bite down har on the inside of my cheek to keep fromughing out

    loud. Funichio leans into m

    as if he¡¯s going to whisper, but it¡¯s the same loud whisper that children do when they don¡¯t realize how loud they are being.

    ¡°Because | swing both ways. I''d beT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    happy to have Sir Alpha Eli sink his teeth into me.

    I''m not sure which is funnier, the look of utter adtion on Funichio¡¯s face or the absolute horror on Eli¡¯s. Now, it¡¯s Carlos¡¯s turn

    tough.

    ¡°Will he let us touch him?¡± The twins ask me, looking at Alexander.

    | turn and look at him. ¡°They can touch me.¡± He tells me in the mind link.

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say and before | can say any more, they have flown to him, running their fingers over the fur on his face.

    ¡°So soft.¡±

    ¡°So warm.¡± They say before burrowing into his fur.

    Amomentter, | watch as his face changes abruptly and his body jerks, a growl leaving his lips.

    ¡°Did you just fucking shoot your load in front of everyone?¡± Eli snarls at him, his nostrils ring.

    Through the mind link, Alexander is stuttering. ¡°I....1 didn¡¯t....l mean...¡±

    ¡°It''s not his fault.¡± One of the twins says,ing out of his fur.

    ¡°We wanted to return the favor.¡± The other ones says, joining her sister.

    ¡°Maybe he''ll want to lick us again.¡±

    ¡°Soon!¡±

    ¡°Yes, very soon.¡±

    I can tell Eli is about out of patience with these crazy sprites. So, | try once more to redirect the conversation away from their

    infatuation with our species.

    ¡°So, you live in the forest?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Yes, we watch.

    ¡°And listen.¡±

    ¡°We want to be friends with the wolves.¡±

    ¡°But we are afraid of them.¡±

    ¡°You do not need to be afraid of us. We are friends with King Ailduin, and we mean you no harm. But | will warn you, you must

    respect the mate bond of the wolves. No ying with wolves that are mated.¡±

    #15 BONOS

    ¡®We would never!¡±

    ¡°We respect the bonds of love.¡±

    ¡°We want the love of a wolf.¡± One twin says sadly.

    ¡°One that wants us to be theirs, forever.¡± The other twin says. Oh boy, | hope Alexander knows what he¡¯s gotten himself into with

    these two.

    ¡°Have you seen any other supernatural creatures?¡± Eli asks.

    ¡°Yes. Vampires.¡±

    ¡°Nasty creatures.¡±

    ¡°Blood suckers.¡±

    ¡°Parasites.¡±

    ¡°But they don¡¯t bother us, no they don''t.¡±

    ¡°Our lifeline is made of something other than blood.¡±

    I''m starting to get a headache with the constant shifting of conversation from one sprite to another.

    ¡°Any others?¡± Carlos asks.

    ¡°Some nasty humans, but your wolves have scared them off.

    Fane is nodding. ¡°Hunters.¡±

    ¡°Yes, with bows and arrows and knives.¡±

    ¡°Nasty creatures.¡±

    ¡°Murderers.¡±

    ¡°Would you be willing to warn us if you see hunters in your forest again?¡± | ask

    them.

    ¡°We would be honored to guard the territory of the Guardian and her wolves.¡± Funichio says to me, very seriously. That¡¯s not

    exactly what | was asking, but it''ll do, for now.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do to return the favor?¡± | ask, afraid | already know the

    answer.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯d love it if we could spend time with your wolves.¡± He says, and yep,

    that¡¯s what | was afraid of.

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 393

    Fucking woond sprites. I''ve never met a sprite before, and | could have gone my entire life without that shitshow. Of course,

    now, Grace has offered to let them spend time with our wolves. I''ll have to order the patrols to stay on their watch and not go off

    having literal quickies with these damn creatures!

    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any possibility that wolves could be mated to sprites?¡± Grace asks me as we head back to the packhouse.

    Alexander had shifted, much to the delight of the sprite twins, and asked if they wanted to meet him at the pond. when he got off

    duty. I¡¯m surprised they were able to answer through all their drool.

    ¡°| have no idea. | would never have guessed that a 10-year old fae prince would be mated to a Guardian¡¯s daughter, so what do

    | know?¡± | say, still feeling grumpy about this whole mess.

    Grace takes me hand and pulls me to a stop. She runs her fingers over my temples and into my hair. ¡°Let it go, my love. They

    aren¡¯t a danger. It¡¯s just like being in a room with a bunch of two-year-olds. It¡¯s exhausting and tries your patience, but there¡¯s no

    harm in it.¡±

    | close my eyes and let the tingles from her touch move across my head, soothing the headache that was threatening to burst my

    head in two. | lean my forehead down, touching hers before pulling her hips against mine. ¡°Thank you, baby.¡±

    ¡°So, Alpha.¡± My eyes shoot open, darkening with her words. ¡°Want to see if you can make my body shiver like the sprites did with

    just one lick?¡±

    | burst outughing. ¡°Baby, when | lick you, | will take my time. | want to enjoy every bit of your cherry taste.¡± | say, rubbing my

    nose against hers before moving to her ear. ¡°But rest assured little Alpha, your body will be quivering on my tongue before I¡¯m

    through.¡± | whisper and I¡¯m rewarded with goosebumps rising on her skin and a little shiver of anticipation running down her

    spine.

    Grace and | joined warrior and tournament training. | had narrowed down the final contestants to 20, so | still needed to cut half

    of them before the end of the week. Every one of these individuals wanted a spot and they were all fighting hard to get it. Carlos

    and | were sparring with them daily, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Today, since Carlos was out running patrols, |

    was going to have them go up against Grace.

    While it was important to have them train and work for their position in the tournament, I¡¯d be lying if | said | didn¡¯t enjoy watching

    my mate take down

    +15 BONOS

    every one of the remaining warriors. She is every bit an Alpha female, strong, lithe, fast.

    Our mate is sexy as hell.¡® Louis purrs in my head.

    That she is. Look how easily she took down that warrior. She didn¡¯t even break a sweat.¡±

    We watch as she goes through them one by one. There are a couple of standouts. Some thatsted more than a 30 seconds

    against our mate. They are now on the definite list and a few that didn¡¯t evenst 10 seconds that were taken out of the running.

    At the end of training, I¡¯m down to 15 contestants and 8 spots.

    We head to dinner in the dining hall. It''s been upgraded and Jeremy has slowly been making longer, more borate tables for

    the dining room. He¡¯s doing a great job and it¡¯s adding to the overall feeling that our pack is the real thing.

    While we''re eating, Joel, the one who lost his leg,es up to me. ¡°Alpha, might | have a word.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Joel. Did you want to join us or is this a private matter?¡±

    He turns, looking

    wee to his family, his mate nodding her head at him. ¡°Your family isT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    wee to join us as well, Joel.¡± Grace tells him.

    He looks unsure but turns and nods for them to join him. While Grace and Amber engage the children, | turn my attention to Joel

    and Peyton. ¡°What did you need to speak to me about?¡±

    ¡°Well, Alpha, my wife mentioned that when you heard she knew how to smoke and cure meat, you had a smokehouse built for

    her, knowing it would be beneficial for the pack.¡±

    | look between them. ¡°That''s right. Is there a problem with the smokehouse?¡± | ask, unsure where this conversation is going.

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s just, well, if we¡¯re going to stay in this pack, and we''d like to, I¡¯d like to contribute as well.¡±

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    He looks at his mate before turning back to me. ¡°Hot sauce.¡±

    | blink at him. ¡°Come again?¡±

    ¡°In my old pack, | made hot sauce. It was well received not only by the local packs, but we were able to sell and distribute it to

    the humans. We already have the garden and all it would take is to nt the hot peppers. | would need an area to process them

    because it can be overwhelming when you are cooking

    +15 BONOS

    down the peppers, but | think we could bring in some good ie for the pack for very little money up front.¡±

    ¡°And you did this before? You know how to make it?¡±

    ¡°He was the best, Alpha. Everyone said so.¡±

    ¡°| think it¡¯s a great idea, even if we only end up using it in the packs. But, let me ask you, if you were so valuable to your previous

    Alpha, why did you run?¡±

    Joel and Peyton look at each other again. ¡°He was taxing us so much that there was no money left after | paid for the materials.

    He was making thousands of dors a month and | could barely feed my family.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t think you are that way, Alpha. And we''re happy to pay a portion of our ie to the pack, as is the way of things, but

    we want to be able to live off the work we do.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You do bring up a good point for me to consider in the future. How to properly tax the workers on their ie to pay

    for the pack. I''ll have to consider that.¡± | say, thinking | will also consult with Liam and Rik to see what they do in their packs.

    | look back at Joel. ¡°What do you need to get started?¡±

    ¡°Pepper nts,¡±

    ¡°Easy enough.¡±

    We finish our dinner and while Grace goes to check on the kitchens, | go outside to check on the patrols. I¡¯m not happy to hear

    that hunters have been scouting. around in the neighboring woods.

    As | prepare to shift, | see a very disheveled Alexander walking toward me, stumbling slightly as if he¡¯s drunk. | rush over to him.

    ¡°Alexander! Are you

    alright? What happened to you?¡± His hair is in disarray, his clothes are rumpled, and he has smudges on his face.

    He reaches out, grabbing hold of me, looking me in the eye. ¡°Alpha! | think I¡¯m in love!¡± He tells me before stumbling away.

    Fucking sprites.

    BONOS,

 Chatper 394

    Acouple of days after we met the woond sprites, we got word that Angel had her baby. A beautiful, healthy baby boy that they

    named after her father and Clint, who had acted like a second father to her.

    Eli had me spar with the tournament contestants until he made his final cuts. We ended up with two that had moved from Rik¡¯s

    pack, two from Liam¡¯s pack and the other 16 were from our pack. Eli had begun preparations for us to be gone for nearly a week.

    The tournamentsts four days, plus it would take us a day to travel each way and then there was a ceremony at the end

    announcing the top five packs.

    Eli had been inmunication with Rik and Liam. Our packs would be on-call to help each other. Rik and Liam were both

    leaving their Gammas in charge. We had not assigned a Lead Warrior, but Rik was bringing Trevor and Liam was bringing his

    new Lead Warrior.

    The tournament would start on day one with warriors. Day two would be for Lead Warriors and Gammas, day three was for

    Betas and day four would be for Alphas and Guardians. The tournament would be single elimination each day with the final two

    battling it out at the end of the day. Every day, the winners are ranked and given points and at the end, the points for each pack

    are added up and that is how the final ranking for the packs is decided. Additional points can be given for things like continuing a

    fight after being injured, taking out your opponent with one hit, things like that. We would not have anyone to battle on day two,

    but being our first entry into thispetition, it was not expected that we would score high enough to be in the top five. Eli and |

    both wanted to be in the top three, knowing Rik and Liam¡¯s packs would be there as well. As a Guardian, | felt like | needed to

    make a good showing and prove the strength of our pack.

    As the time drew closer, | became more anxious about seeing my father. | wasn¡¯t sure how | would react to seeing him again, or

    how he would react to seeing me. all grown up. | wonder if his new mate knows about me and my mother. Maybe he won''t show

    up this year. | can hope.

    I''m talking with Joel about his new pepper nts when I see two lights streaking across the packnds headed to the

    packhouse. ¡°Luna, two sprites just rushed past our patrols.¡± | get a mind link from the patrol leader.

    ¡°I''ve got them.¡± | tell them and rush to see what''s going on. As | get closer, | hear them yelling for Alexander. It¡¯s the twins.

    I run to intercept them and when they see me, the rush to me. ¡°Lady Luna Grace!

    Lady Luna Grace!¡±

    ¡°Hunters.¡±

    ¡°In the forest.¡±

    ¡°They got T.¡±

    Alexanderes running out of the packhouse. He¡¯s been meeting up with the twins every day.

    ¡°Alexander!¡± They exim in unison, rushing to him and burying themselves. into his neck. He reaches up, holding them close to

    him.

    ¡°What is it girls? Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Hunters. They areing.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°They got T. They grabbed her.¡±

    ¡°And shook her.¡±

    ¡°And pulled off one of her wings.¡±

    ¡°Then threw her in a cage.¡±

    Alexander looks at me. ¡°They may be strange, but they don¡¯t lie Luna. If they say there are hunters in the forest, they are there.¡±

    | lift my head and howl for the pack to prepare for battle before turning to Alexander. ¡°Get them into the bunker.¡±

    I turn, jumping and shifting mid-air. As | start to run toward the forest, | hear Alexander trying to calm the twins, letting them know

    they will be safe.

    | can hear warriors running from all different directions, following my lead as we head to our borders. When we get there, there

    are ny-three sprites flitting around our border. | shift, finding Funichio.

    ¡°Funichio, what is everyone doing here?¡±

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace. There are hunters. We sent Leni and Lna, hoping you wouldn¡¯t hurt them. We didn¡¯t know if we were

    allowed toe onto yournds.¡±

    | look around as Louis runs up, stopping beside me. ¡°Do you need a ce to hide? Safety?¡±

    He breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes Lady Luna. The hunters have captured several of our kind. They are hurting them and putting

    them in cages.

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 395

    | raise my voice. ¡°All sprites are wee to take refuge on ournd. | am the Guardian of the Realm. | and my pack will protect

    you. Get to the packhouse, find someone to show you to a bunker. Go now!¡± |mand and as one, the nearly 100 sprites race

    past our borders, headed to the packhouse.

    Alexander¡¯s wolf, Fynn, runs up, joining us. | turn to him. ¡°Who is T?¡±

    ¡°Their friend, Luna. Another sprite.¡± He mind links me.

    ¡°Okay, we have sprites that have been taken prisoner. Some are injured and they are in cages. Alexander, Thomas, John, you¡¯re

    on hostage rescue. Find them and get them to safety. The rest of you, we''re taking the hunters out.¡±

    | jump and shift and Eli and | turn our noses into the air. ¡°I smell nearly 30.¡± He says to me, testing his use of my Guardian gift.

    ¡°Thirty-three hunters.¡± | say through the mind link, opening it to everyone.

    | can smell the sprites. ¡°Five sprites, separate cages, all are injured. Be careful with them.¡±

    ¡°Split up and circle the hunters.¡± Eli states and our warriors split off into two groups. There are a couple of others, outside the

    circle that the pack is creating. Eli and | quietly walk around and quickly take them out without anyone raising the rm.

    We are walking back toward the group of hunters when the rm goes up. Louis puts his head in the air and howls just as the

    arrows and bullets start flying. We rush into the fray. | can see Alexander and his team trying to get the cages opened. One

    sprite, in particr, looks like it might be dead. | can¡¯t worry about that now, so | refocus on the fight.

    Louis and Maia begin cleaving through the hunters. We take some hits from arrowsced with wolfsbane and Maia takes a bullet

    to the shoulder, but it doesn¡¯t stop us. We rip through flesh and bone, tearing out throats, hearts and

    innards.

    | see a hunter taking aim at Alexander as he¡¯s working to help one of the sprites. out of the cage. Maia grabs his arm, ripping it

    from his shoulder with an audible pop as the joint dislocates. The hunter screams, grabbing his shoulder, but the blood is

    gushing from his arm. | feel Louis behind us, and | turn as he grabs a hold of another hunter¡¯s wrist with his teeth. The hunter

    had a knife and wasT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    about to stab me from behind. Maia bites into his thigh, making sure we puncture

    the femoral artery before taking a chuck of flesh out of his leg. He drops to the ground, and Louis sinks his teeth into his throat.

    | turn around and see that most of the hunters have been killed. Alexander and John have all but the one sprite and are running

    back to the packnds. | go over to Thomas''s wolf, Connor. He¡¯s whining, nudging the sprite with his nose. | can just barely hear

    her little fluttering heartbeat. | turn to make sure there are no hunters around before shifting. | reach my hand in to the cage and

    realize that she is badly injured. This must be T. | can see where her wing has been ripped out of her back. She also feels

    very cold, and | remember it is something the twins. said about Alexander, that his fur was warm

    | ce her onto Connor¡¯s back and watch as she nestles into him. ¡°She¡¯s freezing cold Luna.¡± Thomas mind links me.

    ¡°Go slowly, don¡¯t let her fall. Take her directly to Sirona.¡± | tell him and he takes off at a slow, careful jog.

    Elies up behind me. ¡°Is that one alive?¡±

    ¡°Barely, I''ll check on her when we''re back. Are they all dead?¡± | ask, turning to look at the carnage.

    ¡°Yes, and you''re injured.¡± He says, looking at my shoulder.

    | look at it, realizing that he¡¯s right. | had forgotten about the bullet in my shoulder. ¡°Bullet.¡±

    He nods. ¡°It needs toe out. Do you want me to do it, or wait until we are back?¡±

    ¡°Let''s check our pack and we need to dispose of these hunters before moree looking for them. My shoulder can wait.

    Cooper

    Author

    Poor Tut hope she makes it

 Chatper 396

    | call for help and more pack memberse to assist with the injured. Several of our wolves are unconscious and many are not

    healing because of bullet wounds. Only one looks to have been injured severely and | send him back to the pack first. I¡¯m

    worried about Grace, but she seems unperturbed by the bullet in her shoulder. However, I''ll feel better once it¡¯s out. | know we

    were both hit by wolfsbane arrows, but other than the injury taking a bit longer than normal to heal, I¡¯m not feeling the effects of

    the poison. I¡¯m beginning to truly understand Rik and Liam¡¯s excitement when they talk about the gifts of being mated toa

    Guardian. I¡¯m stronger and my body heals faster. After a battle like this, | should be feeling exhausted and sore, but | don¡¯t. |

    almost feel rejuvenated.

    When we get back to the pack, we head straight to the pack hospital. When we arrive it''s chaos, and not just because it¡¯s full of

    wolves needing medical assistance. Connor, Thomas¡¯s wolf is standing, guarding....something, snarling at everyone whoes

    near. Grace rushes up and | can hear Sirona trying to persuade Connor to let her pass.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡± | ask,ing up behind Grace. Connor stops growling, but he doesn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Thomas brought in one of the sprites who is badly injured. She needs medical assistance, but she became terrified when |

    approached her. Thomas shifted and Connor has been guarding her, not letting anyonee near her.

    As | look, I can see that the little sprite is the one that was clinging to life. Connor has put himself close enough that his tail is

    touching her, and it looks like she is holding it in her hand.

    ¡°Connor, stand down.¡± Louismands him. He whines, fighting my Alphamand. Grace steps forward, taking Connor¡¯s face

    in her hands.

    ¡°Connor. You know | won¡¯t hurt her. Let me pass.¡± He whines again, but his body rxes, and he lets Grace move to the sprite. |

    can see the sprite twins standing off to the side, watching and holding each other in concern.

    Grace walks up to the little sprite. She¡¯s the smallest one I¡¯ve seen so far. I¡¯m not. sure if she¡¯s considered a child, or if she¡¯s just

    small. Connor turns to stand next to Grace as if he¡¯s ready to step in if she hurts the sprite.

    ¡°Your name is T, right?¡± Grace says, gently reaching out and stroking the girl''s face with her finger. She sniffs and looks up at

    Grace. ¡°Yes.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°| know you were hurt, but my Gamma, Lady Gamma Sirona, needs to look at you so she can help you heal.¡± Grace says, using

    the terms that the sprites use when they address us.

    ¡°She can''t fix me¡± She says, so quietly | almost can¡¯t hear her. ¡°They pulled my wing off.¡± She says and | can see a tear falling

    down her face. The other sprites we¡¯ve seen shine brightly, but this one almost seems like her light is dying out. | wonder if that¡¯s

    how they die. Their light goes out.

    Itum and walk to the nearest office. | pick up the phone and dial a number I¡¯ve

    never used

    ¡°Hello¡± 1 deep voice answers.

    ¡°This is Alpha Eli. | need to speak to King Ailduin. It¡¯s a matter of life and death.¡± The phone is silent so long, I¡¯m not sure they

    hung up on me or not. As I¡¯m about to hang up, a voice | recognizees on the line.

    ¡°Alpha Eli?¡±

    Aolis?

    ¡°Yes. My father could note to the phone, but our warrior said this is a matter of life and death.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My pack was attacked by hunters today.¡± | tell him, wanting to quickly get to the point.

    ¡°Is Lily okay? Was she injured?¡± He immediately asks.

    No, they weren''t here at the time of the attack.¡± | hear an audible sigh.

    of 1

    ¡°However, one of the woond sprites was injured badly. One wings was pulled off and her light, it¡¯s dim. | think she¡¯s dying.¡±

    ¡°We''re too far away to help. Do you know if she has a mate?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but no one hase forward.¡±

    He sighs. ¡°Then, there may be nothing you can do. Only a mate can help heal an injury like that.¡±

 Chatper 397

    Chapter 0397

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Sprites are gentle, fragile creatures. When their bodies are injured so horribly, they lose faith in the goodness of life and give up

    any desire to live. When that happens, their light goes out. Unless they have someone who can help them to feel love and

    happiness again, they will not survive such a wound.¡±

    Athought is taking shape in my mind. ¡°What about a wolf? Can sprites mate with wolves?¡±

    ¡°In the recent past, they haven¡¯t because wolves have be so aggressive and with the rift between the fae and werewolves,

    there wasn¡¯t opportunity for mating to ur. But centuries ago, the fae and wolves mated frequently.¡±

    ¡°How would they mate? If she¡¯s injured, he can¡¯t bite her like we normally would.¡±

    ¡°He would need to lick her.¡± Oh goddess. Alexander mated those twins and doesn¡¯t even know it.

    ¡°Once she is strong enough, he can bite her like you wolves do, if she is agreeable. But in the state you mention, he would lick

    the injury, letting her know that he doesn¡¯t care that she¡¯s missing a wing, letting her know that he loves her no matter what has

    happened to her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Aolis.¡±

    ¡°Please let me know if we lose one of our gentle souls.¡±

    ¡°| will.¡± | tell him before turning to go back.

    When | arrive, | see Grace has convinced Connor to let Sirona approach T. He¡¯s still standing right next to her, nudging her

    gently with his nose.

    ¡°Thomas. | need to speak to you. Privately.¡± | tell him through the mind link.

    Connor lifts his head and looks at me. ¡°Can''t it wait, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°| may have a way to save her. But | need you to understand the consequences before you do something drastic.¡±

    Connor let¡¯s Thomas shift. Thomas leans down, gently caressing the sprite¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. You hold on. | won¡¯t be more

    than a minute.¡± He tells her before gently kissing her head and standing toe to me.

    We walk back to the office, and | turn to look at him. ¡°I spoke to Aolis and there is

    a possible way to save her.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for, let''s do it.¡±

    ¡°It requires bing her mate.¡± | say and look at him meaningfully.

    He turns, looking in the direction that we left T. ¡°Her mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Apparently in the past, fae and wolves were mated fairly frequently, but it. hasn¡¯t happened in nearly a century.¡± Except with

    Alexander, but no one except me knows that yet.

    ¡°Connor seems protective of her. | wasn¡¯t sure if that meant he was willing to ept her as a mate. But that is her only option for

    survival. Her mate would have to lick her where she lost her wing, indicating that he epts her in her injured and battered state.

    If what Aolis says is urate, that will help her feel love and that there is a reason to live, and she will begin to heal.¡±

    ¡°Her light wille back?¡±

    ¡°That''s what he said.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°He also said that they are gentle, fragile creatures, so you would be mating yourself to someone that would need your protection

    for the rest of your life. He also said that once she¡¯s healed, you can mark her like a wolf, if she agrees.¡±

    ¡°Eli.¡± Grace links me. ¡°If you have something to save her, now is the time. She won''tst much longer.¡±

    ¡°I''m afraid you don¡¯t have much time to decide Thomas. Grace says she doesn¡¯t have long.¡±

    ¡°Connor and | want her.¡± He says, growling and shifting before jogging back to her. When we arrive, her light is so dim it¡¯s nearly

    gone.

    Connor whines, looking at me. ¡°Aolis said to lick her wound.¡±

    | hear a gasp from the twins, and they begin twittering about being mated to a wolf.

    Connor reaches down and gently licks her back, purring at her. She doesn¡¯t immediately respond, and he whines, continuing to

    slowly and gently lick her. Finally, she lifts her head. He licks her face, and she gently puts her hands on his face. As her light

    starts to shine a bit brighter, Connor shifts and Thomas takes. her in his arms.

 Chatper 398

    The whole situation between Thomas and T was stressful and bizarre. I¡¯m thankful to my mate, who really doesn¡¯t like the

    sprites, for calling King Ailduin and finding out how to save T.

    As Thomas leaves, taking T with him to his room at the packhouse to recover, | turn to my mate. ¡°Have | told youtely how

    amazing you are and how lucky | am to be mated to you?¡± | tell him, meaning every word.

    He pulls me to him. ¡°I love you too, but you aren¡¯t going to be feeling lucky when | tell you that | want that damn bullet out of your

    shoulder now and | don¡¯t want any more interruptions.¡±

    I chuckle. ¡°Nope, still feeling lucky.¡± | say, turning to see if any of the medical students are free. While we were dealing with T,

    they have been running around helping the pack members that were injured.

    ¡°| can get that out.¡± Sirona says, escorting us to a room. | sit while she gets her scalpel and forceps. As she¡¯s working Carlos

    comes in. ¡°We have 15 wolves that were injured, twelve will be released tonight. Three will need to stay overnight. due to the

    silver in their system.¡± He says this as he watches Sirona remove the silv

    bullet from my shoulder.

    He frowns. ¡°How?¡± He asks, wondering how I¡¯m not affected by the silver. In truth, the longer it was in there, the more | was

    feeling the pain of the injury. Now that it''s out, | should heal pretty quickly and the fatigue | was feeling from the wolfsbane should

    burn off.

    ¡°Gifts of being a Guardian.¡± | say, getting used to the phrase from all the time | spend with my Guardian sisters and their mates.

    ¡°How are the other sprites?¡± | ask.

    ¡°They will heal, their injuries were much less severe, and they have been chatting happily about riding on a wolf. The ones in the

    bunkers apparently kept the pups. entertained as well.¡±

    ¡°We''ll need to speak to them and let them know that they can alwayse here when they are afraid. | know they said they

    would guard ournds, but really, it''s us that needs to protect them. They don¡¯t seem like they will ever be fighters, but they are

    good monitors of the forest.¡±

    I can see that my mate is epting that this is our new life. And hey, apparently sprites and werewolves can be mates and it

    used to bemon. | think I''ll invite

    the sprites to our mate gathering when we have it here. It does make sense. Wolves are dominant animals by nature, only

    bing submissive based on the hierarchy of the pack structure. Sprites don¡¯t seem to have a dominant bone in their body,

    and they seem to appreciate the protective and possessive nature of wolves, where other supernaturals might find it smothering

    or cause battles for dominance in the rtionship.

    That line of thinking makes me consider my rtionship with Eli. We''re both Alphas, no matter what he says about being born a

    Beta. We both have a natural need to lead and dominate. Somehow, we make it work. Neither of us is so dominant that it causes

    friction in our rtionship and both of us have submitted to the other. When | take charge, he lets me and vice versa. Maybe it¡¯s

    more about trust. | trust that he will do what is right and best for us and the pack and he feels the same.

    ¡°What is that look?¡± He says,ing over to me and pulling my hips against him, wrapping an arm around my waist. From the

    corner of my eye, | see Sirona and Carlos quietly leave the room.

    ¡°| was thinking how well we fit together. How perfect you are for me. You always let me take charge when | feel the need and

    never try to assert your dominance over me. | was thinking that, for two Alphas, we do a pretty good job of not fighting each other

    to be the leader of the pack.¡±

    ¡°You and | agree on nearly everything, except maybe the sprites. Our goals are the same and we work well together. The Moon

    Goddess got it right when she sent me to find you. | would never have guessed that this would be my life or that in such a short

    time, my mate and | could have built something so incredible together.¡±

    | reach up and kiss him, showing him how much | love and appreciate him through the kiss. He wraps his hand around the back

    of my neck, deepening the kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth. Our tongues y together, but | let him dominate the kiss,

    wanting him to show me how much he needs me.

    As my arousal begins to perfume the air, | feel the low rumbling growl in his chest. ¡°Little Alpha, if we don¡¯t stop now, I¡¯m going to

    take you over this hospital bed.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    | slide my nose across his cheek to his ear. ¡°Do it.¡± | whisper.

    In an instant, he has turned me around, bending me over the bed. One hand holding me down while the other slides the t-shirt |

    hastily put on after our battle up and over my head. As he holds me in ce, his hand slides slowly down my back. | turn my

    head to look at him over my shoulder and watch as his eyes ze a trail that follows his hand.

    +15 BONOS

    l arch my back, presenting myself to him, wanting to feel him. His eyes snap to mine as his fingers slide between my butt

    cheeks, before finding my slick opening. ¡°So ready for me.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± | whisper, breathily.

    ¡°Are you going to be able to stay quiet, Little Alpha?¡±

    | nod my head.

    ¡°Let''s test that.¡± He says, as he slides two fingers inside me, making me whimper.

    As | watch, his eyes return to where his fingers are sliding in and out of me. beautiful. And all mine.¡± Thest he says on a growl,

    making my body clench around his fingers.

    | realize I¡¯m not going to be able to stay quiet enough with a hospital full of shifters on the other side of the door, so | grab the t-

    shirt that isying beside my head, pulling to my mouth to muffle

    mans.

    | begin rocking my hips, wanting him to go faster. He knows what | want, what | need, and he gives it to me. His eyes shing to

    mine as he pushes me over the edge. My body jerks with the orgasm but before | canpletelye down, het removes his

    fingers, pulls down his shorts and slides his long, hard length inside.

    1. me.

    ¡°Remember baby, no one hears you but me.¡± He says, before taking my hips in both his hands and thrusting himself hard and

    deep inside me. He maintains a brutal pace and | grab hold of the bed, holding tight as he takes me over the edge again and

    again until I''m whimpering mess.

    ¡°Mine!¡± He snarls as he makes his final thrust, sinking his canines into my neck, pushing me over precipice once more as he

    empties himself inside me.

    We''re both panting as he removes his canines from my neck, licking the wound closed, his body covering mine.

    ¡°Yes, | am yours, my love. And you are mine.¡± | reply, blissfully.

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 399

    When Grace and | return to the packhouse, | have to admit that the sprites are overwhelmingly appreciative of our assistance.

    Grace lets them know that they are always wee, but especially if they are frightened or need assistance.

    Before they head back to the forest, | ask Funichio to continue to keep a lookout for hunters and alert us right away if they see

    any. He agrees happily, before flitting off to join his group. | notice the twins flitting around the back of the packhouse, until | see

    Alexandere down and join them before heading out into the forest. I''ll need to have a conversation with him soon about his

    involvement with the sprites. He needs to understand what he¡¯s done and what it means to the twins. Sprites may not be my

    favorite creatures, but I¡¯m still an Alpha and my job is protect those that need protection. The sprites are annoying, irritating

    creatures, but they are fragile.

    ¡°Carlos, Noah, meet me in my office.¡± Now that our pack is settling, my office space and furniture has improved. Jeremy has

    opened his own store front and is swamped with requests for furniture. He has been able to hire three staff and he¡¯s still working

    non-stop.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    When they arrive, we sit around the new table, in the chairs that now have cushions. ¡°We need to get some intel on these

    hunters. This is twice that they''vee into or near our territory. What do we know about them?¡±

    I''m concerned that we''ll be leaving in a week to go to the tournament with hunters in the area. | don

    want to leave the pack vulnerable, and not just our pack, but Rik¡¯s and Liam¡¯s as well.

    ¡°Not much.¡± Carlos says. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get any intel | can, but they are difficult to find and because we don¡¯t live among the

    humans, it¡¯s hard to know how many there are. However, | have been hearing whispers that they are nning something big.¡±

    ¡°| heard that they have taken some werewolves hostage. They must have a ce where they are either torturing them or

    experimenting on them, or both.¡± Noah

    says.

    ¡°Keep trying to get information. I''ll reach out to Rik and Liam to see if they¡¯ve heard anything. Liam¡¯spany is in the human

    city nearby, he may have some information.¡± Although | doubt that. If he did, he would have shared it.

    After informing Rik and Liam of our battle with the hunters and finding out that they don¡¯t know any more than we do, | ask them

    about the taxes that they put

    on their pack members.

    ¡°| do twenty percent.¡± Rik says. ¡°I have a lot of businesses on the packnds, and they pay me once a month. But | use that

    money to pay forrge gatherings, food in the packhouse, raising orphans, general improvements, etc. It almost all goes back

    into the pack. Obviously, as the Alpha, | benefit from the ie, but | don¡¯t overstep, and | keep myself and my ranked members

    from spending extravagantly.¡±

    ¡°I''m a little different.¡± Liam says. ¡°Most of my iees through the business. Because it¡¯s in a human town and

    incorporated with humans, | and all the employees pay taxes. So, | only tax them an additional ten percent above what they

    already have to pay. However, my business is extremelyrge so the ie, while smaller, is still substantial. And |, like Rik,

    refuse to use that money for my own extravagance.¡±

    We finish our discussion talking about our travel ns for the tournament. Like us, they are driving and n to leave a day

    before the tournament begins. We develop a n to have the packs provide support and back up for each other while all of us

    are away and then | say my goodbyes.

    Later that day, | find Alexander and | let him know about my conversation with Aolis. | tell him he needs to make a decision about

    the sprite twins. He either needs to take them as his mates or he needs to let them go. He¡¯s not as overwhelmed by the to

    Conversation as | would have expected which leads me believe that his wolf may be willing to ept those two as his mates.

    And appears that he would have to take them both. They seem to be a package deal. It¡¯s notmon among wolves to have

    more than one mate, but it has been known to happen in the instances of identical twins.

    yes,

    it

    As the week progresses, | finalize the building ns with Perry to continue while. I¡¯m away. | let him know that Noah is able to

    make any financial decision necessary in my absence. | also give him a head¡¯s up about the hunters and the sprites. Some

    wolves have chosen to build their homes closer to the pack border and the forest, so it¡¯s likely that they wille into contact

    with the sprites. | tell him to contact Alexander if they be a nuisance.

    +

 Chatper 400

    Acouple of days before we leave, | see Thomas with a little T tucked up against his neck as theye into the dining hall. It''s

    the first time he¡¯s been out of his room since the hunters came. T is shining brightly again and appears to have recovered,

    although I¡¯m not sure her wing will ever regrow.

    ¡°Thomas, you and T should join us.¡± Grace says, indicating that they shoulde to eat with us.

    | see Thomas turn and speak quietly to T, who nods before joining us.

    ¡°How are you doing, T?¡± Grace asks her as they sit. Thomas shifts her to sit on his shoulder like a bird, except she¡¯s sitting

    rather than standing. The top of her head doesn¡¯t evene to the top of his, she¡¯s so tiny.

    ¡®lm much better Lady Luna Grace. Thomas has been wonderful.¡± She says and snuggles up against his cheek. He gently turns

    his head and kisses her before turning back, his demeaner going tense.

    ¡°Alpha Eli, Luna Grace, since T is my mate, we wanted to make sure that it is okay for her to remain in the pack.¡±

    know my brows furrow at his question. ¡°Why wouldn''t it be?¡± | ask.

    Thomas looks between me and Grace. Now it¡¯s his brows that furrow. ¡°Because she¡¯s not a wolf.¡± He says as if this is obvious

    and answers my question.

    ¡°And?¡± | ask.

    It''s Grace that answers, looking at T. ¡°I am the Guardian of the Realm, am | not?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Luna Grace.¡±

    ¡°What kind of Guardian would | be if | excluded those that | protect?¡±

    T smiles and Thomas noticeably rxes.

    ¡°Do you want to stay here and live with us, T? | was under the impression that sprites are afraid of us.¡± | ask, wanting to make

    sure that this is what she wants

    too.

    She looks at Thomas, nuzzling her face against his cheek. ¡°Thomas said we would take it slowly, like tonight,ing to eat. He¡¯s

    told me that wolves like to be around others and that it¡¯s important to him, so he is going to help me be around his friends.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°| think that¡¯s a wonderful idea.¡±

    Thomas stands to go join his friends. ¡°Oh and Luna, T and all sprites are vegetarian. Will that be a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, just let Cammy know, but | can¡¯t imagine that she eats so much that it will. make a difference.¡±

    Later that night as we¡¯re getting ready for bed, | feel Grace¡¯s tension through the bond. | walk up behind her, wrapping my arms

    around her, kissing her shoulder. ¡°What is it, baby? You¡¯re a nervous wreck and that¡¯s not like you.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    She takes a deep breath, leaning back against me. ¡°We''ll be leaving day after tomorrow. | might see my father in just a couple of

    days. The closer it gets the more terrified | get.¡±

    | turn her to face me, keeping my arm wrapped around her.

    ¡°Tell me what you are afraid of. He cannot hurt you. You know you are stronger than he is and | won''t let him touch you. What is

    your fear?¡±

    I can see tears in her eyes, and her lips begin to tremble. ¡°What if he makes me feel like that scared, unworthy girl again?¡±

    | take her face in my hands. ¡°You, my love, are Grace Gunnar. Guardian of the Realm, the strongest of the Guardians, Luna of

    the Safe Haven Pack, an Alpha female and my mate. There is nothing weak or unworthy about you. HE is the one that was

    unworthy to be your father, unworthy of being an Alpha. And you are no longer a little girl, but a brave, fierce and powerful

    woman.¡± | tell her, pulling her against my chest.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m hoping you do run into him.¡± | tell her and she pulls away, looking at me.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because | want him to see what his arrogance and twisted Alpha thinking lost him and his pack. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m d he

    never knew what you were. I¡¯m sure he would have forced you into some mate bond to keep you in his pack and strengthen it.

    But, instead, he banished you. Gave up on you and forgot about you and your mother. And look what he lost. He lost the most

    amazing woman I¡¯ve ever met in my life.¡±

 Chatper 401

    On the day we are to leave for the tournament, we pack up our four SUVs. Eli and | had pooled our money but could only afford

    one for the pack. The other three we rented in the city.

    Our destination would take us about twelve hours to arrive, without taking stops into consideration. We were going to a ce in

    northern Kansas. The council had gotten the state to close a state park for our arrival. This way, we wouldn''t risk running into

    humans. With therge numbers of werewolvesing into the territory, the state was paid well to shut down their tourist spot.

    The location was chosen, | was told, because it¡¯s in the middle of the country.

    Our day is long and boring. Eli and | practice using our gifts of mind linking our pack but the further away we get, the harder it is.

    We link farther than expected, equally annoying different members of the pack as we test our reach. Eventually, we are no longer

    able to reach them.

    When we finally arrive, it is early evening. We check in, and I see that they are expecting all 298 packs in the country to show.

    That means my father will be here.

    | hadn¡¯t considered what it would be like to have all the packs in attendance, and not all of them. arerge enough or strong

    enough to bring 20 contestants, but overall, there are nearly 5100 werewolves that will be participating in the battles. That

    doesn''t include the mates or pups that havee along to watch and support their packs. Our pack is bringing Hope, Amber and

    Carlos¡¯s baby. Cara is bringing Aolis, as ho

    wanted to spend time with Baby Lily Liam and Angel. are bringing Richie, and Dustin is bringing his human mate, Sarah. She

    generously offered to watch over the babies while the packs are battling.

    As our group signs in for their fights, it looks like tomorrow will be the longest day. There are just over 3300 warriors that will be

    battling for points and to win tomorrow¡¯s challenge. From our

    pack, there will be 16 warriors.

    was bo

    As we''re signing in, Rik, Cara and their pack arrive. | haven¡¯t seen Lily since she and after saying hello, | snag her from Cara. Eli

    and | had talked about trying for a pup after the tournament and ever since, it¡¯s been on my mind. With my Guardian sisters both

    having pups of their own in thest couple of months it has brought it to the forefront of my mind.

    | look down at Lily in my arms. She is looking back at me and while she has her mother¡¯s curly brown hair, she has her father¡¯s

    cier blue eyes. She reaches her little hand up and | give it kisses before she starts fussing.

    | look at Cara. ¡°She prefers Rik. She has ever since the day she was born.¡± She sighs. Rik turns.ing over to rub Lily''s head

    and leave a kiss on her forehead. She immediately calms.

    ¡°Wow, that must be frustrating.¡± | say, watching in awe at Rik¡¯s uncanny ability to soothe his

    +15 BONOSText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    daughter.

    Caraughs. ¡°You''d think so, but it¡¯s great in the middle of the night when she¡¯s fussy. She doesn¡¯t want me, only her daddy.¡±

    Rik takes Lily from my arms, holding her against his chest. ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t mind, does he Princess?¡±

    My heart aches with the sudden desire to have a baby. To feel Eli¡¯s pup growing inside me. | feel tears of longing prick at my

    eyes before | swallow the lump in my throat and pull myself together. ¡°Where do they have your pack staying?¡± | ask them, trying

    to divert the conversation.

    ¡°Uh...¡± Cara pulls the map out and points to where the dot is circled. ¡°Here.¡±

    | pull out our map andpare. ¡°We''re close, that¡¯s good. How many warriors do you have battling tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Fourteen tomorrow. | know Angel and Liam have sixteen. How about you?¡±

    ¡°We have sixteen as well. But we don¡¯t have anyone battling on day two. We don¡¯t have a Lead Warrior yet and we left Noah and

    Sirona in charge of the pack.¡± | lower my voice. ¡°We''ve had several individualsing to us who needed medical attention. |

    know some of the problem packs and | can¡¯t wait to meet their Alphas. | hope | have all of them in battles.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 402

    Chapter 0402

    Cara scoffs. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy. Save some for me and Angel. You know if they are arrogant Alphas

    it will kill them to lose to a female.¡± She says and we both smirk at that.

    ¡°Lily, your mommy and Aunt Grace are scary. So, take note, that¡¯s exactly how | want you to be when you grow up.¡± Rik coos to

    Lily, and we allugh.

    Eli walks over, saying hello to everyone. ¡°Hey, we''re close to where Cara and Rik¡¯s pack are going to be staying. | hope Angel

    and Liam are close by as well.¡±

    Just as | say it, | hear her voice. ¡°Where do you want us?¡±

    ¡°Angel!¡± Cara and | make a beeline for her, pulling her into a group hug. | haven¡¯t seen her since

    she had Richie.

    ¡°Where is that baby?¡± Cara says as Liam walks up behind her, carrying a car seat in one hand and a huge baby bag thrown over

    his shoulder.

    Angel turns and takes the carrier from Liam. ¡°Cara, Grace, I''d like to introduce you to Richard

    Clint.¡±

    He¡¯s beautiful. His head is covered in peach fuzz, no real hair yet. He¡¯s sleeping, so | can¡¯t tell

    what color his eyes are.

    Cara and | ohhh and aw over him and | once again feel my heart ache with my desire to have a baby. Sirona said it might

    take some time aftering off the birth control | started months. ago, but after today, I''ll be quitting those pills.

    ¡°Did Alessia go nuts when you could finally shift again?¡± Cara asks Angel.

    ¡°Oh my goddess. | thought she was going to have an orgasm on the spot. She ran around like a fool for hours making Cyran

    chase her all over the packnds.¡±

    Liames up behind her, kissing the side of her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t mind at all.¡±

    Cara is smiling at them. ¡°Kai didn¡¯t mind either. He was so excited to have Artemis back.¡±

    ¡°Did you find out where you''re staying?¡± | ask Liam as Rik and Eli join us. Angel immediately grabs Lily from Rik¡¯s arms.

    | Liam pulls out the map and shows me where his circled dot is. Cara and | pull out ours andpare. ¡°Looks like Cara and Rik¡¯s

    pack is in between ours, but it seems like we''re all fairly close together. Have you guys been here before?¡± | ask.

    ¡°No, the ce changes every time.¡± Rik says, looking around. ¡°Last time it was in the Rocky Mountains. That was great.¡±

    ¡°Looks like everything starts early tomorrow. | think we''d better head to our cabins and get

    settled, baby.¡± Ell says to me.

    ¡°Yes, the first day is, by far, the longest. But it¡¯s also where you have a chance to get ahead in points. Even though the warriors

    don¡¯t have the ability to get as many points per person as the other days, there are more of them, so you can rack them up.¡±

    Liam says, looking very eager to get the battles started. I¡¯m not surprised. His pack has been named the strongest for thest

    two tournaments, or eight years, ever since Liam was 18.

    We say our goodbyes, making ns to meet up for breakfast at 4:30am since the battles start at

    6am.

    As | turn to head back to the SUV, | see him. He¡¯s walking across the parking lot, heading in a different direction. My father. He¡¯s

    holding a toddler andughing with some of my old pack members.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    As | stare, he turns and looks me in the eye briefly, before turning away. He didn¡¯t even recognize me.

    Cooper Author

 Chatper 403

    | wait until we¡¯re alone in the cabin, Grace¡¯s emotions have been all over the ce since we arrived. | know some of it is concern

    for seeing her father, but there was something else that | felt

    and didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Baby, what¡¯s going on? Your emotions have been all over since we got here. It¡¯s not all about your father. It feels like something

    else.¡±

    She walks up to me, leaning against my chest and my arms immediately go around her. | pick her up and sit on the edge of the

    bed, putting her in myp. ¡°Talk to me.¡±

    She¡¯s got her head tucked up under my chin so | can¡¯t see her face. When | hear her sniffling. | lean back, putting my finger

    under her chin and lifting her face. ¡°Baby?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says as if answering my question, her voice quivering as the tears start to fall. Okay.

    saying ¡®yes'' to me asking her what''s going on doesn¡¯t answer my question.

    ¡°lm not sure | understand.¡±

    She tucks her head against me again, her hand rubbing the tears from her eyes. I¡¯m rubbing my hand up and down her back,

    trying tofort her.

    ¡°| want a baby.¡±

    | feel like time stands still for a moment. My hand stops itsforting motion on her back. When |

    feel her tense in my arms, | start my motion again.

    ¡°We talked about it before. We said after the tournament. And now, seeing Lily and Richie it feels like my ovaries just dropped a

    bunch of eggs into my uterus to get fertilized but I¡¯m still on birth control, so it won¡¯t take but, but.¡± She sniffles, burying her face

    in my chest again.

    ¡°But?¡± | ask gently. Honestly, I¡¯m thrilled. We''ve done so much in the pack that I¡¯m not nearly as concerned about bringing a baby

    into the world. And the thought of my mate¡¯s stomach growing with my pup has me and Louis ready to do cartwheels.

    She looks up at me with her beautiful milk chocte eyes, glistening with her tears. ¡°I want to

    start trying.¡±

    | lean down and gently kiss her lips. ¡°Okay.¡±

    She pulls back looking at me, hope shining bright in her eyes. ¡°Really?¡±

    | chuckle at her. ¡°There is nothing that | want more than to build a family with you, Grace. |

    wanted to wait until our pack was in a better ce, but | feel like it¡¯s good now. Things will

    +15 MONO

    continue to improve, but yeah, let¡¯s start trying.¡± | can¡¯t help the smile that spreads across my face. ¡°Want to start right now?¡± |

    ask, wagging my eyebrows at her.

    Sheughs but then her face drops. ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡±

    ¡°I''m listening.¡± | tell her, but I¡¯m distracted by the idea of putting a pup in my mate.

    ¡°I saw my father.¡± That gets my attention and all thoughts of pup making get pushed aside.

    ¡°Where? When?¡±

    ¡°When we were walking to our SUV toe to the cabin. He looked right at me.¡±

    I tense. | wanted to make sure she wasn¡¯t alone when she faced her father.

    ¡°And?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°And he didn¡¯t even recognize me.¡±

    | think for a minute. ¡°You were only 12 when he banished you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, you''re a lot different than you were six years ago, Grace. Not only that, but I¡¯m also sure he¡¯s not expecting to see you

    here.¡±

    ¡°He was carrying a toddler. | think it¡¯s the child Liam and Rik told me about.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°That¡¯s very possible, and it¡¯s

    possible that his mate will be here. If you n to confront also very him while we''re here, you need to be prepared for that.¡± |

    hold her for another couple of minutes.

    ¡°Come on. Let''s take a shower and get into bed. We have a very early morning and we''ve had a long day of traveling.¡±

    ¡°What about trying?¡± My sassy mate says as she gets off myp.

    ¡°Who says we can''t ¡®try¡¯ in the shower?¡± | say, and | chase my mate into the bathroom where we¡¯ try¡® three times before we finally

    drop into bed.

    The next morning, we both groan when the rm wakes us ridiculously early, but by the time we get to breakfast, the energy is

    buzzing from everywhere and we''re ready to cheer our warriors on

    to victory.

    As we''re eating, the elderse in to announce the beginning of the tournament.

    ¡°Wee to the Tournament of the Moon Goddess. This four-day tournament will showcase the strengths of your packs and

    allow us to rank the packs in strength and numbers.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    He goes through an exination of how the days will be divided, points given and that each day the packs will be ranked based

    on their total number of points. There is a challenger board, where we can watch the progression of the matches and see which

    of the challengers progresses as well as who they will fight in the next round. All fights will be in human form, which is why Carlos

    is able to participate.

 Chatper 404

    After breakfast, the battles begin. These initial fights are elimination of the weaker packs, and because there are so many packs,

    it''s time consuming.

    At lunch time, everyone breaks to eat. We meet up with Cara, Rik, Liam and Angel. All our warriors are still in the battle. The first

    two rounds have beenpleted, eliminating just under 2500 wolves. The afternoon battles will have fewer contestants, but they

    willst longer as the stronger warriors progress to the next levels.

    We''re getting food and finding a table when Angel turns. ¡°Jude?¡±

    | watch as an older gentleman turns, looking at Angel. ¡°Do | know you?¡±

    Angel sets down her tray before walking over to the gentleman. Liam is watching her uneasily, and Grace reaches her arms out

    to take Richie. Liam passes him off and follows Angel.

    ¡°Jude. It¡¯s me, Angel Bennis. Well, I¡¯m Angel Holstin now.

    ¡°Angel? Angel, oh my goddess.¡± He says and pulls her into a hug, eliciting a loud snarl from Liam. Jude immediately drops his

    arms stepping back.

    ¡°Alpha Liam. | meant no disrespect. | was friends with Angel''s father. We were warriors together.¡± He says, exposing his throat in

    submission. | guess everyone here knows the Alpha of the pack that has been named the strongest for nearly a decade.

    Angel turns to Liam. ¡°Jude was the one that helped my family. The only time | remember feeling safe after we left the pack.¡±

    Liam¡¯s entire demeanor changes and he reaches o helping my mate and her family.¡±

    his hand. ¡°I owe you a debt of gratitude for

    Jude looks back at Angel. ¡°When we found your parents...¡± He stops, getting choked up. ¡°We thought, we thought you...¡±

    ¡°It''s a long story. One I''d be happy to share when we have more time if you want to hear it.¡±

    ¡°| want to hear it.¡±

    As | watch, another Alpha walks up. ¡°Jude, what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Paul, May | introduce you to Liam and Angel Holstin. Angel is the daughter of Richard and Kathryn Bennis.¡± Jude¡¯s

    manner changes as the Alpha approaches. He is no longer rxed. His Alpha or this conversation is making him nervous.

    The Alpha turns to Jude. ¡°The couple that left our pack so suddenly and weter found killed? But | thought their daughter died

    with them.¡± He says, turning back to Angel.

    I can see that Angel is following Jude¡¯s lead and treading lightly in the conversation. ¡°No, as ! mentioned to Jude, it¡¯s a long story

    and one that we don¡¯t have time to get into right now.¡±

    The Alpha stares at Angel a moment too long, causing Liam to step closer to her, putting his arm

    around her protectively.

    ¡°| would like to know why your family left. From what my father tells me, he never understood why his Lead Warrior would just

    leave and turn rogue. He searched for your family for years until we

    found them dead.¡±

    ¡°Angel''s father didn¡¯t trust your father with his daughter¡¯s life.¡± Liam says.

    ¡°My father would never have harmed a member of his pack. That is preposterous. | don¡¯t know what you think your father¡¯s

    reasons were, but my father was a good Alpha.¡± As | watch, Jude¡¯s jaw clenches. Definitely something going on there.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Grace asks me, patting Richie on the back and bouncing softly like I''ve seen Angel and Cara doing when they are

    holding the babies.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Something is off with that Alpha. We¡¯ve seen too many of our pack members react around Alphas. not to notice the signs.¡± | say

    quietly. Grace looks over and it only takes her a minute.

    ¡°Definitely something off. Do you know who they are?¡± She replies just as quietly.

    ¡°I''m getting that they are from Angel¡¯s pack. The one her parents ran from when they found out.¡± | don¡¯t say any more since we''re

    in a room full of shifters and everyone can hear. Angel hasn¡¯t

    announced what she is, and it isn¡¯t my ce to say it.

    Liam reaches over and kisses she side of Angel¡¯s head, his eyes never leaving the Alpha. ¡°Show

    him, little angel.¡±

    My eyes go to the Alpha. | see the minute Angel¡¯s eyes change. His eyes go from offended to covetous. And that¡¯s why her

    parents took her and ran.

    ¡°Guardian.¡± He says it in a purring voice that makes even my skin crawl.

    ¡°Well, the wolf''s out of the bag now.¡± Cara says beside us. | look around the room and see that it¡¯s gone quiet. But they aren¡¯t all

    just looking at Angel. They¡¯ve noticed that our packs are close. They are looking at Cara and Grace now, too.

 Chatper 405

    Chapter 0405

    +15 BONDS

    Maia pushes forward, answering the question of the Alphas in the room. | hear a collective gasp and realize that Artemis has

    come forward as well.

    ¡°All happily marked and mated.¡± Rik says, his voice a challenge as he stands. | realize he has

    passed Lily back to Cara. He¡¯s ready for a fight.

    Eli¡¯s arm goes around me possessively. When | look, | see Louis shining in his eyes. Rik¡¯s and Liam¡¯s eyes have their wolves

    shining in them as well. It''s a clear threat. Do not touch what is mine.

    One of the elders who is managing the tournament stands. ¡°Alphas. No one will attempt to take your mates from you. This is a

    competition, but it is friendly. Your mates are marked, and everyone here can smell your scents on them. Anyone who is paying

    attention will have seen the three females that will battle on the Alpha Day. Perhaps they believed they were Alpha females. but

    now we all know, it¡¯s the Guardians that are here to battle. Let us finish our lunch and getT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    back to thepetition.¡±

    With that, the tension dissipates. Liam guides Angel back to our table, but his eyes haven¡¯t left the Alpha. When they sit, | hand

    Richie back to Angel. It¡¯s almost like everyone in the room just realized that there are two babies at our table that belong to

    Guardians. It feels like it solidifies.

    the fact that we are taken.

    After lunch, the packs with warriors still in battle go back to the battlefield. Others choose to go watch while some take the

    afternoon to let their wolves run or rx. By 4pm, we have gotten to the final 100 warriors. All the warriors from our three packs

    are still in the running. By 6pm, that number has dropped to 50 and some of Rik¡¯s and Liam¡¯s warriors were eliminated by our

    warriors and a couple other warriors that are doing very well are still in the fight. By 8pm, we are down to the final 10. Eli and |

    have five warriors still fighting, Liam has three and Rik has two. All the other

    packs have been eliminated.

    By 10pm, the battles are over. Our warrior, Ezra, came in first, and Eli and | decide we will offer him the Lead Warrior position

    when we return home. Liam''s warrior took second and Rik¡¯s took

    third ce, Liam¡¯s warriors and ours both earned extra points for either taking out their opponent

    with one hit or fighting through their injuries.

    At the end of the day, the rankings sh up on the leader board:

    1st ce: Shadow Falls Pack 230 points

    2nd ce: Safe Haven Pack

    225 points

    3rd ce: Canyon Ridge Pack 140 points

    Throughout the day, | have spotted my father. The toddler | saw him with yesterday is definitely his son. I¡¯ve also seen his mate.

    She¡¯s younger than he is. Not quite as young as | am, but I''d guess in her early 20''s, closer to Angel¡¯s age, meaning my father is

    old enough to be her father. It makes me wonder if she agreed to this mating or if her family forced her into it.

    As I''ve watched, I¡¯ve picked up on certain things. When | was younger, | didn¡¯t understand the dynamics of being a good Alpha.

    My father was strong, and he insisted on showing his strength and dominance to his pack. As a pup, | thought this was a good

    thing. Now, as a Luna and being mated to a strong Alpha, I¡¯ve learned that when you are a powerful Alpha, and you are good to

    your pack, you don¡¯t have to constantly prove yourself to them. When you earn their respect, they ept that you are their

    leader and trust that you will do what''s right for the pack. They don¡¯t constantly challenge you, requiring you to continually prove

    your position. That is what | see when I watch my father. His pack doesn¡¯t trust him, meaning, they don¡¯t respect him.

    | don¡¯t know if that is new, since my mother and | were banished, or if this is always how our pack dynamics were. You see things

    differently as a child than you do as an adult.

    As I''ve watched, I¡¯ve also seen Jack, my father¡¯s Gamma and the one that let my mother and | leave so long ago. | need to try to

    find a way to thank him. If he hadn¡¯t let my mother go. | would most likely be dead.

    When we get back to our cabins, our warriors are celebrating, happy with our showing today. Eli and | check in on all of them to

    make sure they haven''t been harassed by their previous pack members. Some of them had been approached earlier in the day,

    but since everyone realized that there were three Guardians here, they have been left alone.

 Chatper 406

    We let them enjoy their wins. We don¡¯t have anyonepeting tomorrow, and while | want to be there to cheer for Shadow Falls

    and Canyon Ridge, our score will stay the same. Eli lets e

    know how proud he is of them and after mind linking me, he decides to take this opportunity offer the Lead Warrior position to

    Ezra. He epts and the party continues while Eli and | go to our cabin, hearing the partyst until well into the early morning.

    The next day, I¡¯m not surprised when there are only a few of our pack that make it to i breakfast. Today, at least breakfast didn¡¯t

    start until 5:30am as the battles would begin at 7am. Day two of the tournament is the battle of Lead Warriors and Gammas.

    Liam''s new Lead Warrior is fighting

    as well as Trevor and our own Maddison. I''ll be rooting hardest for her, since she came from our

    pack.

    Today starts with a total of 1,790 contestants. Nearly half of yesterdays contestants, but each day, the battles should be tougher.

    We watch the first two rounds again before we break for lunch, As we are walking over to get the babies, Sarah and Aolis, we

    see that there is someone speaking

    to them.

    As we get closer, | hear what he is saying. ¡°What kind of pack associates with humans and¡ªwhat

    are you? A pixie?¡± He sneers at Sarah and Aolis.

    8

    Aolis stands and puts himself in between what | can now smell is a Beta, and the others. ¡°I¡¯m an

    elf, a royal elf.¡±

    The Beta snorts. ¡°Whatever. | don¡¯t know what pathetic pack youe from but go crawl back to

    it before | send you in a body bag.¡±

    I''m about to step forward when | see Cara step up behind the Beta. ¡°Beta. Are you insulting an Elf Prince and my guest?¡±

    He turns, the sneer still on his face. By the quick look of fear that spreads across his face, | have

    to assume that Artemis is shining in Cara¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Gu¡ªGu-Guardian.¡± Even from here | can see his Adam''s apple bobbing nervously.

    ¡°Or perhaps you were threatening my Beta female.¡± Angeles up on his other side. His head

    whips around.

    ¡°Wh, what? No, no.¡± He stutters.

    ¡°Aren''t you going to go over there and help them?¡± | ask Rik and Liam.

    ¡°Why would we insult our mates like that?¡± Rik asks.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Yeah, that would just piss them off.¡± Liam adds. Neither of them has taken their eyes off the scene, but they aren¡¯t moving

    forward to assist either.

    Angel and Cara back the Beta against a wall, effectively cornering him. ¡°Perhaps you need a lesson in manners, Beta.¡± Cara

    says, stressing his title.

    ¡°We were just having a bit of fun, weren¡¯t we?¡± The Beta says, looking at Aolis.

    ¡°That guy is an insult to Betas.¡± Eli says beside me.

    ¡°| told you I think you have Alpha blood. You are more Alpha than Beta.¡± | tell him. Watching the intense scene unfold.

    ¡°| have to agree with Grace. No Beta could havested as long as you did in my dungeons.¡± Liam says to Eli, never taking his

    eyes off his mate.

    ¡°Sometimes, Betas descend from Alphas. They might be the second or third sons of an Alpha, but over time, people forget.¡± Rik

    chimes in, his eyes also never leaving his mate.

    As we watch, Angel and Cara have the Beta basically shaking in his boots. | can¡¯t be sure, but | think he might have pissed

    himself.

    ¡°Is it wrong that I¡¯m turned on right now?¡± Rik says.

    ¡°It''s so fucking hot watching our girls showcase their power.¡± Liam says.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Suddenly, an Alpha is there beside the Beta. As he¡¯s talking to Cara and Angel, Eli tenses beside me. The Alpha pulls his Beta

    away and they begin walking in our direction.

    ¡°| think it¡¯s time to put another pup in my mate.¡± Liam says, walking toward Angel in what | can only describe as a predator going

    after its prey.

    ¡°Seriously? Richie¡¯s only two weeks old.¡± Rik calls after him.

    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s been way too long since she was carrying my pup.¡±

    We watch as he walks up to Angel, picking her up. We hear her giggle before he kisses her passionately, walking them toward

    the surrounding forest.

    As the Beta starts to pass us, Eli reaches out and stops him. ¡°You''re from Red Dawn Pack?¡± He

    asks him.

    He looks from Eli to me. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Eli sucker punches him in the face. ¡°That¡¯s for Carlos. He sends his regards.¡±

 Chatper 407

    Chapter 0407

    When | saw the Alpha of the Red Dawn Pack, | knew immediately from the resemnce it was

    Carlos¡¯s brother. While Carlos was the oldest, without a wolf, his father gave the position to his younger brother. When his

    brother became Alpha, he let Carlos stay in the pack, but chose this asswipe as his Beta. From what | heard from Carlos, this

    guy tormented him relentlessly and his

    brother never did anything to stop it. Based on what | just saw, Carlos wasn¡¯t exaggerating.

    ¡°What the fuck! If my brother has an issue with my Beta or anyone else in my pack, he can take it up

    with me.¡± His brother says, helping his Beta back to his feet.

    ¡°Santiago, right? Well, I''m Carlos¡¯s Alpha, and | was only giving this idiot what he deserves. And you''re a fool for not giving the

    Beta position to your brother. But, hey, your loss is my gain.¡±

    ¡°You took a wolf less man as your Beta? What kind of stupid excuse for an Alpha are you?¡±

    I step up, getting in his face. ¡°The kind that understands that even without a wolf, my Beta can run circles around yours all day,

    every day.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you''ll get lucky enough to test that theory. If they are matched up in the first round. No way Carlossts longer than one

    round without a wolf. Doesn¡¯t matter that he¡¯s an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Lucky for you, | saw the challenger boards for tomorrow before we came over here. My Beta fights your Beta in the first round.

    May the best man win.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he will, and it will be my Beta that wins.¡± Santiago says.

    ¡°Good luck with that, you¡¯re going to need it.¡±

    | watch a moment as they walk away before turning to Grace. ¡°Let''s go, | want to make sure we eat before we head back to the

    battles this afternoon. Maddison is still in the running.¡±

    ¡°You know Carlos can fight his own battles, right?¡± Grace says.

    ¡°Yeah, but that guy had iting. Angel and Cara didn¡¯t hit him, so someone needed to.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    We walk into the dining area and get some food. Just as we¡¯re about to sit down, Carloses

    jogging up.

    ¡°Alpha, did you punch my brother¡¯s Beta?¡±

    ¡°Sure did.¡± | say, taking a bite of food,pletely unphased.

    ¡°May | ask why?¡±

    | look at him. ¡°You mean besides the obvious? He was harassing Sarah and Aolis, threatening

    15 BONO

    them and being a general douchebag. Angel and Cara put him in his ce, but | thought her deserved a broken nose, so | gave

    him one. | might have mentioned that you sent your regards.¡±

    Carlos sits, shaking his head. Then begins shaking withughter. ¡°I wish | had been there.¡±

    ¡°You know you are scheduled to take him on in round one tomorrow, right?¡± | tell him.

    His head pops up, a slow smile spreading across his face. ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    ¡°| expect you to mop the floor with him, Carlos.¡± Grace tells him.

    ¡°I''d consider it a pleasure, Luna.¡±

    tes of food, one for her and one for Carlos

    Amber joins us with two before getting Hope from

    Sarah.

    We chat some more before heading back to the battles. Maddison is doing great. | knew she would, but | can see Trevor''s

    influence on her. She was good before, but he is making her a better warrior.

    At the end of the battles, Maddison hase in third. Our entire pack cheered for her. Liam¡¯s Lead Warrior came in second and

    Trevor came in first. That didn¡¯t surprise me, the guy loves training against the Guardians and does every chance he gets.

    At the end of the day, the day two totals are added to day one and the overall rankings sh up on the leader board:

    1st ce: Shadow Falls Pack 280 points

    2nd ce: Canyon Ridge Pack 240 points

    3rd ce: Safe Haven Pack

    225 points

    Rik¡¯s pack has made a huge jump. I¡¯m surprised that even though we didn¡¯t battle today, we''re still in the top three.

    Grace had walked over to congratte Maddison and | was talking to some of the other warriors. When I turned, | see she¡¯s no

    longer with Maddison. | begin looking around, searching for her.

    | know that Grace can handle herself, but after yesterday and the Alphas all looking like they wanted to steal our mates, Liam,

    Rik and I have been more on edge.

    ¡°She¡¯s over there, talking to that Alpha.¡± Rik says, having seen me looking for her. Without saying it out loud, we''ve all been

    looking out for each other¡¯s mates and pack members.

    When | follow his line of sight, my blood runs cold. She¡¯s talking to her father. | immediately start walking in that direction. The

    look on his face is almost smug.

    +15 BONDS

    When | get close enough, | hear Grace. ¡°You don¡¯t know who | am, do you?¡±

    ¡°Oh honey,¡± he says condescendingly, ¡°everyone here knows you''re a Guardian. | know exactly who you are.¡±

    I step up behind Grace. ¡°Do you now? You think you know my mate?¡± | ask, cing my arm. around her waist, gently embracing

    her so she knows she has my support. Edgar¡¯s mate and son are standing a couple steps behind him, watching the interaction.

    He looks me up and down, apparently not impressed by what he sees, which is hrious because | could take this guy out with

    one punch. He¡¯s well past his prime.

    ¡°| was just exining to your mate, that while | am ttered by her attention thest couple of days, | am a happily mated man.¡±

    He turns back to Grace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you are not happy, my dear, but | can always offer you a ce in my pack. We''d be happy to

    host a Guardian.¡±

    I snort at the irony, but Grace actuallyughs in his face. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    He frowns like she¡¯s lost her mind. ¡°Yes. | would have happy to have you as my Guardian, | just couldn¡¯t take you as my mate.

    You understand, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yes. | understand. | understand perfectly well that you have no idea who | am. Father.¡±

    Cooper Author

 Chatper 408

    Yikes! Looks like the confrontation ising!

    Updates daily.

    The audacity of this man. This man that | once respected, that | looked up to like he was the

    answer to every question | ever had. Now, | see him for what he really is. A washed up, pathetic

    excuse for an Alpha.

    The arrogance of him thinking that | was staring at him because | want him, it¡¯s unfathomable, not

    to mention disgusting.

    | watch his face shut down after | call him father.

    ¡°Of course, | was what, twelve, when you banished me? Do you remember me now?

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°Why, dad?¡± | say the term sarcastically. ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t be patient enough to wait and see if | got my wolf? You couldn¡¯t

    be a good enough father to love me, even if | had never gotten a wolf? Well, surprise, here | am. It¡¯s me, Grace. You banished

    your daughter, a future Guardian. from your pack. Is this starting to ring any bells for you?¡±

    ¡°How dare you?¡± He snarls, his handing up to strike me.

    | grab it in mid-air, refusing to let it go, even after he tries to pull it out of my grip.

    ¡°Does your mate know?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°| guess not, let¡¯s fill her in then, shall we?¡±

    | continue holding his arm in the air as | turn to his mate. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m alive is because my mother fled with me when he

    banished me.¡± | can see the horror filling her eyes. She had no idea of mine or my mother¡¯s existence. | don¡¯t want to hurt her,

    but my father¡¯s lies need to be told. I¡¯m not even sure that the pack really knows what happened.

    ¡°We knew when father finally gave up looking for us. | had to watch for years while my father cheated on the mate bond, slowly

    killing my mother.¡± My father¡¯s mate is clutching her son to her.

    tears rolling down her cheeks.

    ¡°Shut up, you fucking bitch!¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Oh, father. The days of me being intimidated by you are over. The days where you abuse me, are

    over.¡±

    ¡°But do you know what the kicker was? The thing that actually killed my mother? It was when you

    marked your new mate. You knew my mother was still alive and you knew it would kill her, but

    you did it anyway.¡±

    | pull him toward me, so my face is inches from his. ¡°And you did it on my sixteenth birthday. |

    can only guess that was intentional as well.¡±

    | shove him away from me, releasing his arm as he stumbles back.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± He spits the words at me.

    ¡°I''m d you asked.¡± | thought facing my father would be frightening, but instead it¡¯s liberating and it¡¯s helping me see things

    clearly.

    ¡°| want my pack. | am the rightful heir, the pack¡¯s rightful Alpha, and |. Want. My. Pack.¡± | enunciate thest words, Maiaing

    forward putting her strength behind it.

    | hear the gasps of the bystanders around us, watching the interaction.

    ¡°You''ll have to fight me for it.¡±

    ¡°No problem. I''ll be sure to show you the same mercy you showed my mother. You have one week. Alpha.¡± | sneer his title at him

    before turning to his mate, my voice softening.

    ¡°| have no problem with you. You obviously did not know about my mother or me. As long as you don¡¯t try to keep me from taking

    my rightful ce as Alpha, you can remain in the pack. But I¡¯d suggest thinking long and hard about whether you want this man

    to still be your mate when |e for the challenge.¡±

    | turn back to my father. ¡°Because | will kill you for what you did, to my mother, to me and | can only imagine to the pack.¡±

    ¡°You think you can juste here and threaten to take our packs. | don¡¯t care if you are a Guardian, I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡±

    Another Alpha steps forward, having watched the entire interaction. | see some other nodding in agreement.

    Angel and Cara step up beside me. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid of us. But you will respect us.¡± Angel says and she pushes her

    aura, full-strength forcing the Alpha to his knees and making him expose his neck in submission.

    Cara looks out at the group. ¡°Anyone else want to question our strength as Guardians? Grace and | would be happy to show you

    our strengths as well, but we don¡¯t have the ability to direct our aura like Angel. We''d bring you all to your knees.¡± She snarls at

    them, Artemising forward.

    | can see that my father finally understands the situation he is in. He turns his fearful eyes back to

    1. me.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°One week, Alpha.¡± | say and he turns and starts to walk away.

    I stand with my sisters, ready to show our strength if anyone else wants to challenge us. Liami walks up to Angel. He wraps his

    arms around her and rubs his nose through her hair.

    ¡°Baby girl, | think you''ve taught the Alpha a lesson he¡¯s not likely to forget. Release your aura.¡±

    She gives a final snarl before pulling her aura back. The Alpha falls forward, just catching himself with his hands. His Betaes

    up and helps him to his feet before the crowd disperses.

    Elies up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°So, we need to make ns to assimte another pack into our already

    large pack?¡±

    I turn in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. | should have talked to you about it, but | hadn¡¯t realized that was what | wanted until | confronted

    him.

    He puts his forehead against mine. ¡°It¡¯s lucky there are elders here. I''ll talk to them about adding to our packnds. The area

    between ours and the canyon is open, | believe. We will have to borrow the money to buy it, but now that our pack is starting to

    make money, we should be able to

    do it.¡±

    ¡°If not. Liam and | will help.¡± Rik says, havinge over to wrap his arms around Cara.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how many pack members we''re talking about?¡± Eli asks me.

    ¡°One hundred and seventy-five, give or take.¡± A deep voice says behind me.

    ¡°Jack.¡± | pull out of Elis arms. ¡°I owe you a debt of gratitude.¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°No. | should have done more. | didn¡¯t know. | didn¡¯t realize what was happening and as his Gamma, |

    should have.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the pack

    will follow me.¡± | ask him.

    He looks at me for a long moment. ¡°The pack has been miserable for a long time. They will follow you and ept you as their

    rightful Alpha.¡±

 Chatper 409

    After speaking with Jack, Grace and | head back to our cabin. We''re only there for a moment when Angel and Liam knock.

    ¡°May wee in?¡± Angel asks.

    for the

    | stand back, gesturing to enter. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Grace puts on a pot of coffee, and we s

    in the small seating area of the cabin. ¡°You saw my

    interactions with Jude this afternoon at lunch?¡± Angel jumps right in.

    ¡°Yes. He seemed edgy around his Alpha.¡± | say.

    ¡°Alpha Paul. He is the son of the Alpha that was in his position when my family ran from the pack.¡± Angel rifies as Grace

    brings over a tray of coffee, cream and sugar.

    As Grace pours the coffee, Angel continues. ¡°He approached me after lunch. He¡¯s heard of your pack, and he¡¯s been wanting to

    leave the Great River Pack, but he didn¡¯t know where to go.¡±

    She looks at Liam, who nods before she continues. ¡°He¡¯s afraid toe to our pack, thinking his Alpha will look for him there.¡±

    ¡°Not that it would matter, once we make him our pack member.¡± Liam cuts in.

    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want to deal with what my family dealt with, basically being hunted by the pack. He wants to know if he could join

    your pack.¡±

    ¡°My pack, your pack. I¡¯m with Liam, I¡¯m not sure that it matters.¡± | look at Grace. ¡°But we¡¯d be happy to take him and his family

    in.¡± | pause. ¡°Does he understand that our pack is still under construction, and he will have to put a lot of work into it?¡±

    It''s Liam who answers. ¡°I was very clear with him about that. Apparently, they are being taxed nearly to starvation in the pack, so

    being able to build his own home is a very exciting option for

    him.

    | rub my hands down my face. ¡°I was worried about this. We know some of these packs are mistreating their pack members

    because they are now in our pack. | worry that we''ll have an evenrger influx of peopleing to our borders now that they

    know who, what and where we are.¡±

    Grace reaches out, putting her hand on my arm. ¡°We''ll find a ce for anyone that needs it. Everyone deserves a chance. You

    and | both know that.¡±

    | turn back to Angel and Liam. ¡°He and his family are wee. Do you know how he ns to get there? It¡¯s a long way from

    Minnesota to Georgia.¡±

    Angel looks at Liam. ¡°We¡¯re going to help him with that. We just wanted to make sure that you were willing to take them in before

    we told him.¡±

    We talk briefly about the Beta battles tomorrow, Liam and | good naturedly taunting each other. that our Betas will win.

    When they leave. | turn to look at Grace. ¡°We may need to buy all thend between us and Canyon Ridge.¡± | joke.

    ¡°Do you know how muchnd that is?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I''d guess it''s somewhere around 600 acres or one square mile. The reason it takes us to long to run to the canyon is the rocky

    terrain and the mountainous territory.¡±

    She whistles low. ¡°That¡¯s going to cost a lot of money.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Thend isn¡¯t good as the only ce for a pack to settle, but as an add-on, it could work and would give us safety by

    bumping our borders up against Liam¡¯s and Rik¡¯s. The council may be willing to give us a deal because no other pack would

    want thatnd on its own.¡±

    pull my mate to bed. ¡®I''ll talk to the elders after Carlos kicks some Beta butt tomorrow and shows his brother and that nasty piece

    of a Beta what a real wolf looks like.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| can¡¯t wait to see the looks on their faces.¡± My mate agrees before we drift off to sleep.

    The next morning, I¡¯m up and ready, my nerves on high, ready to see Carlos get some payback for his treatment in his previous

    pack.

    We meet at breakfast and Carlos looks cool as a cucumber. His mate, however, looks like she¡¯s about to vomit all over everyone.

    ¡°Amber? Are you okay?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± She says, not looking away from her te.

    Carlos wraps his arm around her, pulling her in so he can kiss the side of her head. ¡°Just do your best, baby. You''ll be amazing,

    no matter what.¡±

 Chatper 410

    ¡°Amber, you''re a great warrior. Why are you so nervous?¡± Grace asks and | swear | see Amber¡¯s lip tremble. If it''s this stressful

    for her topete, I¡¯ll remove her.

    It''s Carlos who answers. ¡°She¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll disappoint both of you.¡±

    ¡°Amber, you''re here. We''re already proud of you. You have nothing to prove to us.¡± Grace says.

    taking her hands.

    Amber looks up at her. ¡°You¡¯ve given me so much and | want to prove that | was worth your time and energy. But I¡¯ve never done

    this before.¡±

    ¡°Amber, | wouldn¡¯t have chosen you if | didn¡¯t think you could handle it. But, if you don¡¯t want topete, | can pull your name

    from thepetition.¡± | tell her.

    Her head whips up. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯mpeting! | just want to make you proud is all.¡±

    ¡°Well, then. No worries, we are already proud.¡±

    After breakfast, we make our way to where Carlos will have his battle. Today, there are only 448 contestants. Any acting Beta,

    retired Beta or person over 18 with Beta blood can battle today, so some packs, like ours, have two contenders.

    ¡°I''ll go cheer on Amber. You stay and watch Carlos.¡± Grace says, knowing | need to be here for

    him. | kiss her before she takes off.

    ¡°Link me and let me know how she does.¡± She turns and winks at me before moving to follow

    Amber to where her battle will take ce.

    | turn back in time to see Carlos enter the ring. He is calm and quiet as he stands, waiting for the fight to begin. As his Alpha, |

    can feel his nerves, but | can also feel how he pushes them aside so he can focus. He¡¯s always been this way and while | love

    having him as my¡ªBeta, he would have.

    made a fantastic Alpha.

    His brother¡¯s Beta, on the other hand, is a show boater. Hees in like this is some sort of

    human boxing match, bouncing around on his feet, shadowboxing around the ring, holding his fists up in the air, trying to get the

    crowd behind him.

    When the fight is called, the other Betaes in hard and fast. Carlos ducks under his swinging

    arm and delivers a punch right to his gut, before turning around ready to go again.

    The Beta is still dancing, but it''s slower, catching his breath. The hit has him rethinking his next move. He wasn¡¯t expecting

    Carlos to be that strong. Carlos gets in a defensive stance and waits

    +15 BONOS

    him out. It only takes a minute before the Betaes in swinging again. Carlos takes a jab to the ribs, but it gives him the

    opportunity to punch the Beta in the face, knocking him to his knees.

    | can hear Santiago yelling at his Beta to get up. He wipes his hand across his lips, spitting blood before getting back to his feet

    and rushing at Carlos again. Carlos side steps him, swinging around to swipe his legs out from under him. When the Beta hits

    the ground, Carlos swings a fist, mming it into his sr plexis. You can hear the air wheezing out of the Beta¡¯s lungs.

    Carlos gets back up, waiting for the man his brother reced him with to get back to his feet. Santiago is threatening his Beta

    that if he doesn¡¯t get up, he''ll lose his position as Beta in the pack. When he stands and turns back to face Carlos, Carlos finally

    speaks.

    ¡°You should have stayed down.¡± This time, Carlos goes on the offensive. He begins punching the Beta mercilessly. He hits his

    gut, his ribs, his kidneys, his head until the Beta falls at his feet.

    ¡°Do you submit?¡± Carlos asks him, his voice even, showing no emotion.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± The Beta says, getting back to his feet, blood dripping from multiple parts of his body.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°| gave you a chance.¡± Carlos says, before going in, swiping his leg and this time, instead of going for the gut, he brings his

    elbow down on the Beta¡¯s knee, dislocating it. There¡¯s an audible pop before the Beta begins screaming.

    The referee calls it and Carlos wins. Our pack cheers and howls for his victory. Carlos turns and walks toward me without giving

    the Beta or his brother another nce.

    Cooper

    Author

    Carlos kicked some Beta butt!

 Chatper 411

    | follow Amber to her fight. Our pack looks like they have divided themselves between Carlos and Amber, but not surprisingly,

    most are watching Carlos. They want to see him take down his

    brother''s Beta.

    Caraes over to stand beside me. ¡°Dustin took his guy down in two hits.¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    She nods her head at Amber. ¡°She ready?¡±

    ¡°| think so. She needs to stop second guessing herself.¡±

    | watch as the Betaing in to fight her smirks at her. He¡¯s easily twice her size.

    ¡°You got this Amber.¡± | call out to her.

    ¡°Yeah, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.¡± Cara chimes in as we start pping for her.

    She''s fighting tough. She¡¯s taking hits but she¡¯s giving plenty as well. Eli and Carlose over to

    join us.

    ¡°How¡¯s she doing Luna?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s good.¡± | raise my voice for Amber to hear. ¡°She needs to stop ying with this idiot and

    show him what Safe Haven Pack is all about.¡±

    ¡°Take him down, baby. Just like we practiced.¡± Carlos yells at her. And there¡¯s something about

    hearing Carlos¡¯s voice that causes a change in her. She immediately goes from defensive to offensive. She¡¯s using her smaller

    size to maneuver around the Beta, pulling him off bnce.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, Amber, just like you did the other day!¡± Carlos encourages her.

    Amber takes a running step, swinging her leg into a roundhouse kick, kicking the Beta in the face and knocking him off bnce.

    As she drops to the ground, she crouches and swings around, punching him on the inside of his upper thigh, just keeping the hit

    legal. Then she spins back around, while he¡¯s still trying to get his bnce and swipes his legs. The Betaes crashing to the

    ground. Her fist reaches out and ms into his gut.

    The Beta turns his head, just as he retches all over the ground. The referee calls the fight and Amber wins.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± Carlos yells, running to her and swinging her around in the air.

    By lunch time, we have the top fifty contestants and by 2pm we¡¯re down to 25. All five of our Betas

    are still in the battle rounds. Lacey and Chase included.

    +15 BONOS

    for the

    Chase takes third ce, losing to Carlos. Dustin wins his battle putting him against Carlos for

    final match.

    This fight is the longest of any fight I¡¯ve seen so far. They are both toughpetitors and worthy of their Beta titles. In the end,

    Carlos defeats Dustin and all three packs cheer for them.

    At the end of the day, the overall rankings for the three-day total sh up on the leader board:

    1st ce: Shadow Falls Pack 380 points

    2nd ce: Safe Haven Pack

    375 points

    3rd ce: Canyon Ridge Pack 365 points

    It wille down to the Alpha battles tomorrow, but | couldn¡¯t be more thrilled. There is no way we aren¡¯t cing in the top three

    in our first trip to the tournament.

    The atmosphere at dinner is more tense that | would have expected. We¡¯re down to thest day tomorrow, Alphas and

    Guardians. As | look around, | see quite a few Alphas are not thrilled at the idea of losing to a female and it¡¯s putting them ina

    foul mood. Having seen Angel''s strength, they know they can¡¯t defeat us.

    The next day, we get up a bit earlier than we have the other days. | want to eat early and let my food digest before my first fight.

    Angel is fighting one of the Alphas that | know is terrorizing his pack members. She''s thrilled to be able to knock him down a few

    pegs.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Eli gives me a kiss before we go our separate ways for our battles. This time, when the pack splits up, it''s even. I¡¯m guessing

    they will continue to switch back and forth to be able to watch both me and Eli in our rounds.

    My first battle is with the Alpha that challenged us the other day, the one that Angel put on his knees in front of everyone. When |

    get there, | see the arrogant Alpha hasn''t learned his lesson. He sneers at me before getting ready to fight. He¡¯s not even a good

    sport about it and refuses to shake hands. That¡¯s fine. He needs another lesson, and he¡¯s about to get it.

    The moment the referee blows the whistle, hees at me. | don¡¯t even pretend to give him a chance. | dodge a blow, aimed at

    my face, kneeling on the ground and using every ounce of power | have, | t-palm punch him in the chest sending him flying

    across the field, outside of the battlefield and into a tree. When someone jogs over to him, they tell the ref that he¡¯s out cold. The

    referee shakes his head but gives me the win. | get extra points for a single-hit win.

 Chatper 412

    ¡°Luna, why didn¡¯t you use a t palm instead of punching him?¡± One of my warriors asks me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | turn to look at them and they are all looking at me, wondering why, ¡°You saw how hard | hit him?¡±

    They nod.

    ¡°If |had punched him, my fist would have gone through his body, and | would have killed him.¡± They all look at me stunned for a

    moment before we head over to Eli¡¯s match. | can see some other Alphas heard the conversation and are looking less than

    thrilled at the second rounds where.

    they are matched up against one of the Guardians.

    As we reach him, Eli pins his opponent, stretching his arm just to the point of dislocation before the Alpha taps out. We cheer for

    Eli and then go to watch the others. By the time we get to them, they are done with their matches, so we wait until all the first¡ª

    round contestants are done before

    the second round begins.

    My second match is an older gentleman, by Alpha standards. Hees over to me before we get

    in the ring. ¡°Guardian. My name is Alpha Christopher. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    I''ve seen him around. His pack seems to respect him and none that | have seen show any fear

    around him. ¡°Alpha Christopher, | am Luna Grace. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my dear. | don¡¯t expect to defeat you today, but I¡¯m very excited to spar with a

    Guardian for what will most likely be the only time in my life.¡± His eyes are sparkling like he just

    got the best present in the world.

    | can¡¯t help but smile at him. ¡°Do you have a son, Alpha Christopher?¡± I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s just in

    thepetition for the fun of it.

    ¡°No, | have a daughter. She hasn¡¯t found her mate yet, so | haven¡¯t been able to pass on the pack to her. Sadly, she¡¯s not strong

    enough to run the pack, and she knows it. She didn¡¯t evene to

    this event because she¡¯s not a warrior.¡± He says as we walk into the ring.

    | decide to give this Alpha a fun sparring session, and that¡¯s what we do. He¡¯s not bad.

    Considering he¡¯s probably my father¡¯s age, he¡¯s actually very strong and spry. We dance around. giving and receiving our hits. |

    make a point to show him where his weaknesses are in his

    defense, and he tightens them up. He gives me a few pointers as well.

    We''re having a great time when | hear Eli behind me. ¡°Grace? What are you doing? This is a

    competition, not a sparring match.¡±

    We stop and Alpha Christopher looks over at Eli before turning back to me. ¡°Well | guess our time

    +15 BONOS

    has ended.¡± He squats down and taps the ground, effectively tapping out. | reach my hand down. to help him up and we walk out

    of the ring together.

    ¡°Thank you, youngdy. That was the most fun I¡¯ve had in years.¡± He tells me as Eli stands, frowning at us both.

    ¡°Alpha Christopher, please meet my mate, Alpha Eli. We run the Safe Haven Pack.¡±

    ¡°Oh Luna, everyone here knew who you were before the end of the first day. But it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Alpha Eli.¡±

    He reaches out and shakes Eli¡¯s hand.

    I

    ¡°Alpha.¡± | say turning back to Alpha Christopher. ¡°We will be having a mate gathering in our pack in a couple of weeks. The three

    packs, Shadow Falls, Canyon Ridge and our pack all join in. Your daughter and any unmated wolves that you have would be

    wee to join. Although | have to warn you that our pack is still under construction. But it¡¯s an opportunity for your daughter to

    find

    her mate.¡±

    He sps his hands together, looking from me to Eli. ¡°That would wonderful. And if rumors are to be believed, you will be

    absorbing another pack around that time as well. Even more opportunity for my daughter to meet her mate.¡±

    | lean in toward him. ¡°You would be wee too, Alpha. And you might just get another chance to spar with a Guardian.¡± | wink

    at him, and | swear he shivers in delight.

    Cooper Author

    Do you remember the brief mention of Alpha Christopher¡¯s daughter in Angel and Liam¡¯s book? Perhaps we''ll see her at the next

    mate gathering.

    6

 Chatper 413

    | can do nothing but shake my head at Grace.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were sparring with that Alpha, notpeting against him.¡±

    She just shrugs it off. ¡°He knew he couldn¡¯t defeat me, but he was excited to spar with a Guardian. He thought it might be his

    only chance, so we had fun with it. Now he¡¯ll get another chance if he brings his daughter to the mate gathering.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that, do you have any idea what chaos you''ve just started? Every unmated male will being to our gathering

    hoping to be the mate of an Alpha female.¡±

    ¡°Why s

    shouldn¡¯t they? You never know where you''ll find your mate and if moree, we''re more

    likely to find other mate matches.¡±

    | grab her arm, stopping her and turning her toward me, before pulling her against me. ¡°I love you.

    You are an amazing woman.¡±

    She wraps her arms around my neck, stretching on her tip toes. ¡°I love you too.¡± She says before kissing me deeply in front of

    everyone. | love when she ims me like this. It makes Louis purr in my chest.

    m Sava h

    ¡°Get a room!¡± | hear and Angel walk up.

    | chuckle, but | release Grace. ¡°Where are Rik and Cara?¡±

    ¡°They went to check on the kids.¡± Liam looks at Grace. ¡°Rik had your dad in thest round. He

    didn¡¯t take him down gently.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± My mate says. ¡°He deserves what he gets.¡±

    Since today is thest day of thepetition, the leader boards are updated starting after lunch

    when there are only 50 Alphas left in thepetition. The six of us have moved through our battles easily. However, simr to

    the other days, the afternoon battles will be harder and will most likelyst longer, at least for Rik, Liam and me. Our mates seem

    to have no problem taking

    down the Alphas. The only time the battle takes longer is if they choose for it to. like with Grace

    and Alpha Christopher.

    As the afternoon progresses, it ends up being the six of us, in the final rounds. Since we refuse to

    battle against our mates, they put Angel against Rik, Cara against me, and Grace against Liam.

    These battlesst the longest. Not only do we not want to hurt the others, but our strength is

    increased because our mates are Guardians.

    In the end, our mates defeat us. Grace had the hardest time against Liam. He is the strongest Alpha I¡¯ve ever met, but Grace is

    the strongest Guardian. It was a good match up and think both

    of them were happy with the oue.

    The leader boards update to show the final stats before thest rounds:

    1st ce: Shadow Falls Pack 650 points

    2nd ce: Canyon Ridge Pack 640 points

    3rd ce: Safe Haven Pack 620 points

    I''m thrilled. The final battle between the Guardians will solidify who wins, but the scores are so

    close that it could be considered a three-way tie. Regardless, Safe Haven has now made a name

    for itself. We may be new, but we are strong.

    | walk over to where the judges are talking with Grace, Angel and Cara. Rik and Liem have already made their way over to them

    and | see them standing with their hands on their hips. As | walk up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | understand why they look that way.

    ¡°We''re not doing it.¡± Cara says.

    ¡°| refuse to fight my sisters.¡± Angel repeats.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we take the scores as they are now. We all agree, that¡¯s fair. Grace adds.

    The judges, werewolf elders, are shaking their heads. ¡°That is not how thepetition is run. You

    have to fight to the end.¡±

    ¡°Says who?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we''ve already established that our three packs are, by far, the strongest. Who cares which

    of us is considered the strongest.¡±

    Suddenly, | hear an explosion and the ground under us shakes. | rush up to Grace just as | hear another explosion. | turn and

    see that there is a fire on the other side of the battlefields. As |

    watch, explosions start to go off all around us, effectively encircling the entire group of

    werewolves in the battlegrounds.

    Grace. Cara and Angel lift their noses into the air. ¡°HUNTERS! They shout as one. just as the

    bullets start flying.

    Grace begins turning around in a circle. her nose still in the air as chaos breaks out around us.

    People are running in every direction, shifting and going after the hunters.

    ¡°Grace, what are you doing?¡± Cara asks her.

    ¡°There are over 1000 hunters out there. | can¡¯t get an exact number, but we¡¯re surrounded.¡±

    As one, we begin running to where we left Sarah, Aolis and the babies. Hunters starting at us, aiming guns at everyone. |

    jump and shift, taking down a hunter. Angel is throwing her aura out attacking individual hunters, but Grace and Cara can¡¯t use

    their aura as they will take out wolves along with hunters if they aren¡¯t careful.

    Up ahead, I can see Amber is running to get to Hope. As a hunter pulls a bow back, aiming at her. Carlos jumps on him,

    snapping his neck.

    When we get to where the babies are, | can see a shimmering glow around the group. Aolis is doing something that has created

    a protective barrier around them. | don¡¯t know what it is, but it is protecting the babies and Sarah. Sarah, however, isn¡¯t sitting by

    idly. She has knives and she is throwing them with deadly uracy at the hunters.

    As one, we circle our little group, protecting the pups as well as Aolis and Sarah even though they

    are holding their own. Angel pushes her aura around them, strengthening the barrier that was already created by Aolis. Grace

    and Cara shift, as arrows and bullets fly past us, bouncing off

    Angel''s and Aolis¡¯ barriers.

    The sounds of battle are everywhere. Smoke from the bombs fills the air with an acrid, metallic

    smell, burning my nose and eyes. There may only be a thousand hunters, but they have the

    element of surprise. They took down quite a few wolves with their bombs and the initial gunfire.

    of

    While it may be difficult to see and smell, the hunters are easily spotted. Even though most of the

    werewolves have shifted, those that haven¡¯t stand out because they aren¡¯t wearing gas masks.

    As | watch, | see that the hunters have created their own wall. All around us, the hunters are

    standing shoulder to shoulder, and they are pushing their way forward. As they do, they are pushing us back until eventually, we

    will have no where else to run. It gives new meaning to the term ¡®shooting fish in a barrel¡¯. We''ll be easy targets.

    ¡°Grace, they are surrounding us and trying to pin us down. Can you push your aura and take out arge group of them?¡± | mind

    link her.

    Maia turns and sees what | see. Grace shifts back, turning to Cara. ¡°Cara, we need to knock down

    that wall.¡± She says pointing to the hunters still pushing forward. Cara shifts.

    ¡°Take my hand, pull on my strength.¡± Cara tells her.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know how. I¡¯ve barely practiced pulling your strength because of the pregnancies. You

    pull on mine.¡± Grace tells her.

    +15 BONOS

    Cara does and | watch as she throws a punch of power at the hunters. Nearly 50 drop-to the ground, dead. Unfortunately, all it

    did was bring attention to us. All the hunters near us turn and

    set their sights on our little group.

    Cooper Author

    The hunters are back! Updates ur daily.

    5

 Chatper 414

    Fear, | have never felt such fear in my life. I''ve been afraid many times. | was afraid when my mother started having her

    ¡®episodes¡¯. | was afraid when my mother died, and | was alone world. And | was afraid when | was being hunted across the

    country by Alphas wanting to force

    me into a mate bond.

    But this? This isn¡¯t fear for me. This is fear for my mate. Fear for my sisters standing beside me. Fear for my pack, and fear for

    the innocent pups huddled behind me.

    How dare they? How dare these hunterse to take what is mine? How dare they threaten the

    happiness that Eli and | have worked so hard to create?

    And as Cara sts them with our power and they turn their attention toward us, my fear turns to anger. A fiery inferno of anger.

    They do not get to take what is mine. They do not get to take the happiness of my people who have worked so hard to find a

    better life, to make a better life for

    themselves. They, who havee to take everything from me, will have everything taken from them today.

    | grip Cara¡¯s hand in mine, pulling her strength. She feels the change and her head whips around

    to look at me.

    I''ve heard that people who can see auras say that individual auras have different colors. | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same, but where

    my strength feels like it''s a bright red, Cara¡¯s feels orange to me. It blends easily with mine, creating a new color, something

    lighter than mine but darker than hers.

    When | feel a hande onto my shoulder, | know that Angel has joined our connection. Her color is blue, a cooling color. But

    rather than mute our fire, her blue bleeds into our reddish orange. making it purple, something powerful, yet malleable.

    | look around the circle again, finding the hunters, before closing my eyes. In my mind. | can see them as if they are shining

    beacons, just like when | ¡®count¡¯ with my smell The wer dark, and | work to separate them quickly from the light. When | open my

    eyes, | know that M is shining brightly in them. | feel her energy and | pull from the strength of my sisters

    I''m not sure what the hunters see in me, but as one they begin firing off their guns and arrows now almost solely focused on the

    three of us.

    ¡°You will not take what is mine!¡± | shout at them, my voice deep with Maia¡¯s oveying. | raise my arms, Cara¡¯s hand still held

    tightly in mine and the st of power thates from me is like nothing | have ever felt before. | scream as it leaves me, feeling

    like a freight train is rushing out of

    my body.

    | feel Angel drop behind me, feel Cara drop beside me, breaking the connection and leaving me feeling empty, left with nothing

    but darkness. | stagger, several bullets finding their mark in my body, as | copse. Before | hit the ground, Eli is there, catching

    me.

    ¡°Grace! Grace!¡± | hear Eli calling my name, but | can¡¯t respond. My strength is gone, my mind feels like it is floating.

    ¡°Medic!¡± | hear someone yell beside me.

    ¡°Hang on Luna, you¡¯re not dying today.¡± Another voice, Carlos maybe.

    ¡°Grace, baby, listen to my voice. Stay with me. Stay with me.¡± | can feel Eli¡¯s hands on my face, his touch grounding me.

    ¡°Get the silver out of them. They have an immunity to silver, but they were all hit several times. They won''t heal with the bullets in

    them.¡±

    The sounds of chaos is still all around. People yelling for help from all different directions. | can hear the babies screaming, hear

    someone trying to soothe and quiet them. ¡°Are they okay? Are they injured?¡± Someone, possibly Rik, asks.

    ¡°The babies are fine, nothing got past Aolis¡® barrier.¡± Someone, Sarah maybe, responds.

    ¡°And Aolis?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s weak, but fine.¡±

    | can hear Liam and Rik talking to Cara and Angel, saying simr things that Eli is saying to me.

    ¡°Okay, where are her bullet wounds?¡± Someone whose voice | don¡¯t recognize asks next to me. | barely feel it as the person

    starts removing the bullets from my body. However, when they are all gone, | feel the shift inside. My body can now start healing

    itself.

    ¡°Grace, can you open your eyes for me?¡± No, | can¡¯t.

    | feel Eli''s hand take mine. ¡°Can you squeeze my hand?¡± | try, but nothing happens.

    | hear someone suck in a huge mouthful of air, like they are taking their first breath in way too

    long.

    ¡°Angel! Oh, little angel. You scared me.¡±

    ¡°I''m okay. I¡¯m okay. Grace drained my power and energy, but I¡¯m okay. | just needed a minute to

    recover.¡±

    ¡°They both lost consciousness too?¡± Angel asks, realizing that Cara and | are unconscious around

    her.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Cara dropped right after you. Grace right after that.¡±

    ¡°They''ll be okay. | could hear everything, | just couldn¡¯t move. I¡¯m guessing they can hear everything going on around us as well.

    My healing power just helped me heal faster than them.¡±

    ¡°Baby, if you can hear me, I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Eli says, stroking my cheek.

    ¡°Did it work? Did whatever Grace do work?¡± Angel asks.

    It''s quiet for a moment. ¡°It looks like it.¡±

    ¡°Cara!¡± Rik exims.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think you were getting rid of me so easily, did you Alpha?¡± Cara¡¯s exhausted voice. drifts to me.

    | hear a muffled response from Rik. I¡¯m guessing he has his face buried in her neck.

    ¡°Angel is right, | could hear everything. Grace will be okay Eli. | feel weak, but I¡¯m good.¡±

    | hear footsteps approaching. ¡°Alphas.¡± Another voice | don¡¯t recognize. ¡°Most of the hunters are dead. A couple escaped but¡±

    There¡¯s a brief pause. ¡°But?¡±

    Well, the hunters, they... they¡¯re in pieces. It¡¯s almost like they were put through a woodchipper. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±

    ¡°She pulled a lot of power, she basically drained us and most likely herself.¡± Cara says.

    | gasp as | feel light pump back into my body. | go from feeling heavy and unable to move to just feeling weak and sore.

    ¡°Grace!¡± I''m immediately in Eli¡¯s arms, his face in my neck, breathing deeply. | wrap my arms around him, holding on to him.

    ¡°I''m okay. Like Angel and Cara said, | could hear you, but | couldn¡¯t move.¡± | tell him, letting his scent and the mate bond

    continue to heal my aching body.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    | turn and look at my sisters. ¡°Are you both okay? I¡¯m sorry, | didn¡¯t know | was pulling too much.¡±

    ¡°We''re fine.¡± Angel says from her position in Liam¡¯sp. ¡°I think we''ll have to train some more with Ailduin so you can control how

    much you pull from us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, | feel tired, but I¡¯m good.¡± Cara says from Rik¡¯sp.

    ¡°So it worked? | was able to direct the blow to the hunters and protect the werewolves?¡± ¡°So¡ªit |

    ¡°It worked.¡± Eli says. ¡°The Guardians of the Realm saved us today.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    Cooper Author

    Hey everyone! I¡¯ve been sick all week and I¡¯m behind, but I''ll have another chapter up for youter today. What do your think of

    the Guardian¡¯sbined power?

    6

 Chatper 415

    | knew Guardians were powerful. Every werewolf hears about the Guardians at a young age. There is a reason Alphas covet

    them. But, knowing they are powerful and actually seeing the results of that power are very different.

    Watching Grace take down nearly 1000 hunters all at once was mind boggling. Knowing that she has that much power and the

    ability to pull that kind of power from Cara and Angel makes me wonder if it¡¯s hard for Grace to house that inside her. Does it just

    lay dormant until it¡¯s needed, or

    does it fester needing an outlet?

    Those are thoughts for another day. Right now, my mate needs me. ¡°How do you feel, baby?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve been hit by a truck.¡±

    ¡°Let''s get you back to the cabin.¡±

    ¡°But there are people here who need us. What about our pack members? Are all of them safe? Were any injured?¡± Grace asks.

    Of course, she puts the pack ahead of herself.

    I''m about to tell her I''ll handle it after | have her safely in bed, when Carlos and Ambere

    jogging up after checking on our pack mates.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Luna. Are you alright?¡± Amber asks.

    ¡°Yes, do you know anything about our pack members?¡±

    ¡°We do have a few injured. None were killed, thankfully. That¡¯s not the case with all the packs. Several packs have lost their

    Betas, and some have lost their Alphas.¡± Carlos answers.

    He looks around, running his hands through his hair. ¡°We had the intel, but we didn¡¯t know what it meant. All we knew was that

    they were nning something big.¡± He turns back looking at me.

    This is big.¡±

    ¡°Yes, itis.¡±

    ¡°Were any of the elders injured?¡± Liam asks.

    ¡°No, they were protected by the others. It will take time for the packs to settle after this. The ones. that lost their Alphas will have

    to establish a new hierarchy or be absorbed into other packs.¡±

    I stand, picking Grace up in the process, holding her bridal style in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m going to take

    Grace to the cabin then I''ll be back to help clean up.¡±

    ¡°Ell, | need to help.¡±

    ¡°Grace, you, Cara and Angel just saved our lives. Now you need to rest, and we can clean this up. We have a long night ahead

    of us, and a long drive home tomorrow. You rest and get your

    strength back, baby.¡±

    It seems Liam and Rik have the same idea, but they, at least, have the babies to encourage their mates to go rest. | don¡¯t like

    leaving Grace alone, but after she assures me she''ll shower and get in bed, | head back to the battlefields.

    It''s a long night of cleaning up. The elder who told us the hunters looked like they were put through a woodchipper wasn¡¯t far off

    the mark. If | hadn¡¯t seen it, I¡¯m not sure | would have believed it. We burn the remains, making sure that there is nothing that the

    humans can recover. We don¡¯t want the human police toe sniffing around our packs.

    The elders are in charge ofing up with a scenario to exin the explosions and fires in the state park. Liam, Rik and | make

    a point to talk to the packs that lost someone, but most importantly, those that lost their Alphas. Those packs will be feeling lost

    without their leader. Some have younger sons or brothers of the Alpha that can step in and take over, but a couple will be in

    turmoil while the pack fights to re-create a hierarchy. They are also at risk of being attacked by neighboring Alphas trying to take

    over their packs. Both Grace¡¯s father and Alpha Christopher survived the attack. | make a mental note to let Grace know.

    When we finish, | quickly shower and slide into bed with my mate, getting a couple hours of sleep before we leave to head back

    home.

    In the morning, the elders call an Alpha meeting before we leave. They want us to report anything we hear about the hunters.

    Their move on us during the tournament is unprecedented. They have be aggressive in their attack on us. | bring up the

    recent attack on our neighboring sprites. Rik agrees to talk to King Ailduin and see if he has heard of any other attacks on the

    fae. Liam tells the group that we will ask any other supernaturals thate to swear fealty to the Guardians if they are having

    issues with the hunters.

    We also discuss the rumors that some werewolves have been taken-captive. Several Alphas indicate that they feel that their

    pack members have been captured, but they haven''t been able to lind where they are being held. A video call is scheduled for

    two weeks from today to discuss any further information that can be gained.

    -15 BONOS

 Chatper 416

    Chapter 0416

    The ride home is long, made longer because of the stress of how the tournament ended.

    Thankfully, Grace is feeling better, and Cara and Angel agreed they are as well. That, at least, isn¡¯tOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    something | need to worry about. Our injured pack members have mostly healed overnight. Those that haven''t will see Sirona

    when we get back. | check in with Noah, letting him know what happened and that we''re on our way back. Everything seems fine

    back at the pack, so that also

    helps me to rx.

    Grace, sensing my stress,ys her head on my chest. | can feel her fatigue through the bond. She may be feeling better, but

    she¡¯s still feeling the effects of her power surge yesterday. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the right description of what happened, but that¡¯s

    what it felt like. As she leans against me, | wrap my arms around her, getting settled so she can sleep against me. | lean my head

    back and allow myself to fall asleep.

    When we arrive back at the packhouse, | call a meeting with the ranked members and include Ezra as our new Lead Warrior and

    excuse Sirona so she can take care of the injured we brought home. After Noah congrattes Ezra, we get down to business.

    ¡°You all know we were attacked by hunters at the tournament. There were a lot of them, Grace says over a thousand, but we

    know that is a small numberpared to how many there are nationwide. Rik, Liam and | talked about it. We believe that the

    Guardians are now a target. The hunters have seen their power and unfortunately, a couple escaped. They will report back to

    their leaders, and we believe they wille for them.¡±

    ¡°They won''t get our Luna.¡± Carlos says, echoing everyone¡¯s sentiment.

    ¡°No, they won''t. But in order to make sure we keep everyone safe, we will be increasing border patrols. | will be speaking with

    our sprite friends and asking them to check in with us daily on anything they see out of the ordinary.¡±

    ¡°About that,¡± Noah says, ¡°you probably want to have a conversation with Alexander first thing tomorrow morning.¡±

    | frown. ¡°Something | should know?¡±

    ¡°Do we have a problem with the sprites?¡± Grace asks, concerned.

    ¡°Just an interesting development in the sprite situation. It''s better if you speak to Alexander.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Also, your Luna has challenged her father for her old pack. We expect that she will win, and we will be assimting arge

    number of wolves in the near future.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | watch as everyone looks at each other.

    ¡°Where are we going to put them?¡± Amber asks.

    ¡°| spoke to the elders. We are purchasing thend between our pack and Liam and Rik¡¯s packs. We will effectively close our

    borders, connecting to theirs, on two sides. This will offer extra protection for all our packs. It will also leave the canyon in

    between the three packs as amon area where we can have pack gatherings and a ce for pack members to meet and

    interact

    together.¡±

    ¡°We can put many of them in the packhouse while they are building their homes. We will ask others if they are willing to open

    their homes while the houses are being built. At the rate we¡¯re building, it shouldn¡¯t be more than a couple of months.¡± Grace

    adds.

    ¡°Where will we get the money to pay for thend?¡± Noah asks.

    ¡°Thend was going to be cheap anyway given the terrain, but after speaking with the elders, if we give them thend from

    Grace¡¯s father¡¯s pack, they will consider it an equal trade. They are getting more usablend in the deal, but we are getting more

    land overall.¡±

    ¡°Luna, what if some refuse to follow you? While we all respect you here, not all wolves will be willing to follow an Alpha female.¡±

    Carlos says.

    ¡°Our understanding from my father¡¯s Gamma is that the pack is unhappy. So, while the move may be difficult for some, | believe

    that they will be happy to relocate.¡±

    ¡°And anyone unwilling to follow your Luna will be forced to go rogue or try to find another pack that will ept them.¡± | add.

    ¡°We''ll be making a formal announcement to the pack tomorrow night. I''ll send out a pack link in the morning. We have a lot to go

    over and a lot of changes still toe.¡± | say as we finish the meeting.

    ¡°So, technically, you''ll both be Alphas.¡± Noah says as we all start walking out,of the office.

    | look at my mate, wrapping my arm around her waist. ¡°We already are.¡±

 Chatper 417

    The next morning. | was feeling much more like myself. When Eli and | went down to breakfast, | saw immediately what Noah

    meant about the ¡®sprite situation¡¯. Leni and Lna were tall. They still glowed like sprites, but they are walking beside

    Alexander standing over five feet tall if |

    had to quess.

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace, Lady Luna Grace.¡± They both exim excitedly before embracing me in the bright light of their arms and

    bodies.

    ¡°Oh¡¯ | say, unused to such effusive affection before wrapping my arms around them in an awkward hug.

    ¡°Girls, let Luna Grace breathe.¡± Alexander says and they immediately release me and step back. He wraps an arm around each

    one as they nk him.

    ¡°What? How?¡±

    ¡°Look! Look!¡± They say, pulling their hair aside and showing me their mate marks. A slow smile spreads across my face.

    ¡°You''re mated!¡± | say, happy for their excitement.

    ¡°Yes! Alexander and Fynn wanted us as their mates.¡± They turn their adoring eyes to Alexander who kisses first one then the

    other.

    ¡°I''m very happy for you, but how are you..tall?¡±

    ¡°Oh, when we have someone that wants us...¡±

    ¡°Someone who wants to be our mate forever...

    ¡°Then we can take on their form..

    ¡°Simr to how you shift into a wolf...

    ¡°We can now shift into a human.¡±

    ¡°Alexander said the human side is better than the wolf...¡±

    ¡°Easier for us to go out in public-

    ¡°Easier for us to mate...¡±

    ¡°So that is the form we chose.¡±

    | step forward, taking one of each of their hands in mine, trying to stop the barrage of informationing from them. Alexander, |

    note, doesn¡¯t seem overwhelmed at all. He looks perfectly content

    and happy.

    | nce at him before turning to the sprites. ¡°Did Alexander exin to you what it means to be

    mated to a werewolf?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We are his.¡±

    ¡°And he is ours.¡±

    We don¡¯t share our lighText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    with anyone else.¡±

    ¡°And he doesn¡¯ty with anyone but us.

    ¡°Well, we can share our light with Fynn.¡±

    ¡°But they are really the same.¡±

    ¡°We love Fynn as much as Alexander.¡±

    Fynn starts purring at this announcement and the twins shiver in excitement. Oh goddess, they may look different, but they are

    justrger versions of the sprites they have always been.

    ¡°Alpha Eli and | are very happy for all of you.¡± | say because | know Eli is gritting his teeth. The bouncing conversation gets on

    his nerves.

    ¡°Alexander, have you given any consideration to where the three of you will live?¡± Eli asks him.

    ¡°Actually, Alpha, | wanted to talk to you about moving the location of my home. The girls would like to be closer to their families

    and | wanted to see if we could look to build closer to the forest. know Thomas and T have been thinking the same thing, if

    that¡¯s possible.¡±

    Eli nods. ¡°Let¡¯s talk tomorrow. Luna Grace and | have several announcements that may impact our discussion. We''ll be having a

    pack meeting tonight.¡±

    They walk off and we go to get our food. ¡°I was wondering how that whole mate thing would work. | guess now we know.¡± | say to

    Eli.

    During breakfast, Eli mind links the pack, letting them know about our gathering tonight. | go to Cammy and make sure that we

    are set for food to feed the entire pack. She tells me that she''ll have to increase the food she was nning because as houses

    are being built and with food avable at the market, some pack members are choosing to cook and eat in their own homes

    After double checking our food supplies. | head out to the garden.

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace, Lady Luna Grace.¡±

    turn as the twinse flitting up to me. Even taller, they look more like they are floating than

    walking.

    ¡°Alexander said we should ask you what we can do to help in the pack.¡±

    ¡°Yes, now that we are part of the pack, we want to help.¡±

    | think for a moment. ¡°What can you do?¡±

    They look at each other,

    ¡°We can fly.¡±

    ¡°We can glow in the dark.¡±

    ¡°We can make nts grow.¡±

    ¡°We can.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± | say, holding up a hand. ¡°You can make nts grow?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes.¡±

    ¡°It''s easy.¡±

    ¡°We''re sprites, after all.¡±

    ¡°So, you could help our garden grow?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± They both nod.

    ¡°Let''s go see what you can do.¡± | say before taking them into the garden.

    Victoria is working this morning. ¡°Hi Victoria. Have you met Leni and Lna?¡±

    ¡°Not specifically. Nice to meet you both.¡±

    ¡°You as well.¡± Leni says, but her attention is on the garden.

    ¡°You did all this?¡± Lna says, also looking around the garden.

    Victoria frowns, looking at me. ¡°There are several of us that work in the garden.¡±

    As we watch, the twins begin walking through the nts, their fingers barely brushing against the nts as they pass. As they

    touch them, the nts seem to perk up, their color bing brighter, standing taller and the fruits and vegetables growing on

    them seems to get bigger in

    front of our eyes.

 Chatper 418

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Victoria says in awe.

    | have to agree. | knew they were forest sprites, but | didn¡¯t know that meant the nts would respond to them like this.

    When they return to us, they are looking over the garden happily.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Victoria asks them.

    ¡°nts are living things.¡±

    ¡°They work hard, all the time.¡±

    ¡°To grow and to produce food for others.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, they get tired.¡±

    ¡°Or sad.¡±

    ¡°So, we gave them a little boost with our light.¡±

    ¡°And made them happy again.¡±

    ¡°Well, you''re hired.¡± | tell them.

    They turn to me. ¡°Hired to do what?¡± They ask excitedly.

    ¡°You''re now in charge of keeping our garden happy.¡±

    They both start jumping up and down excitedly, pping their hands.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so great.¡±

    ¡°We''d love to keep the nts happy.¡±

    ¡°Alexander will be so proud of us.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he''ll lick us again.¡±

    ¡°Or do that thing with his hands.¡±

    ¡°Or that thing with...¡±

    +

    ¡°OKAY!¡± | say loudly, cutting them off before | have to hear any more about what Alexander might

    do with them. ¡°You can discuss that with Alexanderter, preferably in private.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Luna Grace.¡±

    ¡°Nice meeting you Lady Victoria.¡±

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°We''ll be back tomorrow to see the nts.¡± They say as they go off, presumably to find Alexander.

    After they walk away, Victoria and | look at each other before we both burst intoughter. ¡°Well, it¡¯s never boring in this pack.¡±

    Victoria says, pulling off her gloves.

    ¡°And let''s be honest. I¡¯ve never seen a garden that looked this incredible. They might be a bit strange, but you can¡¯t deny that

    they are useful.¡± | say, before turning to head back inside.

    As | get close to the back of the packhouse, | see part of our flower bed with flowers that are alternating between looking dead

    and looking beautiful. | step over and see T hiding among the flowers. | hear her sniffle and the flower begins to die before

    she touches it, and it perks back up

    again.

    ¡°T?¡±

    She startles at my voice. ¡°Oh, Lady Luna Grace. Good morning.¡± She quickly wipes her eyes

    before looking up at me.

    ¡°T, what are you doing out here in the flowers?¡± | ask, sitting down on the edge of the flower

    bed.

    ¡°I''m sorry, is this a bad ce for me to be?¡± She says, starting to stand up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°No, no.¡± | say quickly. ¡°You''re wee to stay here as long as you want. But why are

    crying.¡±

    you here.

    She sits back down and sniffles some more before answering. ¡°You saw Leni and Lna?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they have a human size now that they''ve mated with Alexander.¡±

    She nods, not looking at me. She reaches out to touch the wilting flower again. ¡°I¡¯m very happy for them. This is what they¡¯ve

    always wanted. What we all want. To be loved forever, to be good mates.¡± She sniffles again.

    ¡°Did something happen between you and Thomas?¡± | ask gently.

    ¡°No. Thomas is wonderful. He¡¯s very kind and so sweet to me.¡± She says, touching another wilting

    flower.

    ¡°Then, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I''m broken.¡± She says and her voice breaks.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Oh. T.¡± Without thinking about it, | reach out and take her in my hands, sitting her in myp like a child, wrapping my arm

    around her. ¡°Thomas knew you didn¡¯t have your wing before he

    mated with you. He knew what he was getting into.¡± | tell her.

    She leans her head against my chest, picking at her strange clothing. ¡°But now he¡¯s seen what

    can happen when we''re not broken.¡±

    She lifts her head and looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m happy for my friends, truly | am. | just wish | could be a true mate to Thomas too. He¡¯s

    been so good to me, but I can never take another form because I¡¯m

    missing my wing.¡±

    ¡°Luna! Luna, have you seen.¡± A panicked Thomases running up to me. When he sees T

    in myp he stops.

    ¡°T, I''ve been looking everywhere for you.¡± He says, gently pulling her from myp.

    As she starts crying, he holds her close. ¡°T. I''m sorry, | didn¡¯t know. It¡¯s okay T, | don¡¯t care that you can¡¯t change form.¡±

    ¡°I''m going to let you two talk.¡± | say, running my hand down T¡¯s hair.

    ¡°But just remember T, wolves mate for life. Thomas doesn¡¯t care about anything other tha having you in his life. You are the

    most important thing to him.¡± She nods her head against hi

    neck.

    ¡®Thank you, Luna.¡± Thomas mouths to me. | nod before turning to head inside.

    | need to speak to King Ailduin. | want to know if there is a way that we can heal T.

    Cooper

    Author

    Two of the three sprites are mated. Poor T.

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 419

    When Grace goes to check on the packhouse, | grab hold of my patience and head to the border. When | get there, | can see

    that there are a bunch of sprites racing beside the patrols as they run the borders. | can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re ying or trying to help.

    | walk up to the border. ¡°Funichio? Fane?¡± | call. | have no idea how to get their attention, but based on everything I¡¯ve learned

    about them, their fascination with us would keep them close to

    our borders.

    ¡°Sir Alpha Eli!¡± They exim excitedly as they rush over to where | am.

    ¡°Good morning. | wanted to speak with you about some disturbing things that have happened and ask for your assistance.¡±

    After filling them in about the hunters and getting their very enthusiastic agreement to meet with one of the ranked members

    every day to give us an update on any strange sightings. | head back to the packhouse.

    When | get back, | have the contract for thend from the elders. | call Carlos over and look at thend lines to make sure it

    meets the criteria we need to build with the addition of Edgar Winter''s pack. By the time we have reviewed thend and identified

    areas where we can build homes, it''s afternoon and getting close to the time of the pack meeting.

    | head upstairs and find Grace getting ready as well. | walk over, taking her in my arms and kissing her briefly before heading to

    our closet. ¡°How was your day?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She tells me about her concern for T and wanting to speak to Ailduin. ¡°You need to continue your training with him and your

    Guardian sisters. As much as you were able to do the other day, it took a toll on all three of you. If, or when, theye back, |

    don¡¯t want it to drain you like that. Why don¡¯t we have him toe here next time. That way he can see T and you can get

    some training in.¡±

    ¡°Tl call him first thing in the morning. How about you? Are you ready for this pack meeting? There¡¯s a lot to tell our people.¡±

    ¡°I''m ready. Our pack is resilient and flexible. I¡¯m not too worried about how they will respond to taking on your father¡¯s pack. I¡¯m

    more concerned about the hunters. | did speak to Funichio and Fane. They will watch the forest and report daily to us.¡±

    As Grace and | walk out back to get on the stage that has been set up for our pack meeting. | can smell the food cooking in the

    kitchen. ¡°Something smells delicious.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Cammy is amazing. She''s doing a great job.¡±

    As we walk outside, we can see that the mood is calm, rxed. Our pack members are talking

    andughing with each other. | take Grace¡¯s hand and we move to the stage.

    ¡°|

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone.¡± | say to get their attention.

    | receive a chorus of ¡°Good afternoon, Alpha¡¯ in return.

    ¡°We have much to discuss this afternoon. Some very good things and some not so good things. Afterward, our kitchen staff have

    put together a fantastic smelling dinner, so please n to stay and have dinner in the dining hall.¡±

    ¡°First, as you know, 20 of us went topete in the Tournament of the Moon Goddess. While we do not have the final rankings, |

    am please to announce that Safe Haven Pack ced in the top three.¡± Cheering and howling followed this announcement.

    | gesture to Carlos. ¡°Your own Beta, Carlos, took first ce in the Betapetition.¡± More cheering, howling and this time, back

    thumping of Carlos.

    ¡°In addition, Warrior Ezra won on the warrior day against over 3300 warriors who participated. from all over the nation. Because

    of this, he has been named our Lead Warrior.¡± The back thumping shifts to Ezra along with more cheering and howling.

 Chatper 420

    Chapter 0420

    ¡°Your Luna and | are very proud of our pack and the showing of our members. No one will

    question the validity of our pack now.¡±

    ¡°However, many of you may have heard that we were attacked by hunters on thest day of the tournament.¡± A collective gasp.

    Apparently, several pack members hadn''t heard that bit of news. In a well-nned, tactical attack, over 1100 hunters attempted

    to take out all ranked members of the North American packs. What they didn¡¯t expect was toe up against three Guardians.¡± |

    turn to Grace, pulling her into my side.

    ¡°Your Luna with her Guardian sisters saved the lives of countless wolves two days ago. Unfortunately, several hunters escaped.

    We can expect that they will go to their leaders and report on the power and strength of the Guardians. When they do, they will

    come for your Luna and her sisters.¡± This elicited snarls and growls from the crowd. | raise my hands for quiet.

    ¡°Your new Lead Warrior, Ezra, is responsible for doubling our patrols. In addition, we will need to clear out and supply the old

    safe rooms and bunkers. | know that we are all very busy. You''ve all been working extremely hard to bring this pack back to its

    former glory. You have all pitched in and helped each other and I¡¯m asking that you continue to work together to prepare our

    pack in the event that we are attacked.¡± Not surprisingly, most everyone nods, and | don¡¯t hear any grumbling. Our pack

    members are used to having to work hard every day. At least now they are. getting some benefit from it.

    ¡°Any questions so far?¡± | field a few questions, letting them know that Grace and Summer will be in charge of setting up the

    cleaning and supply ns for the bunkers and safe rooms.

    ¡°Next, you all know that your Luna is an Alpha female by birth. Her father banished her when she was 12 because she didn¡¯t

    have her wolf. While we were at the tournament, your Luna challenged her father over rights to his pack.¡± There is absolute

    silence as everyone turns their attention from me to Grace.

    ¡°We expect that your Luna will win the battle and therefore, we will be absorbing nearly 175 additional pack members in the next

    couple of weeks. | know that this will make things crowded for awhile and it will be an adjustment on both sides. We have made

    an agreement with the werewolf elders to obtain thend between us and the Canyon Ridge and Shadow Falls packs. Our

    borders will now bump up against theirs. The elders agreed that if we give them the packnds from your Luna¡¯s previous pack,

    they will give us thend we¡¯ve requested in an equal trade.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, as you consider where you might want to build your homes, we will have an expanded territory to choose from in the

    very near future.¡±

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Questions?¡± | field some questions about when the battle will take ce, what will happen if the pack chooses not to follow

    Grace, and some other simr types of questions.

    | pause and look at c

    ¡°Lastly, the next mate gathering will be held here as you know. That will ur in two weeks¡® time. It is an opportunity to

    showcase to our neighboring packs what we have done here and still n to do with our pack. Obviously, we will have new pack

    members that will be adjusting to their move at that event and...¡± shaking my head slightly. ¡°Your Luna has invited another pack

    to attend. This pack has an Alpha female that is looking for her mate, and her father is looking for this person to rece him as

    Alpha.¡± There is a lot of excited chatter about this opportunity.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | raise my hands for quiet. ¡°That is all for tonight. Dinner will be served in the dining hall. Everyone enjoy your evening.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    n

    ¡°Som

    So much changeing to this pack in the near future!

    5

 Chatper 421

    After dinner, Eli and | went up to our room. ¡°Baby, what do you need to prepare for your battle with

    your father?¡±

    | turn and look at him, confused. ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to defeat me.

    He walks over, pulling my hips against his, putting his forehead on mine. ¡°Grace, every Alpha there saw what you can do. There

    is no way your father is going to fight fair. He¡¯s lost before the battle begins. So, what do you think he would do?¡±

    | understand what he means. If my father intends to fight me for the pack, he knows he can¡¯t beat

    me outright. ¡°What do you think he will do?¡±

    ¡°Well, | think we need to make sure that the battle is as fair as possible. We''re going to bring

    some of our pack members with us. But | also want to talk to Alpha Anders. He¡¯s an elder and if

    he¡¯s there, it would mean that any cheating would immediately disqualify your father from the

    challenge.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Alpha Anders would be willing toe with us?¡±

    ¡°All we can do is ask.¡± Eli says.

    The next day, | speak to Cara and Angel and they are happy to have our next training session with King Ailduin at our pack. ¡°It

    will give us a chance to take a look at your new shops!¡± Cara says

    excitedly.

    ¡°Well, if youe next weekend for the mate gathering, you can take a look at our new clothing store. Anna makes clothes to

    order, as well as some that she is making to sell off the rack. But Lily could have her own, one-of-a-kind outfit, handmade by a

    seamstress.¡± | tell her excitedly. | had walked the new ¡®main street¡¯ yesterday and can see that it ising together beautifully.

    One of our kitchen omegas opened a coffee and pastry shop, and there are three other stores that are nearingpletion.

    ¡°Richie, too!¡± Angel says excitedly.

    ¡°Yes, Richie, too.¡± |ugh.

    ¡°We coulde early to shop, stay for dinner then head back. Then the following weekend, we would be back to pick up our

    baby clothes.¡±

    Afterward, | called King Ailduin. | talked to him about having the next training session in our pack.¡± There¡¯s something else |

    wanted to speak to you about Ailduin.¡± When | tell him about T, he says there may be something he can do, but he¡¯ll need to

    see her injury when he¡¯s here.

    | met with Summer to make sure we have enough space for our new pack members, but now we''re also going to be hosting

    another pack for our mate gathering. Thankfully, there are many rooms that have emptied out with thepletion of the homes.

    We decide to put Alpha

    Christopher and his daughter on our floor and any other ranked members will have to be divided

    between the Beta and Gamma floors.

    Several pack members approached Eli and | to volunteer to take in the new pack members until

    they can get their homes built. With everyone working together, | think it can be done.

    Eli spoke to Alpha Anders and he agreed to join us for the challenge. He agreed that it was likely. that my father would try to

    cheat and having an elder would ensure that things were fair.

    The week went by quickly. There is still so much to do, and building homes is exhausting work. Eli and | were back to working

    long hours and falling into bed seconds before our eyes closed.

    The night before the challenge, Eli insisted that | stop work early. ¡°You need your rest. | know you don¡¯t need to practice to defeat

    your father, but you still need some rest. You''re not a machine, baby.¡± He ordered dinner in our room, so we had some quiet,

    alone time.

    ¡°How are you feeling about tomorrow?¡± He asks me, watching me intently.

    I shrug. ¡°I guess | have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he¡¯s my father and | wish | wasn¡¯t in a position where this

    challenge had to happen. On the other, he did this to himself. He did this by banishing me, hurting my mother and taking another

    mate. Every time | begin to feel sorry for him, | remember my mother, clutching her chest, rolling on the floor in pain. Or I

    remember thatst moment, when she seemed to realize something was wrong, right before her heart stopped. When |

    remember that, | realize, there is no one else that can do this. That pack is my right. If he had been the kind of father he should

    have been, he would have passed the pack, to me. But he isn¡¯t that person, and I¡¯m not the person | used to be. If he doesn¡¯t

    submit, | will kill him.¡±

    ¡°Can you live with that?¡± Eli asks me softly.

    ¡°Yes, | can now. | wouldn¡¯t have always been able to say that. But, when | take the anger and hurt

    away, | still see a man who has abused his position as Alpha, who abused the mate bond given to

    him by the Moon Goddess and who abused the privilege of being a father.¡±

    ¡°No matter what happens tomorrow, I''ll be there for you.¡± Eli tells me before pulling me into hisp.

    I curl up against him and just let him hold me while | think about tomorrow.

    The next morning. Anders shows up early. ¡°Alpha Anders. Thank you for taking time toe with us today.¡±

    HS

    BONOS.

    ¡°Of course. Luna. It¡¯s my pleasure and | think we can both agree, it''s much needed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, unfortunately. And please, call me Grace.¡±

    ¡°Only if you call me Anders.¡±

    By 7am, our caravan is on its way to my father¡¯s pack. It¡¯s nearly 3 hours to get to his packnds. As we drive through what used

    to be my home, | can¡¯t believe the change. The homes that once were fresh and vibrant looking with blooming flowers and

    nts, now look nearly dpidated. Paint is peeling on the outside of the houses, the streets are cracked with potholes, the grass

    is unkempt and overgrown.

    As we turn to down the road to the pack house, the difference is startling. The pack house is sparkling on the outside. green

    lawns with flowering nts all around the entrance and driveway. Eli looks at me and shakes his head.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Cooper

    Author

 Chatper 422

    Double Grace update!

    Chapter 0422Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    When we park and exit our vehicles, we are greeted by my father¡¯s mate. She is clutching my half- brother to her chest and has

    a fading bruise on her cheekbone. I¡¯m familiar with the look of a woman¡¯s face after my father¡¯s beatings. | saw it on my mother¡¯s

    face for over a year.

    | walk up to her, carefully taking in my surroundings. There should be others here, if not in greeting, at least as a show of force.

    Where is everyone?

    ¡°Luna. I¡¯m sorry, | didn¡¯t get your namest week.¡±

    ¡°Luna Grace. I¡¯m Paisley. | am no longer Luna of this pack. | rejected my mate afterst weekend.¡±

    | lower my voice, putting a hand on her arm gently. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    She nods, tears in her eyes. ¡°Please believe me, | didn¡¯t know.¡± She whispers with a shaky voice.

    ¡°| know. As | saidst week, you are wee toe with us to our pack. Alpha Eli and | w ept you.¡± | turn, lifting my arm

    toward Eli so he would know toe join us.

    ¡°As my Luna saidst week, you are more than wee in our pack.¡± Eli assures her.

    ¡°What is my brother¡¯s name?¡± | ask, looking at the toddler sleeping in his mother¡¯s arms.

    Her smile is genuine. ¡°This is Levi.¡± | pat his back before looking around.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡±

    Her smile drops. ¡°They are out back waiting for you.¡± Her voice drops. ¡°Please be careful He knows he can¡¯t defeat you one¡ªon¡ª

    one.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve brought witnesses and an elder.¡± | point to Anders and her eyes widen.

    ¡°This way, and please excuse the mess.¡±

    ¡°Mess'' is not the word | would have used. While the outside of the packhouse is pristine, the inside is in shambles. It looked like

    someone had taken a sledgehammer to it.

    ¡°Alpha Edgar was on edge after your meetingst week and then, after 1, well, now he¡¯s not

    exactly thinking clearly.¡±

    We walk through the dark packhouse to the back. | can see that the entire pack has been called to watch the fight. They are

    standing around and the anxiety in the air is palpable.

    ¡°Finally, the unworthy brat arrives to try and take what is mine.¡± | hear my father¡¯s voice, dripping with contempt, as | step

    outside. | can see him swinging swords around as it practicing for a

    sword fight. When he looks at me, his eyes look wild. | don¡¯t know which was more devastating. realizing that I¡¯m alive and a

    Guardian or being rejected by his mate. Regardless, my father looks.

    like he¡¯s gone mad.

    Eli steps up on one side of me, and Anders on the other. ¡°Alpha Edgar. You are aware that

    weapons are not allowed during a challenge. You may battle as a human or a wolf, but weapons will immediately disqualify you.¡±

    Anders says.

    My father¡¯s lip curls in a snarl as he turns his gaze from Anders to me. ¡°You brought an elder.¡±

    ¡°| didn¡¯t trust that you would fight fair, Alpha. It''s not like you haven''t hidden the horrible things that you''ve done in your past from

    the pack.¡±

    My focus had been on my father since | stepped outside, but as | look around the pack, | can see that they are all shocked to see

    that I¡¯m still alive. | don¡¯t know what my father told them about me leaving the pack, but he must not have told them that it was

    me that was challenging him today.

    As | look, my heart breaks for my old pack members. They all look disheveled and in disarray. They are dirty, their clothes look

    old and tattered and they look like they haven¡¯t been fed properly

    in a while.

    ¡°Today, |e to take back what is rightfully mine, father. As the true heir to the Laurel River

    Pack, | challenge you, Edgar Winters, to a duel for the right to lead this pack.¡±

    | step forward as my father tosses his swords aside. | havee dressed to fight, in a sports bra and leggings. | choose to fight

    barefoot, in case | need to shift. My father looks like a human

    soldier. He¡¯s covered in padding and clothing, which will make it difficult for him to shift.

    Myp

    pack follows behind me, closing the circle around my father and me. | take a deep breath and wait for him. | don¡¯t expect that it

    will take long, and I¡¯m not disappointed. He rushes at me, swinging his arms. The clothing he¡¯s wearing is limiting his range of

    motion and | easily sidestep, swinging a punch around to his back which sends him stumbling to the ground.

    | turn, waiting for him to get up. He¡¯s heaving, like we''ve been fighting for hours. He pulls off the topyer of clothing, giving

    himself more freedom of movement. ¡°You always were a bitch, just like your whore of a mother.¡±

    Hees at me again, this time he aims for my face. | block his punch, throwing an uppercut of my own and knocking his head

    back with a snap. He stumbles backward but doesn¡¯t fall. ¡°The only whore around here, is you, Alpha.¡±

    He snarls at me, spit flying from his mouth as hees at me again. He looks rabid and crazed, his eyes wide, his pupils dted

    almost to ck. This time he swings his leg out, trying to knock me to the ground. | jump over his leg, swinging my own around

    and kicking him in his head.

    +15 BONDS

    | stand back, letting him get back up. He wipes his face with his hand, before spitting blood on the ground.

    ¡°You can¡¯t have what is mine.¡± He snarls, flying at me again. This time, he pulls a knife from somewhere inside his pants,

    stabbing me in my stomach. ¡°Die bitch.¡± He says and | can smell his rancid breath he¡¯s so close. | hear Eli yelling from behind

    me.

    | grab him, so he can¡¯t step back. ¡°I¡¯m a Guardian. I¡¯m immune to wolfsbane and resistant to silver, you poor excuse for an

    Alpha.¡±

    | take my hand, punching it into his chest. Maia¡¯s ws extend and wrap around his heart, and | know her eyes are glowing in

    mine. | can feel his heart beating in my hand and his eyes widen as he realizes he¡¯s about to die.

    ¡°Do you feel that, Alpha? That feeling that someone is about to rip your heart from your chest? That''s the feeling my mother had

    every day for years, you son of a bitch.¡±

    | rip my father¡¯s heart out of his chest, letting him fall to the ground at my feet.

    Cooper Author

    Wow! Grace finally got revenge on her father.

    Updates ur daily.

 Chatper 423

    My heart stops when I see Alpha Edgar stab Grace with a knife. | know she¡¯s strong, but a knife wound is still serious. We could

    all tell that he had lost it. He looks and is acting like a crazed wolf. Even if we weren''t here for the challenge, he¡¯d have to be put

    down. He¡¯s a liability.

    When Grace pulls his heart from his chest, | run up to her, pulling the knife from her stomach. | expect her to fall, but instead, she

    turns around to face the pack. As much as | want to take care of my mate, | know she needs to do this. | step back, staying close

    in case she needs me.

    ¡°Does anyone here contest my rank as your new Alpha?¡± She asks in a voice that rings with strength and power, making me

    even more proud of her. You''d never know she¡¯s bleeding and was just stabbed in the stomach. She raises her father¡¯s heart, still

    in her hand, before crushing it and tossing it to the ground.

    No one speaks, but everyone in the Laurel River Pack bends the knee, showing their necks in submission to my mate. ¡°Anyone

    that does not wish to follow me and my mate may leave. But thesends no longer belong to Laurel River. The council has

    traded thesends for an extension to our existing pack. Anyone who chooses to be part of the Safe Haven Pack will be

    provided transportation to your new pack and given lodging and food until you can get on your feet.¡±

    I''m thankful we brought Noah and Sirona with us, leaving Carlos and Amber to run the pack in our absence. When Grace

    finishes her speech, | scoop her up, unable to wait to look after her any longer. | take her to Sirona, who immediately begins

    cleaning the wound.

    ¡°You did great baby. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°These people are hungry and don¡¯t seem to have sufficient housing or clothing. As usual, Alpha, we have our work cut out for

    us.¡± She says, as Sirona finishes looking her over.

    ¡°Well, Luna, you are already healing. It¡¯s a good thing you have that immunity, or that could have been a lot worse.¡±

    ¡°Let''s go around and talk to people. Sirona, | want you toe along as well, in case anyone needs medical treatment.¡± Grace

    says, before turning to me. ¡°How many can we take back today?¡±

    | look back at our vans. ¡°Forty to fifty. We''ll have to triage and take the ones that most need assistance, the elderly and those

    with young pups.¡±

    We spend the rest of the day deciding who will go to Safe Haven today. Several pack members are malnourished. The omegas

    seem the most impacted, which is not umon. We load up the ones that need medical attention first and send them back

    with Sirona. The second and third vans take groups of elderly that look frail and starved and young pups that need food and

    baby

    supplies. | send Noah and Anders back with those vans. Anders was here to assist with the

    challenge and while | appreciate his assistance, he has his own work to do.

    +15 RONDS

    Grace and | n to stay overnight in order to allow a couple more individuals to go to our pack. with the expectation that our

    teams will be sending the vans back again tomorrow. After getting everyone settled for the night or sent back to Safe Haven, we

    set out to see what is still

    salvageable from the packhouse.

    The kitchen has been demolished. The refrigerator and freezers ruined causing food to spoil. | send out some of our warriors to

    hunt and they bring back a couple of deer. We start a fire and with the help of some pack members, we¡¯re able to at least have

    some meat for dinner. Grace and | wait until the pack has eaten their fill before eating. They need it more than we do. Tomorrow

    when our vans arrive, they will be bringing food and clothing for our new pack members.

    That night, we go through the Alpha¡¯s room and offices. We find stashes of money, hordes of food that we prepare to set out

    tomorrow and the files of the pack members. All of that will have toe back with us to go through as we have time.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°There must be over $100,000 stuffed in different ces. What was he doing? Why wouldn''t he use this to help his pack? It

    makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Baby, your father wasn¡¯t himself. | don¡¯t know how long he was this way, or if he always was. but at least now, we can correct his

    wrongs.¡±

    It''s early morning before | find some bedding that |y on the floor and try to create a ce for us to rest for a few hours. ¡°Grace,

    comey down. We need some sleep before another long day tomorrow.¡±

    Gracees and curls up against me,ying her head on my chest. ¡°Is there anything here that you want to take with us?¡± | ask

    her, rubbing her shoulders and back.

    ¡°No. There is nothing here for me. Nothing of my mother or me.¡±

    She sighs heavily. ¡°Will we always be working this hard? Always taking on so much at one time? It feels like the mountain we are

    climbing is never-ending.¡±

    | kiss the top of her head. ¡°No, | don¡¯t think so. We''ve ovee so much already. Look at what we''ve done, baby. We''ve created

    a new pack. Our pack members are happy and healthy which hasn''t always been their life. We are building homes and

    businesses so our pack can thrive. We''re helping our pack members find their mates, so they can start families and have the

    lives they¡¯ve always wanted. Does it sometimes look different than what | expected? Definitely. | would never have thought

    sprites would be a part of my life or my pack. Did | expect that we would acquire a second pack within months of confirming our

    own pack? No, but here we are.¡±

    | pull her chin up so she¡¯s looking at me. ¡°But we can do anything together. We ARE doing all of

    -15 BONOS

    this together. We aren''t just making a better life for ourselves, we''re making a better life for our pack, and our future pups. It¡¯s

    hard now, but it will be so worth it in the end. And with you by my

    side, | know we can never fail.¡±

    | kiss her nose as she smiles up at me. ¡°How did you get to be so smart?¡±

    | smirk down at her. ¡°Well, ording to my beautiful mate, I¡¯m old. And, with age,es

    knowledge.¡±

    And my sweet mate bursts outughing just as I¡¯d hoped she would.

    Cooper Author

    Do you love these moments between Grace and Eli as much as | do?

    ?

    US KAKA

 Chatper 424

    The next morning, | wake up stiff and sore. Not only did | get stabbed yesterday, bat we only got a few hours of sleep with a

    couple of nkets to soften the hard floor. Thankfully, my mate let me curl up against him to stay warm. His scent and the mate

    bond helping me to heal overnight.

    When we go out to share the food we foundst night, | can tell that some of the pack members have left, most notably, my

    father¡¯s Beta. I¡¯m not upset about losing some members. Anyone who leaves now is saving me from having a battleter in our

    pack. If they can¡¯t agree to having Ell and | as their Alphas, then they need to find somece else to live. And my father¡¯s Beta

    knew what my father was doing to me and my mother all those years ago, and he did nothing. Anyone that can live with that,

    won¡¯tst in my pack.

    As the pack is eating. Noah returns with the caravan, ready to take another group back to our pack. We''ve already established

    the n for today and as much as possible, the vans will be

    making two trips. It will make for a long day, but at least everyone will be fed and sleep in a warm bed tonight.

    We start packing up the vans, helping families pack up their belongings. Any furniture that they want will have to wait. Eli ordered

    a moving truck, but it won¡¯t be here untilter today. He and | agreed that we''d take any salvageable furniture or equipment and

    hand it off to Jeremy to see what he could do with it.

    We send a couple bags of money back with Noah in the first run, his eyebrows raise when he realizes what he was carrying.

    ¡°There¡¯s more, but let''s break it into smaller amounts, just in case something happens.¡±

    By 9am, the first group of vans are packed and on their way back to Safe Haven. By noon, the moving truck arrives, and we

    begin packing up the furniture from all our new pack members. By 4pm, the vans return. We''re still packing thest of the

    furniture and Eli and | wait until everyone has found a space in a van and all the furniture is packed up before we find space in

    thest van

    headed back home.

    It''s been an exhausting day, and only a few minutes into the drive, | fall asleep. Eli gently shakes me as we pass into our territory.

    When we pull up, | see that Carlos and Amber have everything under control. They are directing people to the pack members

    that will be housing them temporarily.

    ¡°| want to check on the people that came back with Sirona yesterday. I''ll catch up to youter. | still need to check in with Cammy

    to make sure we have enough food and don¡¯t need to go shopping tomorrow.¡±

    ?+15 BONOS

    Eli reaches down and kisses me. ¡°I''ll double check to make sure everyone is settled in the

    packhouse and there aren''t any issues with the housing arrangements.¡±

    When | arrive at the pack hospital, | can see that there are several rooms still in use. | search for Sirona, finding her talking to

    one of the medical students. She looks up when she hears me.

    ¡°Luna, wee back. | wasn¡¯t sure you''d be back tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s good to be home. What¡¯s the status of our wounded.¡±

    She begins taking me room by room. Several are young that are malnourished and dehydrated. They should be released in

    another day or two. The same for a couple of elderly that just need a few days with food and fluids to recover. In thest room is

    Paisley.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Your father didn¡¯t ept her rejection, so while she rejected him, his death has made her weak.¡±

    ¡°What about her son?¡±

    ¡°Levi is fine. We¡¯re keeping him close and letting her see him any time she wants. She just can¡¯t hold him for very long. He¡¯s an

    active toddler and | wasn¡¯t sure she''d survive the trip back. But she¡¯s strong and she has a will to live.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chatper 425

    | walk into the room, closing the door behind me. | go sit in the chair beside her bed, taking her

    hand.

    ¡°Hello, Luna.¡± She says and her voice is hoarse.

    ¡°Paisley. | spoke to Gamma Sirona. Is there anything | can do?¡±

    ¡°No. | was hoping that it wouldn¡¯t be this bad, but.

    | reach out, touching her arm. ¡°You can take as long as you need. I''ll help you in any way you need. Everyone in the pack will.

    That¡¯s the kind of pack this is, we help each other.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Luna.¡± She¡¯s quiet for a moment, then looks up at me. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the mate bond on both sides. What you have

    with Alpha Eli makes it seem like the mate bond is special, good, what we''re told as pups that it¡¯s supposed to be. What | had

    with your father was not that. He wasn¡¯t a bad mate, but he wasn¡¯t a good mate either. But now, knowing what he did to your

    mother and to you, | don¡¯t know that | could ever trust the mate bond again.¡±

    ¡°When | met Eli, | didn¡¯t want a mate. | didn¡¯t want to suffer the way | watched my mother suffer for years. It felt like she was

    forced to endure a life that she no longer wanted.¡± | shrug, looking at

    her.

    ¡°But Eli is different. | don¡¯t think it¡¯s the bond that makes the difference, | think it''s the person. |

    know, in my heart, that Eli would never treat me the way my father treated my mother. He has too much respect for me, and |

    have that same respect for him. Somewhere along the way. | fell in love with him, not just because of the bond. | fell in love with

    the person he is. The things that he believes in are the things that | believe in. that | want in my life. His dreams of a better life

    are the same as mine. | think that¡¯s what makes the difference. The bond draws us together, but it¡¯s the person that makes the

    bond worthwhile.¡±

    I stand, knowing she needs her rest. ¡°I know you''re hurting, and you have a lot to work through. but don¡¯tpletely rule out the

    possibility of finding your second chance mate. Who knows, you may find your fated mate. But heal first, focus on your son, and

    maybe, like me, it will just happen.

    for you.

    | reach down and gently hug her. ¡°I''ll be back to check on you tomorrow. And your son is being well taken care of. You just worry

    about getting healthy for him.¡±

    When | leave the hospital. | head over to the packhouse kitchens.

    ¡°Cammy!¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Luna.¡± She looks exhausted.

    ¡°| know we''ve added a bunch of people, what do you need?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°More hours in the day?¡± She says jokingly.

    ¡°If only! | think we could all use that.¡±

    ¡°It was a lot at first, but Beta Amber sent some folks out to get food. Gamma Noah had some

    money, so we were able to stock up and prepare food for everyone.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. It''ll be chaotic for a while, but...¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°We''re kind of used to that around here, right?¡±

    |ugh. ¡°Definitely. Eli and | will be talking to the new pack members tomorrow, so hopefully I

    have some additional help for you very quickly.¡±

    ¡°That would be great. And Luna, when things settle down a bit, I''d like to talk to you about

    something else.¡±

    ¡°| will make time whenever you are ready.¡± | tell her.

    | head up to my room, ready for a shower then a good night''s sleep, in my own bed, with my ma

    curled up around me.

    Cooper

    Author

    Poor Paisley!

 Chatper 426

    Chapter 0426

    After checking in with Carlos that everyone has been assigned a ce to stay temporarily, | walk

    around the packhouse making sure that everyone is getting settled and has everything they need. Once | see that each room is

    full and they have bedding and clothing. | head out to walk around

    the pack.

    I stop by all the houses that have volunteered to house the neers and check that the new pack members are settled and

    there aren¡¯t any problems. Most everyone seems to be adjusting and settling in.

    When | return to the packhouse. | find my mate already asleep in our bed. | shower off the grime from thest couple of days and

    join her, falling quickly to sleep.

    The next morning over breakfast, | call a meeting for all the new pack members as well as the ranked members, excluding

    Sirona who is still taking care of those in the hospital.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone and wee to Safe Haven Pack. | hope you slept well and have full bellies.¡± There is a lot of low

    rumbled agreement. | introduce the ranked members to the new pack.

    ¡°As you have seen, our pack is in the process of rebuilding. This means that you have the opportunity to build your own home.¡± |

    exin to them the payment and repayment requirements. of building their homes.

    ¡°In addition, you will be assigned to a work detail within the pack. If you have a skill set that you feel is marketable, you can let

    me or Beta Carlos know and we will get you on the list to have a storefront built on our new Main Street. Otherwise, we have

    plenty of work within the pack that needs to be done. Over the next couple of days while you are getting settled in and learning

    the boundaries of our packnds, your ranked members will be meeting with you, assessing your skills and assigning you to your

    ce in the pack. Any questions?¡±

    | answer some questions about the work they used to do and if they will still be doing that. payment for their work and things like

    that. After all the questions are answered. | turn it over to Grace.

    ¡°We are happy to have all of you here, and you are wee, as long as you follow the rules of this pack. You will respect your

    ranked members and we will respect you. You can ask anyone here if they are mistreated, and they will tell you that they are not.

    That goes for everyone in the pack. This pack is called Safe Haven for a reason. If you have a disagreement with someone, you

    either work it out with them, or if you can¡¯t, youe to one of your ranked members. Violence is not allowed. Abuse of any kind,

    to anyone, is not allowed. If you are found being abusive to anyone

    within the pack, you will be punished and given a warning. If it happens again, you will be banished. If you do not think that you

    can live under these rules, you are free to leave. However, if you agree to this life, one that you and your pack will build together,

    then we will be holding a ceremony tomorrow night for you to swear your allegiance to Safe Haven and officially join ourOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    pack.¡±

    ¡°If you have any further questions, feel free to join us up here and we''ll be happy to answer your

    questions. Otherwise, enjoy the day, please feel free to walk around the pack, see what we are building here and talk to the other

    pack members.¡± | tell them before dismissing them.

    We had about 150e back with us. | don¡¯t know that all of them will stay, but many have pups

    and would be safer in a pack than on their own. Several pack memberse up, wanting to start working right away. They

    appreciate the ability to build their own homes and make money for the work they do, and they want to get started as soon as

    possible. For those that can work in construction, | send them out with Noah to have Perry find work for them. Several are

    carpenters,

    and | call Jeremy over to assess their skills and see if they can work for him.

    While we have taken in many omegas, they are still recovering and will need another day or two before they can begin working.

    However, their desire to work and make sure that they show their

    worth in the pack is strong so Grace and Amber set them up to meet with Cammy and Summer to

    see what they can do. Grace called Anna over as well, so I¡¯m assuming we have some

    seamstresses in the new group.

    After the first day in the pack, we lost another 30 wolves, most of those were unmated males, but

    we lost some older couples that didn¡¯t seem too keen on building a life from scratch.

    On the second night, we had a pack ceremony, and 105 wolves of age swore their allegiance t

    to

    our pack. The other 14 had not yet gotten their wolves and would have to wait until they are older. We had a big celebration with

    lots of food and music to celebrate the new pack members joining

    our group.

    At the end of the night, | reminded everyone that we would be having a mate gathering this weekend and that several packs

    would be joining us as well as the sprites that are looking for

    mates.

    The new pack members were as fascinated with the sprites as everyone else when they first saw them, as it was impossible to

    miss Leni and Lna walking around with Alexander, or T perched on Thomas''s shoulder.

    | asked Alexander about his mate mark. | noticed that while he had marked the twins, he didn¡¯t have a mark on his neck. He told

    me that the sprites mark differently. Because their mate is so important to them, they mark them over their heart. He had pulled

    off his shirt and shown me the two interlocking circles on his chest, above his heart, one for each mate. They glow with the same

    +15 BONOS

    light that seems to shine from the sprites. Alexander said they shared their light and now they can feel his emotions just as he

    can feel theirs. He told me the circle represents their undying love. since it has no end, no boundaries. I¡¯m not a huge fan of the

    sprites, but even | have to admit that their love for their mate is admirable.

    As the day and the festivities wind down, | pull my mate into myp and just take a moment to enjoy the peace of the evening,

    the happiness of the pack and the love | have for my own mate.

    Cooper

    Author

    Safe Haven continues to grow!

 Chatper 427

    By the end of the week, everyone seemed to have settled into their new roles. All of the omegas were medically cleared and

    positions within the pack were found for them. | met with Cammy after the Lead Omega in the kitchen at my father¡¯s pack asked

    if she could split shifts with her.

    ¡°Cammy, | wanted to talk to you about Melinda¡¯s request to split shifts. | don¡¯t want you to feel like I¡¯m undermining you or your

    role, but | was thinking that it would be good for you to have

    more time in your day.¡± | say when we meet in my office.

    ¡°Actually Luna, | had wanted to talk with you about something else and this is the perfect time. | know that many people in the

    pack are getting the opportunity to open a business and | wanted to

    talk to you about the possibility of me doing that as well.¡±

    ¡°What kind of business are you thinking of starting, Cammy?

    ¡°Well, Luna, I''ve always wanted to open my own diner. I¡¯m good at managing the kitchens and I know how to schedule staff. I''ve

    been ying around with some new menu ideas, but | would

    need someone to help me manage the business side of things.¡±

    ¡°Cammy. | think that¡¯s a great idea! Everyone loves the food you make now, and | just know you

    would do well with a diner.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! What do you need to get started? Do you have someone that can help you run the business?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. | wasn¡¯t sure you would agree to me opening the diner, but now I''ll have to find

    someone to help me. Unless you have any ideas?¡±

    | look at her a moment, thinking. It''s been months. In the beginning. | kept in touch with Benny at least weekly, but things had

    gotten so hectic, that | hadn¡¯t spoken to him in way too long. When |st spoke to him, he was thinking of selling his diner and

    retiring. So, he might be willing toe out of retirement and move to the packnds. I¡¯d have to talk to Eli about it. It would

    mean we¡¯d have to tell him about us, but Benny is an older, single man. He has no family and he doesn¡¯t have anything to lose

    by moving here. He¡¯s never been one to gossip or tell someone¡¯s secrets, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡°| may have someone that can help you with that, but | need to talk to a few people first. How about, for now, we go see Alpha Eli

    and put your name on the list of a storefront. That will give you some time to start nning and give me time to see if the person

    | have in mind will work out.¡±

    We walk to Eli¡¯s office and he¡¯s just as encouraging about her opening a diner as | am. He puts her on the list, telling her it will be

    about 3 months before her diner could bepleted. When she leaves. | bring up my thought about Benny.

    ¡°Call him. See if he¡¯s agreeable. If he¡¯s willing to move here, we''ll deal with how to tell him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± | say, winking at him before sashaying my hips out his door, eliciting a low rumbling growl from my mate.

    ¡°Later, Little Alpha.¡± He mind links me, before sending me an explicit image of what he ns to do to me. It¡¯s so specific that heat

    goes straight to my core, causing my panties to go damp.

    ¡°Keep it up, Alpha and the entire packhouse will know that you''re turning me on.¡± | reply through the mind link.

    ¡°Come back in here and I''ll take care of that for you.¡± He growls through the mind link. It¡¯s been too long and he¡¯s got my body

    aching, so | turn, walking back into his office and locking the door. | thank the goddess for dresses when he has me up against

    the wall and is sliding inside me less

    than a minuteter.

    Twenty minutester, I¡¯m feeling much more rxed as | call Benny.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Hey Benny, it¡¯s Grace.¡±

    ¡°Grace! I¡¯ve been worrying about you. How are you?¡±

    ¡°I''m good. Things have been crazy. How¡¯s retirement?¡±

    ¡°Boring as shit! | don¡¯t know why | ever thought | wanted to retire.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I smile. | knew he''d hate it. He¡¯s too use to being a busybody.

    ¡°Well, what would you say toing out of retirement?¡±

    ¡°I''m listening.¡±

    ¡°Well, | have a friend that is thinking of opening a diner. She''s got the food part down but

    doesn¡¯t know anything about running a business. | thought maybe, if you were bored¡ª

    ¡°When do you want me there? And where is there?¡±

    | talk to Benny for a few more minutes before agreeing to meet with him in a couple of weeks.

    Later than night, Alpha Christopher arrives with his daughter and several other pack members for

    the mate gathering tomorrow. Eli and | meet them out front of the packhouse.

    ¡°Alpha Christopher, it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± | say warmly as he gets out of his car. He looks around beforeing over,

    bringing his daughter with him.

 Chatper 428

    he gets out of his car. He looks around beforeing over, bringing his daughter with him.

    Chapter 0428

    ¡°Alpha Eli, Luna Grace, allow me to introduce my daughter, Anastasia.¡±

    We spend the evening getting to know Anastasia and spending time with Alpha Christopher. He is interested in what we¡¯ve been

    doing with the pack and Eli gives him a tour. Anastasia is very sweet, but not what I¡¯d expect from an Alpha female. She¡¯s very

    proper, what you might consider gentile. Or maybe, that¡¯s how most Alpha females are, and I¡¯m the one that doesn¡¯t lit the mold.

    Either way, she¡¯s very nice and | hope she finds her mate this weekend.

    The next morning. | check in with Cammy and Melinda. They will make sure that we have enough food for the nearly 400

    unmated pack members and sprites that will be here this evening. I''m finishing my review of the food and drink menu when |

    hear the front door of the packhouse open.

    ¡°Hello? Grace? Your sisters are here and ready to shop!¡± | hear Cara and Angel singing as theye in the door. | head out to

    meet them, rushing over to my sisters and having a group hug.

    ¡°Let me grab my bag and we can head out. Oh but, | still don¡¯t know how to drive, so one of you has to drive, unless you want to

    walk?¡±

    ¡°Let''s walk, | want to see what you have going on in the pack.¡± Cara says.

    ¡°Yeah, Liam says you''ve got all sorts of buildings going up, not just homes.¡± Angel adds.

    So, we walk around the pack, | show them the hospital, the homes that have been built as we walk to Main Street. They start in

    the market, buying bags of food. Then we go into Jeremy''s store where he has a couple of items on disy, showing what he

    and his employees can build. They both put in orders for desks and chairs, even knowing that it will be a couple of months before

    he can get to it. Angel puts in an order for a crib as well.

    ¡°Won''t Richie be too old for a crib by the time it¡¯s done?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Richie will be, but this little one won''t.¡± She says, rubbing her stomach.

    Cara and | squeal and hug her again. ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°It was when Liam carried you into the forest at the tournament, wasn''t it?¡± Cara asks, narrowing her eyes at her.

    She just shrugs. ¡°It was definitely at the tournament, but | don¡¯t know if it was that time or not. Either way, we¡¯re pretty certain this

    one is going to be a girl.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± | ask.

    +15 DONOS

    ¡°Liam could smell Richie almost immediately. He can¡¯t get a good scent on this little one. We think it''s because she has a scent

    simr to mine.¡± She exins. Maia agrees, but she can smell the increased scent of raspberries. Definitely a girl.

    We start walking next door to

    Anna¡¯s clothing store. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Maybe this one will look remotely like you. If you hadn¡¯t birthed Richie, no were his

    mom.¡± Caral

    cave

    says.

    ne would believe..Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°| know! But | love having a little version of Liam. I''ll be thrilled if my little girl is happy and healthy. | don¡¯t care who she looks

    like.¡± She says as we walk into the store.

    Immediately, Cara and Angel are entranced with the items that Anna has been able to put together and ce on her racks.

    Having several new employees has definitely helped her inventory. After putting in orders for their children, a couple outfits for

    Angel''s newest baby and an outfit for each of them, the three of us head back to the packhouse.

    We meet up with Rik, Liam, Eli, Alpha Christopher and Anastasia for dinner. The area behind the packhouse has been decorated

    for the mate gathering and there is music, lights and areas for people to meet, talk and eat. There are several sprites in

    attendance and some quickly obvious

    mate matches.

    As Eli expected, Anastasia¡¯s presence has caused quite a stir, but as the night goes on, it doesn¡¯t appear that her mate is here.

    She''s gracious and kind, but you can tell she¡¯s disappointed.

    ¡°Well, it was worth a shot, and it looks like some of my other pack members found their mates tonight, so it¡¯s not a total loss.¡±

    Alpha Christopher says as the evening begins to die down. Mates have gone off to get to know each other or toplete their

    mate bond. Some sprites seem to have found wolf mates as well.

    ¡°Alpha Christopher, you and Anastasia are wee toe to all our events. We will be moving them around to the different

    packs and you never know if her mate hasn''t reached adulthood yet, or maybe couldn¡¯t make it to tonight¡¯s event.¡± | tell him.

    He smiles kindly. ¡°Thank you.¡± I¡¯m not sure if he''ll take us up on the offer or not. He seems as disappointed as his daughter.

    We say goodnight and Eli and | head up to bed.

 Chatper 429

    The week after the mate gathering, we continue our crazy work schedule but also prepare to have King Ailduin and Prince Aolis

    in our pack for the next training session. There are some adjustment issues that either | or Grace have addressed. Some pack

    members didn¡¯t think we were serious about punishing them for being verbally aggressive to other pack members. It¡¯s a good

    thing a couple of the cells had been cleaned out. It gave me a chance to give those individuals a night to think about their

    choices and whether or not they want to continue in this pack.

    Grace had pulled some of the new pack members in to assist with the cleaning and restocking of the bunkers and safe rooms.

    Now that we have more members and many are omegas that would not be required to fight in a battle, we will need as much

    space as this pack has avable in theText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    event of another hunter attack.

    Liam and Rik talked to different supernatural beings and everyone has heard the rumblings of the

    hunters taking supernaturals either to kill or experiment on. Anders is heading a group who is looking to see if any of the hunter

    compounds can be found. We were hoping after the tournament and the strength shown by the Guardians that they would

    retreat and back off, but it seems as

    though they may have turned their attention to other supernaturals.

    The sprites have been diligent in monitoring the forest. Now that our pack has expanded, their

    watch is also increasing. It helps that a couple have mated in the other two packs, so expanding

    their littlemunity to include our newnd as well as Rik¡¯s and Liam''s pack was not a problem

    for them.

    Grace has nned a special meal for Ailduin and Aolis when they arrive. The elves, like the

    sprites are vegetarian. While they do not condemn us for being meat eaters, they feel that all like is sacred, especially the life in

    the forest. Therefore, they choose not to eat the animals of the

    forest. We have made an effort to not have any meals with deer or rabbits while they are here.

    On the day of their arrival, Rik, Cara, Liam and Angel arrive at lunch time. Ailduin and Aolis are scheduled to arrive mid¡ª

    afternoon. Our nursery and children¡¯s home arepleted and we are able to drop the babies off in the nursery.

    As we all sit to eat, Liam jumps in immediately. ¡°I know the training was limited before because both Cara and Angel were

    pregnant. But now that Angel is pregnant again.¡± he stops to kiss the side of her head, ¡°and after the effect on all of them after

    the pull of power at the tournament. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯mfortable practicing the power transfer that was nned. At least not with

    Angel. I¡¯m not willing to put her or my child at risk.¡±

    ¡°Let''s see what Ailduin has in mind for training this time. Liam. It¡¯s possible that he has other ideas for our training. But if not, I

    can push my power rather than having Grace or Cara pull it.

    15 BONOS

    That way | control it.¡± Angel says.

    ¡°And there¡¯s no reason Grace can¡¯t practice with me. She has already pulled my power without really having any training. Once

    Ailduin guides her, | think she''ll have better control of how much. she pulls, so she''ll know when it¡¯s too much.¡± Cara adds.

    ¡°We''ll be careful. If we need to take lots of breaks this weekend, we will.¡± Grace adds.

    After lunch, we have the nursery staff bring the children out back to y, while we help watch over

    them waiting for Ailduin.

    ¡°The pack has reallye together.¡± Rik says to me as we sit in the shade watching our mates ying with the little ones.

    ¡°It''s not done yet, but it feels like it¡¯s reallying together. | have ns for an expansion into the newnd we acquired. Several

    new pack members have asked about building their homes and wanting to create a second market vige where they can have

    stores closer to their homes.¡± | turn to Liam. ¡°Perry has been great, by the way. He¡¯s a fantastic general contractor. He has a

    good head for how to make thingse together and good ideas for ways to structure the groups of buildings that | wouldn¡¯t

    have thought of.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s one of my best. And | hear you have quite a few people who are very skilled in your pack. I¡¯d like to have him speak to

    them about continuing on with mypany if you agree.¡±

    We talk a little longer about the on-going development ns for the pack before we see Ailduin and Aolis walk through the trees.

    I''m not exactly sure how they travel to get here, but each time | have seen them arrive, it''s been on foot.

 Chatper 430

    They are surrounded by sprites and | can hear the twittering and chittering of excitement from

    here.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Grace and | stand, ready to wee the fae royalty. The others join us as well as Alexander, the

    twins, Thomas and T.

    ¡°King Alduin, Prince Aolis. Wee to Safe Haven Pack. You are most wee here.¡± | say. Leni, Lna and Alexander all

    kneel as the rest of the sprites join them on the ground. T tugs on Thomas until he too drops down, putting her on the ground

    so she can kneel before her

    king.

    ¡°Alexander, what are you doing? He¡¯s not your king.¡± | ask through the mind link.

    ¡°Leni and Lna give you and Luna the same respect that | do. Therefore, | am giving their leader the same respect that they

    do.¡± As | watch, Thomas does as well

    *Please rise my children.¡± Ailduin says and in a gesture that would look ridiculous on anyone other than him, he spreads his arms

    wide, his palms facing up. It¡¯s a majestic gesture that only a

    king could pull off.

    The sprites love for their king is obvious. They are very excited to see him and Aolis, but they are more quiet and respectful than

    usual | wonder how long that willst.

    Ailduin steps forward, looking from Alexander to Lni and Lna. ¡°And | see we have some of

    our sprites that have mated with a werewolf.¡±

    ¡°Yes. King Ailduin.¡±

    ¡°He is our mate.¡±

    ¡°We love him.¡±

    ¡°And he loves us.¡±

    Ailduin looks at Alexander. ¡°You will take good care of my children, yes?¡±

    Alexander wraps an arm around each of his mates. ¡°They are my mates. | would give my life for

    them.¡± Lni and Lna swoon at this statement.

    ¡°I''m d to hear it. Now, | heard that another of my children was injured and needed my healing power. Where is she?¡± He looks

    around before looking at Grace.

    | watch as Grace goes over to T and Thomas. ¡°T, let King Ailduin see your injury.¡±

    T¡¯s head is down, as if she is embarrassed and can¡¯t look at Ailduin. Thomas begins speaking. quietly to her as Ailduin

    approaches them.

    ¡°T.¡± He says gently.

    She looks up at him. ¡°King Ailduin.¡± And she bows her head.

    ¡°May | see your injury?¡± She nods her head and Thomas reaches his hands out. She jumps into

    his hands, turning her back to Ailduin.

    ¡°Hunters pulled her wing off, King Ailduin.¡± Thomas tells him.

    He holds his hand over her back, closing his eyes. | watch as he takes a couple of deep breaths. before his hands starts to glow.

    As soon as the glowing light touches T, she sucks in a breath, her head snapping up to look at Thomas.

    ¡°T?¡± He asks, ready to pull her away if she¡¯s in pain. In an instant, everyone can see her wing beginning to regrow. Grace

    comes over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. | can feel her awe and her happiness for T through our bond as | feel

    her tears dampening my shirt as | hold

    her.

    The sprites all quietly ¡®ohhh and ¡®a as if any noise will break Ailduin¡¯s concentration and cause T¡¯s wing to stop growing.

    The twins are leaning against Alexander, glowing tears running down their cheeks as they watch their friend as she¡¯s healed in

    front of all of us.

    When he¡¯s done, he steps back. T stands in Thomas''s hand, testing her new wing, pping it gently before a huge smile

    spreads across her face and she lifts herself off his hands.

    ¡°T!¡± Thomas''s voice is full of love, happiness and awe at his little mate.

    She turns to Ailduin. ¡°Thank you, King Ailduin.¡± She says, before dipping to kiss his cheek. She

    turns and looks at Thomas. ¡°I''m healed! I''m whole!¡±

    ¡°My sweet girl. I¡¯m so happy for you, but you know | loved you anyway.¡±

    ¡°But Thomas, don¡¯t you see? Now we canplete the mate bond! | can be like Leni and

    Lna! | can be a true mate to you.¡± She says before flying to him and wrapping her arms around.

    his neck.

    As we watch, her body stretches and shifts. She goes from being ¡±% a foot tall to nearly 5 feet tall.

    She¡¯s still incredibly shortpared to Thomas who is over 6 feet. But now, at least, she can

    have her human form.

    He swings her around, holding her close before kissing her passionately. | clear my throat. knowing my wolves tend to forget

    themselves when they are with the sprites. ¡°Perhaps you want

    +15 BONOS

    to take T somece more private, Thomas?¡± | say meaningfully.

    He pulls away from her before looking around. ¡°Oh, right.¡± He starts to walk off before turning back. ¡°Thank you, King Ailduin.

    Thank you so much!¡± He says before practically running to his

    room in the packhouse.

    Cooper

    Author

    Yay! T is healed!

    ay

 Chatper 431

    Ay 4

    Chapter 0431

    + 15-BONOS

    | wipe my eyes as Thomas and T head inside. T is such a sweet sprite. Well, they all are, but there is something about her

    that has pulled at my heart ever since | met her.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know how we can thank you Ailduin.¡± | say, walking over to him.

    ¡°There is no need. You are a leader of your pack. You would do anything in your power to help those that look to you for

    guidance and protection. | am the same. My gifts are just different than yours, Grace. Or, at least, somewhat different.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± he says, before turning to the other sprites, ¡°did anyone else need my assistance before | begin my training with the

    Guardians?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Sir King Ailduin, sir. We were wondering if there would be any more time we could spend with you while you are here.¡±

    ¡°We just want to be near you.¡±

    ¡°We won''t be a bother.¡±

    ¡°We could help, if you need us.¡±

    I can feel Eli¡¯s patience starting to wane, so | jump in. ¡°How about you all join us for dinner this evening. We''ll n to eat out

    back here and you can tell King Ailduin all about your time with our pack and for those of you that came to the mate gathering,

    you can tell King Ailduin all about that as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you Lady Luna Grace.¡±

    ¡°We''ll be back for dinner.¡±

    ¡°We''ll bring our nt nectar.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, again.¡±

    ¡°See youter.¡±

    Ailduin looks at me as they fly away. ¡°You handle them very well.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Their hearts are in the right ce. | know they annoy some people.¡± | spare a nce at my mate. ¡°But, really, they¡¯re

    kind, sweet little beings.¡±

    ¡°| appreciate you letting them interact with your pack. The sprites have always had a love for werewolves.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Angel asks. She just had a sprite mate with one of her pack members and move to

    her pack

    ¡°As you may have noticed, the sprites are sweet beings, but they are not strong, they are not fighters. They have little to no

    method of protecting themselves from predators or hunters. In the past, the wolves protected the sprites while the sprites kept an

    eye on the areas surrounding the wolves for enemies. Generally, both species found the arrangement beneficial. And, as you

    have

    seen, sprites and wolves have been known to be mates.¡±

    He looks out watching the sprites as they fly back into the forest. ¡°Wolves and sprites make good mate pairs. The sprites adore

    their mates in a way that you wolves appreciate, and the wolves cherish the sprites in a way that makes them feel safe and

    loved. Also, sprites don¡¯t mind the wolves¡¯ possessiveness. That also makes them feel loved and cherished, like they are the

    most

    special person in the world to their mate.¡±

    ¡°They are.¡± Liam says,ing up and wrapping his arms around AngeL ¡°Most wolves treasure their mates above anything and

    anyone else. Those that don¡¯t, don¡¯t deserve the bond they have

    been gifted with.¡±

    ¡°I''ve started to wonder if this generation of Guardians is stronger than the ones | worked with before because you¡¯ve been

    allowed to find your fated mates. | know your mates are stronger, but it seems that you, as Guardians are stronger as well, and

    not necessarily from the next generation of reincamation. Time will tell | guess.¡± Allduin says.

    ¡°Time will tell for you.¡± Rik says, dryly. ¡°We won''t be here to see it.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, a good point. Well, shall we get started?¡±

    ¡°What would you like for us to start with today?¡± Cara asks.

    Ailduin turns to me. ¡°I understand that you pulled power from Cara and Angel. Tell me what that

    was like for you.¡±

    | exin to him about the colors and how they blended. He nods as if this makes perfect sense.

    ¡°So, Maia¡¯s power is red. As the parent, her color was stronger than Artemis¡¯s which was orange. Alessia¡¯s is different, having the

    ability to direct her aura, so hers was a different color but blended into yours making it an altogether different color. And you were

    able to manipte power of all three of youbined into one.¡± He summarizes.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Healing power is yellow, as you may have seen by the glow in my hand when | healed T. | wonder if you could find Alessia¡¯s

    healing power and draw from it.¡±

    the

    +15 BONDS

    | look to Angel. ¡°Well, Angel is pregnant and since my power draw knocked all of us out, we don¡¯t want to hurt the baby by

    practicing on her. Is there something else we could practice?¡± | ask,

    noticing Liam¡¯s relief.

    Ailduin looks at me intently for a moment, causing me to shift ufortably. ¡°Perhaps you could try with me.¡± He says, finally.

    ¡°With you?¡± Ites out more of a squeak than a question.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chatper 432

    Chapter 0432

    ¡°l also have the power to heal.¡± He reaches his hand out to me, palm up. ¡°See if you can feel my

    healing energy.¡±

    | look at the others before stepping up and gently cing my hand on top of his. ¡°Reach out with your strength, see if you can

    feel mine. You are a Guardian of the Realm. If your powers really do extend to all supernaturals, you should be able to pull power

    from me as easily as you do your

    Guardian sisters.¡±

    | realize why Ailduin stared at me for so long. He was deciding if he wasfortable with me having this level of power over him.

    If | learn to pull power from him, | could drain his power, or possibly use it for my own personal desires. He¡¯s taking a risk and

    he¡¯s putting his trust in me. Considering the recent negative history between the fae and the werewolves, | feel honored.

    | close my eyes, letting myself feel the warmth of his hand. Maia pushes forward and we pull gently, trying to find his aura and

    strength. ¡°Yours is green.¡± | say, almost to myself.

    ¡°The color of the earth, where my strengthes from.¡± He says. ¡°Find theyer of yellow within the green.¡±

    | feel like I¡¯m in the greenyer of a rainbow, searching for the next color. Roy G Blv. | remember hearing that mnemonic

    somewhere for the colors of the rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. In that color scheme, yellow is right

    next to green.

    | push my aura in one direction, and the green starts to feel darker, so | move and begin letting it flow to where the green starts to

    feel lighter until I¡¯m surrounded by yellow. ¡°I found it.¡± | say. opening my eyes. Ailduin is watching me intently.

    ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve never known anyone that could maneuver around an aura like that. Grab hold of the yellow.¡± He says and | do,

    pulling it into me. As | do, he beckons Elfover. He takes a knife andText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    hands it to him.

    ¡°This is silver. | know you can heal from it, but | want to see if your mate can use my healing to heal you faster.¡± He says. Eli

    takes the knife and looks at me.

    ¡°Ready?¡± He asks. | nod. He slices his hand with the knife before opening his bloody palm to me. |

    reach my hand out and cover his.

    ¡°Push the yellow into his hand.¡± Ailduin instructs me. | focus, Maia helping me, and | watch as my hand glows a faint yellow and

    Eli''s hand heals. When I''m done. I¡¯m exhausted. | feel like I¡¯ve run a

    marathon after starving myself for weeks, and not sleeping for days. I¡¯m sweating and I¡¯m stagger

    forward. Ell immediately picks me up bridal style, looking at me concerned.

    ¡°What''s wrong with her?¡± He asks, holding me close.

    ¡°Doing this is difficult and she has exhausted herself. Can we get her something to eat and something sugary to drink?¡± He asks

    and Ell calls Cammy to bring me something.

    ¡°I''m okay, Ell. | just feel so tired.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you heal her?¡± Eli asks Ailduin.

    ¡°Yes and no. She¡¯s not injured. She has exhausted herself. It would be better for her body to heal.

    itself and learn it¡¯s limits.¡±

    ¡°While she rests, Cara, lets see if you can find my healing aura.¡±

    ¡°| can¡¯t see the colors. When | pull on her power, | just feel the powering through to me. | don¡¯t do any of the blending thing

    that she talked about.¡± Cara says.

    Ailduin looks at Angel. ¡°Not a chance.¡± Liam says before Ailduin can even suggest Angel trying it.

    Ailduin nods looking back at Cara. ¡°Can you feel the difference between strength and healing?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know.¡± She says.

    ¡°Let''s try.¡± He says as Cammy brings out a tray of food and a soda for me.

    We watch as Cara tries to find the difference between Ailduin¡¯s strength and his healing power. We can see that she¡¯s getting

    fatigued as well. Rik walks up behind her, lending her his support.

    ¡°| think | have it.¡± She says and she sounds like she¡¯s panting with the effort. Ailduin pulls his hand away and her body sags. Rik

    scoops her up and brings her back to our little seating area.

    ¡°| think that is a good start for today. We can have dinner and rest. Tomorrow, | want to work on mind linking and if we have time

    and feel up to it, we can try again.¡± Ailduin says.

    Cara eats a little and has a soda as well before we both start to feel better. When it¡¯s time for dinner, we''re both feeling back to

    normal.

    SONOISE

 Chatper 433

    Dinner was a loud and chaotic affair. The sprites were back to their incessant back and forth chatter. | don¡¯t know how Grace can

    have conversations with them and not get a headache, but my amazing mate takes on the roll of hostess and inserts herself in

    the conversations with the sprites. Angel and Cara seem to have the same ease interacting with the sprites. Liam on the other

    hand, makes me look like | have the patience of a saint. He has no tolerance for their chatter

    at all. Rik falls somewhere in between us and our mates.

    | watch as Aolis dotes on Lily. She¡¯s still too young to really give him attention, but he seems to enjoy making herugh. ¡®Is it

    weird that you already know who Lily¡¯s mate is?¡± | ask Rik.

    He looks over at Aolis, ying with his daughter. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s fine. As she gets older, | know it will be harder for me and I''ll

    have to set serious boundaries. Here | was, worried I''d have to fight with Liam about his son messing with my little girl. Instead, |

    get fae royalty that is ten years

    older than she is. | honestly don¡¯t know which is worse.¡±

    As the evening winds down, Grace makes sure that everyone is settled in their rooms. Ailduin and Aolis have been put in rooms

    on our floor. After making sure they also have everything they need, | pull my mate into the shower and make sure she knows.

    exactly how amazing | think she is before | wrap myself around her in our bed and we fall to sleep.

    The next morning, we wake early as Grace wants to make sure that everything is ready for breakfast. We haven''t been

    downstairs long when Ailduines in, looking a bit frazzled.

    ¡°Grace, has someone stayed in the room I¡¯m in recently. There¡¯s a scent...¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ailduin, I¡¯m so sorry. We did have guestsst week. | thought the room had been cleaned and aired properly, but | can make

    sure that it is cleaned again today.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± He says sharply, before regting his tone. ¡°You misunderstand me. The scent, it¡¯s intoxicating.¡± | watch as his eyes nearly

    roll back into his head. | look at Grace. | know that look. Everyone mated werewolf knows that look. That¡¯s the look of someone

    that just smelled their

    mate.

    Summer? Who stayed in the room that we put King Ailduin in?¡± | can see Grace¡¯s eyes shining.

    She thinks she knows who his mate is.

    Summer walks in and thinks for a moment. ¡°Let me see, | believe that was Alpha Anastasia.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Summer.¡± Grace says, with a shrewd look I¡¯ve seen before. She¡¯s nning something.

    ¡°King Ailduin. Allow me to make a phone call. | don¡¯t want to make any assumptions, but it¡¯s

    possible that the person that was herest weekend could possibly make a trip toe this. weekend as well. I''ll find out and

    then, then we''ll see what happens. In the meantime, pleaseT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    have some breakfast.¡±

    Grace leaves to make her call. While she is gone, the others join us for breakfast. They say hello to their previous pack mates

    that chose to move to our pack, catching up on the changes in their lives since they came to live here. When Grace joins us, she

    has a smile on her face.

    ¡°| let Cammy and Summer know that we''ll have a couple extra visitors this afternoon, staying the

    night.¡±

    ¡°| hope that this won''t lead to disappointment for them again.¡± | mind link her.

    ¡°He¡¯s a king. In retrospect, she¡¯s perfect for him. It just means that Alpha Christopher will have to figure something else out with

    his pack.¡± She mind links back.

    After breakfast, we drop the babies off at the nursery and head back outside.

    ¡°Today, | want to try something different. We know that Grace and Ell have the ability to mind link.

    long distances, and that Grace can push her ability to Eli and have him mind link longer distances

    as well. So first, let¡¯s see if Cara and Angel can pull from Grace and mind link back to your

    respective packs.¡±

    It takes some time, but eventually Cara is able to mind link Lacey back at her pack. Next, Angel

    takes a turn with Liam hovering over her ready to swoop in if she looks tired.

    ¡°Liam, I¡¯m pulling from her, she¡¯s not pulling from me. I¡¯m fine.¡± Angel tells him, but he doesn¡¯t

    budge. She rolls her eyes and focuses on Grace. It takes her a bit longer, but eventually, she¡¯s

    able to mind link back to her pack as well.

    ¡°Excellent. Next, | want to see if Cara can pull from Grace¡¯s power and have Rik mind link his

    pack.¡±

    This takes longer but eventually, Rik is able to mind link Chase back at his pack. Next, they try again with Angel and Liam. Again,

    it takes longer, but Liam is able to mind link. By the time they

    finish, it is time for lunch, and everyone looks like they could use a break.

    At lunch we see a very happy Thomas and T. T has a mate mark on her neck. When | look at

    Thomas, he pulls his shirt down to show me the glowing circle above his heart. The two of them

    look radiantly happy. Grace gives T a hug and she thanks Ailduin again for healing her.

    In the alternoon, Ailduin wants to see if Grace, Cara and Angel can mind link each other. They all

    look at each other, frowning before turning back to him.

    ¡°Your bonds are different, more significant than they have ever been in the past. Two of your wolf

    spirits have been mated and one of your wolves is the daughter of the other two. In both of those.

    scenarios, wolves are able to mind link, correct?¡± Ailduin asks.

    ¡°Correct.¡± They all agree.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s try it.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t take long at all before they all realize they can mind link each other. They are allughing and begin hugging each

    other.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°Now, let''s try adding the mates into the mind link, Grace, start with Rik. See if you can mind link him. Angel, you try to mind link

    Eli and Cara, you try with Liam.¡±

    They do. Angel is looking at me, focusing on trying to open the mind link. It takes longer than it did. when they were trying with

    each other. Grace gets it first, but she and | have the stronger mind link. Suddenly, | can feel a fluttering against my mind. | smile

    at Angel and nod at her. She pushes harder and she¡¯s in.

    ¡°Hey Eli.¡± She mind links me.

    ¡°Nice job, Angel.¡±

    We are just confirming that we¡¯ve all been able to mind link when Grace¡¯s eyes go unfocused.

    ¡°Oh. I''ll be right back.¡± She says.

    She goes inside as everyone continues chatting about the possible implications of us being able to mind link to each other now.

    When Grace walks out, Ailduin¡¯s head snaps up. She moves aside and Anastasia is standing there. She looks at Ailduin.

    ¡°Mate!¡±

    Cooper Author

    Ansettia and Alduin were unnned and sort of happened by ident in my head. | hope you like the pairing!

 Chatper 434

    | knew it! | knew Anastasia and Ailduin were mates! Now, we just need to see how this ys out.

    In an instant. Ailduin has moved forward and has Anastasia in his arms.

    ¡°King Allduin, may | introduce you to Alpha Anastasia. Anastasia, this is King Ailduin.¡±

    ¡°King?¡± Alpha Christopher says, looking at his daughter in the arms of her mate before turning to

    1. me.

    ¡°Ailduin is the fae king.¡± | reply.

    ¡°How is this possible? | thought you only get one mate in a lifetime.¡± Ailduin says, his voice thick of awe. He hasn¡¯t looked away

    from Anastasia.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She tenses in his arms. ¡°You''re already mated?¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°No, | was, years ago, but she was taken from me.¡± He looks around at all of

    1. us. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°You''ve lived more than one lifetime by our standards.¡± Rik says. ¡°And werewolves have second chance mates. It¡¯s notmon,

    but it does happen. Maybe the fae do as well.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you would like somece more private to get to know each other.¡± | say, gesturing to

    them to follow me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have much to discuss.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ailduin begins, before turning back. ¡°But your training.¡±

    ¡°Can wait until tomorrow. Go speak with your mate. Everyone here understands.¡± Eli tells him.

    King Ailduin then turns to Alpha Christopher. ¡°I am King Ailduin of the fae. | assure you that no harm wille to your daughter

    while she is in mypany.¡±

    Alpha Christopher nods and turns to Anastasia. ¡°I''ll be here if you need me.¡±

    | find them a private room on the first floor and leave them to get to know each other. When | return, Alpha Christopher is sitting

    with everyone else.

    ¡°A king? A fae king?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He has been helping us learn how to use our Guardian gifts and has been a catalyst in helping us ovee the difficulties

    between the fae and werewolves.¡± Cara tells him.

    ¡°He said his mate was taken from him?¡± He asks, looking around.

    15 BONOS

    ¡°It''s not our story to tell.¡± Angel says. ¡°But it is a sad story and in the end, the she¡ªwolf died. There is no one making a im to

    Ailduin now.

    ¡°He is a good king. The sprites that live in our surrounding forest adore him.¡± | say. And as if | brought them into being by talking

    about them, Funichio and Fanee flitting up.

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace. Sir Alpha Eli. Good afternoon.¡±

    ¡°We''re looking for King Ailduin.¡±

    ¡°Is he around for us to talk to?¡±

    ¡°I''m afraid he¡¯s busy right now. Is there something we can help you with?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Funichio, look, there¡¯s a new one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a fine specimen.¡±

    ¡°He is, do you think he¡¯s an Alpha too?¡±

    They begin having a conversation about Alpha Christopher and | can see the Alpha¡¯s lips twitching at being the object of their

    not-at-all subtle admiration.

    ¡°You know | can hear you, right?¡± Alpha Christopher says to the two sprites.

    ¡°Oh, Funichio. Did you hear that?¡± Fane says, quivering in excitement, her hand going to her

    heart.

    ¡°Definitely an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very big.¡±

    ¡°He looks like he¡¯d be very warm.¡±

    Fane flits over toward Alpha Christopher. ¡°What¡¯s your name, handsome?¡±

    ¡°I''m Alpha Christopher. What''s your name, beautiful.¡± Christopher flirts with Fane.

    ¡°Funichio, did you hear that, he thinks I¡¯m beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Well, he may be an Alpha, but he obviously has poor eyesight if he thinks you¡¯re beautiful sister.¡±

    ¡°Take it back.¡± Fane says to Funichio.

    ¡°| think you''re quite lovely.¡± Alpha Christopher says to her, making her flutter and shiver again.

    ¡°Are you always this responsive to the voice of an Alpha?¡± He says, seemingly genuinely curious.

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Only some. Your voice is deep, it feels delicious when you speak.¡± She says, her eyes rolling

    back in her head.

    ¡°Delicious?¡± He frowns, looking at the rest of us.

    I shrug. ¡°It''s apparently a good thing. But don¡¯t lick her and don¡¯t let your wolf lick her. That''s how they mate.¡± | warn him.

    ¡°Lady Luna Grace.¡± Fane sniffles, looking at me, offended. ¡°Maybe he wanted to lick me. You didn¡¯t have to tell him not to. |

    would be a good mate.¡±

    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chatper 435

    GET IT NOW

    Chapter 0435

    She turns back to Alpha Christopher. ¡°You''re wee to lick me if you want to.¡±

    Alpha Christopher smiles at her. ¡°Maybe we should get to know each other before either of us considers licking the other.¡± He

    tells her kindly.

    ¡°Oh, | would love to spend more time with you. Do you have time now? | could show you the

    forest.¡±

    He looks at us. We all shrug.

    He turns back to her. ¡°As it turns out, | have some free time. I¡¯d love to see the forest.¡± He leans in to her, smiling mischievously.

    ¡°Would you like to meet my wolf?¡±

    ¡°Oooooh, oh yes. Yes | would.¡± She says, and her entire body quivers in excitement. He chuckles, turning back to us. ¡°Excitable

    little ones, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°You have no idea.¡± Eli says dryly, shaking his head. ¡°But you¡¯ve been warned Alpha. They take licking very seriously.¡±

    Alpha Christopher looks at us like we¡¯re crazy. ¡°Why would | lick her?¡± He asks quietly.

    Eli shrugs. ¡°The wolves in my pack have as much fascination with them as they do with us. If

    you''re going to shift. I¡¯d be prepared to keep your wolf under control.¡±

    He turns back to Fane. ¡°Okay. Lead the way, little one. Or are you going to finally give me your name?¡± Alpha Christopher

    says. Fane tells him her name before leading him into the forest.

    ¡°Funichio.¡± | say, as he watches them leave. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when King Ailduin will be free, mayb try back at dinner time?¡± | tell him.

    He looks at me, before turning back to where Alpha Christopher has disappeared into the forest. Maybe I''ll help Fane show the

    Alpha around while | wait.¡± He says, before flitting off after ther

    ¡°We warned him.¡± Is all Eli says before shaking his head.

    We have a couple hours before dinner, so Cara, Angel and | head down to Main Street to pick u the items they orderedst

    weekend. They are thrilled with their clothing and order more for others in their pack.

    As we''re walking back to the pack, | notice that the flowers in the front of the packhouse look more vibrant than usual. | shrug it

    off as the sprites doing their thing. However, when we get inside the packhouse, | see everyone staring into the back yard. | rush

    over, seeing Summer among those looking outside.

    ¡°Summer, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Luna, look.¡±

    | follow the direction she¡¯s pointing, and | realize that the back of our packhouse and even to edge of the forest around us looks

    almost magical. The flowers are all blooming and in beautiful color, more colorful than I¡¯ve ever seen in nature. The trees have all

    turned a vibrant shade of green on their leaves and the trunks are the brightest shade of brown that I¡¯ve ever seen.

    ¡°What''s happening?¡± | ask.

    ¡°We have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Where are the sprites, are they doing this?¡± | ask, looking around.

    ¡°It''s not us, Luna.¡± Lni says.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t strong enough to make everything this bright.¡± Lna says.

    ¡°Then who?¡± | ask, knowing no one has the answer. | see Eli looking around and | walk over to him

    ¡°What in the goddess¡¯s name is going on?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°| have no idea.¡±

    As we watch, the nts continue to perk up, getting impossibly brighter. ¡°Look at the garden.¡± El says, pointing as Cara, Rik,

    Liam and Angel walk up and join us.

    The garden is plush and overgrowing with fruits and vegetables. ¡°Whatever it is, | want it in my pack.¡± Angel says, looking around

    in awe.

    As we continue to stare. Aolises around the corner of the packhouse, holding Lily. ¡°Aolis, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± |

    ask him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    He stops, looking around as if he hadn¡¯t noticed the change in the foliage around the backhouse before smiling broadly and

    looking back at us.

    ¡°Father is extremely happy.¡±

    15 BONOS

 Chatper 436

    Well, | guess we can all assume that Ailduin and Anastasia havepleted their mate bond. I¡¯m not sure what else could make

    aman happy enough to cause this sort of change in the environment. I''d like to be aggravated about it, but since it¡¯s not a bad

    thing, | know that if | had the power, the entire world would have shifted when | mated with Grace, | can¡¯t really say

    anything.

    As everyone is adjusting to the fact that happy fae royalty means a plushndscape, Alpha Christopheres out of the forest,

    looking a bit worse for wear. His hair is going in all different directions, he has pieces of what | think are twigs in his hair and on

    his clothes. He looks like either he or his wolf have been rolling around on the forest floor. Knowing the effect the sprites

    have, I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m not far off the mark.

    ¡°Alpha Christopher.¡± Grace says, looking a bit rmed. ¡°Is everything alright.¡±

    ¡°Dear goddess above, those sprites.¡± He turns and we see Fane at the edge of the forest,

    waving at him.

    He turns back to us. ¡°I¡¯ve been a single man since my mate died in childbirth with Anastasia. | never wanted to take another

    mate, but that sprite may make me change my mind. The things they can do with their light.¡± He looks back at Fane. ¡°I¡¯m an

    Alpha wolf. I¡¯m not a young, inexperienced man. I¡¯m used to being inplete control of every aspect of my life. But that- that

    was...something else.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Christopher.¡± Grace says to him, trying to get his attention. ¡°Perhaps you want to shower and maybe change your clothes

    before dinner. We''ll be eating in about 30 minutes.¡± My tactful.

    mate says.

    Liam, however, isn¡¯t nearly so tactful. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking mess Alpha. Get upstairs and wash off whatever that sprite did to you.¡±

    Alpha Christopher looks like he¡¯sing out of a trance. He looks down at himself suddenly realizing what a state of disarray

    he¡¯s in. ¡°Great idea. Perhaps you can show me which room is mine, Luna Grace.¡±

    ¡°I''d be happy to.¡± Grace says and as she turns, | can see she¡¯s trying hard not tough.

    ¡°Is it always this interesting in your pack?¡± Rik asks as we watch Grace lead Alpha Christopher away.

    ¡°Always.¡± | say. Rik and Liam burst outughing and | can¡¯t help but smile. It¡¯s crazy, but it¡¯s my

    crazy.

    +15 BONO1

    We don¡¯t see Ailduin or Anastasia the rest of the evening. Alpha Christopher briefly asks about his daughter before Fane

    shows up, looking for Ailduin. We exin that he is still busy, and Grace invites her to stay for dinner. We don¡¯t see either Fane

    or Alpha Christopher again after dinner.

    ¡°I''m not sure we''ll be getting any more training this weekend. But we could practice on our own

    tomorrow.¡± Grace suggests.

    ¡°Let''s see what happens in the morning. Tomorrow was only meant to be a half day of training anyway. If nothing else. I''ll be

    practicing the mind link and making sure all is well at our pack.¡± Rik

    says.

    The next day, there is no training. Ailduin spends the morning waiting to speak to Alpha Christopher who is nowhere to be found.

    We all notice the mate mark on Ailduin¡¯s neck that he is proudly showing off. I¡¯m guessing that Anastasia has some sort of light

    symbol above her heart.

    When Alpha Christopher finally returns, he tells us that Fane agreed to return to his pack with

    him. Fane, we all notice, has a human form.

    He turns to look at me. ¡°Dalton, my wolf, might have licked her.¡± He says quietly.

    | ce my hand on his shoulder. ¡°I did warn you.¡±

    ¡°You did, but | couldn¡¯t help myself. She is something special.¡±

    | just shake my head at him.

    King Ailduin speaks to Alpha Christopher, and he agrees that Anastasia should go with him to

    Araphyra, his home, now that they are mated. Ailduin tells Alpha Christopher that he''ll be back in two weeks to train the

    Guardians again and he will bring Anastasia with him. Anastasia hugs her father, saying goodbye to the rest of us and leaves

    with Ailduin and Aolis.

    Alpha Christopher waits while Fane says goodbye to her friends and her brother, Funichio. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I''ll do with my

    pack now. I¡¯m ready to retire, but there isn¡¯t anyone to stand up and take on the role of Alpha. My Beta has a son, he may be

    willing to step up. If so, | would want to speak to you about possibly retiring here and joining your pack. Fane would like to be

    closer to her friends and family.¡±

    ¡°There will always be a ce for you here, Alpha. You''ll just have to find a spot you both like and we''ll build you a home.¡±

    After the chaos of the weekend, I¡¯m thankful when life returns to normal on Monday morning. Grace and | are back to our

    grueling schedule of work, building the pack and cleaning the packhouse. Before the week is over, we make ns to meet up

    with Benny. Grace has talked to Cammy and gotten her ideas to share with Benny. If he is agreeable, he will also be joining ourOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    +15 BONOS

    pack.

    On the evening before we leave to meet with Benny, Gracees to my office, carrying a stack of files. She sits down in front of

    me holding them in herp. | set aside my work and give her my attention.

    ¡°What have you got there, baby?¡±

    She smiles at me. ¡°Proof that your mate is always right.¡±

    | burst outughing. ¡°And what are you right about this time, my love?¡±

    She stands, handing me a file folder. | look at it, seeing ¡®Gunnar¡® written on the front of it. | frown. looking up at her. ¡°What is

    this?¡±

    She walks around the desk,ing to sit in myp. | scoot back, making room for her, tucking her against me and looking at the

    file over her shoulder. ¡°We found this while we were cleaning out the bunkers. It¡¯s the files for the families in Alpha Jerome''s

    pack. This is your family¡¯s history. It shows your family line, going back generations.¡±

    She turns to look me in the eye. ¡°Not only are you descended from an Alpha line nearly six generations ago, but your family has

    consistently mated with Alpha females since they took over the position of Beta. That includes your mother, | might add. So,

    Alpha, | was right. You have more. Alpha blood in you than Beta blood.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Alpha Christopher and Fane? And is anyone surprised that Eli has Alpha blood?

 Chatper 437

    | knew Eli was an Alpha, or at least descended from Alphas before he took over as one. He¡¯s more of a leader than many Alphas

    I''ve known, my own father included. But it was nice to have confirmation and to be able to show him that he isn¡¯t the fake Alpha

    to this pack that he sometimes feels he is, even now. He is the real deal. He always has been.

    The next day, Eli and | drive north two hours to meet up with Benny. | didn¡¯t want him driving all the way to the pack if he ends up

    running and screaming after we tell him what we are. Eli found a small town with an even smaller diner where we could meet and

    have some privacy to talk.

    We arrived first and got a table in the corner. | smile at Eli thinking of the time we were on the run and we had breakfast in a

    diner.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, baby?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°You''re sitting the exact same way you were that time we were being chased by the red wolves. You remember, we were eating

    breakfast and you saw the shifter you¡¯d heard overnight. Even back then, before | epted you, you were such a good mate to

    me.

    | watch as Louis pushes forward in Eli''s eyes. ¡°You were ours, from the moment we first saw you. Ours to love and ours to

    protect. That will never change, little wolf.¡± Goddess, | love this man with every ounce of my being.

    | reach out and cup his cheek, Maia pushing forward. ¡°We love you too.¡± We say together..

    When | hear the bells chime announcing someoneing into the diner, | pull back and look up to see Benny looking at us.

    ¡°Benny!¡± | stand and walk to him, hugging him tightly. As | step back, he holds on to my arms, looking me up and down.

    ¡°| know you were all grown up when |st saw you, but hon, you''ve certainly changed since then. You seem all grown up now.¡±

    ¡°A lot has happened since |st saw you, Benny.¡± | turn, gesturing to Eli who hase over to join us. ¡°You remember Eli.¡±

    ¡°| do.¡± He says, putting out his hand to shake Eli¡¯s.

    ¡°It''s a pleasure to see you again, sir.¡±

    We begin walking over to the table. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you''ve been taking care of Grace. | was worried at first, but she told me you

    were, and now | can see that she was right.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    We sit and order food before Benny asks me what has been going on. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot Eli and | want to share with you, but I¡¯m

    not sure you¡¯re going to be okay with it.¡±

    He looks at us for a minute. ¡°Are ya''ll livin in one of them nudie camps?¡± He asks.

    Eli frowns. ¡°Nudie camps?¡±

    ¡°You know, where people walk around nekkid all the time.¡±

    I can see Elis lips twitching. ¡°No, Benny, we don¡¯t live in a nudist colony.¡± | say, mentally face- palming myself.

    ¡°Well, then, | don¡¯t see what the problem is. As long as | can wear clothing, I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about wildlife?¡± Eli asks.

    ¡°| was raised in the country, son. I¡¯m used to wildlife.¡±

    ¡°We live in and among the wildlife, Benny.¡± | tell him.

    We get our food and I can see Benny is thinking about what we¡¯ve said. He puts his silverware down, wipes his mouth with his

    napkin then looks up at us.

    ¡°What aren''t the two of you telling me?¡± Benny was always astute. Hees across as an uneducated country bumpkin type of

    man, but he¡¯s not stupid.

    ¡°Have you ever heard the term shifter, Benny?¡± Eli asks him.

    ¡°You mean like in the movies where someone turns into some kind of critter that goes around killing everyone?¡±

    | look at Eli, my eyes widening. This is not the direction | wanted this conversation to go in.

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Eli says.

    Benny looks between us. ¡°Spit it out then, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°We''re wolf shifters, Benny. Eli and | and the people we live with, we¡¯re a pack. We can change into wolves.¡±

    Moment of truth. | watch as Benny looks at me, assessing if I¡¯m telling the truth. | don¡¯t look away. He looks at Eli and gets the

    same resolute expression. | watch as he makes up his mind about whether or not I¡¯ve gone crazy, before he picks up his fork,

    and stabs a bite of his pancake.

    ¡°| knew your mom didn¡¯t have cancer. Didn¡¯t know what it was, but people with cancer don¡¯t have the t

    type

    of episodes she had. I¡¯m guessing she was a shifter, too?¡± He asks, putting the bite of food in his mouth.

    Something inside me unwinds. | hadn''t realized how much | wanted Benny to believe me and

    agree toe live in our pack. This man, who had looked after my mother and me when we had

    no one, then watched out for me after she died. This man, who has been more of a father to me

    than my own had ever been.

    ¡°She was.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Is that where you got it from?¡± He asks, as if we''re talking about the color of my eyes.

    not that I''m a shifter that turns into a wolf.

    ¡°| got it from both my parents.¡±

    ¡°You ever find that shit for brains father of yours?¡± He asks. He knew enough to know that my father had kicked us out.

    ¡°Yeah. | took care of it.¡± He stops, his food halfway to his mouth as he looks at me.

    ¡°Permanently?¡± He asks.

    Inod.

    ¡°Good.¡± He says before finishing his breakfast. ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve either of you anyway.¡±

    ¡°So, Benny, do you want toe live with a bunch of wolves in the woods and help a young girl start her own business in a

    diner?¡± Eli asks him.

    He shrugs. ¡°I packed everything | own, knowing that there isn¡¯t anything for me back the way | came. Only thing for me is to go

    forward with you folks. If you''ll have me, I¡¯m happy toe along. But I don¡¯t change into anything. What ya see, is what ya get

    with me.¡±

    | drove home with Benny. We caught up on thest few months and | gave him the full story of my battle with my father. ¡°Alpha

    wolf, huh? That¡¯s like, top dog, right?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± | said.

    ¡°It''s good to know the boss.¡± He said.

    He settled into pack life easier than | would have believed. He moved into the packhouse not showing any concern that he was

    living amongst hundreds of wolf shifters. After making sure that

    +15 BONGS

    he didn¡¯t need to worry about some wolves being the real thing and attacking him, he settled right

    1. in.

    Over the next couple of weeks, he made friends with almost everyone. No one seemed bothered. that we had a human living in

    our pack. He met with Cammy and talked to her about her ideas, and he gave some of his own as well. He worked with her to

    make sure that the diner would be

    built in a way that made it conducive to seatingrge groups of people and still had enough room for a kitchen, a prep station and

    a checkout counter. He took her under his wing, just like he had

    with me.

    Sometimes, he goes hunting with the wolves that bring in meat for the pack. I¡¯ve heard him. arguing that he is the better hunter

    because he doesn¡¯t have teeth and ws, he has to use a gun and his own old eyes and ears.

    He even gets along with the sprites. After Fane left with Alpha Christopher, Funichio didn¡¯t really have anyone to spend time

    with. He and Benny have be good friends. | frequently find them sitting together in thete afternoon, rxing under a tree

    or walking through the forest, just talking.

    He¡¯s chosen a spot where he wants to build a house, and once the diner is built, | doubt I''ll see much of him as I¡¯m sure he''ll do

    what he¡¯s always done. He''ll sit in the diner and keep and eye on everything.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    He did mention to me once that while we may not live in a ¡®nudie camp¡¯, people sure al

    are ¡®nekkid¡¯ a lot. | justughed and told him it was too expensive to constantly buy clothes if you shift with them on and destroy

    them. And then, you don¡¯t have any to put on when you shift back. He¡¯s learned to adjust.

    All in all, it''s been a much easier transition than | would have expected, and | couldn¡¯t be happier.

    Cooper

    Author

    +15 BONGS

 Chatper 438

    ¡°| knew your mom didn¡¯t have cancer. Didn¡¯t know what it was, but people with cancer don¡¯t have the t

    type

    of episodes she had. I¡¯m guessing she was a shifter, too?¡± He asks, putting the bite of food in his mouth.

    Something inside me unwinds. | hadn''t realized how much | wanted Benny to believe me and

    agree toe live in our pack. This man, who had looked after my mother and me when we had

    no one, then watched out for me after she died. This man, who has been more of a father to me

    than my own had ever been.

    ¡°She was.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Is that where you got it from?¡± He asks, as if we''re talking about the color of my eyes.

    not that I''m a shifter that turns into a wolf.

    ¡°| got it from both my parents.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You ever find that shit for brains father of yours?¡± He asks. He knew enough to know that my father had kicked us out.

    ¡°Yeah. | took care of it.¡± He stops, his food halfway to his mouth as he looks at me.

    ¡°Permanently?¡± He asks.

    Inod.

    ¡°Good.¡± He says before finishing his breakfast. ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve either of you anyway.¡±

    ¡°So, Benny, do you want toe live with a bunch of wolves in the woods and help a young girl start her own business in a

    diner?¡± Eli asks him.

    He shrugs. ¡°I packed everything | own, knowing that there isn¡¯t anything for me back the way | came. Only thing for me is to go

    forward with you folks. If you''ll have me, I''m happy toe along. But | don¡¯t change into anything. What ya see, is what ya get

    with me.¡±

    | drove home with Benny. We caught up on thest few months and | gave him the full story of my battle with my father. ¡°Alpha

    wolf, huh? That¡¯s like, top dog, right?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡± | said.

    ¡°It''s good to know the boss.¡± He said.

    He settled into pack life easier than | would have believed. He moved into the packhouse not showing any concern that he was

    living amongst hundreds of wolf shifters. After making sure that

    +15 BONGS

    he didn¡¯t need to worry about some wolves being the real thing and attacking him, he settled right

    1. in.

    Over the next couple of weeks, he made friends with almost everyone. No one seemed bothered. that we had a human living in

    our pack. He met with Cammy and talked to her about her ideas, and he gave some of his own as well. He worked with her to

    make sure that the diner would be

    built in a way that made it conducive to seatingrge groups of people and still had enough room for a kitchen, a prep station and

    a checkout counter. He took her under his wing, just like he had

    with me.

    Sometimes, he goes hunting with the wolves that bring in meat for the pack. I¡¯ve heard him. arguing that he is the better hunter

    because he doesn¡¯t have teeth and ws, he has to use a gun and his own old eyes and ears.

    He even gets along with the sprites. After Fane left with Alpha Christopher, Funichio didn¡¯t really have anyone to spend time

    with. He and Benny have be good friends. | frequently find them sitting together in thete afternoon, rxing under a tree

    or walking through the forest, just talking.

    He¡¯s chosen a spot where he wants to build a house, and once the diner is built, | doubt I''ll see much of him as I¡¯m sure he''ll do

    what he¡¯s always done. He''ll sit in the diner and keep and eye on everything.

    He did mention to me once that while we may not live in a ¡®nudie camp¡¯, people sure al

    are ¡®nekkid¡¯ a lot. | justughed and told him it was too expensive to constantly buy clothes if you shift with them on and destroy

    them. And then, you don¡¯t have any to put on when you shift back. He¡¯s learned to adjust.

    All in all, it''s been a much easier transition than | would have expected, and | couldn¡¯t be happier.

    Cooper

    Author

 Chatper 439

    It''s been a couple of months since Benny joined our pack. It¡¯s is reallying along now. Most of our pack members have

    homes that are eitherplete or in the final stages ofpletion. Main

    street stores areplete, and we¡¯ve started building another set of stores in the expansion portion of the pack, making it easier

    for those members that chose to live farther away from the

    packhouse to get supplies when needed.

    Grace and | started having monthly pack meetings, keeping everyone up to date, providing any

    announcements and using that time to add new members to the pack, whether they are wolves

    coming of age, or people who havee to our pack looking for a safe ce to live.

    Ailduines for training every two weeks. He brings Anastasia so she can see her father. Alpha Christopher spoke to his Beta

    when he returned with Fane. He set up an Alpha challenge and

    his Beta¡¯s son won, as expected. He took a month to help transition the duties to the new Alpha

    and then he and Fane officially moved to our pack. They have built a house near the forest, in at

    community where Alexander and Thomas also built homes. It puts the sprites closer to their

    friends and families and it also puts warriors near our borders which helps protect our territory.

    The hunters have started moving again. The sprites have found several in our forest and we''ve

    been able to scare them off or eliminate them. Alpha Anders and the team of elders that have

    been looking for hunterpounds have only been able to track down one. | wasn¡¯t there, but

    from what | heard, they found all sorts of supernatural beings. They were being tortured and

    experimented on, just like Amber had been. We know there must be others, but they haven¡¯t been able to find them. We¡¯ve

    started hearing rumors again that something big ising. We''ve increased our patrols and thankfully, we now have two sides of

    our packnds that border Liam and Rik¡¯s packs, which provides extra security for all of us.

    Grace is getting stronger. Her ability to pull power has now extended past Cara to Rik. Somehow, once they were able to

    connect the mind link, it made it possible for Grace to also pull from Rik¡¯s power. Ailduin has been testing her ability to pull it

    separately from Rik or through Cara. At ourst training session, Grace was able to not only pull from Cara and Rik, but she also

    touched on Rik¡¯s pack members. Liam still refuses to allow Angel to participate, and | don¡¯t me him. Grace is exhausted after

    every training session. However, after she tapped into Rik¡¯s power through the

    mind link, Ailduin started having Liam sit in. Now Grace can pull from Cara and Rik as well as

    Liam and me all at the same time. She was powerful before, but now, when she pulls our power. her strength is amplified even

    more.

    It''ste and I¡¯m at my desk, getting ready to be away for another weekend of training with Ailduin. This time, we¡¯re scheduled to

    be at Rik and Cara¡¯s pack. My phone rings and when | pick it up, I¡¯m on a conference call with Rik and Liam.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Eli, Rik. We have a problem.¡± Liam starts the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve just returned from my office in the city. A panther shifter that I

    met nearly a year ago came in. She looked awful. She said she had been kept in a hunter¡¯spound for nearly six months.

    During that time, she overheard them talking about the Guardians. She escaped and came to warn me. The hunters are nning

    toe for our mates.¡±

    Both Rik and | snarl at this news. We all take a moment to get ourselves under control. ¡°So, you

    think this is the big thing that we¡¯ve been hearing about?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| think it must be. Audra said she overheard them speaking about what happened at the tournament. The ones that escaped

    that day did get the news back to their leaders. They have. also been experimenting on wolves. Audra thinks they are rogues,

    which is why we haven''t been alerted to missing wolves from any of the packs.¡±

    ¡°I''ll send my father to speak to her, if that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d like to find thatpound.¡± Rik

    says.

    ¡°Send him over. I''ve got her set up here at the pack. She¡¯s not happy about it, but she¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Does she know what kind of

    experiments they were doing on the wolves?¡± | ask.

    -15 BONOS

 Chatper 440

    Chapter 0440

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure she could tell me even if she did know. She¡¯s pretty traumatized.¡± Liam says.

    ¡°Let my dad speak to her. He¡¯s been interviewing the supernaturals that were rescued from thepound they found. He knows

    how to ask the questions slowly and carefully.¡±

    ¡°Good idea. If he wants toe tonight, I''ll set him up here, but I''d prefer that he wait to speak to her until tomorrow. She needs

    food and rest. How do you both feel about moving our training session to my pack this weekend. I¡¯d like to keep Angel close to

    home, but it''s possible that we may be able to speak to Audra. She might be more willing to speak to our mates, knowing that is

    who the hunters are after.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡± | say and Rik agrees.

    ¡°You know we have to tell them.¡± | say to Rik and Liam.

    | hear them both sigh. ¡°Yeah, | know.¡± They both say.

    ¡°They are Guardians. They are strong, but they need to be prepared. They need to be warned to be on alert. And Grace, at least,

    will want to know why I¡¯m tripling our patrols.¡± | tell them.

    ¡°Cara will too. She won''t let it go until | tell her.¡± Rik said. ¡°And I''ll feel better knowing that she¡¯s being extra careful if she¡¯s out

    with Lily.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Agreed. So, we all tell them tonight since we''ll be together tomorrow?¡± Liam asks.

    We all agree.

    I finish the call and head to our room, following my mate¡¯s scent. | find her in the shower and lean against the door, watching her.

    ¡°Why are you watching me like a creeper?¡± She leans her head out to look at me..

    ¡°Just enjoying the view.¡± | tell her.

    She crooks her finger at me. ¡°Come join me.¡±

    | strip down, walking into the shower behind her, wrapping my arms around her. She turns in my arms, looking at me with a

    mischievous look on her face, her hands slowly sliding down my chest

    to my stomach and lower.

    ¡°Do you know how much | love you?¡± | say, meaning it with every fiber of my being. No one and

    nothing will take my mate from me. | will die before | let those hunters or anyone else hurt her.

    ¡®| will tear anyone to shreds if they even think of hurting our mate.¡¯ Louis says.

    Grace¡¯s hands stop their descent and instead, her brow furrows and she slides her arms around.

    me, leaning into me.

    ¡°What is it? What''s wrong?¡±

    | look at her, my throat getting tight at the thought of someoneing after my mate. | swallow a couple of times, trying to get

    the lump out of my throat so | can answer her. | lean down and kiss.

    her nose.

    ¡°We found out that the hunters areing after the Guardians specifically. They areing for

    you.

    ¡°Hey, they won''t get me, or my sisters. We are strong. We''ve been training and we¡¯re ready. | say. let theme. We''ll show

    them that they are no match for us.¡±

    ¡°If they are nning it, then they have a thought of how they will win. Liam said they have been experimenting on wolves, most

    likely rogues, but they may have found a way to hurt you that we

    don¡¯t know about.¡±

    She cups my face in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. No one is taking me and Maia away from vo

    you and Louis. You''re stuck with us, forever. That''s what you promised me and that¡¯s what I¡¯m getting. Nothing and no one is

    taking that from us. We''ve worked too hard to finally find the happiness that we both deserve.¡±

    | lean my forehead against hers, my eyes closed, trying to get control of my emotions.

    ¡°Eli...¡± She says gently, feeling my struggle.

    ¡°Promise me. Promise me that you will be careful. Promise me that you won¡¯t take any unnecessary risks. Promise me, Grace.

    Promise me so that | can go about my day and not worry. every second that something has happened to you. Please, just

    promise me that you will be okay.¡±

    ¡°| promise you, Eli Gunnar, | will be okay.¡±

    | take my mate to bed and make love to her, slowly, taking my time, savoring every taste, every scent, every sound that she

    makes. | need her to know how much | treasure her, how precious she is to me, how much | need her. When | finally find my

    release, | hold on to her like I¡¯ll never let her

    1. go.

 Chatper 441

    Eli became more insistent that he know where | was at all times after that. When we are together, he is affectionate and loving.

    We have always been physical in our rtionship, but it was different now. It was as if he were desperate to let me know how

    much he needs me and loves me. He¡¯s terrified that he¡¯s going to lose me.

    | understand why he¡¯s feeling that way. I¡¯m the key, the central point in the power source of the Guardians. Cara and Angel can

    pull from me, but without the strength of my mind link, they can¡¯t go further than that. | can tap into the power of not only my

    sisters and their mates, but also every member of all three of our packs. | haven¡¯t been vocal about that. | don¡¯t want to scare

    anyone, but when | connect with them, it¡¯s almost like candles getting lit in my mind. As each person in their pack connects to the

    link, the candles light and | can see them in my mind. It¡¯s strange and it¡¯s overwhelming. It also means that | can hear them.

    Between the three packs we have close to

    1500 wolves. That''s a lot of voices in your head at one time. It¡¯s why I¡¯m so exhausted after

    training.

    So, without me, they are strong and powerful, but only individually. With me, our strength pools

    together we be invincible. It¡¯s why I''m not as concerned about the hunters as Eli is. | know that we can defeat them. | know

    there will be casualties and that makes me angry. These huntersing to take away our lives, our happiness. And for what?

    Because we are different than they are? Because we intimidate them with our strength and heightened senses. They fear us, so

    they

    must destroy us?

    It makes me angrier because we are having a baby boom in our pack right now. With so many recently mated couples, it¡¯s not

    surprising. Amber and Carlos are expecting their baby boy in the less than a month. | think they probably got pregnant at the

    tournament just like Angel. She and Liam are expecting their little girl in the next month as well.

    Sirona told me a couple weeks ago that she and Noah are expecting. She¡¯s very excited and she and Amber love to talk about

    their pregnancies and baby nning every time they are together.

    I''m happy for them, truly | am. But, it hasn¡¯t happened for me and Eli. It¡¯s not for ourck of trying. Eli has been more than happy

    to practice baby making any and every time | want. I¡¯ve talked to Sirona about it and she says that between all the stress that

    we''ve been under, the changes in our pack, getting off my birth control, and Guardian training, that it¡¯s not surprising it hasn''t

    happened. She¡¯s told me to be patient and let it happen, but it¡¯s hard. It feels like every day someone new is telling me that they

    are having a baby. And every day, I¡¯m still not pregnant.

    Just yesterday, T told me she and Thomas are expecting. That is only a week after Lni and Lna told me they are both

    expecting.

    #15 BONOS

    It''s like everywhere | look, the pack is in baby mode. Cammy and Melinda have the kitchen staff making baby food. Jeremy is

    busy making basss, cradles and toddler beds. Anna and her staff are making baby clothes as fast as they can for not just our

    pack, but the other two as well.

    | know Eli can feel my sadness at our inability to conceive. | know he wants a child as much as | do. But | think it¡¯s different as a

    woman. It feels like my body isn¡¯t doing what it was made to do. Something that seems so easy for everyone else, is beginning

    to seem impossible for me. Everyone tells me I¡¯m young, and | have plenty of time. And that¡¯s true. But I¡¯m an Alpha female.

    What does it say about me that everyone in my pack, including the sprites, are pregnant and having babies, but their Alpha and

    Luna can¡¯t conceive.

    And while | know that Eli is nothing like my father, and he has assured me that he will love me no matter what, somewhere deep

    in my mind, | fear that he will reject me if | can¡¯t have a child. That fear is what keeps me awake at night. The fear that it doesn¡¯t

    matter how strong | am, doesn¡¯t matter than I¡¯m an Alpha female and a Guardian, if | can¡¯t have a child, would that be enough for

    him to leave me?

    So, while |y awake at night, and try my best to cover my growing fear and sadness from my mate, | smile every day, making

    appropriate sounds of excitement to mother¡¯s announcing their pregnancy. | make cooing sounds when | hold new babies,

    secretly sniffing their baby scent and feeling my heart ache to hold my own child.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    +15 BONDS

 Chatper 442

    As the days progress, the hunters begin to make their move. Eli has told me that Liam is terrified that they wille while Angel

    is pregnant. She was pregnant during the vampire war and he had to go days not knowing if she¡¯d survive. Now that she¡¯s nearly

    ready to give birth, he¡¯s worried for both her and his little girl.

    Thankfully, her delivery day arrives, and | get a mind link from Liam that momma and baby Leana Este are happy and healthy.

    | announce the birth of their baby girl to the pack andter that night, our own Amber goes intobor and the next day, I¡¯m

    announcing the birth of our Beta couple¡¯s baby boy, Dillon Ricardo. They decided on Dillon because it also means hope.

    Interestingly, the sprites don¡¯t seem to have a problem carrying wolf babies. Although, they will be sprite/wolf hybrids, none of

    them seem to struggle with the shorter gestation period of the wolves, like humans do. | guess Ailduin was right, sprites and

    wolves make good mates.

    Later that week, I¡¯m heading back to my room after learning that now Fane and Christopher are expecting a child, when a

    sudden wave of nausea hits me and | race to the bathroom. | barely make it before everything | ate for lunches up. | sit back

    after I¡¯m done, breathing heavily.

    Where did thate from?

    ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± Eli mind links me.

    ¡°Yeah, | think | ate something bad. Are you feeling okay after lunch?¡±

    ¡°Yes, do you need me? | can stop work ande take care of you.¡±

    ¡°No, | feel better.¡± Sort of.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the rest of the day and rest, love. You''ve been driving yourself so hardtely and | know all the baby stuff

    has been affecting you.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear about Fane and Christopher?¡±

    ¡°Geez, those two as well?¡±

    ¡°We have baby fever here in Safe Haven.¡± | try to hide my sorrow, but he feels it.

    ¡°Baby. It will happen.¡± He says gently. ¡°We can try every day, as many times a day as you want.¡± He says, making me smile,

    which | know was his n.

    ¡°| love you, Eli.¡±

    ¡°| love you more than anything in the world, Grace. Never doubt that.¡±

    +15 RONDS

    The next couple of days, | continue to feel ill. | cover it as best | can as we''ve heard the hunters

    are on the move. We''re reinforcing the pack bunkers and safe rooms, doing drills to make sure

    everyone knows where to go and that all of our pregnant mothers, young mothers, elderly and

    pups know where to go and we can make sure that as new pups are born, the safe rooms have

    the supplies needed if they have to stay in lock down for several days.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Since Amber and Sirona will be in the safe rooms, they are leads of their rooms, checking to make sure everyone arrives and

    letting me know if there are any additional supplies needed. We''re putting all the pregnant moms that are close to delivery in the

    room with Sirona, in case they go intobor while we are fighting. Lni, Lna and T also agreed to be leads in their rooms

    and in true sprite fashion, their rooms miraculously have beautiful flowers growing in them.

    It''s after one of these drills that | have to run to themunity bathroom on the first floor of the

    packhouse to vomit. I¡¯m just finishing up when Sirona walks in.

    ¡°We''re going to the hospital and I¡¯m checking you out, Luna.¡±

    ¡°It''s nothing Sirona, just stress.¡±

    ¡°Don''t lie to your doctor, Grace. I¡¯ve been watching you for thest couple of days. You''ve been

    vomiting at all hours of the day. Eithere willingly with me now, or I¡¯m going to Eli.¡±

    | re at her. ¡°He has enough on his te.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. So, let¡¯s do this my way.¡±

    | reluctantly follow her to the pack hospital. She sets me up in a room and takes blood, has me pee in a cup and hooks me up to

    some devices that monitor my heart rate and blood pressure.

    It doesn¡¯t take long before shees back into the room, smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Well, Luna.

    you''re exceptionally healthy.¡±

    ¡°So, it''s just stress, like | thought?¡± | ask.

    She looks me in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Luna. Congrattions!¡±

    I''m pregnant. It finally happened. My hands go to my stomach, a huge smile stretching across my face. | can¡¯t believe it. I''m

    ecstatic for two seconds before realityes crashing down on me. The hunters areing, any day.

    | look at Sirona. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to Eli. | want to make it special.¡± | tell her. But | also know that if Eli finds out I¡¯m pregnant, he

    won''t let me fight, and they need me.

    | won''t risk losing my mate. | won''t let my pack fall because I¡¯m pregnant. | can¡¯t fail them.

    Three dayster, the hunters arrive.

    +15 BONOS

 Chatper 443

    The hunters areing. We know it, they aren¡¯t even being secretive about it. Every day | be more fearful of losing Grace.

    | know she thinks she¡¯s the key to us winning this battle, but | can¡¯t lose her. | won''t.

    When | get the mind link that the hunters are nearly here, we¡¯re ready. We''ve been nning this for weeks. | would never tell

    Grace this, but I¡¯m d she¡¯s not pregnant yet. | don¡¯t know if | could focus on the fight today if | knew | was not only fighting for

    my pack and my mate, but also my unborn child. My fear of losing Grace has made my protectiveness almost unbearable as it is.

    | know it irritates her that | need to know where she is at all times, so | can¡¯t imagine how much worse it would be if she had

    gotten pregnant.

    The hunters have chosen to attack us near our three borders, so we have an hour''s run to get to them. The sprites had alerted

    our patrols and they are the ones that sent the mind link. We''ve chosen to stay quiet so the hunters don¡¯t know we¡¯ve seen them.

    This will help to keep our patrol wolves safe, knowing the hunters won''t attack right away and our packs are on the way.

    ¡°Grace, I¡¯m heading over with our warriors. Make sure the groups start their evacuation procedures then join us. Please be safe.

    | love you.¡± | mind link her as | shift and order the warriors to head to our meeting ce.

    ¡°I''m right behind you.¡± She tells me.

    When my pack arrives, we see Rik¡¯s pack is already there and Liam¡¯s ising in right behind us. Cara and Angel shift, turning

    to me. ¡°Where is Grace?¡± They ask in the mind link.

    ¡°She¡¯s on her way.¡± | tell them, and honestly, I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s not here yet. Maia is fast and should have caught up to us by

    now.

    As one, Cara, Angel, Liam, Rik and | turn our heads at what sounds like an armying through the forest. | lift my nose in the

    air, trying to count like Grace does. She¡¯s better at it than | am, but I¡¯m easily getting thousands of hunters.

    ¡°Grace?¡±

    Grace opens the mind link to her sisters, their mates and me. ¡°I¡¯m nearly there. I¡¯ve counted 5002 hunters. That puts us at nearly

    1:5 ratio of werewolves to hunters.¡± She says and she sounds like she¡¯s breathing heavily.

    She''s right, we only have about 1000 wolves in fighting condition with the baby booms we''ve been having in our packs. Five to

    one are not good odds. A strong warrior can take that many, but our weaker warriors can¡¯t. Unless we can take them out quickly,

    we''re going to have a hard time

    winning this battle today.

    ¡°We need to spread out. We need to nk them. We can¡¯t go head-to-head with that many hunters.¡± Liam says.

    ¡°My pack will stay front and center, you both take your packs and nk them on either side. Hopefully we can take out a bunch

    with a surprise attack.¡± Rik says...

    ¡°We''ll stay here and wait for Grace.¡± Cara and Angel say.

    ¡°Our pack will need the most protection up front anyway.¡± Cara adds.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    | send the order and we begin to quietly move around the left side of the hunters, creeping up on

    them. | never doubted Grace and her ability to ¡®count¡¯ based on smell but seeing 5000 hunters is

    completely different than hearing the number. For a moment, | let myself feel overwhelmed. Then |

    reign it in. They are here to kill us. They are here to kill my mate. For that, they will die.

    We get into position, effectively circling them and nearly connecting with Liam¡¯s pack on the other

    side. We have them surrounded. This is our best chance for attack.

    The moment Kai, Rik¡¯s wolf''s, howl goes up, we attack. In the moment it takes for the hunters to

    realize that we have surrounded them, we are able to take down hundreds of them. As soon as they realize it though, they shift

    and turn their attention to attacking us.

 Chatper 444

    Shots ring out all around us and in an instant, | know what they learned in their experiments on the rogues. They''ve figured out a

    way to not just incapacitate us, but to kill us quickly. | watch as a wolf beside me takes a shot to the shoulder. The silver bullet

    immediately ¡®melts¡¯, turning into liquid silver and spreading into his system. The initial wound takes him down, but as | watch, |

    can see the silver spread. The minute it gets to his heart, | feel his life snuff out through my Alpha

    bond.

    Louis howls is anger and pain and we turn with renewed vigor back to the battle. Not only are we outnumbered, if any wolf takes

    a hit from a bullet, it will kill them. The Guardians and their mates have a resistance to silver, but | don¡¯t think that will save us

    today. We are all going to die on this battlefield. But before that happens, I¡¯m going to take down as many as | can.

    The battle is bloody. Huntersy dead and dying all around me. Louis slicing through their bodies easily with his ws. We¡¯ve

    ripped arms from bodies, throats from necks and his fur is covered in

    blood, making his ck fur look even darker.

    From every direction, | hear wolves howling in pain as they take a hit from a bullet and I''m feeling

    my own pack members dying through my bond with them. It¡¯s making it harder and harder to fight.

    Louis yelps as we''re hit in the hind leg by a bullet. | feel the burning pain of the silver as it starts

    to melt and spread, causing him to limp. We now have to fight on three legs. It will take the silver awhile to get to my heart to kill

    us, but before that, I¡¯m killing more hunters.

    Somewhere in the fighting, | realize that Grace has joined. She and her sisters are taking out hunters, blowing them apart. But as

    fast as they are taking them out, more are appearing. There are just too many of them.

    Louis and | move to get closer to her. Our need to protect her is so strong that it draws us to her in the battle. We won¡¯t let

    anyone hurt our mate while we are still living. We can still feel the silver making its way closer and closer to our heart. | don¡¯t

    know how much time we have left, but we will make the most of it.

    As we bring down another hunter, | feel a bullet hit my side, punching through our lung. The cilver leaks out making it hard to

    breathe. Louis coughs before jumping on another hunter. There are so many, and there are fewer and fewer wolves every

    minute.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | felt Alpha Christopher¡¯s tether break a moment before Alexander¡¯s. Noah''s broke earlier, having taken the first wave of attacks

    against the hunters. Without a wolf, Carlos has been able to survive the bullets, but | can feel him fading in my mind, as my own

    tether to Grace starts to wane. | cant feel the agony of the mates in the bunkers at the loss of so many mates.

    +15 BONOS

    Across the battlefield, my eyes connect with Grace. She can feel me dying. Her eyes are wide as she stares at me, horrified.

    Beside her, | see Cara on the ground, hovering over someone. It takes me a moment to realize it¡¯s Rik. He¡¯s lying dead in her

    arms. It seems Cara¡¯s grief is providing a buffer to the Guardians as the three of them seem uninjured. I¡¯m d to know my mate

    is safe.

    Even if | couldn''t be the one to do it.

    As | watch her, | feel a bullet hit my chest. The liquid silver melts into my heart and with myst breath, | reach out in the mind

    link. ¡°I love you, Grace.¡±

    As the darkness sets in, and my surroundings fade, | see more than hear Grace screaming.

    Cooper

    Author

    That was intense. Don¡¯t pull out your pitchforks just yet. | promise an HEA. And | wouldn¡¯t be so cruel to leave you with this as a

    cliffhanger.

    6

 Chatper 445

    Chapter 0445

    I''m d when Eli says he¡¯s heading to the battle and for me to join him after getting the

    evacuations set. | can¡¯t shift being pregnant. I''ll have to run in human form to get to the battlefield. Eli would know something was

    wrong if he saw me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    It takes me longer to get to the battle than it would if Maia was running. We''re much faster on four

    paws than two feet. As we get closer to the battle, | smell them. I¡¯m counting them in my head when Eli reaches out to me. | open

    the mind link and let them know I¡¯m nearly there, and how

    many hunters there are.

    When they decide to spread out, | know | won''t be fighting beside Eli. | have to be with my sisters. That¡¯s the only way I can

    make sure we win today.

    Before | arrive, | hear Kai¡¯s howl for the battle to begin and immediately all hell breaks loose. Almost instantly, | feel tethers from

    our pack breaking.

    ¡°Maia, we have to hurry. We can¡¯t lose our pack.¡±

    Maia¡¯s pain at the loss of our pack members is as strong as mine, especially since Noah is one of the first to die. Instantly, we

    feel Sirona¡¯s pain at the loss of her mate.

    When we finally arrive on the scene, | realize that Eli''s fear was justified. It''s not that we¡¯re outnumbered that is giving the hunters

    the advantage, it¡¯s the silver. | slow my run as | look at the dead around me. | can see the silver leaking out of their bodies from

    the bullet wounds and | know we''re in trouble.

    I rush to my sisters, breaking their connection and grabbing one of their hands in each of mine. I¡¯m the focal point of our strength,

    | need to be in the center, pulling from both of them. They have been giving Rik¡¯s pack as much protection as they can since they

    were at the front of the battle with no cover.

    As soon as | join, we throw out our joined aura. We obliterate hundreds of hunters at a time, but they continue toe. Their

    bullets are flying faster than we can kill them, and every time one of our wolves dies, we feel it.

    I''m not used to Angel''s aura, having only felt it once before. It takes me a few precious minutes to tap into her strength and feel

    her aura. | have to separate her blue strength from the yellow of her healing. Having worked with Ailduin, | pull on her healing

    power too. I¡¯m not sure that it can do anything, but I¡¯m keeping hold of it, just in case.

    | pull our auras together, creating the purple color that | used at the tournament. This time when | push ourbined auras, we

    take out even more hunters. As we focus our attention on the

    +15 BONOS

    hunters, the protection that Angel and Cara were giving to Cara¡¯s pack lessens and she begins to feel her pack tethers breaking.

    Angel already has tears running down her face for her lost pack

    members.

    | don¡¯t have time for tears. | have to save our mates, save our packs and save my child.

    | throw out anotherbined aura taking out hundreds more hunters. There are so many of them that it feels like we¡¯re barely

    making a dent. We''ve taken out nearly a thousand and it feels like the wolves have taken out nearly as many, but it also looks

    like we''ve lost close to half of our warriors. They are either dead or dying on the ground around us, the sounds of their pain

    agony to

    our ears.

    I''m not paying attention to the surroundings as | start to pull on Cara and Angel¡¯s power again. But it''s at that moment, that a

    hunter takes aim at Cara. As the bullet is about to hit her, Kai jumps in front of her and takes the bullet meant for her.

    7

 Chatper 446

    Chapter 0446

    ¡°Nooooooo!¡± She screams, pulling away from our group as Kai shifts back to Rik. | can see the

    silver slivering to his heart. He takes her face in his hands, but | don¡¯t hear what he says before |

    feel his tether break. Cara¡¯s grief pushes out, her aura strong and providing a buffer for Angel and | from the hunters as she

    holds Rik in her arms, begging him toe back to her.

    As | throw out another aura this one weaker with the loss of Cara¡¯s strength, | look up and see Louis. Our eyes meet on the

    battlefield and | can see that he¡¯s injured. |

    his tether to me fading.

    Pull on my bond and feel

    No! No, no, no! This can¡¯t be happening! | was supposed to save everyone. | am the key. | am the one that can pull the power

    and strength. But there are too many of them. Too many for us to take out and the death of our pack members is weakening us

    all.

    As | watch, | see a bullet hit Louis in his chest. | feel like my heart stops when | hear Eli¡¯s soft

    voice telling me he loves me before Louis copses and begins shifting back to Elis human form.

    Almost at the same time, Angel drops beside me, clutching her chest. ¡°LIAM!¡± She screams.

    | look out over the battlefield. We have lost. Our packs are dying. Our mates are dead. | feel numb and everything seems to be

    happening in slow motion as | take in the horrific scene around me.

    My hand goes to my stomach. My child. The child | wanted so desperately will never get live. And it is this thought that makes my

    anger spike. These people, these hunters will not win. They will not take everything from us.

    | close my eyes, pulling on Cara and Angel''s auras. | reach beyond and feel rather than see the candles lighting in my mind as

    each member of their packs lights up in my head. | know when | pull on their power, it will weaken them. | take Angels healing

    power, the yellow in my mind and separating our strength power, | add yellow to half of it.

    ¡°Maia, you know what | want to do?¡¯

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Protect our child. I''ll do the rest.¡± | tell her, before pulling on the strength of every member of all three packs.

    | take a deep breath, drawing all of their strength, their power, their grief. | pull it all into tworge balls of force ¡ª one to kill and

    one to save.

    As | release the power, | feel Maia tuck around our baby, protecting them from what I¡¯m about to do. | scream as | release the

    power and it feels like my body is tearing apart from the inside out.

    +15 BONOS

    My dark purple force sts through the hunters, killing them on contact, exploding them where they stand. It rolls like a wave,

    taking them out.

    My yellow/purple power stretches out to every wolf, even the ones whose lights have gone out. | can feel the healing encircling

    the silver in their bodies, pulling it from their systems. | continue to push my power, and the strength that | have left into the

    bodies of every werewolf in the packs, those that have died, those that are injured and those that are suffering in their grief.

    | drop to my knees as | push the healing strength as long as | can, knowing that the only way to save everyone is to continue

    healing them. | know it¡¯s working when | hear Cara¡¯s exhausted gasp beside me, Angel calling softly to Liam, and | feel Eli''s

    tether reconnect between us.

    | push, until | feel every light ignite, one by one.

    When | know Eli can hear me, | reach out in the mind link. ¡®I love you too, Eli.¡® | tell him, a moment

    before | copse.

    Cooper

    AuthorContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    What do you think of Grace¡¯s power? She saved everyone. Hopefully you don¡¯t feel murderous towards me now. One more day

    of regr updates and one day of epilogues. Just a warning, my home is in the path of a hurricane and it¡¯s possible that | will

    lose power. | will do my best to make sure you get thest two days of updates on time.

 Chatper 447

    I gasp, and air fills my starving lungs.

    I''m alive. How am | alive?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡®Louis?¡±

    He doesn¡¯t respond. My body feels heavy, and | try to remember thest thing that happened. | was on the battlefield. | was

    looking at Grace, telling her | loved her, before the silver from thest bullet got to my heart.

    Wait? Am | dead? | don¡¯t hear any sounds of fighting. | hear moaning all around me, but nothing that sounds like death and

    dying.

    ¡®| love you too, Eli.¡® | hear Grace say. Her voice is soft, exhausted, like she¡¯s burned herself out.

    ¡°Grace!¡± | yell in my mind. But as | reach out, | feel her consciousness going dark.

    | push myself up. ¡°Grace!¡± | call out, looking around for my mate.

    | see her, slumped on the ground. Angel and Cara have just turned to her. They are calling her name, shaking her shoulders.

    ¡°Grace!¡± | hear them yelling at her.

    | try to stand, but I can¡¯t, so | begin to crawl over to where Grace is lying on the ground.

    ¡°What happened?¡± | ask when | get there. | see Rik is conscious and also trying to sit up.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know. We had lost. Everyone was dead or dying. You, Rik, Liam, you were all.¡± Angel chokes on a sob.

    | pull Grace¡¯s body into myp, rocking her. She¡¯s not dead, her tether is there, but it¡¯s very faint.

    Liam stumbles over, falling down beside us and pulling Angel into hisp, burying his face in her hair. She wraps her arms

    around him, telling him to never leave her again.

    He lifts his head, looking at Grace. ¡°What happened?¡± He repeats my question.

    ¡°| think...¡± Cara starts, looking at Rik. ¡°I think she pulled mine and Angel''s strength to kill the hunters, but she must have also

    pulled Angel''s healing power to heal the packs. It¡¯s not just us, | think she healed everyone. | can feel all the tethers that broke

    during the battle.¡± As she says it, | realize she¡¯s right. | can feel every member of my pack as well.

    Thomas stumbles over, having heard the conversation. Whenst | checked, he was injured, but not dead. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just your

    powers, Lunas, she pulled from all of us. We all felt it. She drained. us all of whatever strength we had left. I¡¯m d she killed the

    hunters first because none of us

    +15 BONOS

    could fight after what she did.¡±

    ¡°Everyone?¡± Rik asks, as shocked as the rest of us.

    ¡°Did you know she could do that?¡± He asks Cara and Angel.

    ¡°No. We knew she had connected briefly, but we didn¡¯t know she could pull from everyone in the

    packs.¡± Angel replies.

    ¡°I need to get her home. She needs to see Sirona and find out what¡¯s going on with her. | know

    she¡¯s alive, but barely. Can any of you feel your wolves yet?¡±

    Cara and Angel nod yes. Rik and Liam shake their heads, no.

    | have Thomas find Carlos and put him in charge of helping our pack get back and making arrangements for those that need

    extra assistance before | begin running as fast as | can, carrying Grace back to our pack.

    It''s slower than I''d like it to be. Between my own weakness, myck of Louis¡¯s presence and carrying Grace, I¡¯ve just hit our pack

    lands, when Sirona pulls up in a car looking for us.

    ¡°How? How did she do it? | felt Noah die.¡± She says, helping me get Grace in the car before tearing up the bumpy ground toward

    the pack hospital. I¡¯m sitting in the back, holding Grace on myp so

    she doesn¡¯t bounce around in the car.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know. We think she pulled from Angel¡¯s healing power. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on

    with her. She¡¯s alive but her tether feels very faint. We can¡¯t let her die Sirona.¡± | tell her, my heart

    in my throat. | was okay being the one to die. | don¡¯t know that | could live without my mate.

    ¡°We''ll check the baby first. My guess is Maia is protecting the child and therefore isn¡¯t healing

    Grace.¡±

    My whole world stops. ¡°Baby?¡±

    Sirona¡¯s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. Hers are wide. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡± When | shake

    my head, she continues. ¡°She said she wanted it to be special. | just assumed.¡±

    ¡°It''s not your fault. She knew what she was doing. She knew I''d never let her fight if | knew she

    was pregnant. And if she hadn¡¯t been there, we¡¯d all be dead.¡±

    | see Sirona shiver at the thought of not having Noah. Too many people in my pack know exactly how that feels right now.

    As we pull up to the hospital, Sirona asks, ¡°What happened to the hunters?¡±

    She opens the door and | carefully step out, holding my mate and my child close against me.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°None of us are sure. It looks like a massacre. We know it was Grace that killed them, but we

    know exactly how she did it. It will take days to clean it up. We need to burn what''s left of the bodies. There were so many of

    them, there¡¯s no way their presence will go unnoticed by the humans.¡±

 Chatper 448

    Liam and Rik will have to take care of that. Thanks to my mate, their mates are fine. My only focus

    is on getting my mate strong again.

    One monthter

    ¡°Anything?¡± | ask as Sironaes back into the hospital room. It¡¯s been a month and Grace is.

    still unconscious.

    She shakes her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing physically wrong with her that | can find. Is your bond

    getting any stronger?¡±

    ¡°Barely. And now | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my bond to her, or to our child.¡± Sirona had asked if | wanted to learn the gender of our baby,

    but | didn¡¯t want to know without Grace. Honestly, I¡¯m pretty sure | already know. Grace smells like cherry blossoms, but her

    stomach has taken on a decidedly masculine scent. She told me once that | smelled like sandlewood and cedar to her.

    Sandlewood

    is the scent that I¡¯m getting from her stomach.

    Grace is hooked up to so many machines. We''re having to feed her intravenously, so the baby stays healthy. She¡¯s getting IV

    fluids, so she and the baby don¡¯t dehydrate. There¡¯s a monitor attached to her stomach so we can monitor the baby¡¯s heartbeat

    and there¡¯s one for Grace as

    well. Since her breathing has been shallow, she has an oxygen hose going into her nose.

    Everyday, | get as close to her as | can. | want to sleep in the bed with her, but there are too many wires, and | won¡¯t risk her or

    the baby. So, | sit in a chair, my headying beside her stomach and

    | talk to our child. Then, when | need to stand, I''ll move up to Grace¡¯s head and I''lly my head

    beside hers and talk to her for a while.

    In the beginning, Sirona tried to get me to leave to eat, or to go back to the packhouse to sleep, saying she''d stay with her. But |

    can¡¯t leave them. So, | shower here at the hospital. Either Noah or Carlos brings me food and updates me on what¡¯s going on

    with the pack.

    The hunter bodies were burned. The authorities came around a couple of times, wanting to search

    the forest around our packs. We exined that we would have known if that many people had

    been in the forest. They tracked their movements to the edge of our property, but they didn¡¯t have

    enough to get a search warrant and Liam and Rik refused to give them ess to ournds. There would have been no way to

    hide the war, and since we would never tell them we are shifters, they

    would have arrested some or all of us for murder.

    | got Louis back a couple of days after the battle. Everyone that had silver in their system took several days and up to a week to

    get their wolves back. When he came back, | had him search for

    Maia. He said she was there, but unresponsive to his prodding.

    Benny, Cara and Angele to see Grace nearly every day. Cara and Angel feel guilty that Grace saved everyone and is in this

    state while they are fine. Angel is even pregnant again. | usually use their time with her to go shower or I''ll justy in the bed I

    had brought into Grace¡¯s room and try

    to get a little sleep while others are there talking to her.

    The baby boom in our pack has continued. T, Lni and Lna all had their babies while Grace has been unconscious.

    Sirona is due any day and thankfully two of her aides have gotten their medical degrees and can deliver her baby and look after

    Grace while she¡¯s recovering.

    One evening, it¡¯s just the two of us. | can¡¯t take it anymore and | move her wires and crawl into. bed with her,ying my arm over

    her body, my hand on her stomach, feeling my little one moving.

    around inside her.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Grace, please baby. It¡¯s been long enough. I¡¯m going to lose my mind if you don¡¯t wake up. Baby. you promised me that you

    would be okay. This is not okay. | am not okay. Our baby needs you, | need you. You have to wake up now. | need to hear your

    voice. | want to hear youugh, | want to yell at you for what you did and tell you how amazing you are for saving everyone.

    Please Grace. The only good thing in my life has been you. You have made everything | went through before | met you worth it. |

    would do it all over again if it meant | had you in my life. | can¡¯t do this without. you. | don¡¯t want to raise our son alone. He needs

    his mother.¡±

    By the time I¡¯m done, there are tears streaking down my face, | lean my forehead against the side

    of her head, just letting the tearse.

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a boy?¡±

    My head jerks up and I see the exhausted eyes of my mate.

    ¡°Grace!¡± Her handes to my face and | kiss her palm before kissing her on every part of her

    face | can reach.

    ¡°Oh Grace.¡± | say before |pletely break down, sobbing at finally having my mate back.

    Cooper Author

    Grace is back!

 Chatper 449

    Chaos. That''s all | can feel. Utter chaos. There are sounds and voices all around me. | can¡¯t make out what they are saying,

    there are so many of them and they are talking over each other. | try to

    tell them | can¡¯t understand them, but my voice is drowned out by theirs.

    | try to find Maia in my mind, but if she is there, | can¡¯t hear her voice over the cacophony in my head. It¡¯s overwhelming and it

    never stops. | bend down, covering my ears with my hands, trying to lessen the sounds, but it doesn¡¯t help.

    Initially, | felt like | was going to go crazy. But eventually, the noise bes almost background noise in my head, making it

    easier for me to think. | remember what happened, how | tapped into nearly 1000 wolves that were still alive and pulled their

    energy and strength into my aura before pushing it out to kill the hunters and save our packs. And that¡¯s when | realize what the

    noise is. | connected to every pack member from three packs, and now | don¡¯t know how to disconnect

    myself from them.

    Maia is watching over our child, so I¡¯m on my own to untangle this web of voices. If what I did

    worked, I''ll have to untangle over 1500 voices in my head before I''ll be able to get out of this mess.

    The first couple of times | try, it''s too overwhelming and | shut it down again. Then, one day, | see one strand light up. | can see

    the thread of the voice as it weaves in and around others. | pull on it and untangle it from all the others. Eli. It¡¯s his voice that is

    now separated. | keep it close so | can

    listen when he talks to me.

    Cara, Angel, Sirona and Benny are next. I¡¯m not sure if | have a stronger connection to them, or if they are actually somewhere

    close to me talking so | can hear them, or in this case, see their

    voices more clearly.

    Once | figure out how to untangle a voice, | start with my pack. | focus on one voice. Amber, Noah, Carlos, until | find their voice

    and | untangle them from the others. It¡¯s slow going and exhausting work. When | can¡¯t do it anymore, | pull on the thread of Eli¡¯s

    voice,ying my head beside it and

    listening to him. | hear him as he talks to our child and then as he talks to me. | hear him tell me

    toe back to him. Soon, my love. As soon as possible, | will be there.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | have no idea how much time is passing. There is no day and night here in my mind. Only an intricate web of voices. | finally

    untangle my pack¡¯s voices from the others then start working on the ones from the other packs that are more familiar to me,

    Liam, Rik, and their ranked members. One by one, | unravel the massive ball of knots that is in my head..

    Eli has begun to sound desperate. I¡¯ve been away too long and he needs me toe back. | can

    only imagine how he is suffering. If our roles were reversed, I¡¯m not sure | would be holding up as

    well as he is. I¡¯ve also realized that when Cara and Angel are talking to me, it helps me to decipher their pack members, making

    it easier for me to pull their voices out of the mess.

    +15 BONOS

    As | get closer to the end, I¡¯m able to untangle faster, pulling more and more threads out of the chaos. The voices in my head are

    quieting down and it makes it easier for me to hear Eli.

    When his light shines brightly, I¡¯m on thest group of threads. | can hear his desperation. | can hear his tears and it makes me

    move faster, trying to get thesest voices separated so | can get. back to my mate.

    As he finally tells me that our son needs his mother before | hear his choked sobs, | untangle thest knot and it frees my mind

    from the chaos. | open my eyes and maybe it shouldn''t be my first question, but really, how does he know we''re having a boy?

    When he lifts his head, | can see exactly how much of a toll my unconscious state has taken on him. His face is lined with stress,

    his eyes look like he hasn¡¯t slept in weeks, and he looks like

    he¡¯s aged. How long have | been unconscious?

    | touch his face, wanting tofort him but instead he breaks down, sobbing and all | can do is

    hold him. As he sobs, | take inventory of my surroundings. I¡¯m in the pack hospital, | don¡¯t smell good, and my stomach has a

    small bump where my baby is.

    Wait! | was less than a week pregnant when we went to war with the hunters and now my stomach has a rounded bump? I¡¯ve

    been out much longer than | realized.

    As Eli finally gets control of his emotions, he wipes his eyes and nose before reaching down to

    kiss my softly on my lips. The tingles rush across my lips, making me sigh. | was worried that his tether breaking might impact

    our bond, but it hasn¡¯t at all.

    +15 BOHO

 Chatper 450

    | pull back, looking into his exhausted eyes. ¡°How long have | been out, baby?¡±

    He

    cups my face in his hand, his thumb rubbing across my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s been a month, love.¡±

    AMONTH! No wonder my mate looks awful.

    ¡°Oh Ell, I¡¯m so sorry. But I¡¯m here now. I¡¯m back and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    | need to get closer to my mate. | want to reassure him that I¡¯m okay and | need to reassure myself that he is okay. There are too

    many wires and lines connected to other beeping machines

    and | can¡¯t get close to him.

    In frustration, | pull a tube from my nose and start to pull lines from my arms before Eli grabs me.¡±

    Careful, baby. Those have been keeping you and our son alive.¡±

    ¡°Well, let''s get rid of the others, then. | need to snuggle with my mate.¡± | tell him and he hops off the bed and maneuvers the lines

    around, removing the ones that are monitoring me, but leaving

    the ones monitoring our son. Our son?

    ¡°How do you know we''re having a boy?¡± | ask him again as heys back down. | curl up next to him and sigh as the feeling of

    love, protection andfort flood my system.

    ¡°I can smell him. | haven''t let Sirona tell me. | wanted you to hear it at the same time, but Liam and Rik both said they knew

    based on smell, and | do too. He doesn¡¯t smell like you at all He smells like what you said | smell like, sandlewood.¡±

    I smile. We''re having a boy!

    Sirona kept me in the hospital for another week. She said she is positive that our little boy is doing well, confirming that we are

    having a boy.

    I''d say | was frustrated with being kept in the hospital that long, but | had so many visitors and Sirona also went intobor. So, |

    got to meet her little girl in the same week that T, Lni and Lna brought in their little ones to meet me. The twins both had

    boys and in some odd twist of sprite weirdness, their sons were born at exactly the same time. Luckily, Alexander had Sirona

    ce them in the same room so he could be there for both births. T and Thomas had a little girl and | found out from Fane

    that she is having a boy. Angel brought Leana to meet me, and she told me she is pregnant again. Cara and | haven¡¯t stopped

    teasing her about it. She just smiles happily. | can tell Cara is a little jealous, | know she wants another one and Rik has been

    holding out. I¡¯m confident there¡¯s another baby in her future.

    | listened with rapt attention while they told me about their deliveries and holding their precious

    +15 RONGS

    little ones for the first time. I¡¯m so excited to hold my own child. Now, at least, my happiness for them is genuine with no

    heartache of my own. It¡¯s not that | don¡¯t trust Sirona, but Maia confirmed that our little boy is safely tucked away with her

    guarding him.

    Paisley brought Levi to visit me while | was

    in the hospital. She had been getting progressively stronger. | think | finally convinced her toe to a mate gathering. She

    hadn¡¯t felt confident enough about it until now, but I¡¯m d she¡¯s going to go. More and more werewolves who are looking for

    their second chance mates are joining the mate gatherings and several matches have been made. | also tried to convince Benny

    to join, but he says he¡¯s too old for that.

    After returning to the packhouse and Eli and | getting a couple nights of much needed sleep. things got back to normal. Now that

    the construction is nearly done, Eli, Carlos and Noah were back to their normal morning and afternoon training schedules. We

    set up transportation so the pups in our pack could be bused to and from school, and Cammy resigned as my Lead Omega to

    work in her diner with Benny¡¯s assistance. Melinda took over the morning shift and she hired on another omega that she and

    Cammy agreed could take on the afternoon shift.

    Eli and | set up a nursery next door to our bedroom. Jeremy made our bass, crib and changing table. Eli took some time to

    carve little wolves into the furniture once we had it set up in the room. Then he painted the night sky on the ceiling, and | added

    the moon and some stars for our little one.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | had Anna make all of my baby and maternity clothes. It''s good to know a seamstress because in thest month of pregnancy. |

    felt like my little boy was growing like a weed and | was outgrowing my clothes almost weekly.

    Eli and | had agreed that we would name our son after his father. And nearly four months after | woke up in the hospital, we

    weed our son, Emerson Cale to the world.

    Cooper

    Author

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 0451

    One yearter

    Life is amazing! After the hunter war, after everything settled down with the missing humans and after my mate woke up, things

    finally began to fall into ce.

    The birth of my son, Emerson, was the most amazing moment of my life. Well, that is until today. Today, | am holding my baby

    girl for the first time. Emlyn Grace. She¡¯s beautiful, perfect, just like her mother. And while | love my son more than | could ever

    put into words, there is something different about holding my daughter. A fierce protectiveness flows through me. It¡¯s a feeling

    I''ve had with Emerson, but it¡¯s different, more intense. There is something special about the father/daughter bond and | vow that

    no one will ever hurt my little girl.

    |y her in my mate¡¯s arms, watching as now the two most precious women in my life curl up and fall asleep together. | gently

    kiss them both on the tops of their heads before leaving them to rest.

    | head back to the packhouse, picking up Emerson from Carlos and Amber. Our baby boom has continued, and Carlos is

    expecting their third child any day now. Sirona and Noah had their babies back-to-back, a girl then a boy. Angel and Liam have

    had two boys in thest year and Cara finally convinced Rik to have another baby, a boy this time. The sprites aren¡¯t any better

    than Angel and Liam and soon we''ll have our own pack of hybrids if this keeps up. Especially now that more sprites have mated

    with our pack¡¯s wolves.

    ¡°How is our Luna?¡± Amber asks me, rubbing her stomach in a gesture I¡¯ve be ustomed to seeing from Grace.

    ¡°She''s tired. Emlyn took her time, but they are both sleeping peacefully now. Come byter to say hi and meet our little girl.¡±

    ¡°We definitely will.¡± Carlos says,ing up behind Amber and wrapping his arms around her, rubbing the spot that she was

    rubbing a minute ago. | learned that when | did that for Grace, both of our babies would calm down. They like feeling their

    fathers. Carlos seems to have picked up on it too.

    my

    | head to my office, putting Emerson in his chair that he can push around office while ying with the toys attached to it. He can

    walk without it now, but this way I can keep track of him as he runs into things around my office.

    | look over the pack financials. I¡¯m happy to see that our pack is now thriving and has be financially independent. We¡¯ve

    paid off our debt Liam and Rik andThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    can now afford to build homes without having to borrow money.

    Our nursery is so full, that we¡¯re using the space in the children¡¯s home while we build another one. Nearly all my pack members

    have a job either in one of our local shops, in the packhouse or with Liam¡¯spany.

    Joel and Peyton opened their own shop, selling smoked meats and hot sauce, They didn¡¯t exaggerate the poprity of that hot

    sauce. As soon as he began marketing his product, the humans contacted him and the sales went through the roof. He has hired

    a full staff of people to help him produce and distribute his hot sauce. Peyton still works part time smoking meat and making jerky

    for the kitchens, but half of her stock of smoked meat is now sold in their store.

    We had Jeremy build us a greenhouse so we can grow our nts year-round. The sprites are happy to be in charge of the

    gardens and even | have to admit, they are very useful. Year round, our garden is at peak performance keeping our kitchens well

    stocked and still providing food for the market to sell to the other packs. I¡¯ve even had packs from farther away contact me

    asking if we have supplies of certain foods.

    Amber¡¯s idea for chickens was another fantastic boon for our pack. We now have hundreds of eggying chickens as well as

    eating chickens. It¡¯s a great way to get the young pups involved in the pack and keeps them busy while earning a little money.

    And while it doesn¡¯t produce as much money as some of the other businesses, it saves a ton of money, since we never have to

    purchase eggs or chicken meat for the pack.

    With all of the baby booming, one of our omegas has recently opened a baby food store. She makes it all from the food grown in

    our garden. Between all of the packs, she can barely keep any in stock. She sells out nearly every day.

 Chapter 452

    We do continue to get peopleing to our borders, but it¡¯s not so frequent. We always make room for anyone that needs

    assistance, and we now have a full team of medical professionals who can treat the ones thate to us injured or sick.

    After finishing my work, | pick up Emerson and we begin walking back to the pack hospital. I¡¯m not sure if Sirona will release my

    mate tonight or make her wait until tomorrow. Either way, we¡¯re ready. We have the bass in our room for Emlyn and the crib is

    in the nursery for Emerson. By the time Em is ready for the crib, Emerson will be ready for his toddler bed which is due to be

    delivered next week. He¡¯s currently into dinosaurs, so that¡¯s what his room is getting decorated in.

    When we walk in, my mate is awake and nursing my little girl. She looks up at me and | see the love for our daughter in her eyes

    shift to her love for me, before she shifts her attention to our son.

    ¡°How¡¯s my little man?¡± She asks Emerson.

    ¡°Mama. Mama.¡± He says, putting out his hands and squirming in my arms to go to his mother.

    ¡°Hang on, bud. Mom¡¯s feeding your little sister. Do you want to meet her?¡±

    ¡°Yeth.¡± He says in his baby version of yes.

    We walk over and I sit him beside Grace, at Emlyn¡¯s feet. ¡°Do you remember what | told you, son?¡±

    He looks at me. He¡¯s such a smart boy, | swear | can see the wheels turning in his head. ¡°We protect your mom and your sister

    with our lives, don¡¯t we.¡±

    He smiles, as if he remembers this conversation. ¡°Yeth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s what good Alphas do.¡±

    Grace scoffs. ¡°Emerson, meet

    sister isn¡¯t like your mother ur baby sister, Emlyn. And, you better hope your

    or you''ll be lucky if she doesn¡¯t beat you for trying

    to protect her. She¡¯s an Alpha female in her own right.¡±

    ¡°Can you say Emlyn, Emerson?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Emin.¡±

    Grace and | look at each other and smile. ¡°Close enough.¡± She says, as Emlyn finishes nursing.

    She hands her to me to burp while she puts herself back in order and sits up to see her son, but he is all eyes for his sister.

    After she burps, | ask Emerson if he wants to hold her. He holds out his hands. | carefully ce her in his arms, her head toward

    Grace in case he drops her head. Grace puts her hand under Emerson¡¯s to help hold Emlyn.

    ¡°You''re already such a good big brother, Emerson.¡± She tells him and he bears at thepliment.

    Sirona walks in with her clipboard, looking up to see all of us are here. ¡°Good afternoon, Alpha. Hey Emerson. What do you think

    of your baby sister?¡±

    ¡°Emin.¡± He tells her.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Emlyn. Aren¡¯t you a smart, young Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Yeth.¡± He says, very seriously.

    Sirona smiles at him before turning her attention back to us. ¡°Did you hear the news? Cara just went intobor.¡± Cara got

    pregnant with their third child around the time Grace got pregnant with Emlyn.

    ¡°Wow, how many kids is that in the Alpha families for the three packs?¡± Grace asks.

    ¡°Well, currently, Liam and Angel have their four, Rik and Cara will now have three and then our two. So, nine.¡± | tell her, before

    smirking. ¡°We''re behind, we need to catch up.¡±

    She bursts outughing. ¡°Maybe we should wait a day or two, Alpha.¡± She says with a glint in her eye, making my dick twitch in

    my pants. This woman. | can¡¯t get enough of her. And she knows exactly what she¡¯s doing to me.

    ¡°Yeah, wait at least a day or two. Our Luna needs to heal. But if you can promise to give her time to heal, she can go home

    tonight.¡±

    ¡°| can promise whatever you need as long as | can sleep curled up around my mate tonight.¡± | tell Sirona.

    That night, |y in bed wrapped around my sleeping mate. | can hear the soft baby soundsing from Emlyn¡¯s bass and

    the gentle snoresing from the baby monitor in Emerson¡¯s room.

    | give myself a moment to enjoy the sounds of my family, all safe and sound in their beds before | let myself drift off to sleep.

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 0453

    Nine yearster

    It''s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the weather in early fall is cooling down and the kids are all happy, healthy and currently

    running around like crazy people. Cara, Angel and | all had our kids around the same time, so our total of 13 kids are being

    raised together. Most of them have paired off by age, except poor Richie, whoops, he goes by ¡®Rich¡¯ now that he¡¯s a mature 10¡ª

    year-old. He¡¯s sort of the odd man out, being the oldest male followed by two females who are best friends.

    It helped that Liam and Angel kept having babies, so when Cara and | had space. in between our three each, their kids filled in

    the age gaps. Of course, that doesn¡¯t count for Reagan. That''s who Angel calls her ¡°oopsie baby¡°. Oopsie my Alpha ass. That girl

    wanted another baby, and she made sure Liam gave it to her. After her difficulty with the twins¡® delivery, I¡¯m not surprised. She

    almost died giving birth and it terrified Liam, so he said no more. Three yearster, Angel wins by getting herst baby.

    And then there¡¯s my little family with Eli. Not to be outdone by all the baby makers in our pack, six months after we had Emlyn,

    we had another baby girl, Riley Paige. Eli and | had agreed that she should have my mother¡¯s name. It was too sad for me to

    think about calling our daughter Paige, but Eli convinced me we could still honor my mother by giving our third child her name as

    a middle name. Where Emlyn is my tomboy, running around with Cayden, Cohen and Clint, the three boys that were born within

    six months of her, Riley is my girlie¡ªgirl. She¡¯s best buds with Angel''s twins Quinn and Malin. Those three are going to be trouble,

    | just know it.

    Once you add in the Beta and Gamma children from all three packs, the sprites. who gave Angel and Liam a run for their money,

    and just regr pack baby booms, we are all full to the brim with children. Alexander and the twins had 14 in total. Seven from

    each twin and every single time, the babies were born at the exact same time. Cara¡¯s pack started making bets on it after a

    while. Thomas and T have six of their own and not to be outdone, Fane and Christopher have four. And that doesn¡¯t include

    the other wolves we have mated to sprites that are still pumping out kids every six months.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    So, we made the area in between the three packs a children¡¯s yground area. Jeremy and some folks from the other two packs

    built a giant jungle gym for the older kids, swings, seesaws and other smaller type objects for the smaller kids, sand boxes, water

    areas, pretty much anything you can think of, they included.

    +75 BONUS

    There¡¯s even an area for wolves to y. Now that several of our children have started shifting, they are enjoying that area as

    well.

    As | watch, Rich, Lily and Levi run around the wolf area with Hope. When she finally shifted a year ago, we realized what her

    other shifter was, a bear. Usually, when two shifters mate, the child is one or the other type of shifter. However, the hunters did

    something and in Hope¡¯s case, she¡¯s a blend of wolf and bear. It¡¯s a strangebination. She¡¯s built more like a bear, but she¡¯s

    smaller and with markings like a wolf. | don¡¯t know if it''s the bear in her, or if her father was an Alpha bear, but the girl is strong.

    Carlos has had to work with her to make sure she doesn¡¯t hurt other children her age. He¡¯s brought her in to the warrior training,

    because, at least there, she can¡¯t hurt the adults, or at least not permanently. Personality wise, she¡¯s split down the middle. She

    loves being part of a pack, but unlike wolves who constantly want to be around others, she needs alone time. | know she gets

    teased at school, but when she¡¯s here with all of our children, no one dares to say a word to her.

    In an interesting twist of fate, Benny became someone''s second chance mate. Her mate had passed away and after recovering

    from his death, she had decided to travel the country to get away from the memories of her life with her mate. She happened to

    come through our territory and stopped in at the diner. And the rest, as they say, is history. She joined our pack and now she

    helps Benny manage the diner.

    Cammy, Summer and Autumn all found their mates at our mate gatherings. Cammy and Summer stayed in our pack, but Autumn

    left to join Rik and Cara¡¯s pack with her mate. Paisley also found her mate, but she¡¯s been resistant to agreeing to another mate

    bond after the issues she had with my father. | hope she finds peace, in whatever decision she makes.

 Chapter 454

    We created the Supernatural Council years ago. After the hunter war, we were asked to intervene in supernatural issues. When

    we created the Council, it was two of the three Guardians, a vampire and a fae. Currently, Aolis sits in for the fae, representing

    his people. King Urien, the first vampire toe to Angel after the vampire war, sends his son as a representative and my sisters

    voted to make me a permanent fixture in the Council, since | am an Alpha female. One of them rotates on the council as well.

    After being petitioned to allow other supernaturals on the council, we agreed that, rather than making them permanent members,

    we would include a representative of any supernatural species not represented on the council when they were bringing a case to

    the Council for review. So far, this has worked well. We only had one instance where a demon thought he was going to throw his

    demon aura around to get his way. Angel and | shut him down, draining him of his energy before kicking him out of the hearing.

    As punishment to the demonmunity, we refused to allow any of their members to attend hearings for a year. The next one

    that showed up was much more respectful.

    | love these moments at home. They are made more special by the battles we all fought to get here. All of us have had to

    ovee trials, loss and heartache. But we¡¯ve persevered and we''re here today, making a beautiful future for our children and

    the children of our pack members.

    I''m sitting at a table with my sisters, under an umbre, all of us sitting in our mates¡®ps. Someone had the great idea to puta

    convenience store out here, and we all pitched in for that. This way we don¡¯t have to trudge food and drinks every time wee

    to spend the day together. There are grills for cooking or we can go into the building and buy food. There¡¯s a bar to order adult

    beverages and right. now, my sisters and | are enjoying iced cocktails while we watch our children. ying.

    As | look around, | think Ailduin was right. | think it was always meant to be this way. The Guardians were meant to be with their

    fated mates. Every one of our girls shows signs of being a Guardian. ording to Ailduin, this is the first time in the history of the

    Guardians that this has happened. It started with Cara,ing from two Guardians who were fated to be together. Now, all of us

    are creating another generation of Guardians. It makes me wonder if our Guardian. spirits will reincarnate again after our lives

    end. It feels like we¡¯ve done what the Moon Goddess wanted us to do. We''re creating a generation of stronger wolves that can

    fight for what is right in this world. They can fight for those that can¡¯t fight for themselves.

    As | lean into my mate, | push my love for him through our mate bond. Then, | begin sending him images of what I n to do to

    himter, feeling how much I¡¯m turning him on and knowing that | have a long, fun night ahead of me.

    Cara looks out at the forest, pointing in the direction she¡¯s looking.

    ¡°Do you see that?¡± She asks.

    Angel and | nod, but none of the guys can see it.

    ¡°It looks like a couple and...are thoserge dogs or wolves?¡± Angel asks.

    ¡°It feels like... it feels like my parents.¡± Cara says softly.

    Angel and | look more closely, reaching out with our auras. She¡¯s right, | can feel Clint. | look at Angel and | can see that she

    must be feeling what I¡¯m feeling but from Lily.

    ¡°| think it is them.¡± | say.

    Cara goes to stand, but the couple raises their hands, as if saying goodbye and they fade away.

    ¡°Do you think...?¡±

    It''s Rik that answers her. ¡°If it were you, any of you,¡± he says, looking at the three of us, ¡°would you allow death to keep you from

    watching over your family?¡±

    We all look at each other and smile. Nothing, not even death, could keep us from watching over our families. And | know, deep in

    my heart, that my family, all of our families are safe.

    The End.

    Cooper

    Author

    Thank you for taking this journey with me. | hope you have enjoyed my first attempt at writing and creating these characters

    Check out my author¡¯s note after this chapter.

    12

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 0455

    Hello everyone.

    First, thank you for your support in my initial foray into writing. Your support has been amazing and has definitley encouraged me

    to continue writing.

    As you know, my book For the Love of a Guardian is out now. This is Clint and Lily''s story which, as you may have guessed, will

    span to the end of this book. It will primarily focus on their life together and Clint¡¯s life without Lily, but it will follow until the end of

    this book. This book will move into the primary spot and will begin having daily updates this week.

    Also, | have started another series, The Elemental Dragons, and Book 1, The Arena went live today. This will be apletely

    different series from the Guardians but | hope you''ll give it a try and as always leave me ament and let me know what you

    think. That book will be my #2, updating Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until Love of a Guardian isplete.

    Many of you have asked if | will continue the Guardian series. | hadn¡¯t nned on having the possibility of so may spin-off

    options, but when | started thinking about it, there are many I¡¯ve considered an entire Beta series focusing on the rtionships of

    the Betas in the Guardian series (Chase and Lacey, Dustin and Sarah and Carlos and Amber). I''ve also been bumping around

    the idea of an Ailduin stand alone that would start back during the time where he met Jinelle and then extending to the current

    time when he meets Anastasia. Beside those, there are the possibilities of Paisley, Levi, Hope, Thomas and T, Alexander and

    the twins, even Audra (my husband''s favorite). Hope is sort of pushing in my mind for her own book and I''d love to see where her

    character goes, so that¡¯s a strong possibility in the future.

    I''ve also been thinking about a ¡°NextGen¡± group of books focusing on the kids. | have been nning a spinoff of Aolis and Lily

    since the first book and that is still being considered. However, Richie, excuse me, Rich¡¯s book has almostpletely written

    itself in my head. So, once Clint and Lily¡¯s story isplete, I''ll start on Rich¡¯s story. I''ll let you know when that bookes

    avable.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    One little tidbit of information you might find interesting, | had never nned to write about the fae in these books. However,

    when my husband was reading Broken Warrior and got to the part where Ailduin brought The History of the Guardians to Cara,

    he turned and looked at me saying ¡®I hope you''re going to write more about that fae. I¡¯d be interested in learning more about him¡®

    and so the Guardian chronicles were born.

    12

    25 BONUS

    Thank you again for all of your support and yourments. | really do read and appreciate all of them. If you haven¡¯t yet and

    have a chance, please review any or all of my books. The reviews help boost my rankings and give my books more visibility on

    the app.

    I''d be remiss if | didn¡¯t thank my friends Sarah and Amber. They have supported and encouraged me through this entire journey

    and became my Beta females for that reason.

    Thank you all! Happy reading!

 Chapter 456

    *This book is a prequel to the Guardians Trilogy. However, while it starts before the first book in the Trilogy and can be read as a

    stand alone, it will span the timeframe of both Books 1 and 2. This book will contain spoilers and references discussed in the

    other books. It is rmended that you first read Book 1, The Broken Warrior¡¯s Daughter, and Book 2, Alpha¡¯s Guardian Angel

    before reading

    this book.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | don¡¯t know when | fell in love with Clint Nelson. For years, | thought of him as an egotistical man who believed he was the

    Goddess¡¯s gift to women. He isn¡¯tpletely wrong. He is a gorgeous man, with wavy, dark brown hair and emerald green eyes

    that stand out like jewels on his tanned, chiseled face. His body looks more like it was carved from store than muscle, and |

    would know, just like every other she¡ªwolf in our pack, I¡¯ve had a good look at what he¡¯s packing. He isn¡¯t exactly shy and is

    definitely not self-conscious about the way he looks.

    If being the best friend of our future Alpha wasn¡¯t enough, he is also a Guardian. For as long as werewolves can remember, there

    have only ever been two Guardians at one time. They are strong, powerful wolves and are coveted by packs and their Alphas. It

    worked out that Clint and his wolf, Donovan, were born as a male and were already friends with our future Alpha. It meant that he

    would be the Guardian for Anders, our Alpha heir, when he takes over as the Alpha of our pack. Because of their friendship and

    Clint¡¯s strength, it was already nned that he¡¯d be Alpha Anders¡® Beta. But now, he will be his Guardian, protecting him as

    if he¡¯s Anders¡® own personal bodyguard.

    Female Guardians are not always as lucky as Clint. Rumors have spread that female Guardians have been forced into mate

    bonds with their pack¡¯s Alphas. Because of the strength they bring to the pack, Alphas are unwilling to let the Guardians leave if

    their fated mates are in other packs. Forcing a Guardian into a mate bond ensures that the Guardian will protect their Alpha with

    their life while increasing the overall strength and power of the pack.

    But none of that mattered to me. | have wanted to be a warrior since | got my wolf, Andra, at age 10. My parents are not ranked

    wolves but | can be the strongest she-wolf possible. | can ensure that | make myself into the strongest wolf possible, so when |

    find my mate, | know he will not only be proud to have me as his mate, but I¡¯ll also strengthen his pack if he is from another pack.

    | have earned the respect of the warriors in our pack, The Canyon Ridge Pack, and even some other nearby packs have taken

    notice of my strength.

    +25 BONUS

    All of that changes when | wake up one day in the middle of my 17th year and my eyes glow gold. A Guardian had died and now,

    Andra and | have the reincarnated Guardian spirit.

    My life is about to change forever, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s for the better

 Chapter 457

    ¡°Hey Lils.¡± My bestie, Calista, says walking up to me as we meet on the road before heading to school. We''re in thest half of

    our senior year.

    ¡°Morning Call¡±

    Calista and | have grown up next door to each other. We''re the same age and while we may not always be in the same sses,

    we''ve always gone to the same schools, done our homework together and have literally been best friends our entire lives. We

    were born a month apart and our parents babysat for each other and put us in the same afterschool activities through our

    younger years. Thankfully, we liked each other right away. Otherwise, it would have been miserable.

    ¡°How was training?¡± She asks me. The one thing we haven''t done together since she was able to be excluded two years ago.

    Where | want to be a kickass warrior, Calista is a more gentle soul. Shepleted the required five years of training but was

    able to back out after that.

    ¡°| got Lucas today.¡± | tell her beaming.

    ¡°You took him down?¡± Her eyes widen in disbelief.

    ¡°Yep, pinned him until he tapped out.¡± I¡¯m practically bouncing on the balls of my feet. Lucas is set to be our next Lead Warrior

    and for me to beat him is a huge feather in my cap.

    ¡°Lily, that¡¯s amazing! I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±

    ¡°Thanks Cali.¡±

    As we walk, | hear a caring up behind us. We move to step out of the way, when the car slows down and the window rolls

    down. Alpha heir Anders looks over at us, Clint in the passenger seat smirking at us.

    ¡°Good morning,dies. Want a ride?¡±

    Cali has stiffened next to me. Anders has been pursuing her for a couple weeks now. Ever since the day he walked up to her and

    asked her out on a date. His face was priceless when she turned him down t. You could tell no one ever said no to our future

    Alpha. Neither one of us understands why he¡¯s suddenly interested. He never showed any interest in her before. It¡¯s almost like

    he¡¯s enjoying the chase and it¡¯s making him more determined to catch her.

    ¡°Good morning, Alpha. Good morning, Guardian. Thank you, we¡¯re good.¡± |

    -25 BONUS

    reply for both of us.

    ¡°What about you Cali?¡± Anders ignores me and asks Calista.

    She gives him her best fake smile, making sure he knows it¡¯s fake. ¡°As Lily said, we¡¯re good, thank you.¡±

    Clint leans over the arm rest. ¡°Nice job today, Lily.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Clint. Call me Clint, Lily.¡±

    | look at him, but don¡¯t say anything. Other than when we''re at training, Clint has never bothered to speak to me. He¡¯s always too

    busy chatting with the bevy of women that constantly surround both him and Anders. If it weren¡¯t for training, I¡¯m pretty sure he

    wouldn''t even realize that we''re in the same pack. That is, until Anders set his sights on Cali. Wherever Anders goes, so does

    Clint, and Cali and | have always been attached at the hip.

    ¡°Last chancedies, you sure you don¡¯t want a ride?¡±

    ¡°It''s a beautiful morning for a walk, Alpha.¡± | say.

    ¡°Maybe next time. See you in ss Cali.¡± And they pull away.

    When they are out of hearing distance, Cali grunts. ¡°Ugh, he is so annoying. Why won''t he leave me alone?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s an Alpha and he¡¯s used to getting what he wants?¡± | guess.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s thest man | want to be with. He¡¯s practically slept with every girl in our pack. Who would want to be mated to an

    Alpha that can¡¯t keep it in his pants?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Ummm, aren¡¯t all Alphas like that, Cali? And to answer your question, pretty much every she-wolf other than you and me.¡±

    ¡°| hope my mate is a kind, unassuming man who wants a quiet life.¡±

    | look at my dear friend, frowning as we enter the school parking lot. ¡°You do realize we''re werewolves, right? Unless you''re

    mated to a human, that whole ¡® quiet life¡® is unlikely.¡±

    She sighs. ¡°Yeah, | know. Hey, what was that with Clint? | don¡¯t remember him ever speaking to you before.¡±

    ¡°He hasn''t. | guess me pinning Lucas made me worthy,¡± | make air quotes as | say it, ¡°of his attention.¡±

    +25 BONUS

    ¡°He¡¯s cute.¡±

    ¡°First, ¡®cute¡¯ isn¡¯t the word | would use for him. Sexy or hot would be words to describe Clint. Second, he¡¯s just as much of a

    yer as Alpha Anders, so no way am | getting mixed up in that.¡±

    As we walk into the school, we see both men standing next to the lockers surrounded by a group of mostly girls. I¡¯m about to roll

    my eyes when Clint¡¯s emerald eyes lock onto mine. He¡¯s talking to someone, but he makes a point to wink at me as | walk by.

    Really?

    | shake my head just enough for him to see that | can¡¯t believe he just did that, and | get an answering smirk in return.

 Chapter 458

    As we walk toward our lockers, Cali leans into me. ¡°Did Clint just wink at you?¡±

    ¡°Looked like it.¡±

    ¡°Obviously you made an impression on him.¡±

    ¡°| guess. Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± | say as a handes down on my open locker door and heat seeps into my back. | look

    over my shoulder and see Lucas. | want a rematch tomorrow, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you''re ready for that kind of embarrassment Lucas?¡±

    He leans his 6¡¯2¡± frame down to my smaller 5¡¯6¡± frame, his lips grazing my ear. ¡°Winner buys dinner Friday night.¡±

    ¡°Is this your creepy way of asking me out Lucas?¡± | say closing my locker door and turning toward him. From the corner of my

    eye, | see Clint scowling in our direction. | wouldn¡¯t be bothered, but Anders is making his way toward Calista and Clint is right

    beside him.

    ¡°What if it is?¡± Lucas asks me.

    ¡°Then I¡¯d say you need better lines, Lucas.¡± | turn to Cali. ¡°We''ve got to move, fast.¡±

    Her head pops

    and startsyer. She sees Anders and Clint headed our way. Lucas turns too

    and startsughing. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±

    We take off in the fastest walk we can without actually running, ducking in and out of other students to get away. ¡°You can run,

    but you can¡¯t hide Calista.¡± We hear Anders chuckling as we head to our sses. He¡¯s right, since they have two sses

    together.

    My first ss is fine, but my second, Chemistry, | have with Clint. Today, he decides that he is my newb partner. ¡°Kevin, switch

    partners with me.¡±

    | raise my eyebrow at him. ¡°Excuse me. Kevin is a great partner and | have no desire to switch.¡± Okay, that¡¯s not exactly true.

    Kevin¡¯s a mediocre partner but having to stand close to Clint during ourbs every day for the rest of the year, possibly touching

    him, sounds like torture. | may not want to be with the man, but that doesn¡¯t mean that my body and my wolf are immune to his

    power and dominance.

    ¡®Mmmm, and have you seen his wolf?¡® Andra asks me.

    +25 BONUS

    ¡°Yes, Donovan''s as big or bigger than Zakai.¡¯ Zakai is Alpha Anders wolf. ¡®You know that¡¯s because he¡¯s a Guardian. They have

    the strength of an Alpha, or in Clint¡¯s case, | actually think he¡¯s stronger than Alpha Anders.*

    ¡®I''d love to rub myself all over that fine specimen.*

    ¡®Down girl. We need to get through this ss without smelling like we want to jump his bones.¡¯

    ¡°Done talking to your wolf?¡± Clint asks me and | see that Kevin has moved away. It¡¯s not like he was going to challenge Clint to

    stay.

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say and grab my chemistry book to begin today¡¯s experiment.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I''m trying to ignore Clint, but he leans in. ¡°I bet she likes me.¡±

    ¡°You''re implying that | don¡¯t like you, Guardian.¡±

    Asoft growles from his chest and he¡¯s standing so close that | can feel it. ¡°I told you to call me Clint.¡±

    ¡°Right, Clint. Well, my wolf is like every other she¡ª-wolf out there. She is drawn to strength and power and we both know, that as

    a Guardian, you have both. So, your statement of the obvious seems like a pathetic way to have me give you apliment. If

    your ego is so fragile that you need me to tell you that my wolf finds yours appealing, then consider yourselfplimented.¡± | say

    before turning back to my book.

    | hear him chuckling before | feel his breath against my neck. ¡°Beautiful, there is nothing about me that is fragile.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±

    I''m pleasantly surprised that he¡¯s actually knowledgeable about chemistry. He¡¯s a goodb partner and where | had to carry

    Kevin through thebs, Clint not only keeps up but is one step ahead of me at times. | can feel mypetitive nature pushing

    forward as we both try to show the other up.

    At the end of ss, as we¡¯re cleaning and putting our items away for the next ss, hepliments me. ¡°You''re good at

    chemistry. | wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±

    I give him my best fake smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not just a pretty face, Clint. And honestly, you surprised me as well. Nice to know that

    you use all your muscles, not just the ones that the girls swoon over when you flex them.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t like me, do you?¡± He asks and | swear | hear a bit of hurt in his tone. But that can¡¯t be right, why would he care

    what | think of him.

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    | turn to give him my full attention. ¡°It¡¯s not that | don¡¯t like you. It¡¯s that | have no intention of being just another girl in your

    revolving doorway. | don¡¯t know why you are suddenly giving me attention, but if your goal is to get me into your bed, then |

    suggest that you walk away now.¡± | tell him before turning on my heel and heading to my next ss.

 Chapter 459

    I turned 15 over the weekend. | had really hoped to meet my mate on my actual birthday, but that didn¡¯t happen. Anders and |

    had gone out both Friday and Saturday nights, hoping that | would find her. Since it didn¡¯t happen, | had settled on the idea that

    Anders and | would have to travel around to find her. He turns 18 in a couple of months but he¡¯s already feeling a pull to Calista

    Johns. He thinks she is his mate. He¡¯s been pursuing her but she¡¯spletely uninterested.

    It''s frustrating him because he¡¯s never had to pursue a love interest. Women usually fall at our feet. It doesn¡¯t even matter how

    old they are, we¡¯ve both had women old enough to be our mother that have found their way into our beds.

    | found the entire situation hrious until Monday morning, when | showed up at training and smelled the most delicious scent of

    orange blossoms and ginger. | followed the scent and found Lily Raines sparring with Lucas, Anders future Lead Warrior. He¡¯s

    already decided that Lucas will take that position, and | agree. Next to me, he¡¯s the strongest warrior in the pack. At least |

    thought he was until Lily pinned him.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Seeing Lily sprawled on top of Lucas, even if his face was to the ground had Donovan snarling in my head. He didn¡¯t like seeing

    her touching another male, much less straddling one. Her long, curly brown hair was up in a ponytail, and when she looked up in

    triumph, | could see her eyes are a stunning azure blue.

    | knew she was good, Anders and | have been training her for years, but | didn¡¯t realize she was that good. Maybe | just wasn¡¯t

    paying attention, but | am now. Both Donovan and | are proud that our mate is strong.

    What | wasn¡¯t expecting was for her to give me the same cold shoulder that Calista was giving Anders. Now it¡¯s not nearly so

    funny. What''s worse, it¡¯s pretty apparent that she doesn¡¯t even like me.

    Donovan needs to be closer to her, so | switch partners with hers in Chemistry. | realize quickly that she¡¯s not just beautiful and

    strong, she¡¯s intelligent. And thankfully, | take Chemistry seriously. It¡¯s something that, as a Guardian, | feel | need to have

    knowledge of, whether it is to save my life or Anders, you never know what type of concoction other supernaturals or worse,

    hunters will try to inject in you.

    When she tells me she thinks I¡¯m after her only to sleep with her, | know I¡¯ve got my work cut out for me. Yeah, I¡¯ve been pretty

    indiscriminate with my bed partners, but I¡¯ve never given any of them any reason to think that they were anything more than a

    short-term good time. I¡¯ve always wanted my mate, | just

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    didn¡¯t really think about the need to wait for her, or how she might feel about me given my extensive history. Honestly, none of

    the other women I¡¯ve been with cared that I''d slept around. | guess that¡¯s why Lily is my mate, she does care and now | need to

    do some damage control.

    First and foremost, | need to figure out when she turns 18. Then, | need to woo her until then so she¡¯s willing to ept our mate

    bond when she finally feels it. Two ssester, I¡¯m sitting in Literature. | could care less about books written hundreds of years

    ago. It will do nothing to make me a better Guardian, but it¡¯s required to graduate, so I¡¯m here. I¡¯m lounging in my chair, my eyes

    closed and contemting a nap, when | smell her scent. My eyes snap open as she walks past my desk and sits three seats in

    front of me. How have | never realized that she was in my ss?

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 0460

    ¡®Because you''re an idiot.¡® Donovan says to me. ¡®Move closer to her, change seats with that girl behind her.¡®

    I stand, grabbing my bag. ¡°Hey Anna.¡±

    ¡°Hey Clint.¡± She looks up at me and practically purrs. Damn, | didn¡¯t think this through. I''ve slept with Anna and unlike Lily, she

    doesn¡¯t seem to mind being my bedwarmer.

    ¡°| was hoping | could get you to switch seats with me.¡± | give her my best smile Out of the corner of my eye, | see Lily''s body go

    rigid.

    4

    | watch Anna¡¯s face go from excited to confused before she looks at the back of Lily¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, uh, sure.¡±

    She grabs her things and goes to move past me, cing her hand on my waist and sliding it across my abs. What would have

    once had me going hard and making ns for tonight, now is just aggravating me. | don¡¯t want Lily getting the wrong idea.

    ¡°Maybe I''ll see youter?¡± She asks, her hand sliding to the edge. of my jeans.

    ¡°Uh, yeah, maybe.¡± | say getting more and more ufortable.

    Our teacheres in and Anna moves to my seat, while | sit in hers. | look at Lily, her back is ramrod straight.

    The teacher begins discussing whatever novel we''re supposed to be reading. | lean forward when the teacher''s back is turned.

    ¡°Hey Lily.¡± | whisper quietly. The teacher is a werewolf just like everyone else in the ss.

    She ignores me, so | reach out and begin to tug on her hair. It¡¯s really soft and all | can think about is wrapping my fingers in it

    while kissing her.

    Lily reaches back and pulls her hair out of my hand, ring at me over her shoulder. | smirk at her and do it again.

    ¡°Mr. Nelson, perhaps you can focus more on the ss and less on Miss Raines¡® hair.¡± The teacher calls me out. | hear the ss

    snicker, but | don¡¯t care.

    ¡°Sorry Mr. Roberts, but Lily¡¯s hair is like silk. It¡¯s hard to resist.¡±

    ¡°You''re a Guardian Mr. Nelson, I¡¯m sure you''ll find a way.¡± He says before turning back around.

    Lily grabs her hair, pulling it over one shoulder and ring at me before turning

    +25 BONUS

    back around. I¡¯m lost in her scent and have no idea what the teacher is saying. Lily on the other hand, seems to be totally

    unaffected by my presence and is asking and answering questions.

    When ss is done, Lily grabs her bag and tries to move past me, but | stand up and get in her way. ¡°What are you doing after

    school?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Going home.¡± She tells me, her head tilted up so she can re at me, as I¡¯m nearly a foot taller than her. | get lost for a moment

    in the blue of her eyes.

    She goes to push past me, when | remember my point. ¡°Anders and | can drive you and Calista home.¡±

    She steps back and looks up at me again. ¡°No thanks, now move out of my way.¡± | lean in toward her. ¡°And if | don¡¯t?¡±

    In one second, | went from feeling in total control of the situation to the next where | ampletely at her mercy. Without a careThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    in the world, she reached up and grabbed my balls in her hand, twisting it just to the point of pain. ¡°If you don''t, I''ll make sure that

    you and Anna can¡¯t have any fun tonight. MOVE!¡± She demands, and | step out of her way.

    | watch her walk out of ss without a backward nce.

    ¡°Smooth move idiot. You pissed off our mate. Fix it!¡¯ Donovan growls in my head. ¡®Do you have any bright ideas?¡® | ask my snide

    wolf.

    ¡°Yeah, stop trying to coerce her and get her to like you.*

    Easier said than done.

    +

 Chapter 461

    What an arrogant asshole! If he thinks because he¡¯s bigger than | am that he can intimidate me, he¡¯s got another thinging.

    Did | feel badly that | basically threatened to rip his balls off, not even a little. Did | happen to feel therge bulge in his pants at

    the same time? Yes, and wow! That''s all | can say, wow.

    | find Calista at lunch and we decide to find a private ce to eat away from either of the men who have decided to pursue us

    relentlessly. We settle in and | listen to her vent about how Alpha Anders is doing basically the same thing as Clint, moving to sit

    next to her, trying to talk to her in ss, constantly asking her out. It¡¯s maddening. | tell her about Clint and what happened in

    Chem and Lit sses.

    ¡°Do you think they''ve set up some type ofpetition between them?¡± She asks

    1.me.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    | watch as Calista stares thoughtfully out over the track field where we decided to have our lunch. ¡°Well, you and | are basically

    the only hold outs in the pack. Do you....do you think that this is just a game to see which of them can get one of us into their

    bed first?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible thought Cali.¡± | say, but then | think about it. Competition. It¡¯s what Alphas and apparently Guardians thrive on.

    What if she¡¯s right and they''ve set up some kind ofpetition between them to see who can make the final stand outs break

    first.-

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just pissed me off all over again.¡± | tell Cali.

    ¡°Do you think they would do that?¡± My dear friend asks quietly.

    | take her hand. Cali is a gentler soul than | am. It¡¯s one of the reasons she didn¡¯t continue in warrior training. She doesn''t like to

    hurt anyone for any reason. Personally, | think she''d make a fantastic Luna. She¡¯s got the perfect personality for it, loving and

    caring to everyone around her. And when you''re in her inner circle, there isn¡¯t anything she wouldn''t do for you.

    Unlike me, | don¡¯t have any problem causing pain if it gets the point across, like grabbing Clint¡¯s balls. That makes me a much

    better candidate for warrior than Luna. Although, my path is one | can choose. Calista will have to be mated to an Alpha to

    be a Luna. However, she is focusing her studies on medicine which is an area she can choose and will be great at.

    +25 BONUS

    ¡°| honestly don¡¯t know.¡± | answer my friend.

    After lunch we head back to our next sses. | have one more with Clint, although, judging his reaction to our Lit ss, he

    probably doesn¡¯t realize it. Maybe | can sneak in and find a way to keep him from sitting next to me. Of all my sses, human

    history is the most boring to me. We have to learn it so we can mingle with the humans, but their history and ours is very

    different. They tend to focus on their wars, whereas, in the supernaturalmunity, fighting is verymon. Packs fight fornd,

    for power and for prestige. It¡¯s not umon for packs to attack each other and deaths or permanent injuries aremon. It¡¯s

    one of the reasons that having a powerful Alpha and, in our case, a powerful Guardian is so important. It gives our pack an

    advantage. Even if another pack challenges ours, it¡¯s very unlikely that they will win.

    When | get to my history ss, | see that Clint-hasn¡¯t arrived yet. | sit in my usual seat, which is in the front by the window. That

    still leaves two seats where he can sit and be too close to me, one beside me and one behind me. I¡¯m still trying to figure out

    how to keep him away from me, when the man in question plops down in the seat beside me.

    ¡°That seat is assigned to someone else.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have assigned seats in this ss, Lily.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you prefer the back, Clint? | usually see you snoring away back there.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, so you''ve noticed me?¡±

    ¡°Still fishing forpliments? Don¡¯t you have enough girls stroking your ego and other body parts?¡± | ask in a snarky tone, and |

    swear | can see him flinch.

    ¡°| think you have the wrong idea about me

    | turn to face him, staring him straight in the eye. ¡°Do I?¡±

    | watch as his mouth opens and closes a couple of times, no wordsing out.

    | raise my eyebrow at him and turn back in my seat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡±

    The teacheres in and it¡¯s a movie day. | groan inwardly, while most of the ss cheers outwardly.

    The lights go off and Clint subtly moves his seat closer to mine.

    | stare intently at the screen. ¡°I¡¯m not fishing forpliments.¡± He says.

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡±

    ¡°| do think you have the wrong idea about me.¡±

    +25 BONUSThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    | wait him out, not saying anything.

    ¡°| just want to get to know you.¡±

    Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, is that so difficult to believe?¡±

    | turn to look at him. ¡°Why?¡±

    He frowns. ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly so interested in me?¡±

    | watch as he struggles for an answer. Has no one ever questioned him about this before? Probably not.

    Calista¡¯s thought about this being apetitiones rushing back to me.

    That¡¯s exactly what this is. It''s some kind of bet between him and Anders and he didn¡¯t have a back-up story prepared when |

    asked why he wanted to get to know

    1.me.

    ¡°We¡¯ve never spent any time together. | just thought it would be nice to get to know each other.¡± He finally says.

    | grab a piece of paper and begin writing.

    ¡°Right, you just suddenly decided that after all these years you wanted to get to know me?¡±

    ¡°]...well...yes.¡±

    | shake my head and keep writing

    When ss ends, | hand him the paper and walk out of ss without looking back.

 Chapter 462

    My name is Lily Raines

    I''m 17 years old

    I''m 5 foot 6 inches tall

    | have brown hair and blue eyes

    | want to be a warrior when | graduate

    | will not sleep with you, so stop pursuing me.

    That¡¯s what | read on the paper that she handed to me as she walked out of ss. | read it again and then look at the ce

    where she walked out. This is going to be harder than | thought.

    First of all, every time she looks at me, | get so lost in her blue eyes that | can¡¯t even remember my name, much less what we

    were talking about. I¡¯m guessing by now she thinks I¡¯m an idiot.

    ¡°You are an idiot.¡® My unhelpful wolf tells me.

    And now she thinks | just want to sleep with her. When she asked me why I¡¯m suddenly pursuing her, | didn¡¯t have a good

    reason. | don¡¯t want to tell her that we¡¯re mates. | obviously have some damage control to do before we get to that point. And

    while | was getting lost in the never-ending blue of her eyes, she apparently took myck of response as me wanting to get in

    her pants. Which let''s be honest, | absolutely do. But not as a hook up or a one-time thing. | want this woman next to me, beside

    me in bed and in life, forever.

    ¡®Maybe you should let me try. You just keep screwing it up.¡® Donovan says to me.

    ¡®lm open to suggestions.¡¯ | tell him as we walk out to meet with Anders.

    ¡®Let me out tonight. We can find where she lives, and Ill go say hi.¡® It¡¯s not the worst idea he¡¯s ever had.

    ¡®It''s better than any idea you''ve had.¡® Donovan retorts.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Hey, how did it go?¡± | p¡ªshake Anders as | walk up to him, asking about how things went with Calista today.

    ¡°Like shit. You?¡±

    ¡°Same.¡± | told him this morning about Lily being my mate. When we saw her and Calista walking to school, | thought it was the

    perfect way to not only get to know

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    my mate but give Anders some time with Calista. However, we both got burned.

    ¡°We need a n.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°Donovan wants to try and find Lily tonight. I¡¯m willing to give it a try and see how it goes.¡±

    Anders looks thoughtful. ¡°I think we need something bigger than that. I''ll think about it, but it needs to be a grand gesture.¡±

    |ugh at my friend. ¡°You''re the one with the grand gestures. Just let me know what you need, and I¡¯ll be your wing¡ªman.¡±

    His eyes open wide. ¡°That''s a great idea!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Top Gun. Bar scene. Singing to his girl.¡±

    ¡°Your voice sucks dude. No one wants to hear you sing.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, | won¡¯t stop singing until she agrees to go out with me.¡± An evil smile spreads across his face.

    I snicker at him. ¡°Okay, but how do we get them to a bar that we''re at to make it happen.¡±

    His face falls. ¡°I¡¯m still working on that.¡±

    We climb into his car and head back to the packhouse. My parents moved to the packhouse after | got my wolf and we realized

    he had a Guardian spirit. Anders. parents wanted to keep me close and protected, while fostering a continued rtionship with

    their son. A couple of years ago, my parents went on vacation and the ne crashed over the ocean. They were never found.

    Afterward, my room was moved to the Alpha floor so | could be closer to Anders, and we''ve basically been raised as brothers

    ever since.

    When we get back to the packhouse, we split off to change for training. I¡¯m excited because I''ll get to see Lily again. Hopefully,

    this time | won¡¯t get distracted by her eyes and | can have an intelligent conversation. Anders and | run morning training, while

    his father, Alpha Patrick and Patrick¡¯s Beta, Calvin, run afternoon training.

    | get there early, hoping to catch Lily before training begins. When | arrive, she¡¯s not there yet, so | begin warming up. Other

    warriors begin surrounding me and warming up with me, but when | see her, | pull away and jog up to her.

    ¡°Lily.¡±

    | watch as she rolls her eyes. ¡°Clint. | thought my note was sufficient.¡±

    I''m trying hard not to take it personally that she really wants nothing to do with me. My mate wants nothing to do with me. It¡¯s a

    huge blow to my ego.

    ¡°Well. | wasn¡¯t nning to ask you to sleep with me. | wanted to know if would like to go on a date with me on Friday.¡±

    you

    She frowns at me. | don¡¯t date. | don¡¯t need to take a girl out to getid. And since | have no inclination to build a rtionship with

    anyone but my mate, I¡¯ve never bothered to put much effort into dating or even getting to know more than a

    name.

    ¡°Actually,¡± she says as Lucas walks by. She grabs his arm. ¡°Lucas and | are

    already going out on Friday night, right Lucas?¡± She looks at him and | can tell by the way she¡¯s looking at him, that this wasn¡¯t

    exactly nned. However, Lucas, the dipshit, seems all too willing to oblige.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We talked about it earlier today.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Lily says, dropping his arm. ¡°And tomorrow we battle for who gets the

    check."

    | can¡¯t help the growl that escapes. First, this asshole is taking my mate on a date and now he might not even buy her dinner?

    And she prefers that to going out with me? | thought | had a pretty strong ego, but this is insulting.

    I turn to Lucas. ¡°You''re taking Lily out and you don¡¯t n to pay for dinner?¡± | watch as his face pales. | step toward him.

    ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t deserve to take someone like Lily out if you can¡¯t be bothered to even pay for the meal.¡±

    Lily steps up to me. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of paying for my own dinner, thank you very much and it¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    | haven''t taken my eyes off Lucas. | watch his Adam¡¯s apple bob in this throat. ¡°It was my way of getting her to go out with me. |

    have every intention of paying for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± | turn my attention to Lily. ¡°So | have to defeat you in a sparring match to get you to go out with me?¡±

    She scoffs. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to go up against you, Guardian.¡± Oh, this little spitfire is getting under my skin.

    ¡°Afraid you can¡¯t take me?¡± If she wants to be a warrior, chances are good that she¡¯spetitive. I¡¯m hoping | can use that to my

    advantage.

    ¡°You''re a Guardian.¡± She turns and spreads her arm to include every warrior on

    +25 BONUS

    the training ground. ¡°If anyone here can take you, you aren¡¯t worthy of the title.¡±

    And once again, she turns on her heel and walks away from me. This time, | don¡¯t even bother trying to hide my growl of

    annoyance.

 Chapter 463

    The nerve of this guy. I¡¯ve told him I¡¯m not sleeping with him, basically kicked him to the curb and he still wants to try to intimidate

    Lucas for asking me out. Okay, | hadn¡¯t nned on going out with Lucas. His approach wasme, but | needed a quick excuse,

    and he presented one when he walked by.

    | hear Clint growling as | walk away. Take a hint buddy and then you won¡¯t keep getting turned down.

    | walk over to where others are warming up and begin stretching, preparing for training. Alpha Patrick and Beta Calvin call us to

    order. We''re to start running 5 miles before begining the team obstacle course. We all take off and | get into my groove. | enjoy

    running. It¡¯s my time to clear my head or would be if | didn¡¯t have someone interrupting my peaceful time with the annoying buzz

    of their voice.

    ¡°What will it take Lily bug?¡±

    ¡°Lily bug?¡±

    He gives me his cocky smile. ¡°You need a good pet name. Would you prefer Lady bug? Little Lils? Lily of the Valley? That one is

    awfully long. | think | prefer Lily bug.¡±

    ¡°Lily is just fine.¡± | say, my voice clipped in my annoyance.

    ¡°How about Lily bud? Ohhh, that would work well with your name. Lily bud it is.¡±

    | huff and increase my pace. | needn¡¯t have bothered, he just increased his as well.

    ¡°So, Lily bud, what do | need to do to get you to go out with me?¡±

    ¡°| thought my note was very clear Clint. | have no intention of sleeping with you. and since we both know that''s the only reason

    you''re pursuing me, drop it.¡±

    ¡°| told you, you have the wrong idea about me. | don¡¯t want to sleep with you. Okay, of course | want to sleep with you. You''re

    gorgeous, sexy as hell, strong and smart. But that¡¯s not why I want to go out with you. As | said, | want to get to know you.¡±

    I stop and turn toward him, other warriors passing us by. ¡°To what end?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t | just want to get to know you and you can get to know me. You don¡¯t seem to like me, and | think you should give me

    an opportunity to show you that there is more to me than just a guy trying to get in your pants.¡±

    | squint my eyes at him before raising my voice so everyone nearby could hear

    3/2

    +25 BONUS

    1. me. ¡°Does anyone here believe that Clint Nelson wants anything more than to sleep with me?¡±

    Achorus of nope¡¯s and no¡¯s answer my question. | give him a fake smile and start running again.

    ¡°Okay, | admit my history doesn¡¯t make it seem that I¡¯m looking for something other than a good time, but how will you know for

    sure if you don¡¯t give me a chance.¡±

    ¡°Not my problem. But if you figure something out, let me know.¡±

    We finish our run and it¡¯s time for the obstacle course. We can run two at a time and Clint makes sure that he¡¯s up beside me. It

    only takes a minute to see that he is going to push me and try to beat me, but I¡¯m not having it. I¡¯m a good warrior, and while |

    know that he should be able to beat me, | can¡¯t help myself. | begin pushing myself harder. | can see him smirking from the

    corner of my eye and he starts pushing harder as well.

    We''re swinging on rope swings, climbing rock walls, crawling under ropes. through the dirt and running over elevated stumps

    requiring bnce. As we¡¯ve continued to go through the course, we''ve started pushing faster and faster, everyone else getting

    out of our way until the sprint at the end. We race to the finish, grabbing the pole at the same time.

    We''re bothughing as we copse to the ground, sucking in air. Okay, that was fun.

    Clint gets up first and extends his hand. He¡¯s smiling down at me and | feel my heart flutter. In that instant, | know exactly why

    and how he can get any woman he wants in his bed. That smile is a panty¡ªdropper. Even | am not immune to his smile as | feel

    heat going straight to my core.

    | take his hand and when he pulls me up, I¡¯m captivated by his beautiful emerald. green eyes. Or at least | am until one of his

    conquestses up and brings me crashing back to reality.

    ¡°Hey Big Daddy. Will you spar with me today? | could use a little extra training.¡± She says, letting her hand trail down his arm

    before she turns and looks at me. You don¡¯t mind, do you, Lily?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s all yours, Jules.¡± | say, pulling my hand out of his and turning to walk

    away.

    | can feel his eyes burning holes into my back as | go to find a sparring partner. | was almost looking forward to sparring with him,

    just to see how good | really am. But | have no intention of rolling around on the ground with ¡®Big Daddy¡¯. I''d

    even forgotten that was his nickname. Big Daddy Badass. He earned it by defeating our Alpha, Beta and even Anders. Clint is

    hands down the strongest warrior and wolf in our pack. Just one more reason why she-wolves flock to him. It¡¯s gics, instinct,

    | get it. Our wolves want the strongest, most powerful wolves to mate with. The stronger the male, the more likely we are to have

    strong, powerful pups.

    The human side feels differently, of course, but the wolf doesn¡¯t care. She runs on instinct alone and Clint Nelson draws every

    she-wolf within a hundred¡ªmile radius just by being who he is, a Guardian.

    So now, all his little conquests call him Big Daddy. Maybe it¡¯s a kink that he has, | wouldn¡¯t know, and | have no intention of

    finding out. But it will be a cold day in hell before | ever call him Big Daddy.

    | take down my sparring partner in training. Alpha Patrick is there, giving my partner tips before turning to me.

    ¡°Lily, you should be sparring with Anders or Clint.¡±

    I smile. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, you''ll spar with Anders. You won''t get better unless you are given a challenge.¡± I¡¯m thankful for the small favor that I''ll

    be sparring with Anders and

    not Clint.

    Training ends and | head home. | need to shower, but before | do, | need to let Andra out to run. When | get to the forest line, |

    strip out of my clothes and shift. | drop my clothes off at the back of my house before taking off into the forest to let Andra stretch

    her legs.

    Cooper Author

    Hello everyone! | hope you are enjoying Clint and Lily''s story so far. I¡¯ve been wanting to write this story since | started Broken

    Warrior''s Daughter. So, here it is, and | hope you like their journey

    This book will update Monday Wednesday and Friday until The Banished Beta¡¯s Saving Grace isplete read the Guardians

    Trilogy check it out

    you

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 464

    1 thought 1 had made some progress with Lily, only for it to all go down the drain when Jules showed up calling me Big Daddy. |

    never cared about the name before. It started all kinds of fun sex y in the past. But now, I¡¯m trying to erase that memory from

    Lily''s mind and here it is, being rubbed in her face.

    Jules is so far beneath my ability that | don¡¯t even have to pay attention to spar with her. Unfortunately for me, she¡¯s more

    interested in finding a way for us to roll around on the ground together, rather than learning new techniques.

    After | pinned her to the ground for the second time, face in the dirt, | realized her intentions were not focused on sparring. As |

    leaned over her, pinning her to the ground, she lifted her hips and rubbed them against me. While I¡¯m not attracted to her

    anymore, my entire focus and mind now on my mate, | can smell Lily¡¯s scent from here, so the friction she provides causes me to

    have a reaction that she mistakes as a response for her.

    Jules turns underneath me, running her hands over my abs and biting her lower lip in what is probably a sexy look, but it just

    doesn¡¯t appeal to me anymore. I¡¯ve been a very bad girl Big Daddy. Maybe you should take me to your room. | think | deserve a

    spanking.¡± Her hand begins sliding down my gym shorts. Before they reach their destination, | grab them and without thinking it

    through | pin her arms by her head. She begins purring and licks my neck.

    Before it goes any further, | jump up, looking quickly to see that Lily wasn¡¯t watching. I¡¯m thankful that Alpha Patrick is over

    talking to her and her partner. | look back at Jules. ¡°Actually, you''ll have to find someone else for that spanking. | have to go.¡± |

    say before jogging to the forest.

    ¡°You okay over there Clint?¡± Andersughs at me through the mind link.

    ¡°Fine.¡± | growl. ¡°Are you dealing with this shit too?¡±

    ¡°Every day my friend. | guess this is the penance we have to pay for being amazing lovers.¡±

    ¡°You mean indiscriminate lovers, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m having a hard enough time getting Lily to even talk to me. Thest thing | need is

    for her to see something like what just happened and get the wrong idea.¡± | say as | get to the tree line of the forest. | strip and

    shift, letting Donovan run, trying to work off some pent-up energy and frustration.

    ¡°You''re lucky our mate didn¡¯t see you.¡® Donovan snarls at me. ¡®You need to be more careful. | won¡¯t have anyone but our mate.¡¯

    I''m with you, Donovan, but | need to get her on board.¡±

    ¡°Stop being a douchebag 1 told you years ago that we should wait for our mate, but you wouldn''t listen.

    Fine, you¡¯re right. Is that what you want to heat?!

    | wasn¡¯t paying attention, but when Donovan doesn¡¯t respond, | recognize he¡¯s tracking something. | catch the scent and realize

    he¡¯s not tracking something, he¡¯s tracking someone, our mate.

    This is perfect. | had nned to let Donovan out to see her tonight anyway, and now, maybe we can get her wolf to spend time

    with us.

    ¡°Spend time with me, you mean.¡¯ Donovan corrects me.

    Donovan starts running faster, catching up to our mate. | see her ahead of us, running yfully through the forest. She seems to

    be having fun, enjoying the opportunity to stretch her legs. | take a moment to appreciate how beautiful Andra is. Her coloring is

    simr to ours, but she¡¯s a bit smaller than we are.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Donovan growls low in his chest, alerting her to our presence. Her head whips. around, turning to see us. She gives a quick

    bark, then starts running faster. | can feel Donovan¡¯s excitement at the prospect of chasing our mate.

    Donovan picks up his speed, running to catch Andra. | already know she¡¯s an agile wolf from training. She¡¯s also a strong, smart

    fighter like her human. | didn¡¯t realize how fast she is. She begins ducking in and around bushes and trees, making Donovan

    work to catch her. He doesn¡¯t mind thepetition at all.

    ¡°It will make it that much sweeter when | catch her.¡±

    ¡®No marking her Donovan, she¡¯s still underage.

    ¡®I know, but it doesn¡¯t mean | can¡¯t enjoy ying with her.¡±

    He¡¯s almost caught up to her and is about to nip at her heels, when she turns sharply and goes in a different direction. Donovan

    isn''t as nimble as Andra, so it takes him a minute to correct his direction before he¡¯s after her again.

    She¡¯sing to an open field which will give us the advantage if she runs. through it. Donovan is the fastest wolf in our pack.

    Perks of being a Guardian, he can outrun even our Alphas¡® wolves. I¡¯m not sure if she wants to test her speed against Donovan

    or if she thinks she can outrun us, but when she hits the opennd, she pushes herself hard, running full out.

    Donovan doesn¡¯t waste any time making up the lost ground. He¡¯s gaining on her although not as quickly as | would have thought.

    29

    ¡®She''s fast. At least as fast as Zakai.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s as fast as Anders¡® wolf? Does she have Alpha blood?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know, but it would make sense since she¡¯s our mate.

    I''m not sure what that would mean for Donovan and | and our loyalties. Would they change from Anders to Lily, because she¡¯s

    our mate?

    Donovan gives onest push, kicking off with his back paws and catching Andra¡¯s back end, making her fall. As she rolls, he

    jumps up and pounces on her, pinning her to the ground.

    She nips at him over her shoulder, only half yfully. That must havee from Lily. But Donovan doesn¡¯t seem bothered. He

    gently bites down on the back of her neck, forcing her submission. Andra growls softly, but she submits.

    Donovan begins purring, the sound reverberating through his body into hers beneath us. Even | can feel her body rx.

    Donovan releases her and begins licking the side of her face, over her eyes and to her muzzle.

    Andra turns and licks back, catching Donovan¡¯s tongue. She doesn¡¯t seem to mind submitting to us.

    ¡®I told you, you are the idiot. Our mate doesn¡¯t like us because of you, not me.¡¯ He says rubbing his face against Andra who is

    more than receptive to his attention. | hear Andra whimper softly before she begins to shift. Donovan scrambles to take his

    weight off as she shifts back into Lily. When she haspleted the transition, she turns, hands on her hips, her glorious body on

    disy for me. ¡°Donovan? What is this about?¡±

    Cooper Author

    What do you think of Donovan?

    Updates are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

 Chapter 465

    My wolf has no problem submitting to Donovan, but | refuse to submit to Clint. Before my harlot of a wolf decides she wants to

    mate with Donovan, | take control

    and force her to shift.

    ¡®| wouldn¡¯t have let him mate us, not yet anyway.¡¯ She purrs, and | roll my eyes. at her.

    ¡®What? He caught us. | was running full out and he still caught us. He¡¯s a strong and powerful wolf.¡±

    ¡®Yes, you''ve mentioned that before, stop purring. He¡¯s a Guardian, he¡¯s supposed to be top of the wolf hierarchy. Made by the

    Moon Goddess, remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he was.¡¯ She says, still purring.

    When | shifted, | hadn¡¯t thought it through that | would be giving Clint quite a show, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯s never seen a naked

    woman. If the rumors are true, he sees a different one almost every night.

    | wait for Donovan to shift back to Clint, but he doesn¡¯t. He sits and stares at me.

    ¡°Donovan? I¡¯m assuming Clint wanted to talk to me?¡± | ask, wondering why Donovan was chasing us if it wasn¡¯t to catch us for

    Clint.

    He shakes his head, no.

    ¡°He wanted to y with Andra.¡± Clint¡¯s voicees through the mind link.

    Andra, of course, rolls over in my head, showing her belly. ¡®Really? Have some respect for yourself.¡¯

    ¡®Just because Clint sleeps around, doesn¡¯t mean that Donovan does. I¡¯ve never seen him with another she¡ªwolf.¡®

    Hmmm, my enamored wolf has a point. Unlike some wolves, who are ast indiscriminate as their humans, Donovan has never

    shown favor to any of the she -wolves, even though just as many throw themselves at him as Clint. Because of that, | feel my

    heart thawing a bit toward Donovan.

    ¡°You wanted to y with Andra, huh?¡± | say walking over and running my hand over the side of his face.

    He woofs at me before leaning into my touch. | can¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡®See? He''s perfect.¡® Andra says.

    ¡°Did she surprise you with her speed?¡± He pulls away from my hand and looks at

    1.me.

    ¡°We''ve been running our own drills. She''ll beat you one day, Donovan.¡± | get the wolf equivalent of a scoff.

    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to train with you. Help you push yourself, so Andra can get stronger and faster.¡± Clint says over the mind link.

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. Thest thing | need is for people to get the wrong idea and think we are just one of your ythings.

    We''re doing just fine on our own.¡± | say out loud.

    ¡°Thanks for the run, Donovan, it was fun.¡± | tell him and lean down, kissing the top of his head. He sneaks a lick on my face,

    licking me from chin to nose.

    ¡°E, Donovan! Gross.¡± | say, wiping my face.

    | begin walking back toward home. | hear Donovan growl behind me. When | turn, he¡¯s looking at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He runs into the woods next to us, beforeing back out as Clint, wearing a pair of shorts and carrying a shirt. He hands me

    the shirt. ¡°Put this on. You shouldn''t be walking around naked for anyone to see.¡±

    | roll my eyes before pulling the shirt over my head. ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone else out here and even if there was, we''re all shifters

    here. Nothing everyone in the pack hasn''t seen before.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    | swear | hear him growl again. But | ignore it and turn to walk toward home. Clint falls into step beside me. | turn, raising my

    eyebrow at him. ¡°The packhouse is that way.¡± | say, pointing in the opposite direction of my house.

    ¡°I''m going to make sure that you get home safely.¡± Now it¡¯s my turn to scoff. We''re on packnds. There isn¡¯t a safer ce for me

    to be.

    ¡°So, you''re really going to go out with Lucas on Friday?¡±

    | still don¡¯t really want to go out with Lucas, but if it means | have an excuse to not go out with Clint, then I¡¯m going. ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°What about Saturday?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Calista and | have ns.¡±

    ¡°Sunday?¡±

    +25 BONUS

    I stop and turn toward him. ¡°Seriously, Clint. What is the deal? Why are you doing this?¡±

    | decide to take the direct approach. ¡°Do you and Anders have a bet to see who can get thest remaining standouts into your

    bed? Is that what this is? Because if that¡¯s the case, you''ll both lose. We''re on to you, and I have no intention of bing just

    another number or a notch on your bedpost.¡±

    By the time I¡¯m done, my finger is poking him in the chest, entuating my words. He reaches up, grabbing and holding my

    finger.

    ¡°Is that what you think?

    ¡°It was Calista¡¯s idea, but it makes perfect sense. You and Anders barely gave either of us the time of day and now neither of you

    will leave us alone? What other reason could there be?¡±

    ¡°| honestly just want to get to know you better.¡±

    ¡°| gave you the cliff notes version. That should suffice.¡±

    ¡°It doesn''t. | want to know more than just the basics about you Lily. Go out with me. | give you my word as a Guardian that I¡¯m

    not asking just to get you in my bed.¡±

    Okay, that was unexpected. I¡¯ve only ever known Clint to give his word as a Guardian to Anders and Alpha Patrick.

    | look at him, searching his eyes for any lie, but | don¡¯t see any.

    ¡®| think he¡¯s telling the truth.¡® Andra says, also interested in why Clint is giving us so much attention.¡±

    ¡°Brunch on Sunday, take it or leave it.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Done. I''ll pick you up...¡±

    ¡°No, I''ll walk.¡± He growls at me.

    ¡°No, I''ll pick you up. And I¡¯m buying! But I¡¯d still like to spar with you. tomorrow.¡±

    | huff about being picked up. The rumor mill will go wild.

    ¡°Alpha Patrick already said that I''ll be sparring with Anders tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°| can change that. And I¡¯m serious about Andra running with Donovan. If she wants to get faster, she needs a challenge.¡±

    It''s basically what Alpha Patrick said to me today about training, so | know he¡¯s

    +25 BONUS

    right.

    ¡°Tell your wolf that if he tries anything funny with Andra, I''ll shift and rip his balls off.¡±

    He smirks at me. ¡°You should have felt the cringe | just got from him, so | guess the message was received.¡±

    | turn and start walking back to my house. ¡°And the same goes for you Clint. Try anything and I''ll neuter you.¡± | say to him over

    my shoulder.

    ¡°Deal, Lily bud.¡±

    I roll my eyes at his new pet name for me.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Clint and Lily¡¯s story so far?

 Chapter 466

    YES! Sess! Lily finally agreed to go out with me, but now | need to convince Anders to let me spar with her and | have to tell

    him why Calista won¡¯t go out with him. I¡¯ve never hated my reputation as much as | do right now.

    | wait until | see Lily grab her clothes and walk into her house before jogging back to the packhouse. It¡¯s dinner time and 1 divert

    up to my room to take a quick shower before heading down to the main dining hall where most of the pack house eats as well as

    many other pack members thate here after training.

    | find Anders sitting with his parents and the Beta family. Charles is Calvin¡¯s son and has been training to be Anders Beta since |

    got my Guardian spirit at 10. He''ll make a good Beta for Anders.

    | grab some food and take a seat across from Anders, saying hello to everyone at the table.

    ¡°So, how''d it go?¡± He asks me, referencing my escape from Jules.

    ¡°Actually, it went well. Andra was out running, and it gave me an opportunity to finally get Lily to agree to go out with me.

    ¡°Congrattions! That¡¯s great man. You¡¯d better n something special.¡±

    He¡¯s right. | need to make this date memorable, so she''ll know I¡¯m serious and go out with me again.

    ¡°| have a favor to ask.¡± | say, knowing I''ll have to give him something in return, but | already have that up my sleeve.

    His eyes narrow at me. ¡°What favor?¡±

    ¡°Your dad has you set to spar with Lily tomorrow and | want to switch with you.¡± | tell him. As expected, he smirks at me.

    ¡°And what do | get in return?¡±

    | lean forward, motioning for him to sit forward. He does and so does Charles. ¡°I know why Calista won¡¯t go out with you.¡± | tell

    him.

    ¡°Deal!¡± He says immediately. ¡°Now spill.¡±

    ¡°She and Lily think we¡¯ve made a bet to see which one of us can get them into our bed the fastest.¡± | sit back, knowing the

    information is good, but also knowing it won¡¯t help him.

    ¡°Shit. How did you get Lily to agree to go out with you?¡±

    +26 BOHUS

    ¡°| gave her my word as a Guardian.¡±

    He blinks at me for a moment. ¡°I thought you only did that for me and dad?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°And Lily.¡± | say, giving him a meaningful look. No one else knows that she¡¯s my mate and | want to keep it that way.

    We finish our dinner and 1 head up to my room. | never go to my room this early. I¡¯m always out spending time with the pack

    members or deciding who will be keeping my bed warm for the night. Now, | have more important things to do and no interest in

    having anyone but Lily in my bed.

    | log into myputer and begin looking up ces for Sunday brunch. | search for ces with great reviews then search the

    surrounding area to see what other ces | can take Lily. I¡¯ve finally settled on a small diner style brunch ce in the mountains,

    about an hour away. From there, it looks like there is an area where there are hiking trails for humans, but lots of forest

    surrounding it where we can let Donovan and Andra run.

    Afterward, | do something | thought I¡¯d never do. | pick up the book we¡¯re reading for literature and start at the beginning. | have

    every intention of wooing my mate, and if that starts in the ssroom, so be it.

    The next morning | meet up with Anders and we head out to training. I¡¯m aggravated that | have to watch Lucas spar with Lily,

    but at least | know that I''ll be sparring with her this afternoon, and hopefully | can convince her to go for a run afterward.

    After Anders gets them warmed up, we have them set up to spar. Anders and | go through the moves we want them to practice

    today before letting them practice. | start by walking around to other partners, helping them get the move and making sure they

    are taking turns on offense and defense in the sparring positions.

    I''m just about to head over to Lily and Lucas when | hear someone go down hard and the wheezing of the wind having been

    knocked out of their lungs. | look over just in time to see Lily rolling back to her feet, Lucas on his back, his hand on his chest,

    looking like he¡¯s sucking in air.

    | walk over, ready to intervene. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Lily reaches her hand out to Lucas and helps him up. ¡°She kicked my ass, that¡¯s what happened. When did you get so strong

    Lils?¡± Lucas asks her.

    ¡°Perhaps you were letting her win so you don¡¯t have to pay for dinner on Friday night.¡± | say. | know it¡¯s snarky and uncalled for,

    but I¡¯m still pissed that he¡¯s

    +25 BONUS

    taking my mate to dinner.

    He bends over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. ¡°Nope, she¡¯s just that good.¡± He looks up at me, frowning. ¡°And | told

    you I¡¯m buying dinner regardless of who wins today.¡±

    ¡°I''ve been practicing Lucas, so buck up.¡± Lily tells him.

    ¡°Practicing for what?¡± | ask her. This is the second time she¡¯s mentioned that she¡¯s training outside of our two training sses.

    ¡°The warrior battles are at the end of the school year, and | want to win.¡± She tells me.

    ¡°Fuck Lily, are you vying for my position as the next Lead Warrior?¡± Lucas looks offended, when in truth, he should be taking this

    aspetition, so he improves. If he¡¯s going to be our Lead Warrior, Lily shouldn¡¯t be able to beat him.

    ¡°It''s not your position until you earn it, Lucas.¡± | say to him.

    ¡°And besides Lucas, when | find my mate, I''ll be leaving this pack, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Lily tells him.

    ¡°What makes you think that your mate isn¡¯t in this pack?¡± | ask her.

    She just shrugs. ¡°I would think I''d feel something by now. My birthday is less than two months away.¡±

    Oh, Lily bud, if you only knew.

    ¡°Okay everyone.¡± Anders begins pping his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡± That¡¯s it for today. We''ll see you this afternoon.

    Lily starts walking toward her house. | fall into step beside her. ¡°Do you and Calista want a ride to school? No funny business,

    just a ride?¡±

    ¡°We''re good, but thanks Clint. See you in ss.¡± She says before jogging off. She has a knack for ending our conversations and

    leaving me standing, watching after her. | shake my head and turn to walk back inside.

    ¡°Hey Clint. | was wondering if | could talk to you over breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Is everything alright Suzie?¡± | ask her. She leans in and whispers in my ear what she''d like for breakfast, namely my dick in her

    mouth.

    ¡°Uh...¡± I''m trying to think of a way to gently let her down without being rude, when | see Lily out of the corner of my eye. She has

    turned and is watching the interaction between me and Suzie. She may not know what Suzie said, but it¡¯s not hard to get the

    general idea. She turns back around and walks off, shaking

    her head.

    Dammit!

    Cooper

    Author

    Clint can¡¯t catch a break!

    Updates ur Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

 Chapter 467

    Every time | think that maybe Clint is being genuine, he proves me wrong. Why in the world did | agree to go out with him on

    Sunday. What a terrible idea. | need to figure out a way to cancel.

    | get ready for school and walk outside to meet Calista. ¡°Morning Cali.¡±

    ¡°Ok, don¡¯t hate me.¡± That¡¯s her opening statement. Not a good way to start the day.

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    She gives me her ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ face. ¡°I sort of agreed to let Anders drive us to school.¡±

    ¡°You WHAT??! Why would you do that?¡±

    ¡°| didn¡¯t have a choice. He literally showed up at my doorst night. | thought my parents were going to fall over themselves

    when they saw it was him. Then when he asked if he could take me to school today, my parents told him yes!¡±

    | throw my hands up in the air. ¡°That must be why Clint said something about giving us a ride to school today. Ugh, Cali! | do

    NOT want to ride to school with them. Clint was already finding a quickie right after training this morning and if we show up

    together, people will assume that | was his next conquest.¡¯

    | think for a minute. ¡°Let¡¯s walk fast. Maybe if he¡¯s runningte, we''ll already be at school before he catches up.¡±

    ¡°| can¡¯t.¡± She turns and points to her front windows. ¡°My parents are watching.¡± Sure enough, | could see her parents trying to

    look out the window through the blinds, but it was obvious they were there.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me drive to school with them by myself.¡± She pleads with me. How can | say no to my best friend.

    ¡°You owe me!¡±

    ¡°You''re the best!¡± She says as we hear a caring up behind us.

    Before | can even turn, Clint and Anders are out of the car, opening doors for us.

    ¡°Calista, you can sit up front with me. Clint can sit in the back with Lily.¡±

    | grit my teeth and move to the door that Clint is holding open for me. As | move to push past him, he puts his hand in front of me,

    stopping me. ¡°It wasn¡¯t what you think it was.¡±

    +25 BONUS

    ¡°It''s none of my business what

    you do or with whom Clint.¡± | duck under his arm and get into the car, crossing my arms over my chest.

    | hear him sigh before closing the door and walking around to get in beside me. When they get in, Anders immediately begins

    talking to Cali. Clint leans in toward me, speaking quietly.

    ¡°| don¡¯t want you to think that anything happened. I¡¯m serious about our date and that | have no expectations other than us

    spending some time together and having fun.¡±

    ¡°As | said, it''s none of my business. But just out of curiosity, why bother taking me out at all when you have every other female in

    this pack practically begging at your feet.¡±

    ¡°| want to get to know you. Is that so hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°| agreed to go, so we''ll go.¡± Turning to look out the window.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Calista must be trying to get out of her conversation with Anders.

    ¡°| agreed to go to brunch with Clint on Sunday.¡± | tell her.

    She turns around in her seat. ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°Well, Friday I¡¯m going out with Lucas, and Saturday, you and | are going out.¡± | look at her meaningfully, so she¡¯ll know | used

    her to get out of a date with Clint. ¡°Then he gave me his word as a Guardian that he wasn¡¯t going to try to sleep with me. So,

    brunch it is.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± She asks and | can tell Anders isn¡¯t happy that his time with Cali has diverted to talking about me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a ce in town...¡± | start to say, but I¡¯m cut off by Clint.

    ¡°That¡¯s not where we''re going. | found a ce that | want to take you.¡±

    ¡°What? Where?¡± | ask him..

    ¡°It''s a surprise, but it is off packnds.¡±

    When we get to school, | immediately jump out of the car. ¡°Thanks for the ride, Alpha, Clint.¡± | incline my head to both of them

    before grabbing Cali and racing toward our lockers.

    ¡°Please tell me that was a one-time thing.¡± | say to her as we open our lockers and start pulling out books.

    She gives me a side eye. ¡°It might be for the entire week.¡±

    I roll my eyes. ¡°Seriously, Cali?¡±

    ¡°Not my fault!¡± She says as we part ways and head to ss

    My day is much the same as yesterday. Clint is still my partner in Chemistry. | can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s showing off or if he just cares about

    chemistry, but he¡¯s really good at it. | appreciate him as ab partner. It makes the ss easier and more enjoyable.

    What is different from yesterday is Literature. Suddenly, Clint seems to have read the book and not only answers some of the

    questions, much to the surprise of everyone in the ss including our teacher, but he also challenges some of my ideas.

    Seriously? Who is he?

    In history, the movie is still going, so Clint pulls his desk closer, leaning in. talked with Anders, you''ll be sparring with me today.¡±

    ¡°|

    ¡°Well, that should be fun.¡± | say, not looking away from the boring ass movie. that we''re watching. Nothing about sparring with

    Clint sounds fun. It sounds like. a recipe for disaster.

    ¡°You want to win the warrior battles at the end of the school year, right?¡± He asks me.

    Now | do turn to look at him. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, it would be in your best interest to spar with me and then let Andra train. with Donovan, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    He has a point, but somehow, | feel like he¡¯s using this to his advantage to get me to spend time with him.

    At the end of the school day, I¡¯m at my locker when Calista joins me. | turn to her. ¡°We¡¯re walking home, right?¡±

    Just as | say it, Anders steps up behind her. ¡°Everyone ready?¡±

    | look at Cali. She never mentioned having to go home with them too.

    ¡°Pleeeeeeeease!¡± She mouths to me.

    | put on my best fake smile. ¡°Ready.¡± | say, just as Clint walks up behind me.

    ¡°Actually, Lily and | are going to walk home. It''ll get us warmed up for training. We''ll see you there,¡± Clint says.

    I turn to him. ¡°We are?¡±

    He hooks his arm around my neck, pulling my bag from my shoulder and putting it on his. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± He turns me toward the

    entrance of the school | look over my shoulder at Cali, my eyes wide. Her eyes are just as wide, but Anders has quite a smug

    look on his face.

    ¡°You two set this up, didn¡¯t you?¡± | ask Clint

    ¡°| have no idea what you mean.¡± He says.

    As we walk out of the school, | see nearly every female turn to re at me.

    Great

    Cooper

    Author

    | hope you are enjoying Clint and Lily¡¯s story. Updates ur Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

    25 BONUS

 Chapter 468

    Anders asked me earlier to find another way to get Lily home so he could have some alone time with Calista. Since | didn¡¯t bring

    my car, | decided that a ¡®warm up¡® walk home would have to do. But in truth, I¡¯m d to have the time alone with Lily too.

    | feel her body stiffen as we walk out of

    don¡¯t really care if everyone knows the school. Yes, I¡¯m making a statement. |

    I''m interested in Lily. In a couple of months, they''ll all know that she¡¯s my mate. Until then, | could care less what they think.

    | decide to keep the conversation focused on our sparring session today. ¡°So, tell me where you think your strengths and

    weaknesses are in your training?¡± | have my own ideas based on the obstacle course yesterday, but | want to know what her

    thoughts are.

    As we walk, | realize she¡¯s very aware of her strengths and weaknesses. It¡¯s not always something that warriors recognize or are

    willing to discuss about

    themselves. They usually can identify their strengths but not their weaknesses or how they can work to improve their

    weaknesses.

    Lily, however, has a lot of ideas about how to improve. She just needs to have. someone to spar with that can give her a

    challenge. | would have thought that Lucas could have done that, but I¡¯m starting to realize that I''ve been underestimating Lily

    and so has Anders.

    When we get to the ce where we must split to go our different ways to change, | hand her bag back to her. ¡°See you in a few,

    Lily.¡±

    | jog to the packhouse, dropping my bag off in my room and changing quickly. | haven¡¯t been this excited about sparring in a long

    time, probably not since | battled Alpha Patrick. | have a thought forming in my head about how to use Lily¡¯s ideas and how to

    give her the workout of her life today.

    When | get downstairs, | go to Alpha Patrick. ¡°Alpha, | spoke to Anders and I¡¯m going to spar with Lily today. I¡¯d like to train her

    my own way. She¡¯s better than | realized, and she has some good ideas for how to improve, but | want to really push her.¡±

    ¡°Anything | should know, Clint?¡± Alpha Patrick isn¡¯t stupid, and he somehow manages to have his ear to the ground about

    everything going on in the pack. But I¡¯m not ready to discuss that Lily is my mate with anyone other than Anders. ¡°No, | just want

    to make sure that she gets the individualized training that she

    +25 BONUS

    needs.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± | can tell that he doesn¡¯t believe me, and that¡¯s okay as long as he gives me permission to train Lily.

    He looks at me for a long minute. ¡°Okay, as long as you tell me what''s really going on as soon as you''re ready.¡±

    ¡°Deal, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°And we agreed you''d call me Patrick, Guardian.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you, Patrick.¡± | say before turning to see Lily headed my way.

    ¡°Lily, you''re with Clint.¡± Alpha Patrick says.

    As Alpha Patrick walks away, | give her a grin. ¡°You''re with me.¡±

    She rolls her eyes but turns to listen to today¡¯s instruction.

    ¡°Actually, Alpha Patrick gave me the okay to work with you individually. | want to see what you''ve got.¡± | tell her and motion for

    her to follow me a little ways away.

    She follows, but looks back, making sure that we won''t be called back.

    When we''re far enough away, | turn and get into a defensive stance. ¡°Show me what you''ve got.¡±

    She looks at me like I¡¯m crazy. ¡°You want me to hit you?¡±

    ¡°| want you to try to hit me.¡± | rify.

    ¡°What about kicking? Can | kick you?¡± She asks, her smile turning devious.

    ¡°As | said, you can try.¡± | give her a confident smirk. | don¡¯t care how good she is, I¡¯m a Guardian. She was right that there is no

    one that can defeat me, except possibly another Guardian. And the only other Guardian on the lives in another pack.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 0469

    1.e.ltsa

    | watch as she eyes me critically for a moment before taking a jab at me. testing in and | block it easily. She bounces on her toes

    beforeing at me again. This time she goes for a jab before spinning trying to get her elbow into my stomach. | block the first

    one, having to move to block the second before she actually hits me.

    When she dances back this time, | can see her excitement at the challenge, and | know we¡¯re about to get started.

    I''m amazed by her skill. I''ve been training her for years. How have | missed that she¡¯s this good? She¡¯s either been holding out

    or she¡¯s been practicing a lot of extra hours on her own. Or possibly both.

    She¡¯s fast, but not as fast as | am. It¡¯s her agility which is better than mine that equals our abilities out. She and | begin a dance

    of sparring. While | don¡¯t want to take her out, | want her to know when she¡¯s left herself open. So, | give her more gentle

    punches than | normally would. | could have taken her down, but | really am enjoying the back and forth. She¡¯s got a very

    different style than Anders, Patrick and Calvin, relying on her agility and intelligence rather than her speed and strength. She¡¯s a

    fast learner too. Each time | tag her, and | go for the same move again, she blocks me.

    | haven''t been paying attention, enjoying the battle back and forth, so I¡¯m a little surprised to see the warriors begin to circle us,

    pping and hollering. | can see that Lily really wants to beat me. We both have sweat pouring down our bodies. We''ve been

    sparring non-stop for nearly two hours. Time to end this for today. | still want to give Andra time to work out with Donovan.

    | move to take her down, but it¡¯s a move that | used earlier, so she dodges me. She kicks out her leg, to swipe mine, but | jump

    over it, rolling anding right back up. She¡¯s back up already as well. | begin using more strength trying to get the upper hand

    and pin her. | can¡¯t believe how fast she is. The more she dodges me, the more the group is cheering for her.

    | finally get an in and | grab her leg. She tries to pull away, and when that doesn¡¯t work, she jumps up, attempting to kick me in

    the head with her free leg, or possibly wrap her leg around my neck to swing me to the ground. Either way, | see iting and |

    grab her second leg and send us both to the ground, covering her body with mine, pinning her arms above her head.

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± | say so only she can hear me. We are both panting and we''re so close that | can feel her body''s warmth and her

    breath on my face. | look into her blue

    *25 BONUS

    eyes, smelling her sweet scent of orange and ginger. I¡¯m totally distracted and without realizing it, I''m leaning in to kiss her and

    that¡¯s when she gets me. Her knee connects with my balls and my trance is reced with pain as it feels like she shoved my

    balls up into my throat. | can hear every guy on the field gasp or groan in solidarity of my pain. Lily, however, hops right up.

    ¡°Thanks for the sparring match, Clint. But don¡¯t think for a second that means you can kiss me.¡± She says turning and walking

    away, leaving me rolling around on the ground, holding my balls.

    Cooper

    Author

    Lily for the win!

    | got ahead so | thought I¡¯d give you a bonus chapter this week.

    +25 BONUThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 470

    | can¡¯t believe he was going to kiss me! Not just kiss me, but kiss me in front of every warrior in our pack? Not happening. | might

    have kneed him a little harder than | intended. It was a knee-jerk (ha ha) reaction and | know it hurt. At least he''ll think twice

    before trying to kis

    me again. And he¡¯s a Guardian. I¡¯m sure he''ll heal and won''t have anysting effects that might keep him and his future mate

    from having pups. At least, | hope so. | have nothing against his future mate. ¡®Do you want to risk a run, Andra? It¡¯s possible that

    Donovan maye looking for you again.*

    ¡®Yes. | need to train, and | don¡¯t mind Donovan. Maybe he can catch me again and lick my muzzle while he pins me to the

    ground.¡± She purrs in my head.

    Thankfully Donovan seems to care more about waiting for his mate than my wolf does.

    ¡®| didn¡¯t say | wouldn''t wait for our mate. | just said | wouldn¡¯t mind Donovan pinning me to the ground. There''s a difference.¡® She

    says, huffing at me.

    ¡°Whatever.'' | tell her.

    I''m about to strip and shift when my dad walks up behind me. ¡°What was that with Clint Nelson at training just now? It looked like

    he was about to kiss you.¡± ¡°Well, | don¡¯t think he¡¯ll make that mistake again, since | shoved his balls so far up into his body, he

    may never be able to have pups.¡± | say, thinking my father willugh it off.

    ¡°You need to stay away from him Lils. He¡¯s a Guardian. Nothing good cane of that for you.¡±

    ¡°| know dad. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid enough to think that he wants anything to do with me other than getting in my pants.¡±

    Although Clint did give me his word as a Guardian that he wouldn¡¯t try anything and now I''ll have to find a way to meet him

    somewhere other than my house on Sunday, so my parents don¡¯t find out | went out with him. Ugh!

    When my father goes inside, | strip out of my clothes and shift, heading for the forest. Andra is running, doing sprints up and

    down rocky terrain and around rocks, leaping over gaps in thendscape, trying to extend the distance of her jumps.

    We''ve just leaped another break in the rocks, when Donovan tentatively approaches us. | can tell he¡¯s unsure of his wee

    after my encounter with

    Clint, but Andra is happy to see him and immediately runs up to him, rubbing herself against him.

    He nips at her yfully and they take off. | have to admit, Donovan puts Andra through her paces. He¡¯s not as agile as she is, but

    he¡¯s very strong and fast. He pushes her for another hour before we call it a night. They race back to my house, Donovan nipping

    at her heels all the way, Andra yipping happily at his attention.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    When we get to the tree line, | stop. Donovan stops too, looking at us curiously, waiting for us to head to my house.

    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t want me spending time with you. So, it¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t see you walking me home.¡± | say to Clint in the

    mind link.

    ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t want you spending time with the pack¡¯s Guardian?¡± He asks.

    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t want me spending time with Clint Nelson. You don¡¯t exactly have a good reputation, and he saw you almost

    kiss me today. It didn¡¯t go over well.¡±

    ¡°How am | supposed to pick you up for our date on Sunday if he doesn¡¯t want you going out with me?¡± He asks, and | can hear

    the irritation in his voice.

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 0471

    ¡°I''ll meet you somewhere and we can go.¡± | say.

    | watch as Donovan shifts back to Clint. As soon as he shifts, he stands, hands on his hips. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding from your parents Lily.

    I''m an adult and you are almost 18. | have no problem speaking to your parents, but | won¡¯t sneak around behind their backs like

    I''m some randy teenager. They should be proud that | want to date their daughter.¡±

    ¡°It''s not the dating part that he¡¯s worried about, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s you trying to get into my pants that he¡¯s concerned about.¡± | mind

    link, still in Andra¡¯s form. I¡¯m taking full advantage of being in her body to take a good long look at Clint¡¯s body. He¡¯s solid muscle,

    lean and muscr with broad shoulders and a deep V going to his waist. His adonis belt draws my eyes directly to his penis

    which, even hanging between his legs, looks big.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Can you please shift back so we can talk. I¡¯m serious about this Lily. I¡¯m not sneaking around behind your parents¡¯ back. | don¡¯t

    care who knows that | want to date you or who sees us. I¡¯m not going to hide you or us from anyone.¡±

    | shift back, standing up, and it¡¯s my turn to put my hands on my hips. ¡°But that¡¯s the thing Clint. There is no us. You already told

    me you¡¯re looking for your mate and I¡¯m not old enough yet to find mine. So, maybe my dad''s right, maybe we should forget

    Sunday.¡±

    He growls, taking my arms in his hands and leaning over me. ¡°No, Lily. Why can¡¯t you see that | want more than to just have sex

    with you?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know Clint. Maybe because you''ve never done anything else with the females in your life.¡± | regret causing the look of

    hurt | instantly see in his eyes, so | decide to leave before | say anything else hurtful. ¡°I''ve got to go.¡±

    | turn and walk to my house. When | grab my clothes, | turn and see him standing at the forest¡¯s edge watching me. | walk inside,

    closing the door behind me without acknowledging him.

    I''m in my room after dinner doing homework when | hear our phone ringing. It hear my father answer the phone and when the

    tone of his voice changes, | listen in.

    ¡°Of course, Alpha.¡± Silence while my father listens..

    ¡°| meant no disrespect.¡± Silence.

    ¡°No, of course | won''t stand in the way.¡± Silence.

    +25 BONUS

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± | hear the phone hang up. That was odd.

    Amomentter, | hear my father walking to my door. He knocks before walking in, not waiting for me to answer. ¡°When were you

    going to tell me about your date with Clint Nelson.¡± He snarls at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That was Alpha Anders. Apparently, Clint went to him and asked him to intervene, saying that | wouldn''t let you go on a date

    with Clint. He wants to know why | feel his Guardian isn¡¯t good enough for my daughter. So, I''ll ask again. When were you going

    to tell me that you were going on a date with Clint Nelson?¡± He¡¯s practically yelling when he¡¯s done.

    ¡°Clint asked me out, yes. Andra and | ran into Donovan while she was training tonight. He helped us train and afterward he

    walked us home. | told him you didn¡¯t want me dating him and he was angry, but | didn¡¯t think he¡¯d go to Alpha Anders.¡±

    ¡°Well, he did. So, apparently, you¡¯re going out with Clint whether | like it or not. He yells, before turning and mming my door as

    he walked out.

 Chapter 472

    If Aaron Raines thinks he¡¯s going to keep me from my mate, he has another thinging. He may not know she¡¯s my mate, but

    every other father in this pack would be thrilled that | wanted to take their daughter out.

    | wait until | hear the shower running before grabbing a pair of shorts hidden in the trees for when we shift and going to her front

    door. | knock, waiting. When the door opens, it¡¯s her father.

    ¡°Mr. Raines.¡± He steps outside, closing the door.

    ¡°Clint Nelson. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°| wanted to speak to you about dating your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Stay away from my daughter.¡± He says, turning around and mming the door in my face. What the...?

    As soon as | leave, | go to find Anders. | find him in his room. | don¡¯t bother with pleasantries. ¡°I need your help.¡±

    He stands up, seeing that I¡¯m irritated, pacing in his room.

    ¡°Whatever you need Clint.¡± He says,ing to put a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down.

    ¡°Aaron Raines doesn¡¯t want Lily going out with me.¡± | can see the tips of his lips pulling up as he tries not tough at my

    situation. |, however, can¡¯t find the humor in it. She¡¯s my fucking mate and NO ONE will keep me from her.

    ¡°Nevermind, I''ll figure it out myself.¡± | snarl, turning to walk out.

    He grabs my arm, holding me in ce. There is no evidence of a smile now. ¡°I never said | wouldn¡¯t help you, Clint. You''ve

    always been my friend first, my brother. | would do anything in my power to help you and this is in my power. Why don¡¯t we go

    down to dinner and you can fill me in. I''ll make a call afterward and straighten this all out.

    And this is why Anders will make a good Alpha. Unlike me, that can go off all hot- headed, he keeps his wits about him and

    thinks things through, strategizing the best way to handle something.

    I nod. ¡°Thanks man.¡±

    He puts his arm around my shoulders, leading me out of his room. ¡°That''s what we do, right? We help each other.¡±

    +25 BONUS

    Over dinner, | exin everything to Anders. He whistles appreciatively. ¡°I can help you with her dad, but you need to/

    things out with Lily. Are you sure you want me to intervene? It might cause more problems between you and her.¡±

    ¡°I''ll figure that out, but yes, please do this for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, just know | won¡¯t interfere if Lily kicks your ass for this.¡± He says and we walk back up to his room.

    He dials the phone, and | can hear when Aaron answers.

    ¡°Aaron, this is Alpha Anders. How are you this evening?¡±

    | hear Aaron respond, before Anders continues.

    ¡°I''m wondering if you can help me with something.¡± He says. Nice. Get him to agree toply before telling him what it is you

    want from him.

    ¡°| understand you don¡¯t want your daughter seeing my Guardian. Is that correct?

    I snort when Aaron says he meant no disrespect.

    ¡°So, you won¡¯t stand in the way of Clint taking Lily out this Sunday as nned?¡±

    | breathe a sigh of relief when | hear him say he won¡¯t stand in the way, not that he would go against Anders, but he could as

    Lily''s father.

    ¡°If you have any concerns about my Guardian seeing your daughter, please bring them to me or my father, we will be happy to

    mediate a discussion to resolve any issues.¡±

    When he hangs up, he looks at me. ¡°You should consider telling him that you are. Lily¡¯s mate. It may change his mind about

    you.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    I''m shaking my head before he finishes. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone knowing before she does. There¡¯s no way her parents won¡¯t act

    differently and she¡¯s smart enough to figure it out.¡±

    That night, | go online and order a guitar. | have an idea for something special for Lily, but it will take some time, especially since

    | don¡¯t know how to y the guitar. At all.

    The next morning, we pick up Lily and Calista outside Calista¡¯s house. When | step out of the car to open the door for Lily, | see

    her father standing at the window of their house, watching me. | nod my head at him, but he turns and walks away without

    acknowledging me. Whatever, it¡¯s his daughter that needs to like me. | can work on the parentster.

    However, | realize quickly that Anders was right. Lily is furious with me. She

    +25 BONUS

    barely speaks to me on the car ride to school and when | follow her to her locker, she pulls me into a hallway beforeshing out.

    ¡°How dare you! How dare you go to Anders and have him call my father.¡±

    | cross my arms over my chest. ¡°I told you | wasn¡¯t going to sneak around, Lily.¡±

 Chapter 473

    ?

    "Then just go find someone whose parents don''t care if you date them." She says.

    "I don''t want to date anyone else. I want to date you." I tell her.

    She throws up her hands and walks away, leaving me standing there watching her once again.

    Throughout the rest of the day, I learn the true meaning of ''cold shoulder". If she didn''t have to speak to me in ss, she didn''t. If she does, she uses the smallest number of words possible to answer me. By the end of the day, I''m frustrated.

    I''m thankful that we have training this afternoon and I''m set to spar with her again. However, when I get there, I see that she is paired up with her father. I''m not sure if that was his doing or hers, but I leave it be for today. After training, Donovan and I go for a run, but Andra isn''t out tonight.

    The next day starts out much the same. By Chemistry, I''ve had enough.

    "Lily, stop this. All I want is to get know you. I''m sorry I went to Anders to help me with your father, but there is no reason for him to ck me taking you on a date."

    She''s not looking at me. She''s staring at our test tube as I''m putting the ingredients into it. I see a frown form on her face before she looks back at her chemistry book.

    "Dammit Lily, why can''t you just give me a chance?" I''m whisper yelling since we''re in ss.

    "Clint, I think you put too much..."

    I cut her off. "Lily, I don''t give a shit about this. Please just look at me and talk to me!" I say, but as I watch her eyes go wide. I turn my attention back to the test tube, just as the red liquid explodes all over me.

    I''m stunned. I have no idea what I was doing, or why this exploded. But suddenly, I hear the most beautiful sound I''ve heard in days, Lily''sughter. I wipe my eyes and look at her. She''s bent over at the waist, not even trying to hide her mirth. It''s contagious and I beginughing as well, looking down at my ruined clothes.

    Our teacheres over looking at me. "Well, Mr. Nelson, this is what happens when you don''t pay attention in ss." I can hear Lily snickering until he walks away, and she again bursts outughing.

    She grabs a towel and begins wiping off my face. I stand still, thankful that she''s at least touching me and enjoying theughter and happiness on her face.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    When she finally looks at me, I can''t help but smile. She''s so beautiful. She has stoppedughing but her lips are still twitching. "1 hate to tell you, but I think your skin will be tinged red for a while."

    I take her hips in my hands, pulling her closer to me. "Please forgive me, Lily. I don''t like you not talking to me. I don''t like you angry with me."

    She sighs but doesn''t pull away. "I''m still not happy, but I forgive you. Honestly, my father seems over the top about it all. I''m not sure what his reasoning is, but he''s agreed to let me go out with you. But I''ll say it again. Try anything with me..."

    I cut her off. "Trust me, my balls still hurt. Your knees are deadly. I just want to get to know you, Lily. And I want you to get to know me. Not Clint the flirt, or Clint the Guardian, just Clint the man."

    She smiles softly, "Fine. Andra''s been whining about missing yesterday with Donovan. She''s quite smitten with your wolf."

    I feel Donovan pushing forward, and I know my green eyes are rimmed with gold. "And I am quite smitten with her." Donovan

    says.

    Lily''s eyes darken as Andra pushes forward. "Can we train this evening?" She asks him.

    "Yes, little wolf." He says and kisses her nose. Immediately, Lily pulls Andra back, looking around the room quickly. I''d forgotten we were in ss, but no one seems to be paying attention, worried their test tube might explode like ours did.

    "Behave, Donovan." She whispers before I can pull him back. I smile down at her and watch her blush at my attention before she pulls out of my hands. She turns and begins to clean up the mess I made.

    "Do you know what I did wrong?"

    "Yes, you weren''t paying attention which can be dangerous in Chemistry. You''re lucky it wasn''t something acidic!"

    She''s talking to me again and she''s agreed to train with Donovan. I''d suffer the embarrassment or even the pain of acid any day if

    that''s what it takes. She''s worth it.

 Chapter 474

    | probably shouldn''t haveughed so much at Clint. But here he is, this Guardian of Alphas, looking like a big tomato. He did

    seem very sincere when he said he wanted my forgiveness. I¡¯m finding it harder and harder to resist him. Yesterday at training, |

    thought we would train together again, but my father pulled me in as his training partner and Clint didn¡¯t fight it. Then afterward,

    my father forbid me from letting Andra train.

    This morning, however, my father couldn¡¯t find a way to keep me away from driving with Clint and Anders without making it

    obvious to our future Alpha that he was trying to keep me away from Clint. Something is off with my dad. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s

    going on, but his response to me seeing Clint is excessive and not in line with other times that I¡¯ve been asked out on dates.

    Even more strange, my father is going to visit another Alpha over the weekend and he¡¯s insisting that | go. | told him | had ns

    Friday night, so we¡¯re going Saturday anding back early on Sunday.

    | don¡¯t see Clint the rest of the day. I¡¯m guessing he went home to shower and change. When | get to training, | see him. He¡¯s

    talking to Alpha Patrick, whose lips are twitching. Clint is still a shade of red that makes it look like he¡¯s got the world¡¯s worst sun

    burn. My dad calls me over at the same moment that Alpha Patrick looks up and sees me. ¡°Lily, you¡¯re with Clint today.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    | look at my dad and see him grinding his teeth, but there¡¯s nothing he can do about it and it¡¯s not like anything is going to

    happen on the training field. | turn and walk over to Clint. He¡¯s watching my father¡¯s reaction and his fists are clenched and his

    eyes are narrowed.

    ¡°Clint.¡± | say, putting my hand on his arm. | wait until he looks at me. ¡°Ready for an ass whooping?¡± | say, hoping it will pull him

    out of his anger at my father¡¯s

    resistance to him.

    Heughs outright. ¡°Let¡¯s go Lily bud.¡±

    We move away from the rest of the group again and he takes a defensive stance. Let¡¯s see what you remember from the other

    day.¡±

    | get into position. ¡°You know, I¡¯m having a hard time taking you seriously when you look like you forgot to put sunscreen on

    beforeying at the beach all day.¡±

    ¡°You''ll be taking me seriously when you''re face down in the dirt.¡± He says, giving me the e on¡® gesture with his fingers.

    He pushes me harder today and his punches are stronger. But | hold my own and

    1/3

    we go the full two hours again, pouring in sweat by the time we''re done. He¡¯s careful not to get too close when he takes me

    down, so we don¡¯t have any more knee¡ªmeeting¡ªgroin issues.

    Afterward, | see my father waiting for me and | know he¡¯s going to forbid me from training Andra again. | sigh, about to walk

    toward him when Clint grabs my hand and pulls me to the forest. ¡°What are you doing?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°Time for Andra to get her training.¡± He says. But | know he¡¯s making sure my father can¡¯t keep us apart. The whole thing is

    bizarre. Any parent would be thrilled to have a Guardian giving their child individualized training. Any parent but mine. My

    mother¡¯s not a warrior, and she won''t go against my father anyway, so she¡¯s no help.

    When we get to the forest, we strip and shift. Once again, Andra is excited to see Donovan and he seems just as excited to see

    her. He runs her for over an hour, pushing her speed and her dexterity over the rocky terrain of the packnds. When we¡¯re

    done, he walks us back to our clothes where we change before he turns to walk me home.

    ¡°So, you''re still going out with Lucas tomorrow night?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Um, yeah.¡± | guess | am, | haven''t exactly had a moment to talk to Lucas since Tuesday.

    ¡°Where¡¯s he taking you?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I''m not sure.¡± | say, because | have no idea. I¡¯m not really looking forward to this date. But | guess | better ask him tomorrow, so

    | know how to dress.

    ¡°And you''re still going out with Calista on Saturday night?¡±

    ¡°Actually, no. My dad wants me to go with him to the Blue River Pack, so we''re leaving Saturday anding back in time for our

    date on Sunday, since dad told Alpha Anders he''d allow it.¡±

    | watch Clint¡¯s brows furrow. ¡°The Blue River Pack? Why there?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°No idea, but he wants me to go.¡±

    Clint is quiet longer than normal. | stop and turn to him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Mahli is looking for a mate.¡± He says, looking at me with concern in his eyes, but |ugh it off.

    ¡°I''m not old enough to find my mate. My birthday isn¡¯t for almost two more months.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Right.¡± He says, but I can tell he¡¯s not convinced. ¡°But you¡¯ll be home for our

    2/3

    date?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what my father said.¡±

    ¡°Is your mother going too?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t think so. My father said he has some business with the Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 475

    When we get near my house, we stop. ¡°Lily, | want you to promise me something.¡± He¡¯s gotten very serious.

    ¡°Okkkkaaaay.¡± | drag out the word because he¡¯s being dramatic.

    ¡°If anything happens, if anything feels funny this weekend, | want you to call me. Do you have my number?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Is this your way of getting my phone number, Clint?¡± | ask him, putting a hand on my hip.

    ¡°| have your number, Lily.¡± He says, a ghost of a smile on his face. ¡°But do you have mine?¡±

    ¡°No, | don''t.¡±

    ¡°Till text you tonight. Put my number in your phone. This weekend, if something happens, call me and I''lle get you.¡±

    ¡°You''re serious?¡± | say, frowning.

    ¡°I''m very serious.¡±

    ¡°Okay Clint.¡± | say, shaking my head.

    ¡°Now, get inside before your fatheres out to get you.¡±

    | jog up to my door, turning around to look at him before stepping inside. This time | wave at him before closing the door.

    After dinner, I¡¯m in my room doing my homework when my phone pings.

    Unknown: Lily, this is Clint. Save my number in your phone.

    Me: Okay, dad.

    Unknown: Are you into the Daddy kink?

    Me: Don¡¯t you have enough girls into your Big Daddy kink?

    Casanova: None of them are you.

    Me: There''s a reason for that.

    Casanova: And what is that reason?

    Me: Self-respect. Restraint. Taste.

    Casanova: Ohhh, taste. Tell me more.

    Me:

    Casanova: See you tomorrow, beautiful. Sweet dreams.

    Me: ¡®Night, Clint.

    The next morning, | get ready and head to training. I¡¯m paired up with one of the other female warriors. She¡¯s good. It¡¯s nice to

    practice with a female because her strengths are different from the male warriors and how | spar with her is

    different because of it.

    We''re about an hour into training when the howl goes up. Rogues have breached the borders. Everyone in training turns and

    shifts, heading to where the call came from. From the corner of my eye, | see Alpha Patrick and Beta Calvine running out of

    the packhouse, shifting mid¡ªstride. Clint and Anders are leading the charge. Just as they get to the forest line, rogues start

    coming out from everywhere. Our pack isrge, but not everyone is a fighter.

    Those of us on the training field reach the fight first. | jump in without hesitation. This is what we train for. This is why we

    constantly work to be stronger and faster.

    The smell of the rogues is disgusting, they smell like rotten food. | have to hold my breath as Andra bites down on the leg of one,

    ripping her head back and forth, snapping the leg. Before the rogue can limp away, she mps her teeth on his throat, tearing it

    out then turns to the next rogue.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    More of our pack members areing, but right now we¡¯re outnumbered. It takes every bit of training | have to fight. I¡¯m going

    after a rogue when another one bites down on Andra¡¯s nk, dragging her back. Her surprised yelp cuts off before she turns,

    shing her ws down the face of her attacker, slicing an eye and leaving gaping w marks on his face. He releases her and

    she goes for the kill when the first rogue jumps on her back. He¡¯s snapping at her neck and she¡¯s dodging but the one she

    shed is getting up and is about to attack her when the weight of the one on her back gets removed.

    Andra turns her head and | see Donovan ripping into the wolf, shing through his stomach before ripping his throat out. He

    turns and jumps on the one in front of me, breaking it¡¯s back before going back to fight beside Anders. | don¡¯t have time to

    consider that he left his Alpha toe assist me before I¡¯m back in the fray of the fight.

    When more of our pack show up, the rogues retreat, getting run off the packnds. The howls of the pack are victorious but as |

    look around, | see several pack members shifted on the ground. Andra is about to go see if the closest ones are still alive when

    Donovanes bounding back. He sniffs her, licking her leg

    25 BONUS

    before whining and shifting back.

    Clint leans down looking at the bite. ¡°Lily, you need to shift and get this cleaned up. Rogues are nasty creatures, and their bites

    can get infected.¡± He takes Andra¡¯s face in his hands. ¡°You did great little wolf.¡± | can hear Donovan¡¯s voice oveying with his

    and see the gold of his eyes in Clint¡¯s. ¡°But you need to let Lily shift so the doctors can look at your leg.¡± He leans in, kissing her

    head before sitting back.

    | shift, hissing as the transition causes pain in the bite wound. As soon as | have shifted, Clint is looking at my leg. The wound is

    high on my thigh, and it¡¯s deep. Clint calls over one of the pack doctors to look at it.

    | hear Alpha Patrick behind me barking orders to check on the injured and unconscious. | hear him call out to his Beta, Gamma,

    Anders and Clint among others.

    ¡°| have to go. You''re in good hands now Lily bud. I''ll check on youter.¡±

    ¡°Clint.¡± | call as he starts to jog off. He stops and turns to look at me. ¡°Thank you.*

    He smiles and winks at me before following Alpha Patrick into the packhouse.

    Cooper Author

    +25 BONUS

 Chapter 476

    | almost lost my shit when | saw Andra pinned to the ground by one wolf with another wolfing to attack her. My Guardian''s

    need to protect Anders was ovei -ruled by my mate bond¡¯s need to protect Andra. Thankfully, | didn¡¯t have to chose one over the

    other. Anders wasn¡¯t in any danger and Lily needed my help.

    When we get inside, Patrick tells us that we''re going after the rogues. He has trackers hunting them now, but he wants to take

    them out. It was arge group that attacked, and Beta Calvin will stay behind to interrogate the rogues that were captured and

    find out why they decided to attack us.

    Patrick tells us to n to be gone for the weekend and I¡¯m not thrilled.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Something is off with Aaron taking Lily to the Blue River Pack. | know that Alpha is looking for a mate, and Lily is more than

    worthy of being mated to an Alpha. But there¡¯s got to be more to it than that. Lily is still underage and wouldn''t be able to

    recognize her mate. | should know, since | AM her mate.

    | asked Anders to look into it for mest night after Lily told me about the trip. | want to know why Aaron is so against me dating

    his daughter but has no problem taking her to visit the Alpha of a neighboring pack who is actively seeking a chosen mate. Being

    mated to a Guardian is just as prestigious as being mated to an Alpha. And, while | doubt Alpha Mahli would try to forcibly mark

    her, if he did, it wouldn¡¯t seal a bond since she¡¯s underage. But it has me worried, especially now that | won''t be around if

    something happens.

    ¡®If he even tries to steal our mate, | will end him.¡® Donovan says in my head. And while most mates probably feel that way,

    Donovan and | are actually capable of taking an Alpha out.

    | pack a bag, sending a quick text to Lily.

    Me: Let me know what the doctor says. I¡¯m going out with the group to hunt down the rogues. | won¡¯t have my phone at all times,

    but | will be checking it when | can. Stay safe and let me know that you are okay this weekend.

    Mate: | will. And thanks again for helping me today. Doctor says | should rest for a couple of days and then I''ll be back to normal,

    so just in time for our date.

    Me: Any time. And I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ll be back for our date. | may need to reschedule. But don¡¯t tell your father in case we get

    back quickly.

    | was happy to learn that Lucas wasing with us, which meant that even if she was feeling up to it, my mate wouldn''t be

    going on a date with him this weekend, or ever if | have anything to say about it.

    +25 BONUS

    | grab my bag and meet the rest of the group that will be hunting the rogues out back. We run most of the day, trying to catch up

    to our trackers.

    By nightfall, we are gaining, but we decide to make camp and rest. Once everything is set up, | walk away from the group to

    check in on Lily.

    Me: Hey Lily bud. How are you feeling?

    Mate: Sore, but I¡¯m healing. How is the hunt going?

    Me: Not as quickly as I''d hoped, but we''re getting closer.

    Mate: Where are you?

    Me: Not sure. Somewhere north of the packnds, in the mountains. What time are you leaving in the morning?

    Mate: Early. Dad wants to leave by 6am. He said he wants to have a full day with Alpha Mahi. It¡¯s a 3¡ªhour drive, so we''ll be

    there in time for ate breakfast.

    Me: Remember what | told you Lily bud. | don¡¯t care if I¡¯m gone, | want to know that you are safe, and everything is okay while

    you are away.

    Mate: Is that you or Donovan talking?

    Me: Both. We worry about both you and Andra, Lily. Get some sleep. I''ll text you in the morning before you leave.

    Mate: Goodnight Clint. Goodnight Donovan.

    ¡®How much longer before she¡¯s 18 and knows she¡¯s our mate?¡® Donovan grumbles in my head.

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 Chapter 477

    Chapter 0477

    ¡®Less than two months.*

    ¡®Feels like forever.¡® He says and | agree.

    | go back to the group, grabbing some food and searching for Anders. | see him on the phone, standing away from everyone.

    When I catch his eye, | don¡¯t like the look | see.

    When he hangs up, he nods his head wanting me to join him away from the

    group.

    ¡°What''s up?¡± | say, walking over to him.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡± He says. That¡¯s never good.

    ¡°Lill stand. What is it?¡±

    ¡°| found out something about Aaron Raines dealings with Alpha Mahli.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± | ask, getting a bad feeling in my gut.

    ¡°Aaron owes Alpha Mahli a lot of money for a gambling debt.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Over a hundred thousand dors.¡±

    | blow out a breath. ¡°That''s not a debt, that¡¯s a death wish. He doesn¡¯t have the ability to pay that back, does he?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He says, pausing beforepleting his thought. ¡°But you and | both know that Alpha Manhli is looking for a mate.¡±

    | can¡¯t help the snarl that leaves my mouth, Donovan pushing forward and fighting for control. My snarl was loud enough that

    several of the warriors have stopped what they are doing and have turned to see what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°You think Aaron would sell his daughter to get out of gambling debt?¡± | ask, and if | were speaking to anyone else, they would

    have cowered at my furious tone. He does, however, put his hands up in a cating gesture.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t say that. We don¡¯t know that it isn¡¯t just a coincidence. But | think we need to pull my father into this.¡±

    ¡°Pull me into what?¡± Alpha Patrick asks,ing out of the shadows. | hadn¡¯t even heard him approaching.

    #26 BOMOS

    | begin pacing, trying to burn off my anger and frustration. ¡°Clint.¡± Anders says, but | don¡¯t stop. Not until Alpha Patrick¡¯s hand

    comes down on my shoulder.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start from the beginning and let¡¯s see what we can do to figure this out.¡±

    | look at this man who has been like a second father to me most of my life. He took me in as a son when my parents died, and he

    has never made me feel as though | wasn¡¯t just as much of a son to him as Anders.

    | take a deep breath and start at the beginning. | tell him about finding out that Lily is my mate, her father¡¯s strange aversion to

    having me date her, her father¡¯s trip to the Blue River Pack this weekend, taking her but not his wife and finish it by telling him

    about the gambling debt.

    ¡°Alpha Mahli is fair, but merciless when a person doesn¡¯t repay their debt. | find it interesting that Aaron didn¡¯te to me when

    this started getting out of hand. | would have punished him, but | would have paid the debt so that he didn¡¯t end up in this

    position. | agree that his actions sound like those of a desperate man. But it¡¯s also possible that he¡¯s merely hoping that Alpha

    Mahli will like Lily and want her as a mate.*

    ¡°She¡¯s MY mate.¡± Donovan and | snarl together.

    ¡°| understand that. But she doesn¡¯t know that and based on what you just told me, the only ones that do are those standing here

    right now.¡± He motions to the three of us. | nod.

    ¡°Alpha Mahli would not take an underaged mate. It would bring too much negativity to his pack, and he must know that | wouldn''t

    stand for it. But that doesn¡¯t mean that he isn¡¯t deciding if Lily is worth his time to pursue as a mate. And it doesn¡¯t mean her

    father may not try to sway her to take him as her chosen mate.¡±

    Donovan is thrashing around in my head. ¡®Do something!"

    ¡°Can''t we move her to the packhouse? Move her away from her father until she turns 18 and sees that I¡¯m her mate?¡±

    ¡°lm an Alpha, but | don¡¯t overextend my power, Clint. Unless Aaron is putting Lily in clear danger or forcing her into a rtionship

    she doesn¡¯t want, my hands are tied.¡±

    Donovan¡¯s anger is burning so hot that my skin breaks out in fur as | fight to keep him under control.

    +25 BONUS

 Chapter 478

    ¡°But,¡± Patrick puts his hands on my shoulders, ¡°that doesn¡¯t mean that | can¡¯t keep a closer eye on both her and Aaron. And | can

    ensure that you continue to train with her every day.¡±

    It''s as good as I¡¯m going to get for now. Unless Lily¡¯s father does something drastic, I''ll have to wait until Lily turns 18.

    | take a few more deep breaths and finally pull Donovan back. I¡¯m restless and can¡¯t sleep all night. | just want to be done with

    this and get back to check on Lily.

    In the morning, | text her. She says she¡¯s still sore but doing better. That''s all | have time for before we head out.

    It''ste in the afternoon when we finally catch up to the rogues. Donovan and | are ready to go for the kill, needing something to

    burn off our anger. The battle doesn¡¯t take longer than an hour. Unfortunately, we have some injured and most everyone is

    exhausted after running all day before the fight, so they decide to pitch their tents and sleep in the forest again.

    As soon as possible, | check my phone. | have one text from Lily, sent hours ago.

    Mate: Hey Clint. Just checking in.

    Me: Hey Lily bud. How are things? What are you doing while your fatherpletes his business with Alpha Mahli?

    | wait and wait and wait some more. There is no response.

    Anders brings some food over, but | barely touch it. | need to know she¡¯s okay.

    It''s hourster before | finally get a response. When | do, it¡¯s not exactly what | was hoping for, but at least | heard from her.

    Mate: Hey Clint, sorry it''s sote. Uh, this whole trip has been weird. We can talk more when you''re back. Will you be back

    tomorrow for our date?

    Me: Lily, you can call or text me any time of the day or night. I''ll always answer. And yes, we will be back tomorrow, but not until

    late. Don¡¯t tell your dad that, though. Are you still leaving early in the morning to go home?

    Mate: Yes, that is the n. I¡¯m very tired. | going to go to bed. I''ll see you

    tomorrow.

    Me: Okay Lily. I''ll check in first thing in the morning and let you know when I¡¯m back home.

    1/2

    +25 BONUS

    Mate: Goodnight Clint.

    Me: Goodnight, Lily bud.

    That night | barely slept again. | was anxious to get to back to Lily. In the morning, | texted her, but | didn¡¯t get a response before

    we took off for home.

    | pushed our group, forcing them to run faster, even after Patrick and Anders told me | needed to slow down. | didn¡¯t care, |

    needed to see her.

    When we get back to the packhouse, | don¡¯t bother shifting until | am at the door to my room. | walk in, dumping my bag upside

    down on the bed and grab my phone before walking into the bathroom to turn on the water.

    Me: Hey Lily bud. We just got back. Are you home?

    | didn¡¯t get an answer, but | turned up the volume in case she texted me while | was in the shower. | quickly bathed and washed

    the dirt and grime out of my hair and off my body before getting out and checking my phone, just in case | didn¡¯t hear it go off.

    Nothing.

    | wrap the towel around my waist and walk into my room when | hear a frantic knock at my door. | walk over and before | open it,

    | can smell her scent of orange and ginger and I¡¯m smiling as | open the door.

    The smile on my face drops immediately when | see the look ofplete despair on hers.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    | pull her into the room, closing the door. ¡°Lily? Are you okay? Did that Alpha hurt you?¡± | say thest part in growl. Donovan is

    threatening to kill the Alpha i he hurt our mate. Her back is to me, and her head is hanging down.

    ¡°Clint.¡± She says in a whisper. ¡°I need your help.¡±

    She turns and when she looks at me, | gasp in shock.

    Cooper

 Chapter 479

    When | realized I¡¯d gotten out of my date with Lucas because he was going on the hunt for the rogues, | decided to stay in and

    rx. The bite mark on my leg was sore and the doctor said it would take a day or two to healpletely.

    | have to admit, Clint texting me and checking on me is really sweet. | had a restless night''s sleep, my leg causing me pain every

    time | turn over, but | smile at my text from Clint in the morning. | didn¡¯t realize he could be this sweet, it¡¯s nice.

    ¡®Yes, it is.¡¯ My sleepy wolf says, yawning and stretching in my head.

    | get ready, grab my overnight bag and meet my father downstairs. We grab some coffee before heading out. Since it¡¯s a long

    drive, | close my eyes and sleep for the first couple of hours before waking up and watching the changingndscape.

    When we get to the pack borders, my father gives our names, and we are allowed entrance. He seems to know exactly where he

    is going and we pull up to avish packhouse, bustling with activity. | step out of the car as a man, clearly the Alpha, steps out of

    the packhouse. As | watch, he looks me over from head to toe, before turning to my father.

    ¡®That was creepy.¡¯ Andra says in my head. | couldn¡¯t agree more. He didn¡¯t even say hello.

    My fatheres around to get me, guiding me over to Alpha Mahli. ¡°Alpha, it¡¯s good to see you again. This is my daughter Lily,

    the one | told you about.¡±

    | look at my father. I¡¯m his only daughter, so who else would he be talking about.

    Alpha Mahli extends his hand and | reach to shake it, but instead he pulls it to his lips, kissing the back of my hand for a full

    minute too long. He never takes his eyes off me, watching my reaction. | smile at him, but it''s forced.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°It''s nice to meet you.¡± | say. There is something creepy about him. I¡¯m beginning to see why he hasn¡¯t found his mate, or

    perhaps she chose to reject him. Either way, | don¡¯t like the vibe I¡¯m getting from this Alpha.

    ¡°My omegas will take your bags.¡± He says and two individuals scurry forward, taking our things. ¡°I have a private breakfast being

    laid out for the three of us.¡±

    Inside the packhouse, it¡¯s decorated with dark wood and red and ck furniture. There¡¯s nothing light or airy about the space. It

    feels suffocating and dingy, and what | would expect a vampire¡¯s coven to look like.

    1/3

    He takes us upstairs to a private room that overlooks the forest, or it would, if the blinds weren¡¯t closed. | can just barely see out

    of them, but they cut the light in the room down considerably. For all the people that | saw moving around outside the packhouse,

    the inside is deathly quiet.

    The omegas setting up the room for breakfast don¡¯t say a word. There is a dark tablecloth on the table that is muting any sound

    of the tes being ced on the table. | look at my father, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be disturbed by the d¨¦cor.

    We sit and the omegas serve us before leaving the room.

    ¡°So Lily, your father tells me you''ll be 18 soon.¡±

    | look at my father who gestures for me to answer. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°In just a couple of months?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my birthday is in May.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, Lily of the Valley. Is that where your namees from?¡± He asks me.

    | look at my father again, who is shoveling food into his mouth like he¡¯s never eaten before. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. Dad, is that

    where my namees from?¡±

    His head pops up when | address him as if he hasn¡¯t been paying attention. ¡°No idea, your mother named you. | think she likes

    lilies.¡± Ohhhhhkay.

    ¡°And are you in school still Lily?¡± Alpha Mahli continues with his questions.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a senior in high school, I''ll finish soon after my birthday.¡±

    ¡°Are you smart?¡± He asks. Not, ¡®do you get good grades?¡® which is what most people ask. It¡¯s an odd question.

    ¡°| like to think | am.¡±

    ¡°Good, | like a smart woman.¡±

    | look down at my te, and take a bite of food, not sure how to respond to that.

    ¡°Your father tells me you are a strong warrior.¡±

    ¡°Yes. | am training for the warrior battles in June. I¡¯m hoping to defeat most of the warriors in my pack.¡±

    ¡°Strong and intelligent. Excellent qualities in a mate, wouldn''t you agree?¡±

    An ufortable feeling begins to settle in my stomach. ¡®Andra, you don¡¯t think he¡¯s considering taking us a mate, do you.¡¯

    ¡®lm beginning to think so. Thank the goddess we¡¯re not old enough yet. | really

    23

    +25 BONUS

    hope he¡¯s not our mate. He¡¯s creepy.¡±

    I''m still deciding how to respond when my father puts down his fork and stands. ¡°Well, | have to get to that business we

    discussed Alpha. I''ll let the two of you continue to get to know each other.¡±

    ¡°Wait, dad.¡± | say and start to get up.

    ¡°Stay here honey, keep the Alphapany. I¡¯ve told him all about you.¡± He says, leaning down as if he were going to hug me,

    but instead whispers in my ear. ¡°And don¡¯t embarrass me.¡±

    * 25 BONUS

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 0480

    I turn and look at Alpha Mahli and try to swallow the food around the lump in my throat. | definitely have a bad feeling about this.

    After breakfast, Alpha Mahli gives me a tour of the packhouse, including his personal bedroom. Gross. It¡¯s just as dark as the

    rest of the packhouse. | also realize that he has put me on the Alpha floor across from his room. Yeah, I''ll be locking my door

    tonight.

    Then, he gives me a tour of the packnds. | realize that he¡¯s taking every opportunity to touch me possible, finding reasons to

    put his hand on my back to guide¡® me, or sliding his hand across my back when he goes to point at

    something. The hairs on the back on my neck are standing on end and all | want to do is get away from this guy.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    | do find out that he¡¯s been an Alpha for nearly 15 years and his fated mate died. | try to consider that maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s so

    awkward and why he likes the dark, but | can¡¯t reconcile it in my mind.

    Finally, he drops me off at my room, telling me he needs to do some work and that dinner will be in two hours. | wait until | hear

    his footsteps walk away before locking the door. The first thing | do is open the blinds, letting sunshine in. Then | find my bag and

    grab my phone. | send Clint a text, hoping that I''ll hear back, but doubting that it will happen. | know they are out hunting and

    fighting rogues. | feel like | need a tether to my real life tobat the eerie feeling | have about what¡¯s happening here.

    When | don¡¯t get a response, | decide to take a shower andy down for a while. | doze off and am awakened to the sounds a

    metal scraping on metal. | turn and see that Alpha Mahli has used a key to unlock my door and is walking into the

    room.

    ¡°You''ve slept the afternoon away, Lily. It¡¯s time to get up ande have dinner.¡± He starts walking over to me and | quickly hop

    off the bed.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. Let me brush my hair and I''ll be ready to go.¡± | say, darting toward the ensuite bathroom.

    ¡°Actually, | bought you a dress to wear for dinner. Your father gave me your size. I¡¯d like you to wear it tonight. | have something

    special nned.¡±

    ¡°Will my father be joining us?¡± | ask, hoping the answer is yes.

    ¡°No, his.....business, is keeping him busy tonight.¡± By the way he says ¡®business*

    1/3

    +75 BONUS

    | get the feeling that it¡¯s not business at all. But, if it¡¯s not, | don¡¯t know why we''d be here.

    ¡°Okay, where is the dress?¡±

    He goes to the closet and pulls out a red satin dress with ckce ovey. It¡¯s strapless and the ckce falls farther than the

    satin which looks like it will barely cover my backside. Honestly, it looks more like sexy lingerie than something that | would wear

    to dinner. And if | was choosing my own lingerie, this wouldn¡¯t be my color scheme. It matches the tawdry d¨¦cor of the

    packhouse.

    ¡°| think it will go beautifully with your brown hair.¡± He says, handing me the dress while sliding his fingers through my hair. My

    body shivers in revulsion at his touch, but his smile and the darkening of his eyes leads me to believe he thinks | like his touch.

    ¡°ll wait here while you put it on.¡± He says, stepping back. I¡¯m not sure if he thinks I¡¯m going to strip in front of him, but no, that¡¯s

    not happening. | walk into the bathroom and firmly shut the door, listening to make sure he isn¡¯t going toe in.

    | quickly change into the dress and I¡¯m just getting myself adjusted in the top when he opens the door without knocking.

    He looks me up and down. ¡°Beautiful. And there are these.¡± He hands me a pair of what must be 5 inch red and ck stiletto

    tform heels. | lean down and put them on my feet. When | stand, I¡¯m nearly as tall as he is.

    He takes my hand and walks me outside to a waiting limousine. After helping me inside, he climbs in behind me, making sure he

    is sitting next to me.

    ¡°As you may have guessed Lily, | am a wealthy Alpha. | am in the business of making money.¡±

    ¡°What business is that?¡± | ask, truly wondering what this man does to support his pack. While | don¡¯t care for the decorating, the

    packhouse building itself along with every other house | see on the packnds are opulent. It reminds me of that line from Shrek,

    ¡®Do you think he¡¯spensating for something?¡¯ | have to quickly get ahold of myself, so | don¡¯t snicker out loud.

    ¡°The business of luck and dreams.¡± He says. Whatever that means.

    We arrive at an expensive looking restaurant, and the valet assists us out of the limo. Alpha Mahli takes my arm and guides me

    inside.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± The maitre d¡® bows his head. ¡°We have your table set up and ready for you.¡±

 Chapter 481

    We are escorted to an empty room, with a table next to the ss overlooking ake. There are fairy lights all around theke,

    giving it a romantic feel. Not the feeling | want to have with this Alpha.

    Without asking me, Alpha Mahli orders for both of us. When the waiter is gone, he shifts his attention to me.

    ¡°What do you know about me, Lily?¡±

    ¡°Well, | really only know what you''ve told me today.¡± And that you are a terrible decorator and possibly have a small dick. But |

    don¡¯t say that out loud.

    He reaches over and takes my hands in his. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a mate, someone that can be by my side, helping me to manage the

    day-to-day operations of the packhouse. | don¡¯t need a strong Luna, merely one that ispetent and one that can give me an

    heir.¡±

    He pulls my hands to his lips, kissing them, then sucking on my knuckles. | have to swallow the bile in my throat.

    ¡°Your father thinks that we would be a good match. | would care for you, and your would want for nothing. You are young and

    sexy and should be able to give me many heirs.¡± E, this time | think | actually threw up a little in my mouth.

    | force a smile on my face, happy when the foodes, and | can pull my hands out of his. | wait until the wait staff leave before

    responding.

    ¡°Alpha Mahli, you are very kind. | am honored that you would consider me as a mate.¡± Not really, but | definitely don¡¯t want to

    piss this guy off, especially when I¡¯m on his packnds and have no idea where my father is.

    ¡°| have always wanted to find my fated mate. It¡¯s been a dream of mine since | was a little girl. Obviously, | haven''t reached the

    age where | can sense who my mate is, but | would want to pursue the option of finding my fated mate before taking a chosen

    mate.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You are young, after all, and youth thinks the world will be beautiful once they find their fated mate. | hate to be the

    one to tell you this, Lily, but that¡¯s not always how it is. Many mates are rejected and many never find their fated mate.¡±

    He leans forward, his eyes intent on me. ¡°You should listen to the wisdom of age ¡ª your father, and me. We can tell you what is

    best for you. Then you wouldn''t have to worry your pretty little head over silly things such as fated mates.¡±

    Okay, now this guy is just being insulting. | already told him | was intelligent. I¡¯m perfectly capable of making my own decisions,

    so why in the world would | let someone | barely know make any decisions for me. And after today, I¡¯m not sure | want my father

    making any decisions for me either.

    I''m sure this food would be delicious if my stomach wasn¡¯t churning, making me feel like it will alle back up any moment.

    ¡°You have given me much to think about, Alpha Mahli. Being underage, it¡¯s not a decision that can be made now anyway. I''ll

    consider your request.¡± Yeah, consider forgetting all about it and nevering back here again!

    | knew you''d make the right decision.¡± He says, as the waiteres back asking about dessert.

    No, we won''t be having dessert. My future Luna needs to watch her weight.¡± He

    says.

    I''m not sure this asshole could be any more insulting. Watch my weight? | train 6 hours a day, which is more than I can say for

    him. | guarantee that | could take this Alpha in a fight.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    When we get back into the limousine, Alpha Mahli once again sits beside me. This time, he puts his hand on my knee and begins

    rubbing his hand on my thigh. Would you like to take me for a test ride?¡±

    | frown, hoping I¡¯m misunderstanding what he means, but knowing if he doesn¡¯t remove his hand, Andra will rip it off. ¡°I¡¯m not

    sure what you mean?¡±

 Chapter 482

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t y coy. You know. See howpatible we are sexually.¡± He leans in, cing a kiss on my neck before moving to my

    ear. ¡°I know I''d love to take you for a test ride.¡±

    | pull away, moving as far away as the seat will allow. ¡°Actually, I''ve been saving myself for.....my mating night.¡± Telling him I¡¯m

    waiting for my mate won''t work. He¡¯s basically said he doesn¡¯t care about that.

    | watch as his eyes widen, then darken with this news. ¡°You¡¯re untouched?¡± It¡¯s probably supposed to sound like a purr, but it

    makes my stomach clench in revulsion.

    | swallow, hard. ¡°Yes.¡± Ites out as a squeak. Please goddess get me out of this

    car.

    ¡°Well, that changes things. It will make the night of your birthday so much more exciting when | am your first.¡± He¡¯s practically

    salivating at the thought.

    When we get to the packhouse, he helps me out of the car. ¡°I¡¯m really tired. It¡¯s been a long day and you''ve given me so much to

    think about. Goodnight Alpha.¡±

    | don¡¯t give him a chance to respond. | hurry to my room, running into the bathroom before throwing up everything that | had for

    dinner.

    ¡®Andra, please tell me we won''t ept him as our mate.¡® For the first time since | got my wolf, she is quiet, and | feel absolutely

    alone.

    When |e out, | grab my phone and see a text from Clint. It immediately settles my nerves.

    | know it¡¯ste, but | need to know that I''ll see him tomorrow. Somehow, he knew something was off about this visit. | want to tell

    him about it and see if he has any ideas for how | can reject the advances of this Alpha without it causing problems for our pack.

    While he will be back tomorrow, it won''t be untilte. He tells me not to tell my father. Fat chance, | don¡¯t even know where he is.

    | haven''t seen him since this morning.

    I go lock the door to my room, knowing that it won¡¯t keep Alpha Mahli out and knowing that | won¡¯t sleep a wink tonight.

    | change into my pajamas, thankful that | brought a top and bottom set rather than just a nightshirt. | grab the nket off the bed

    and pull it around me, sitting

    4/1

    on the window ledge, listening to the clock slowly tick through the night.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    At one point, | hear the doorknob jingle softly. Thankfully, Alpha Mahli doesn¡¯t use the key toe in.

    Then, somewhere in the middle of the night, | feel a jolt and Andra is back.

    ¡°Lily, go to the bathroom.¡¯ She says to me.

    ¡®What? Why?'' | ask her.

    ¡®Just do it.¡® She says and | get up and go into the bathroom. | turn on the light.

    ¡°What is it?¡± | ask her.

    ¡®Look in the mirror.¡® She says, pushing forward.

    | do and my hands fly to my mouth. ¡®Andra, why are your eyes gold?

    ¡°We''ve been given the gift of a Guardian. I¡¯m a Guardian now.¡¯

    ¡®Andra, we can¡¯t let Alpha Mahli know. We can¡¯t let anyone know. You know what they do to female Guardians. Alpha Mahli

    would never let us leave. | don¡¯t even want to tell Alpha Patrick. You need to stay far back in my mind until we get home. Don''t,

    for any reason,e forward, no matter what.¡® | say, panicking. ¡®Agreed, but | think there is someone we should tell, someone

    that can help us. She says. Clint and Donovan.

    ¡®We need to get home first.¡® | tell her before pulling her back.

    At 5 am, | change into my clothes, pack my bag and head downstairs to get som coffee and wait for my father. When he gets

    there, he looks terrible.

    ¡°Lily, have you heard from Clint? Is heing back today?¡± He asks me in a rus

    ¡°Yes, he said they are on their way back.¡± It¡¯s not a lie, its just not the entire

    truth.

 Chapter 483

    He runs his fingers through his hair. ¡°Fine.¡± He says as if he¡¯s angry with me. ¡°Good morning.¡± Alpha Mahli says, walking into the

    room. Hees over and takes my hands. ¡°How did you sleep, darling? | tried to check on you, but you locked the door.¡± I¡¯m

    guessing by ¡®check¡¯ he means crawling into my

    ¡°I''m great. But | think we have to head back now.¡± | say looking at my

    bed.

    father.

    His entire demeaner has changed as he watches the exchange between Alpha Mahli and I. ¡°So, we have an agreement?¡± He

    says, looking at Alpha Mahli. ¡°Oh yes. I¡¯ve instructed your daughter to listen to those of us that are more experienced and can

    help her understand that waiting for a fated mate is unnecessary. Right, darling?¡± He asks me. | can do nothing but force a smile.

    | look at my dad. ¡°We need to get going.¡±

    Alpha Mahli walks us to our car. Then, before | know what he¡¯s doing, he pulls me in and kisses me, forcing his tongue into my

    mouth. | pull away from him, looking at my father who just gets in the car.

    ¡°Until | see you again, darling.¡± He says. | quickly make my escape and get into

    the car.

    | wait until we are off packnds beforeying into my father. ¡°What the actual fuck, Dad!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use thatnguage with me, Lily.¡±

    ¡°| think I¡¯m entitled to use whatevernguage | want when it feels like my father is selling me to an Alpha. You know that shit¡¯s

    illegal, right?¡± | yell at him.

    ¡°You would be lucky to have Alpha Mahli as a mate. He¡¯s wealthy and can take care of you.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t care how wealthy he is. He¡¯s old and disgusting. He doesn¡¯t care about what | want in life, he doesn¡¯t want me to be a

    warrior. He only wants me to take care of the packhouse and give him heirs.¡±

    ¡°You are so ungrateful. | find an Alpha for you, and this is how you respond. You could be the Luna of a,pack. Do you realize

    that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? If he¡¯s such a great catch, why hasn''t anyone else snatched him up yet?¡± ¡°You will be his mate, Lily! And that is all there

    is to it.¡±

    | don¡¯t even know what to say. | can¡¯t believe my father thinks he¡¯s going to force me into a mate bond with Alpha Mahli. | don¡¯t

    care about being a Luna. | care about finding my fated mate, finding someone who loves me for me. Not someone that wants me

    because | look like | can pop out a bunch of heirs.

    | turn and look out the window, tears falling, unsolicited. We drive the rest of the way in silence.

    When we get home, | don¡¯t even go inside. | take my bag and run to the tree line. | hear my father calling my name, but | ignore

    him. As soon as | am in the forest, | shift, Andra grabbing my bag and running to the rocky terrain where we train.

    I stay there, all morning and into thete afternoon until | get Clint''s message that he¡¯s back. | immediately run to his room and

    knock on his door, anxious to see him and feel safe again.

    When he opens the door the first thing | see is his smile, which quickly drops when he sees my face. | want to run into his arms

    and let him tell me everything will be alright. But first, | have to show him.

    When | hear him growling, asking if Alpha Mahli hurt me, | almost break down. Instead, | tell him | need his help, before turning

    around and letting Andrae forward.

    NpoContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He gasps, staring at me for a moment, before taking his arms. | let the fear and the stress of thest couple of days go and he

    holds me while | cry.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 484

    Lily is a Guardian. | wouldn¡¯t have believed it if | hadn¡¯t seen it. When | take her in my arms, she breaks down. I¡¯m not sure what

    happened while | was away, but | intend to find out.

    | hold her for a moment while she cries before picking her up and carrying her to a chair. Sitting down, | settle her in myp and

    let her cry until she cries herself out. | can tell the moment she realizes that I¡¯m wearing nothing but a towel, and I¡¯m holding her

    in myp.

    Her body tenses and | rx my arms, letting her pull back. | rub my thumbs over her cheeks and wipe her tears away. ¡°Better?¡±

    She nods. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to get home all day. | didn¡¯t...

    ¡°Shhh, I¡¯m here now. We can figure this out together.¡±

    | was so worried about her. It epassed all my thoughts for thest day and a half. Now, | can¡¯t help but touch her. | tuck her

    hair behind her ear, sliding my fingers down her cheek. She leans into my hand.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start from the beginning.¡± | say.

    It''s everything | can do not to lose it when she tells me about her time with Alpha Mahli, how her father left her alone with him

    and his expectation that she would be his. Donovan is thrashing around in my head, ready for blood.

    ¡°We need to take care of our mate. That must be first. We''ll deal with the idiot Alpha when the timees. | tell him, forcing him

    to calm down.

    ¡°I''m afraid, Clint. If he or my father finds out I''m a Guardian, I¡¯m afraid he might try to steal me away.¡±

    ¡°That won''t happen. But we need to talk to Anders.¡±

    She¡¯s shaking her head before | can finish. ¡°What if Alpha Anders tries to force me into a mate bond?¡±

    Donovan snarls. ¡°He won''t. First, he¡¯s not like that. But, he has me as a Guardian. He doesn¡¯t need another one.¡± | tell her, trying

    to lighten the mood.

    ¡°But you¡¯re right that other Alphas will be looking for you. We need to confirm that the previous Guardian has died. Then we need

    a n to keep you safe. Do you trust me?¡± | ask her, desperately wanting her to say yes.

    She nods her head, sniffling.

    ¡°Then trust me that Anders will help as ¡°1 tilt her head up to look at me. ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Clint¡±

    | smile at her before mind linking Anders toe to my room. Since we are on the same floor, it only takes a minute before he¡¯s

    knocking and walking in Lily hurriedly pushes herself off myp and | stand, the towel not entirely able to hide how her being

    seated in myp has affected me

    ¡°| apologize, | should have waited until you answered. | didn¡¯t realize you weren''t alone.¡± Anders says, turning to walk back out.

    ¡°Anders, wait.¡± | say. Lily has turned her back on him and while | know she¡¯s embarrassed having been caught on myp, | can

    feel the nervousness vibrating off of her. Anders must feel it too.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± He asks, looking at me before focusing on Lily.

    ¡°Could

    you close the door?¡± | ask, giving Lily a minute. | walk to her rubbing my hands down her arms.

    ¡°You need to show him Lily.¡±

    She turns, looking at Anders before looking back at me. | nod my head encouragingly at her.

    When she looks back at Anders, | watch as Andra pushes forward. Anders sharp intake of breath is simr to my reaction to

    seeing her gold eyes the first time.

    ¡°You''re a Guardian.¡± He says in awe before looking at me..

    It takes a moment, then | see the realization sink in. ¡°Shit.¡± He whispers.

    ¡°Yeah, shit.¡± | echo his response.

    He begins pacing the room, his hand running through his hair. ¡°I need to confirm that the previous Guardian has died. Their pack

    is on the other side of the country, but we had heard that they were having issues with a neighboring pack. | didn¡¯t think it had

    gotten out of hand enough that a Guardian¡¯s life would be in danger.¡± He continues pacing.

    ¡°And we need to figure out what to do with you.¡± He waves his hand in Lily¡¯s direction, causing her to flinch. | growl at his

    implication that he will be doing something with my mate.

    He stops pacing and looks at me. ¡°Having one Guardian in this pack was enough to cause the other packs to be envious. If they

    find out we have two, they will hunt her down, trying to get to her.¡± He says, piercing me with his gaze.

    ¡°They won''t care

    me that she¡¯s underage She will bring them power frost being whe and what she is ¡°He turns to look at Lily ¡°You were already

    strong Lily, now yet and Andra will be even stronger and more powerful¡±

    He looks at her for a moment. ¡°What do you want, Lily?¡± He asks her gently.

    She looks at me. ¡°There¡¯s more to the story here Anders. That issue we talked about this weekend? It¡¯se to fruition.¡±

    He turns to Lily. ¡°Alpha Mauli wants to take you as his chosen mate?¡± He asks and Lily nods, looking startled that he already

    seems to know.

    ¡°And how do you feel about that?¡± He asks and it¡¯s everything in me not to snarl at his question.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°| don¡¯t want to take him as a mate, but my father is insisting that | do, even if he¡¯s not my fated mate.¡± She says, her voice

    quivering. | wrap my arms around her, lending her my strength as she leans against me.

    ¡°| need to confirm what happened with the other Guardian, but Clint,¡± he says giving me a meaningful look. ¡°We need to bring my

    father into this tonight.¡± | nod. | knew from the moment Lily told me that her father was pushing her into a mate bond with Alpha

    Mauli that we¡¯d have to pull Patrick into this. Between that and her being a Guardian, it''s the only way to keep her safe.

    ¡°I''ll have some food sent up for both of you, while | research the status of the pack that had the Guardian. And I''ll set up a

    meeting with my father.¡± He turns to Lily. ¡°Lily, where is your father?¡±

    ¡°At home, | think. | was so upset when we got back this morning that | ran into. the woods and waited until Clint got home.

    He nods, turning to leave. ¡°I''ll let you know when we can meet with my father. Oh, and Clint,¡± he says, turning back to me. ¡°Put

    some clothes on.¡± He smirks before walking out the door.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Lily¡¯s father?

    +15 BOHOS

 Chapter 485

    While I¡¯m mortified that Alpha Anders saw me sitting in Clint¡¯sp, even though nothing was happening, I¡¯m more concerned

    about what is going to happen next. Now, not just one but two Alphas will know I¡¯m a Guardian. If | had any idea where to go, I''d

    run.

    As if sensing my difort, Clintes up behind me, his hands rubbing up and down my arms. ¡°You said you trusted me,

    right?¡± He asks, turning me around to face him.

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say quietly.

    ¡°Then trust me that | won''t let anything happen to you. | won''t let Anders or Patrick force you into any kind of mate bond. Not that

    | think either of them will, but if it helps you feel safe, then know that | would never let that happen.

    He leans in, kissing my forehead. He¡¯s entirely too close. | can feel the heat from his chest through my clothes. | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s

    because he just had a shower, but he smells like warm apple pie, fresh from the oven. He smells like home, like my own

    personal happy ce, and it¡¯s making my mouth water.

    My head is spinning when he steps back. ¡°I¡¯m going to put some clothes on, make yourselffortable.¡± He says, gesturing to

    the chair he was sitting in earlier, when | was in hisp. It makes me blush all over again.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He winks at me before grabbing his clothes and going into the bathroom. He¡¯s just closed the door, when there¡¯s a knock at his

    door.

    | walk over and can smell the food. | open the door and | see one of the kitchen. staff looking like she positioned herself if the

    most seductive pose you can get into while carrying a tray of food.

    ¡°Oh, Lily. | thought Alpha Anders was having dinner with Clint.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no.¡± | shake my head. I¡¯m still feeling distracted and out of sorts. | step aside and let her in. She walks over to a table that

    has four chairs sitting around it. She seems to know exactly where to set out the food. | guess he eats in here. often.

    As she goes to leave, I¡¯m shocked by her partingment. ¡°I guess you''re no different than the rest of us, after all.¡± She says as

    she sneers at me.

    ¡°Actually, Lily is different from any she¡ªwolf that I¡¯ve ever met, Beth. She¡¯s intelligent, kind, funny and she pushes herself as a

    warrior in ways I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Clint says walking up behind her. ¡°It¡¯s too bad more she-wolves

    aren''t Hice 10¡±

    Her eyes drop to the floor. ¡°Yes Guardian.¡±

    ¡°You may leave.¡± He says to her before closing the door behind her.

    He stands there for a minute, before turning. ¡°Lily, look

    ¡°It''s fine. She only said what everyone else will be thinking when this hits the rumor mill.¡± 1 say before turning to the food. I¡¯m

    hungry but the thought of eating turns me stomach.

    | feel Clinte up behind me. ¡°It may be what others are thinking, but what | said is true. You are an amazing person, Lily. And

    that was before you became a Guardian. | can¡¯t even imagine how much stronger and faster you will be now.¡± Hees

    around standing in front of me. ¡°You¡¯ve pushed me in ways | never could have expected over the past week. The more | get to

    know you, the more intrigued | am by you, Lily.¡±

    He turns, taking my hand and pulling me into a chair before sitting across from me. ¡°Unfortunately, | have a feeling that I¡¯m going

    to have to start sharing you a lot more now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He looks thoughtful as he dives into his food. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Patrick will do, but | do know he''ll want to keep you safe. It was

    why he moved me and my family into the packhouse when | was 10 and Donovan got his Guardian spirit. | wouldn¡¯t be surprised

    if he wants you to move into the packhouse now too. Although, I¡¯m not sure how that will go over, not with everything that has

    happened with your father.¡±

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 0486

    His eyes go unfocused then he Tooks at his watch. ¡°We need to meet Patrick and Anders in Patrick¡¯s office in one hour.¡±

    He looks down at my te. ¡°Lily? You need to eat.¡± He looks up at me, holding my gaze until | pick up my fork and begin picking

    at my food.

    ¡°What if there¡¯s nothing that Alpha Patrick can do? He¡¯s my father, after all.¡± | ask quietly.

    ¡°Alphas have the final authority in the pack. They can override parents if they feel that the parent is putting their child at risk. Let''s

    see what Alpha Patrick says before we make any decisions.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we. I¡¯m in this with you Lily. You¡¯re a Guardian now, we¡¯re the only two in the world. You''re kind of stuck with me for the rest

    of our lives.¡± He says chuckling.

    Of course he didn¡¯t mean anything else by it. It¡¯s because I¡¯m a Guardian. | don¡¯t even know what my heart fluttered for a

    moment when he said ¡®we¡¯ or why the thought of being stuck with him for the rest of my life suddenly doesn¡¯t sound like a bad

    idea.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Lily?¡± He says and | look up at him, realizing I¡¯ve been lost in my thoughts. pushing food around on my te. ¡°Eat. It will be

    okay.¡± He says gently.

    I''m not sure that''s true but | am able to shove a couple bites of food into my mouth, much to the happiness of my stomach.

    | eat as much as | can, which isn¡¯t much. When Clint is done, we head down to Alpha Patrick¡¯s office. He knocks on the door and

    when we enter, | see that Alpha Patrick, Alpha Anders and Beta Calvin are all in the room.

    ¡°Clint, Lily,e in.¡± Alpha Patrick says, standing and pointing to two additional chairs around an oval shaped table.

    When we''re seated, Alpha Patrick looks at me.

    ¡°My son has given me some good news and some disturbing news, Lily. First, I''d like to see for myself that Andra is indeed a

    Guardian.¡±

    | look at Clint before turning to Alpha Patrick and letting Andrae forward. He nods his head. ¡°Thank you, Andra, and

    congrattions, although the celebration may have to wait. You do understand that being an underaged Guardian, one not

    able to sener het mate, puts you in danget, yes?

    ¡°Yes, Alpha, 1 understand.¡±

    We will deal with that and make sure that we keep you as safe as possib However understand there is another issue that needs

    to be addressed. Anders didn¡®, have as much information about this, but it had to do with Alpha Mahli. | understand your father

    took you to spend some time with him this weekend?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. We left yesterday morning and returned this morning.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind going through your time with Alpha Mahli for those of us in the room?¡±

    | nod, not very excited to have to relive this again, but | start at the beginning and go through my time. Alpha Patrick interrupts

    me a couple of times to get rification on my father leaving me alone with Alpha Mahli, and the Alphaing into my room

    using his key without knocking. | exined my father¡¯s disheveled appearance this morning and the change in him when he saw

    that Alpha Mahli was interested in me.

    And did Alpha Mahli attempt any type of physical intimacy with you?¡± Alpha Patrick asks. | know my face has turned scarlet. | had

    skipped over that part, wanting to save myself from the embarrassment of having to discuss that in front of four men. From the

    corner of my eye, | see Clint clench his fists.

    | look down, notfortable seeing the reactions to what happened and embarrassed having to share it. ¡°He asked me if |

    wanted to take him for a test ride.¡± | tell them. Clint¡¯s snarl beside me startles me and | look at him. His eyes are murderous as

    he stares at Alpha Patrick.

    Alpha Patrick turns his attention from me to Clint. ¡°Clint, you will control. yourself or | will ask you to leave.¡±

 Chapter 487

    He turns back to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be asking these personal questions. | need to understand the expectations of Alpha Mahli and

    also your father. So, back to your story. Did you take Alpha Mahli up on his request?¡±

    Ashiver of disgust goes up my spine. ¡°No. | told him that | was waiting for my mating night. | didn¡¯t think telling him that | was

    waiting for my mate would make a difference since he already told me that waiting for my fated mate was a silly girl''s dream.¡±

    ¡°Did you feel like he would force himself on you if you didn¡¯t give him a reason to stop?¡± Beta Calvin asks me.

    | shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he would or wouldn''t. He had already called me his future Luna and had disregarded my feelings. | didn¡¯t

    know where my father was, and at the time, | was alone with him in the back of a limousine.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t feel safe?¡± Alpha Anders rifies.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Was that the only time?¡± Alpha Patrick asks me.

    ¡°| heard him try my door in the middle of the night. | didn¡¯t sleepst night, afraid he woulde in while | as in bed. Then this

    morning, he began calling me darling and he kissed me before we left.¡±

    Clint stands abruptly and begins pacing behind me. | see Alpha Patrick give him a warning look before turning back to me.

    ¡°I''m assuming, based on the rest of your story that this kiss was unwanted?¡± Alpha Patrick asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And, how did your father react to Alpha Mahli kissing you?¡±

    ¡°He just got in the car like it was normal.¡±

    As I¡¯m remembering everything that happened this morning, | do remember one other detail that didn¡¯t make any sense to me.

    ¡°He did say something else that | didn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°He?¡± Beta Calvin asks me.

    ¡°My dad. When he saw Alpha Mahli holding my hands and calling me darling, he

    said something like ¡®so we have a deal¡®? | don¡¯t know what that means ¡±

    Alpha Patrick sits back, rubbing his hand over his mouth and chin, looking thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯m afraid 1 do. But before we get to that, |

    have a couple more questions. When did Andra get her Guardian spirit?¡±

    ¡°In the middle of the night. I¡¯m not sure what time it was. She had been silent for hours, then suddenly | felt something like a

    power surge in my system and she was back. She told me to go to the bathroom and showed me that she was a Guardian.¡±

    Alpha Anders looks up at Clint. ¡°Is that how it was for you?¡± He asks.

    Clintes back and sits down, but the tension in his body is palpable. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Donovan came to me with his Guardian

    spirit. | felt a power surge but I¡¯m not sure if it was just his awakening, or if it had to do with being a Guardian.

    Alpha Patrick turns his attention back to me. ¡°Do either your father or Alpha Mahli know that you are a Guardian?¡±

    ¡°No. As soon as | realized what Andra is, | told her to stay back, no matter what happened. | was terrified that Alpha Mahli

    wouldn''t let me leave if he found out | was a Guardian.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Alpha Patrick gives me a very paternal smile. ¡°Clint said you were intelligent. | can see, as usual, Clint is a good judge of

    character.¡±

    I turn and look at Clint. He smiles but it doesn¡¯t reach his eyes. He reaches out and takes my hand. ¡°You should have told me

    what was happening.¡±

    | shake my head. ¡°You were too far away.¡±

    ¡°| would havee for you anyway. Distance doesn¡¯t matter Lily. If you ever need me, | will be there for you.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Another bonus chapter this week. A lot happening with these two!

    Regr updates are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

    . Chapter 0488

 Chapter 488

    Donovan is thrashing around in my head so loudly that | can barely hear the conversation going on around me. The only reason

    he hasn''t forced the shift was Alpha Patrick''s warning that he¡¯d send us out of the room. I¡¯m not leaving Lily, not now that I¡¯ve

    heard the entire story and know that Alpha Mahli touched what is mine.

    I''m disappointed that she didn¡¯t trust me enough to tell me what was happening. | only feel slightly better knowing she waited for

    me to get home and came to me immediately, knowing | would help her.

    | turn to Patrick. ¡°So, what do we do now? Lily is in danger, not only from this Alpha Mahli, but also from every other Alpha that

    finds out she is a Guardian.¡±

    He turns to Lily. ¡°Lily, do you feel that your father will keep you safe and trust that he will take your feelings into consideration

    around taking a mate?¡±

    I can see Lily struggle. I¡¯m sure she wants to say that she believes that he would keep her safe, but he¡¯s given her trust in him

    quite a blow over the weekend.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    ¡°No.¡± She says quietly. I¡¯m still holding Lily¡¯s hand and | gently tighten my fingers on hers. She looks up at me before looking

    back at Patrick. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but he seems determined that | will take Alpha Mahli as a chosen mate.¡±

    ¡°Lily, do you know what line of work Alpha Manhli is in?¡± Calvin asks her.

    She looks at him, shaking her head. ¡°When | asked him, he said something like he¡¯s in the business of luck and dreams. | have

    no idea what that means.¡±

    ¡°He owns casinos, gambling rings, that sort of thing.¡± Calvin tells her.

    | watch as she frowns. ¡°What business is my father doing with him then?¡± She asks. My little mate is intelligent, but naive.

    | see Anders frowning over his phone. He¡¯s been texting someone while we were talking.

    ¡°Your father has umted quite a gambling debt with Alpha Mahli.¡± Patrick

    tells her.

    Lily closes her eyes. ¡°So, he is trying to sell me to that Alpha.¡± It¡¯s a statement. Patrick just confirmed something she was already

    contemting.

    ¡°It would seem so.¡± Patrick tells her.

    She scoffs, her voice going hard. ¡°How much am | worth to my father?¡±

    ¡°Our sources say he owes over a hundred thousand dors.¡± | can see the shock on her face. She had no idea her father was

    gambling, much less so heavily

    Actually.¡± Anders says. ¡°On a hunch, | just checked with my source.¡± He looks at me before turning to Lily. ¡°Your father¡¯s debt

    doubled over the weekend. He now owes nearly $250,000.

    1 watch as a single tear rolls down her face ¡°At least I¡¯m worth a decent amount of money.¡± She says, her voice quivering.

    I''m in front of her in an instant, Donovan is howling in my head at our mate¡¯s distress. ¡°Hey. | know this is a terrible blow.¡± | say,

    wiping the tear from her cheek before pushing her hair behind her ear. ¡°But you''re not alone. | meant what | said before. You''re

    sort of stuck with me for the rest of your life Lily bud. I¡¯m not going anywhere and I¡¯m not letting your father sell you to Alpha

    Mahli or anyone.¡± | say, before standing and looking at Alpha Patrick.

    ¡°lm assuming you agree, Alpha.¡± | say, using his title. He needs to know that I¡¯m deadly serious about this. | won''t tolerate

    having Lily at risk. She needs to be removed from her father¡¯s care. As soon as he finds out she¡¯s a Guardian, he¡¯ll have her sold

    off and taken away.

    ¡°| believe we''ve already discussed that | do not allow my pack members to be sold or mistreated, Guardian.¡± Patrick says,

    stressing the word Guardian. | know this is his way of telling me to stand down, that | need to tread lightly and stop challenging

    him.

 Chapter 489

    ¡°Lily.¡± Anders says, breaking the tension in the room. ¡°How would you feel about moving out of your parents¡¯ home and into the

    packhouse?¡±

    She looks at everyone in the room before answering. | sit down, taking her hand again. ¡°What would happen to my parents?

    Especially my mother. | don¡¯t think she knows anything about what my father is doing.¡±

    ¡°| will confront your father and tell him that | am taking over your care until you turn 18. Your mother can choose toe live with

    you here or stay with your father. Your father will not be allowed to see you unless he receives permission from me first. The

    punishment he receives because of his intent to sell you to pay his gambling debts will be between he and I.*

    She nods, thinking before responding. ¡°I would like to move into the packhouse. | might have felt differently before bing a

    Guardian, but now, | don¡¯t think | can trust my father.¡± She hesitates before continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t think my mother will leave him to

    stay here with me. Does that matter?¡±

    Patrick smiles at her. ¡°No, as | said, | will take over as your parental guardian until you turn 18. | will have a room made up for

    you on Beta Calvin''s floor. That way, he can help me keep an eye on you.¡± He says this to Lily but he¡¯s looking at me. His intent

    is clear, stay out of Lily''s room and her bed. Obviously, she¡¯s made it clear that she¡¯s waiting for her mate. since I¡¯m her mate,

    she¡¯s basically saving herself for me. | give him a nod that | understand.

    ¡°I''ll be speaking to your parents tonight, Lily. Tomorrow, you can go get your things or | can have someone pick them up for you.¡±

    ¡°I''ll need something to wear to school tomorrow. Maybe my mother can pack me a bag with my school clothes?¡±

    ¡°I''ll see to it. Now, please follow Beta Calvin. He''ll show you to your room.¡± She stands, preparing to leave. ¡°Oh and Lily, now that

    you are a Guardian, I¡¯m putting Clint in charge of your training. | don¡¯t know why we have two Guardians in this pack, but | want

    you both in top fighting condition. If something ising, | want to be ready for it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says before following Calvin out the door.

    I stand to leave as well. ¡°Clint.¡± Patrick stops me.

    ¡°| know she¡¯s your mate, | know you¡¯re a Guardian and you are like a son to me, but do not challenge me again.¡±

    | turn to look at him. ¡°Keep her safe and we won''t have any problems, Alpha.¡±

    ¡ª It¡¯s Anders whoes up behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Clint, | know you and Donovan are furious at what her

    father has done or intended to do. And | can only imagine how angry you both are that Alpha Mahli propositioned Lily. But you

    know my father. You know he will always look after this pack. That includes Lily. Let him do his job.¡±

    Anders has always been my bnce. ¡°You''re right.¡± | turn to Patrick. ¡°My apologies, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Apology epted Clint and stop calling me Alpha, you know it pisses me off.¡± He says, making me smile.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± | say turning to go find Lily.

    ¡°And Clint.¡± | turn to look at him. ¡°If | find Lily in your room or you in hers after hours, you¡¯ll answer to me. She¡¯s under my care,

    so assume that | will be treating her as if she were my own daughter.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Patrick.¡± | smile as | leave, feeling much better about Lily''s safety.

    Cooper Author

    What do you think of Lily''s decision to move to the packhouSA?

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Chapter 490

    1 follow Beta Calvin to a room on his floor. It¡¯s nice, but | feel like a stranger in this room. | go sit on the bed with nothing else to

    do. Nothing in this room is mine. | have no clothes, no toiletries, nothing. The reality of my situationes crashing down on me.

    My father was going to sell me to an Alpha to pay his gambling debts. I¡¯ve never felt so lost or scared.

    I''m nervous for how my father will react when Alpha Patrick speaks to him. Will he yell at me? Most likely. Based on how he

    responded earlier, he will be furious and try to make this about me being ungrateful, | don¡¯t know how my mother will feel. | can¡¯t

    believe she knew anything about this. But she does what my father tells her to do. She has always been a good mother, but she

    never goes against my father. Now that her being a good mother and a good mate are at odds, I¡¯m pretty sure that the mate

    bond will win. Will she be angry with me ast well? Will she me me for whatever punishment my father receives from Alpha

    Patrick?

    I''m getting myself more and more worked up as | sit here thinking of everything. I¡¯m on the verge of tears when there is a knock

    at the door.

    I go to open it and | smell apple pie. Clint.

    As soon as | open the door, he opens his arms and I rush into them. He holds me, rocking me side to side, before kissing my

    hair. ¡°Come on.¡± He says, guiding me into my room.

    ¡°Door stays open, Clint.¡± | hear Beta Calvin say from the hallway.

    Clint growls softly, making me giggle.

    He smiles at me, tucking my hair behind my ear. When he looks around the room, he must see what | did. That it¡¯s stark and

    there¡¯s nothing for me to do in here.

    but think.

    ¡°Do you want to go for a run?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s exactly what | want to do.

    He takes me down the back stairs, I¡¯m assuming to keep me from running into my parents. We head outside, strip and shift.

    Andra is happy to see Donovan and they begin to run through the forest. Instead of being a training run, this is a fun run.

    Donovan lets Andra lead the way, but eventually guides us to a ce where we can rest and look out over the canyon.

    The lights from the human town in the distance and those from the nearby

    17

    Shadow Falls Pack are beautiful. The moon has risen, and it shines brightly in the sky.

    ¡°How are you doing Lily bud? Clint asks me through the mind link. Andra has curled up against Donovan, who hasid his head

    over her protectively, keeping watch on the forest around us.

    ¡°| don¡¯t honestly know.¡± | tell him. ¡°I¡¯m scared and | feel lost. I¡¯m thankful for you, Donovan and Andra or I''d be feeling pretty

    lonely now too.

    ¡°You''re not alone Lily. You¡¯ll never be alone again.¡±

    It''s quiet for a moment. ¡°I was thinking, since Patrick put me in charge of your training, I¡¯d like to move away from the warriors.

    That way, we can train in peace, but you also won''t have to deal with your father.¡±

    | think about it for a minute. ¡°I¡¯d like that. Do you think Alpha Patrick will agree?¡±

    ¡°I''ll speak to him tonight. | don¡¯t want your father distracting you from training. And Patrick knows | take training very seriously. He

    may want us to show him what you''re learning regrly to prove that we¡¯re actually training and not fooling around, but that¡¯s

    fine.¡±

    I''m thankful that I¡¯m in Andra¡¯s form so he can¡¯t see my blush. The rumor mill will be even worse now that I¡¯ve moved into the

    packhouse, and I''ll be spending lots of time with Clint individually. But it can¡¯t be helped. No one else needs to know what

    happened with my dad, so let them talk.

    ¡°It''s gettingte, we should head back.¡± He says, before standing up.

    We run back to the packhouse, shift and change before heading inside.

    ¡°You little slut! After everything | did for you, this is how you repay me.¡± | stop dead in my tracks. My father steps out of the

    shadows, like he¡¯s been waiting for

    1.me.

    Clint steps in front of me. ¡°You need to back off, Aaron.¡±

    ¡°Like hell | will. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won here, Guardian.¡± He sneers Clint¡¯s title. ¡± She¡¯s my daughter.¡±

    ¡°And you

    pay lost the right to be her parent when you tried to sell her to an Alpha to

    debts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll get that straightened out and then Lily wille back home.¡± My stomach clenches at the

    thought. | know it¡¯s not a

    misunderstanding.

    + 15 BONOS

    ¡°By the time you get this straightened out,¡± Clint uses his finger to make air quotes, ¡°your daughter will be an adult and able to

    make her own decisions. Until then, Alpha Patrick is her parental guardian, so if you have a problem with me or Lily, take it up

    with him.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Let''s go Lily.¡± He reaches behind himself, to encircle me with an arm, guiding me toward the door, but keeping himself between

    me and my father.

    As we go to step inside, my father gives me his parting shot. ¡°I hope you¡¯re proud of yourself, Lily. You made your mother cry.¡±

    It''s a well-aimed shot that hits home. | never wanted my mother to be hurt by all of this.

    Clint gently pushes me inside before turning to my father. ¡°She didn¡¯t make her mother cry. ept responsibility for your actions.

    You did this. You did it to yourself, you did it to your wife and you did it to Lily. You have no one to me but yourself.¡± He says

    before letting the door m closed.

    Clint walks me to my room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lily. I''ll talk to Patrick.¡±

    | shake my head, trying to hold back my tears. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about. | hope you don¡¯t mind, but | just want to be

    alone.¡±

    ¡°Of course. You have my number. You can text me at any time. I''ll check on yourter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± | tell him before closing the door. The minute the door shuts, the

    tears start to fall.

    Cooper

    Author

    OR ¡ê15 BONDS.

 Chapter 491

    As Lily closes the door, | immediately hear her sniffles and soft sobs. | clench my fists and go in search of Patrick. I¡¯m furious that

    they didn¡¯t throw her father in the cells or at least make sure he returned home.

    | find him in his office. | walk in without knocking. He looks up and when he sees it¡¯s me, he sits back in his chair, folding his

    hands together on his desk.

    ¡°Clint? Something on your mind?¡±

    | should sit down, but my temper won''t let me settle. ¡°I took Lily for a run tonight to get her out after everything that happened.¡± |

    look up to see if he¡¯s going to make some smartment, but he remains quiet, watching me.

    ¡°Her father wasying in wait for us when we returned.¡± That got his attention. He sits up, leaning forward.

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Outside the packhouse. Called her slut, ungrateful and basically med her for everything. Then he said something about it all

    being a misunderstanding and Lily will be moving back home when it¡¯s figured out.¡± | turn to look at him, my anger shing hot. ¡°I

    thought you were going to punish him, not let him harass his daughter and lie about what is really going on.¡±

    Patrick sighs. ¡°Have a seat, Clint.¡±

    ¡°Til stand.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a suggestion.¡± He says and stares me down until | sit. | may be stronger than he is, but he¡¯s still my Alpha.

    When | sit, he rubs his hands over his face. | can see that this entire situation is causing him stress. But that¡¯s his job as the

    Alpha. You get the good and the bad with leading a pack.

    ¡°| was not expecting Evelyn Raines to break down in my office and beg for leniency for her mate on her knees. | did it for her.*

    Okay, that was unexpected. I¡¯d never met Lily''s mom, but | assumed that she got her strength of character from someone, and

    since it obviously wasn¡¯t her father, | thought it would have been her mother. Apparently, Lily got her strength from herself.

    ¡®Another reason our mate is incredible and perfect for us.¡® Donovan pipes in.

    12

    ¡°So, now what? He just gets to harass ver?¡± | ask, still forming from the confrontation.

    ¡°Of course not. He''ll be spending a night in the cells for that little stunt. He¡¯s also been banna¨¦ from leaving the packnds, but

    lll give him an Alphamand to stay away from Lily without my express permission.¡± He wouldn''t be able to refuse the Alpha

    command.

    ¡°Were you able to get her some clothes and things for school tomorrow?¡± Task.

    ¡°Yes, they were left in her room. Her mother wanted to see her and that¡¯s when i realized that you must have taken her out.¡±

    | look out the window behind Patrick''s desk. ¡°She looked so sad.

    He nods, giving me a moment. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Yes. | wanted to get your permission to train Lily and Andra away from the warriors. Especially now, with how her father treated

    her, | don¡¯t want her distracted.¡±

    He looks at me intently long enough that anyone else would be squirming in their seat. But I''m a Guardian, | don¡¯t squirm. | wait

    him out.

    ¡°| want a demonstration every other day of what she¡¯s learning. And Clint, I¡¯d better see progress quickly.¡±

    I smirk at him. ¡°I already knew you''d say that.¡±

    When | leave his office, | go back to Lily¡¯s room. | put my ear to her door, and I can hear that she¡¯s still sniffling. As | turn to leave,

    | see Beta Calvin standing in his doorway, watching me with his arms crossed across his chest.

    ¡°Clint?¡± He says, his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°| was just checking on her, Calvin. We had a run-in with her father earlier and | wanted to see if she was okay, but she¡¯s still

    crying.¡± | say quietly, looking at her closed door.

    His arms drop and he steps closer to me, lowering his voice. ¡°What kind of run- in?¡± He asks.

    | tell him and his lips press together. ¡°I was worried that Evelyn was more concerned about her mate¡¯s punishment than he was.

    I''m assuming you spoke to Patrick?¡±

    | tell him my conversation with Alpha Patrick and he nods. ¡°The Alphamand will ensure that he leaves Lily alone, or at least

    that he doesn¡¯t speak to her

    203

    without Patrick¡¯s consent. But I''ll keep my eye on her anyway.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Thanks, Calvin.¡± | move to step around him when he starts chuckling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. The closer I¡¯m watching her, the harder it will be for you to get to her.¡±

    4

 Chapter 492

    | turn back and look at him. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. | don¡¯t intend to do anything that will upset her or means me staying away from her.

    Besides, once she old enough to realize she¡¯s my mate, she¡¯s mine.¡± Donovan¡¯s deeper voice growls,

    oveying mine at the end.

    He shakes his head before walking back into his room.

    go back to my room. 1 got the guitar and I¡¯ve started practicing with an online course teaching me the guitar chords. | practice for

    an hour before setting the guitar aside and picking up my phone.

    Me: How are you doing Lily bud?

    Mate: I¡¯m okay. Thanks for checking on me.

    Me: Do you need anything? Warm milk? Cookies? Soap?

    I''m hoping to make her smile with that one.

    Mate: Are you implying that | stink?

    She''s teasing back, this is a good sign.

    Me: Nope. | love the way you smell. I¡¯m just trying to make sure that all your needs are met.

    Mate: What do | smell like?

    Me: Orange blossoms and ginger.

    Mate: And that smells good to you?

    Me: Very!

    Mate: Has anyone ever told you that you''re weird?

    Me: Weird good? Or Weird bad?

    Mate: So far, it¡¯s good.

    Me: Try to get some sleep Lily bud. Patrick approved our training, so tomorrow morning, your ass is mine.¡±

    Mate: | look forward to it.

    Me: Go to sleep, but if you need to talk, I¡¯m only a text message away.

    | wait to see if she¡¯ll respond. When she doesn''t, | take a shower and crawl intoContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    bed. Just in case, | leave my phone vollumne on before falling asleep, thinking about my sweet male.

    Somewhere, in the middle of the night, | hear my phone ping. I¡¯ve always slept well, but I¡¯In not a heavy sleeper. | reach for my

    phone and see that it¡¯s sam.

    Mate. Are you awake?

    | was worried that she wouldn''t be able to sleep and | was right. Rather than replying, | put on some sweatpants and a long

    sleeve shirt, before crawling out of my window and going to her room. | gently knock on her window. | hear her shuffling around

    in her room before the blind is opened, her eyes wide when she

    sees me.

    She opens the window. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She whispers.

    ¡°You texted me. | wanted to check on you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that.¡± She says, looking down at the ground three floors down. | can tell that she hasn''t fallen asleep yet.

    ¡°Can''t sleep?¡± | say, running my thumb under her eye and across her cheek.

    She shakes her head.

    ¡°Come on.¡± | tell her and reach out my hand.

    ¡°Where?¡± She asks, looking down again.

    ¡°Trust me.¡± | say and wait to see if she''ll take my hand.

    When she does, | smile and help her out of her room. We crab¡ªwalk across the ledge until the roof nts down. | climb up and

    reach back to help her up. When we get to the top, there is a t roof area where | take her. | grab a nket that | keep up here

    for times when | need to get away. | spread it out beforeying down and patting my chest for her to join me.

    ¡°How many girls have your brought up here Clint?¡± She asks, and | can hear the frustration and disappointment in her voice.

    | stand back up, taking her face in my hands, making sure she sees the honesty in my eyes. ¡°Just one, Lily bud. You. |e up

    here when | need to escape. | don¡¯t bring anyone up here with me.¡±

    | take her hands and | sit back down. | wait until she begins to sit beforeying back down and tapping my chest for her toy on

    me.

    When she does, Donovan immediately begins purring in my chest.

    She chuckles. ¡°Donovan, you flirt.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°He can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s not just Andra that he¡¯s got a soft spot for.¡±

    ¡ª | can feel her shaking her head against my chest. | feel whole having her in my arms like this. Without consciously thinking

    about it, | begin rubbing her head, running my fingers through her hair while | look up at the stars. Donovan continues his purring,

    the rumble deep in my chest and it isn¡¯t long before | hear her breathing even out, her body twitching as she falls asleep.

    Once | know she¡¯s asleep, it isn¡¯t long before | follow her to dreand.

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 493

    Chapter 0493

    I''m warm andfortable when some rude person starts shaking me awake

    ¡°Lily, wake up, we have to get back to your room.

    That jolts me awake and 1 shoot up. I¡¯m outside, on the roof with Clint. | fell asleep. I¡¯d been tossing and turning all night and on

    impulse, | texted him. When he brought me up here, | was ready to stomp right back to my room until he told me | was the only

    one he¡¯d every brought up here. And then | fell asleep, almost immediately. Between Clint¡¯s fingers in my hair and Donovan¡¯s

    purring in my ear, | didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    Clint is standing up, holding out his hand to me. ¡°We have to get you back to your room before anyone notices.¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡± | ask, moving off the nket and letting him fold it up and put it back where he stores it.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Early, but not early enough. We both fell asleep.¡± He gets to the nted roof and carefully slides down before turning, reaching

    out for me with one hand and putting a finger to his lips. The universal sign to be quiet. He helps me down and we scoot across

    the ledge before he helps me back into my room.

    ¡°Meet me downstairs in 15 minutes.¡± He whispers and | start to hear the warriors. moving around below us. My eyes widen and |

    nod before quickly closing the window.

    I rush to get dressed, quickly use the bathroom and brush my teeth before grabbing my hair tie and leaving my room. As I¡¯m

    walking downstairs, | hear someoneing up behind me. | turn and it¡¯s Clint.

    ¡°Good morning, Lily. Did you sleep well?¡± He asks me with a goofy grin as if he didn¡¯t just see me a few minutes ago.

    ¡°It took me awhile to fall asleep, but when | did, | slept very well. Thank you,

    Clint.¡±

    ¡°Patrick told me the warriors will be running and sparring this morning, so we¡¯re taking the obstacle course.¡±

    Over the next hour and a half, he pushes me hard. He¡¯s forcing me to test my strength and speed and I¡¯m quickly realizing that |

    am stronger and faster than |

    was.

    When he asks me to start jumping long distances, | hesitate. I''ve never been good.

    at leaping distances. Andra¡¯s great at it. Me, not so much. Clint takes his time showing the how to push off with my feet, use my

    strength and basically testing my ability. By the time we are done, I¡¯m leaping the same distance that he can.

    Nice! You''ll need to learn what your abilities are now that you are a Guardian. We''ll continue to practice, but this was a good start

    today.¡± He tells me as wan climb down the obstacles to get back to the ground.

    When we get there, Alpha Patrick, watching us. ¡°Nice job, Lily. It looked like Clint was putting you through your paces up there.¡±

    He says.

    I''m still out of breath when I reply. ¡°Yes. But it was fun. I¡¯m stronger than | was even a couple of days ago.

    ¡°I''m d to hear it. Did Clint tell you I''d like to assess your training every couple of days?¡±

    | look at Clint. He mentioned that it might be the case, but not that it was definite. | turn back Alpha Patrick. ¡°He mentioned

    something about that. What were you thinking? How can | show you what I''m learning?¡±

    He gives me a wicked grin. ¡°You''ll have to spar with me or Calvin.¡±

    Clintughs at what must be a terrified look on my face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily. | won¡¯t let you fail. We''ll spar this afternoon and see

    how you do.¡± Clint assures

    1. me.

    Before we can walk away, Patrick stops us. ¡°There is another reason | came to see you, Lily.¡±

    We stop and Patrick gives Clint a look, like he expects him to leave. He doesn''t, and | don¡¯t say anything.

    | watch Patrick sigh before speaking. ¡°Clint mentioned that your father approached you yesterday evening.¡±

    The reminder instantly makes my stomach clench, and | can only nod. Clint moves to stand beside me, putting his hand on my

    back in support.

 Chapter 494

    Chapter 0494

    ¡°| want you to know how sorry Tam that he did that. | didn¡¯t want to give an

    Alpha coramand for him to stay away from you, but since he didn¡¯t listen, | have now given themand. If anything like that

    happens again, | want you to let me know Lily.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°In light of that, | will have someone go to your home today and pack up your things. They will be in your room when you get

    back from school. Did you get the clothes and other items that we left yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I''m thankful | won¡¯t have to see my father. I¡¯m not sure how my mother is reacting to all of this, but she hasn¡¯t

    reached out to me. Given my father¡¯s response to mest night, I¡¯m guessing | won¡¯t hear from her.

    ¡°If you need anything at all, Lily, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask me or Luna Olivia.¡±

    We head inside to grab breakfast before getting ready for school. ¡°Meet you back down here in 45 minutes?¡± Clint asks.

    I''m confused. Why would | be meeting him downstairs.

    He raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°You''re going to school with me and Anders. Don¡¯t worry, we''ll swing by to pick up Calista on the

    way.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Oh my goddess. Cali. She has no idea what¡¯s happened.¡± The thought of having to tell my friend everything that has happened

    in thest couple of days makes the breakfast in my stomach feel like it¡¯s going toe back up.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Clint reaches out and gently grips my shoulders. ¡°She¡¯s a good friend. | know she''ll be there for you.¡±

    | nod before reaching out and hugging him. He may only be doing this because I¡¯m a Guardian now, but he¡¯s been my rock

    though this whole ordeal. ¡°Thanks Clint. | would never have expected you to be such a good friend to me.¡±

    ¡°| told you, you''re stuck with me Lily bud. I¡¯m not going anywhere, and I''ll help you with anything that you need.¡±

    ¡°Well, right now, | need a shower.¡± | see a sh in his eyes, and | know he took that as in invitation. ¡°And NO, | don¡¯t need help.¡±

    ¡°If you ever do...¡± He wags my eyebrows at me.

    Iugh as | turn to head to my room. | can hear Clint taking thest set of stairs

    Forty five minutester, | meet Anders and Clint downstairs and we head out. When we get to Calista¡¯s house, Clint jumps out,

    opening the door for her.

    ¡°Here, Calista. Why don¡¯t you sit next to Lily today.¡± He says. It might be the .est thing he¡¯s done so far. He seems to know |

    need my friend.

    ¡°Lily, what''s going on?¡± She looks at everyone in the car then back at me. ¡°Why were you already in the car?¡±

    | look at my friend, hoping that she will support me. ¡°I moved into the packhouse yesterday.¡±

    Her brow furrows and she takes my hand. ¡°What? Why?¡±

    | look up front seeing Anders watching us from his rear¡ªview mirror and | know Clint is listening in. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you

    something that only a very few people know, Cali. | want it to stay between us, okay?¡±

    ¡°Lily, you know I can keep a secret.¡± And | hear the hurt behind her words. She doesn¡¯t understand why Anders and Clint know

    and she doesn''t.

    ¡°You know how | went away with my father this weekend?¡±

    ¡°Yes, | thought you would be home yesterday, but | never saw you. | guess you were moving to the packhouse?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. | realized that my father is trying to push me into a mate bond with Alpha Mahli. My father hasrge gambling debts,

    and he wants to force me to take Alpha Mahli as my mate to pay them off.¡± My voice chokes up at the end, my throat has gone

    dry.

    I''m immediately pulled into Calis embrace. ¡°Oh my goddess. What can | do?¡± | reach my arms around my friend, holding her

    tight. ¡°You just did it.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    Call is great friend!

    Updates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

    93

 Chapter 495

    While | expected Calista to support Lily, it was nice to have it confirmed. As much as | want to be the one Lily goes to when she¡¯s

    worried or upset, our rtionship isn¡¯t at that point yet. She needs the support of her lifelong friend.

    As we''re pulling up into the parking lot, Calista asks one more question. ¡°So, Alpha Patrick knows what happened, but who is

    looking out for you? You''re not 18 yet.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Patrick has taken over as my parental guardian. My mother could havee to stay with me, but | expected her to stay

    with my father, and she did.

    ¡°Well,¡± Calista says as we exit the car, ¡°I guess I''ll just have toe to the packhouse to so we can do our homework together.

    | watch as she wraps her arm around Lily¡¯s shoulders, and they begin walking to the school entrance. Anders and | walk behind

    them, almost in a protective

    stance. I¡¯m not sure what look we have on our faces, but no one approaches us as we walk inside.

    We split off to go to our lockers. | can see that Lily and Calista are still whispering to each other, but Lily has rxed a little bit.

    Anders closes his locker and steps up beside me as we watch them. ¡°She''d make a great Luna, wouldn¡¯t she?¡±

    My snarl is instantaneous. | turn to my friend, ready to fight for Lily if that¡¯s what it takes. She was worried about Anders forcing a

    mate bond on her and here he is confirming her suspicions.

    To my friend¡¯s credit, he doesn¡¯t flinch or take a step back. ¡°I¡¯m speaking about Calista, of course.¡±

    | immediately rx and smile apologetically at my friend. ¡°Yeah, she would.¡± | turn to look at them as they start to walk to ss.

    ¡°She handled that situation really well.¡±

    As | watch, Lily turns and looks at me. | smile and nod at her. I''ll see her in ss. Hopefully, she''ll handle the rest of it just as

    well.¡±

    ¡°She will.¡± | look at my friend. He¡¯s never shown this kind of interest in someone before. We start to walk toward our sses.

    ¡°You really think she¡¯s your mate, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He never takes his eyes off her. ¡°I do. Zakai has never shown this kind of interest in someone before. It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s ready

    to roll over and show her his belly.¡±

    I snort. ¡°Donovan''s the same with Lily and Andra. It¡¯s like he¡¯s willing to do anything to make them happy.¡±

    ¡®She¡¯s our mate. | will do anything to make her happy.¡± Donovan says to me.

    Chemistry ss goes much better today | realize that when we''re actually working together, Lily and | work very well together. |

    feel like something has changed between us. | don¡¯t know if it¡¯s that she feels at some level she can trust me, or just knowing

    that we share a bond now, with both of us being Guardians, that something in her has rxed around me. Whatever it is, if our

    teamwork in Chemistry is any indication of how our lives will be when we''re mated, we''ll be unstoppable. It¡¯s effortless, easy and

    unlike everyone else in the ss, our experiment worked perfectly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    In Literature, I''m behind again, but | n to catch up. If Calista is going toe to the packhouse to study with Lily, Anders and |

    will be joining in. That will not only give us more time with them, but it will also give me a chance to spar with her mentally about

    some of this crap we''re reading. Okay, maybe it¡¯s not crap, someone somewhere decided that these books were good enough to

    be considered ssics. It''s just never been important to me. But it is to Lily, she seems to really like what we''re reading, so now,

    it''s important to me too.

    ¡°When are you going to tell Calista the rest?¡± | ask her as we walk to our lockers at the end of the day.

    She shrugs. ¡°I''m not sure. |id a pretty hefty bomb on her this morning. | don¡¯t want to overwhelm her.¡±

    ¡°If | may, I''d say she was a bit hurt that it took you that long to tell her. She¡¯s stronger than most people give her credit for.¡±

    ¡°She definitely is.¡± Lily immediately defends. ¡°I just...¡±

    I stop, pulling her to a stop, making her look at me. ¡°You just...?¡±

    ¡°What if knowing puts her at risk? Maybe it¡¯s better that she doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Do you want my opinion?¡±

    She nods. ¡°If you trust her, tell her.¡±

    We start walking again. ¡°Did you tell Anders right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it was different for me. | was 10, he was my best friend, and | was excited that it meant that no one would ever be able

    to separate us.¡±

    She nods again. ¡°I''ll tell her.¡±

    We drop Calista off at her house, and she promises toe by after dinner to do homework When we get to the packhouse, |

    tell Lily she¡¯s got to minutes before it¡¯s time for training.

    Since the warriors are using the obstacle course this afternoon, | take her closer to the forest where we can have some privacy,

    just in case Andra pushes forward. | don¡¯t know how long Patrick ns to try and keep Lily¡¯s existence as a Guardian a secret,

    but the fewer people that see her sparring, the better.

    ¡°Do you want offense or defense?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Offense.¡±

    | take a defensive stance and nod that I¡¯m ready. Her speed and strength are almost identical to what they werest week. | give

    her a few minutes to start pushing herself. When she doesn¡¯t, | start to push her. | push her hard, forcing her to be more

    defensive in her fighting.

    After knocking her to the ground, | give her a hand to help her up. ¡°You¡¯re not pushing yourself. You''re still acting like you have

    the same strength you''ve always had. You''re stronger than this. Again.¡±

    Again, she fights. She¡¯s good, but | know she can be better. After taking her down again, | can see she¡¯s frustrated.

    ¡°I''ll take offense this time. Stop holding yourself back. Trust Andra and let her Guardian spirit flow through you.¡±

    She''s breathing heavily, but she gets in a defensive stance. |e at her hard. Harder than I¡¯ve evere at her before. As

    hard as | went at Patrick, Calvin and Anders. | increase my speed, forcing her to act on instinct rather than thinking about her

    moves.

    I can tell the moment she gets out of her head. Her eyes rim with gold and she¡¯s able to block me, her speed matching mine. |

    push even harder, my hitsing faster. She continues to block everything. When she goes on the offensive and is finally able

    to hit me, | call the match.

    ¡°Nice!¡± | say, as we both bend over, our hands on our knees, sucking in air.

    | look up at her. ¡°Did you feel the difference?¡±

    She nods.

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s the strength you need to tap into when you spar with Patrick, Calvin and Anders.¡± | tell her, before leading her back

    to the packhouse. Time to get some food and then meet up with Cali and Anders for homework.

 Chapter 496

    Dinner was strange First, | don¡¯t usually eat in the packhouse. Since my parents have the own house, we usually eat there

    unless there is a pack event. But Clint insisted that | eat with him and Anders, which meant that | am sitting with at the ranked

    wolves. It people hadn¡¯t noticed that | had moved to the packhouse before, they certainly notice that | am getting special

    treatment by eating with our ranked members.

    When | sit, Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi turn their attention to me. ¡°Lily, dear, how have you settled into your room? Do you have

    everything you need?¡± Luna Olivia turned to me.

    ¡°Oh, Alpha Patrick had my things brought over today. | haven¡¯t checked but | should have everything | need. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°If not, please let me know, or Naomi can help you. You are closer to her room if it¡¯s something urgent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you both, | really appreciate it. | don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡®

    ¡°| was thinking it was nice to have another she¡ªwolf at this table.¡± Beta Naomi whispers so only Luna Olivia and | can hear her.

    ¡°Too much testosterone if you ask me.¡± | can¡¯t help butugh. Both Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi are being very kind to me.

    ¡°What are you girlsughing at down there?¡± Alpha Patrick has turned his attention back to us. No doubt ourughter, or at least

    theughter of his mate, has caught his attention. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s a very attentive mate.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just discussing how d we are that Lily was able to join us for dinner.¡± Luna Olivia says, winking at me. | try to hide

    my smile by looking back at my te.

    The conversation starts up again and | look up to see that Clint is watching me. He smiles before starting to eat again..

    ¡°So, Patrick, Anders and | are going to join Lily and Calista in their study group tonight. | was thinking that we could use the small

    meeting room.¡± Clint says and the table goes quiet.

    ¡°You and Anders are joining Lily and Calista in a study group?¡± Patrick says as if this is a difficult concept to understand.

    Everyone at the table is staring at him. and Anders.

    ¡°Yes. Lily and Calista are used to studying together, and with Lily moving here,

    1/2

    Calista is going to being to the packhouse to study. Clint and | figured we''d join them So, the small meeting room, dad?¡±

    Anders answers his father.

    ¡°And what, exactly, will you be studying?¡± Beta Calvin asks.

    ¡°Well, | need to get caught up on my literature reading.¡± Clint says.

    ¡°Yeah, and | need to prepare for an anatomy and physiology test.¡± Anders says.

    Both of them have the most innocent looks on their face that I¡¯ve ever seen. | nce around and see the looks of surprise and

    exasperation from everyone else at the table.

    ¡°Door stays open.¡± Alpha Patrick says before he goes back to eating.

    ¡°Of course, dad. What did you think we were going to do? Geez, get your mind out of the gutter.¡± And 1 suddenly realize exactly

    what everyone at the table was thinking and | blush, what I¡¯m sure, is a bright shade of red.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Luna Olivia turns back to me. ¡°Your friends with Calista, isn¡¯t that right Lily?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes ma¡¯am. We''re best friends, we have been almost all our lives.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know her very well. Tell me about her.¡± She says with a smile. | see Anders tense up from the corner of my eye.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s very smart. She¡¯s a kind and generous friend. Unlike me, she doesn¡¯t want to be a warrior, so she¡¯s working to

    be a doctor.¡±

    ¡°She sounds like a lovely girl.¡± Beta Naomi says.

    ¡°She really is.¡± | say and Luna Olivia turns to Beta Naomi. ¡°We should invite her to have dinner here with us tomorrow night.¡± She

    turns back to me. ¡°Do you think she would like that?¡±

    ¡°Uh, | think so. I''ll ask her when shees over tonight.¡± | say, not understanding why Anders looks more and more

    ufortable as this

    conversation continues. Clint, on the other hand, seems to be trying hard not tough.

    ¡°How about you introduce us to her when she gets here.¡± Beta Naomi says. ¡°That way we can invite her ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sure that will make her feel morefortable abouting tomorrow.¡± | tell them.

 Chapter 497

    After dinner, | head up to my room and quickly shower and change before Calista is supposed to arrive. | grab my books and

    head downstairs just as she is walking into the packhouse.

    ¡°Hey Calli.¡±

    ¡°Lily!¡± We hug like we didn¡¯t just see each other a couple hours ago.

    ¡°Did your parents say anything about youing here tonight?¡± | ask her.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, apparently, they saw the warrior that Alpha Patrick sent to your house to get your things. They haven¡¯t seen your parents at

    all.¡±

    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°| told them you were living in the packhouse now, but | didn¡¯t know what had happened.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Cali. Hey, Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi want to meet you. They wanted

    invite you to have dinner with us tomorrow night.¡±

    toi

    ¡°Me? Why?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe so | don¡¯t feel so awkward.¡± | lean in toward her. It was weird being at the ranked member''s table.¡±

    She and | are giggling together when we turn the corner and find Luna Olivia.

    ¡°Luna Olivia. This is my friend, Calista Johns.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Calista.¡± Luna Olivia takes her hands. ¡°Aren¡¯t you beautiful? We''d love it if you would join us for dinner tomorrow night at the

    packhouse. I''d be happy to speak to your parents about it, if needed.¡±

    I can see Cali is just as flustered as | was earlier. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will be fine with me having dinner here, Luna. Thank you for the

    invitation.¡±

    ¡°Before you go study,¡± she turns, ¡°Naomi!¡± She calls out.

    Beta Naomies out of another room. ¡°Oh, is this Calista?¡± She asks, her eyes brightening.

    ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t she lovely?¡±

    ¡°She definitely is. I''m so d to meet you. You''ll be having dinner with us.

    tomorrow evening?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes, Beta.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, we''ll catch up more tomorrow night, then. Enjoy you

    satme.

    As we turn and walk away, Cali ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°| have no idea.¡±

    Studying was interesting. When we arrived, Clint and Anders had already set up the room so that one of us would have to sit with

    Anders and the other with Clint.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we pull the tables together?¡± | suggest when we walk in.

    ¡°Oh, we set it up this way so we could study our joint sses without disrupting each other.¡± Anders says quickly. ¡°Cali, you can

    come sit with me and we can study for our anatomy test.¡±

    it off to our

    | look at her quickly before we separate tables.

    ¡°Did you tell her?¡± Clint mind links me, wanting to know if | told her I¡¯m a Guardian. | shake my head.

    Studying with Clint was actually fun. When the man applies himself, he¡¯s very intelligent. And while | appreciate a gorgeous body

    as much as the next she-wolf, there is something about a man that can match wits with me that turns me on more than a ripped

    body. Maybe it¡¯s because anyone who works hard enough can have a great body, or maybe because the mind is something that

    isn¡¯t as obvious as a hard body, but | found myself looking forward to tomorrow''s study session. As we finish studying, | watch as

    Calista starts to pack her bags. ¡°I''ll walk you home.¡± Anders says to her.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± She tells him.

    He reaches out and puts his hand on hers, waiting until she looks at him. ¡°It may not be necessary, but I''d feel better knowing

    you got home safely.¡± He holds her gaze until she nods.

    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance.¡± Clint says. | look at him and he gives me a ¡®it¡¯s your choice¡¯ look.

    I sigh. ¡°Before you leave, Cali, there¡¯s something | want to show you.¡±

    I stand and close the door to the room. | know it was supposed to stay open, but | can¡¯t risk anyone walking in. When I look back,

    Cali is frowning at me. ¡°Lily?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else that¡¯s going on, another reason I¡¯m living in the packhouse now. But an even smaller number of people

    know about this.¡±

    She looks at Anders and Clint before turning back to me. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Cc

    | let Andra push forward, my eyes turning to gold.

    Cali¡¯s eyes go wide, and her hands go to her mouth. ¡°Oh, my goddess.¡± She whispers.

    ¡°You''re a Guardian.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    What did you think of Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi? Updates Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

    +15 BONOS

    3

    +

 Chapter 498

    Chapter 0498

    As Calista collects herself, she looks from Lily to me. ¡°This is why. This is why you are spending so much time together.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lily says to her.

    | move to Lily, standing beside her. ¡°I¡¯m going to be training Lily and making sure that she is safe. But you know what this means,

    Calista, especially in light of what we know about her father.¡±

    Her eyes go from me to Lily. ¡°You must have been terrified this weekend.¡±

    Lily takes a step toward Calista, just as the door swings open. | move to block Lily from whoever is walking in as Andra is still

    shining in her eyes.

    ¡°| thought | was clear about the door staying open.¡± Patrick says, walking in.

    ¡°I''m sorry Alpha, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Lily says, not turning around. ¡°I needed to show Calista something private.¡± She turns, showing

    Andra in her eyes.

    Patrick turns, closing the door. ¡°Calista, this is a lot of information and it¡¯s dangerous for Lily if this information gets out. | expect

    that what she has shown you here will stay in this room.¡± He says, using his Alpha tone.

    ¡°Cali knows how to keep a secret, dad, and she¡¯s a good friend. She wouldn¡¯t do that to Lily.¡± Anders jumps to her defense.

    Patrick looks at all of us in the room. ¡°I would suggest that this conversation not include anyone else in the pack. At least not until

    | have figured out how to keep Lily safe once the secret is out.¡±

    ¡°Can''t we just keep it a secret until she turns 18? That¡¯s only a couple months. away.¡± Cali says.

    ¡°It''s not that easy.¡± | tell her. ¡°When we spar, Andraes out. It¡¯s not something we can control, or not easily. Our wolves are

    warriors, and their strength pushes through us, frequently showing in our eyes.¡±

    ¡°Well, I''ll do whatever | can to help.¡± Calista says, reaching out and pulling Lily into a hug. ¡°You''re my best friend and | love you.

    Whatever you need from me, you let me know.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Cali. | love you too.¡± Lily says, hugging her back.

    ¡°I''m taking Cali home, dad. I''lle see you when | get back.¡± Anders says before pulling Calista¡¯s bag off her shoulder and

    throwing it over his.

    +15 BONOS

    | grab Lily¡¯s books and stack them on mine before guiding her out to the hall, nodding at Patrick as we pass. ¡°We''ll see you in the

    morning, Cali.¡± Lily says. before we walk upstairs.

    | walk Lily to her room before handing her books back to her. | wait until she opens her door, standing in her doorway, making

    sure everything looks normal. ¡± Text me if you have trouble sleeping tonight.¡± | tell her.

    She sets her books on her desk beforeing back to the door. ¡°Thanks Clint. | really do appreciate everything you are doing

    for me.¡±

    I''m just about to lean down and kiss her when | hear someone clear their throat behind me. ¡°It¡¯s after-hours Clint.¡± Calvin says to

    me.

    | turn and look at him over my shoulder. He¡¯s in the same position at his door, arms crossed over his chest, just likest night. ¡°I

    was just walking Lily to her room after our study session, Calvin.¡± | turn back to Lily and roll my eyes. She giggles, making me

    smile.

    ¡°See you in the morning, Lily.¡± | say before heading back to my room.

    When | get back, | grab my guitar. I¡¯m still practicing when Anders walks in and flops down on a chair. ¡°You know that sounds like

    you''re killing cats.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°How do you know what killing cats sounds like?¡± | ask him, continuing my practice.

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve been listening to you do it every night for days!¡± He says.

    I strum my next chord. ¡°How was your walk?¡± | ask him, knowing he¡¯s been wanting alone time with Calista.

    He smiles, his eyes lost in a memory. ¡°It was good.¡±

    I strum another chord, before looking over at him. ¡°Did she agree to go out with you yet?¡±

    ¡°No, but she did say she enjoyed studying with me more than she thought she would.¡±

    I snort. ¡°So, basically she thought you were a dumb Alpha but now she knows you actually have a brain?¡±

    ¡°| believe her actual words were, ¡®It¡¯s nice to know you use the head above your waistline almost as much as the one below it.¡±

    |ugh at that. ¡°I like her more and more.¡±

    ¡°How about you, you walked Lily to her room.¡±

    2/1

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Yep and got cockblocked by Calvin. Bastard. He knows exactly what he¡¯s doing. I¡¯m starting to wonder if he¡¯s got a camera in

    the hallway.¡±

    ¡°So, your mom didn¡¯t scare Calista away with her dinner invitation?¡± | ask after

    a moment.

    ¡°Ugh, could she have been any more obvious?¡± He says frustrated. ¡°Honestly, | can¡¯t believe Lily didn¡¯t pick up on it.¡±

 Chapter 499

    ¡°Remember, she doesn¡¯t spend as much time with your parents as we do. | just. hope your mom and Naomi don¡¯t scare Calista

    off tomorrow. | think Lily will be happy if shees for dinner more often, now that she¡¯s living here.¡±

    | set the guitar aside. ¡°Are you really going to y her a song on that thing?¡± Anders asks me.

    ¡°Yep. I''ve found the song | want to y, | just need to get better, then pick my venue.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to get them to agree to go to Prom with us?¡±

    ¡°That, my friend, is the question of the day.¡±

    After Anders goes to his room, | shower and get into bed. | make sure my phone volume is up, just in case. This time, | hear the

    ping around 12:30.

    Mate: You awake?

    Excellent. | grab a thicker nket, dropping it on the roof before making my way to her window. When | get there, | see she has

    the window open and is sitting

    beside it.

    ¡°Waiting for me?¡± | ask her quietly as | sit on her windowsill.

    She smiles shyly. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Come on.¡± | extend my hand and take hers, waiting while she closes the window before we start our crawl to the roof.

    When we get there, | have the nkets alreadyid out. ¡°I thought maybe you¡¯d want toy up here again, so | dropped off a

    couple more nkets so it¡¯s a bit softer to sleep here.¡± | tell her before getting settled then motioning for her to join me. When

    she does, | pull another nket over us.

    ¡°What made you starting out here? I¡¯mean, it¡¯s a great view, but was that the reason? You said it was a ce for you to

    escape?¡± She asks.

    She looks up at me from her ce on my chest. ¡°If it''s too personal, you don¡¯t have to answer. | was just wondering.¡± She says.

    | kiss her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t mind answering, Lily. I''ll tell you anything you want to know.¡± | look up at the stars. ¡°I found this spot

    after my parents died. | was having a hard time, struggling with losing the only family that | had. | mean, Anders and his parents

    are like family, but...¡±

    ¡°It''s not the same.¡± She finishes for me.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± | confirm. | look down at her. | don¡¯t know if she¡¯s realized that. she¡¯s rubbing my chest, but it feels amazing having

    her touch me.

    ¡°How did you manage? | mean, | don¡¯t know if I''ll ever have a rtionship with my parents again. | don¡¯t have any siblings either.

    She looks up at me. ¡°How did you get over it.¡±

    | begin rubbing

    back in slow circles. ¡°The hardest and easiest answer is time. It takes time toe to terms with the loss, time to get through the

    pain, time to adjust to your new normal. But having friends and people that care about you makes it easier.¡± | tell her.

    We settle into silence, each in our own thoughts. Donovan starts purring in my chest, and | hear her sigh before she falls asleep.

    ¡®She likes my purr.¡® Donovan says proudly.

    ¡®It''s a soothing sound for her.*

    ¡®Andra likes it too. | can feel her respond as well.¡¯

    ¡°I''m hoping we¡¯ll be meeting up here more often and you can purr to both of their hearts¡® content.¡¯ | tell him.

    | cover her hand that is stillying on my chest, wrapping my fingers around hers before falling into sleep.

    ¡®Wake up!¡¯ Donovan shouts.co

    my head.

    | jolt awake and realize the sky is lighter than it should be. Damn, even up here, | sleep better with my mate beside me than | do

    in my own bed.

    ¡°Come on, Lily bud. Time to get you back to your room.¡± | say, pulling her hand to my lips and kissing her knuckles while she

    slowly opens her eyes.

    Her head pops up. ¡°Oh, we did it again?¡±

    I smile at her. ¡°Yep, we both fell asleep. Come on, let¡¯s get you back to your room before anyone notices that you¡¯re gone.¡±

    We fold up the nkets, putting them away, before making our way back to her window. | quickly check her room before opening

    the window and helping her inside.

    She turns to close the window. ¡°Lily.¡± | say, getting her attention.

    She turns to me, and | lean in quickly and kiss her lips. It¡¯s quick but the minute

    19Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    +15 BONOS

    our lips touch, | want nothing more than to devour her. But now is not the time. | pull back smiling at her shocked expression. ¡°I''ll

    see you in 15 minutes downstairs.¡±

    | wink at her and leave her staring after me as | move back to my room.

    Cooper

    Author

    Seems like Clint and Lily are getting closer! It¡¯s looking like | will have a bonus chapter for you tomorrow!

    3

    415

 Chapter 500

    Chapter 0500

    He kissed me.

    | watch as he moves away from my window, but I¡¯m so stunned, | can¡¯t move for a moment. When | do, it¡¯s to bring my fingers to

    my lips. The moment his lips. touched mine, it sent a zing through my entire body. | can still feel my lips. tingling.

    | shake my head, getting my thoughts in order and begin changing for our training session. I¡¯m nervous about seeing him, but

    when I run into him on the stairs, it¡¯s the same as yesterday. He acts like we didn¡¯t just see each other a few minutes ago or

    sleep together on the roof.

    | wasn¡¯t sure about texting him against night, but | was d | did. Lying in bed alone, | kept thinking about my father, my

    mother not reaching out to me and Alpha Mahli and what would have happened if he had realized | was a Guardian. Donovan''s

    purring helps me to sleep well, even on the roof, and | feel more refreshed today than | did yesterday.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    When we get outside, Clint tells me the n as we head to the forest. ¡°This morning we''re going to workout in wolf form. You

    know that our human form strengthens our wolf form, but Andra hasn¡¯t really worked out since you got your Guardian spirit.

    Today, Donovan is going to push her. You ready for that, Andra?¡± Clint asks her.

    She pushes forward. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Donovan pushes forward as well. ¡°You''re stronger than you realize Andra. You need to trust me. | won¡¯t push you to do

    something you can¡¯t do. Let the Guardian spirit flow through you so you can learn what you are capable of.¡±

    For the next hour and a half, Donovan pushes Andra harder than she¡¯s ever been pushed. He has her try leaps and moves that

    she¡¯s never feltfortable doing before, but now, she¡¯s able to do them with ease. When we''re done, he walks over to her,

    rubbing himself on her before licking her face.

    We shift and dress before heading back to the packhouse. ¡°Good job today, both of you. Andra, how did that feel?¡±

    ¡°It felt good. You were right, | don¡¯t know what I¡¯m capable of, but | feel better now knowing that | can do more than | thought.¡±

    ¡°We''ll keep practicing. You were used to taking time each evening to train Andra, right Lily?¡±

    +15 RONOS

    ¡°Yes, every day after training.¡±

    ¡°So, we''ll n to work Andra after our afternoon training session. We''ll just extend our time and switch it from sparring to

    practicing in wolf form.¡± Clint says as we walk into the dining hall.

    I''m still getting lots of dirty looks and multiple groups of girls are whispering as Clint and | walk in together. | don¡¯t care other than

    | don¡¯t need any more crap to deal with. | have enough on my te without dealing with jealous she¡ªwolves.

    | grab some food and turn to Clint. ¡°I¡¯m just going to eat in my room and get ready for school.¡±

    He frowns at me. ¡°Is this about earlier?¡±

    My eyes quickly track around the room. ¡°No, | just want a little extra time to get ready this morning.¡± It¡¯s a lie and he knows it.

    He turns, looking around the room and he must see what | see. He growls low and deep, causing everyone to find something

    more important to do. ¡°Stay. It won¡¯t take long. Ignore them.¡± When | don¡¯t move, he leans in. ¡°You''ll have to get over it

    eventually. We''ll be training anding to meals every day, twice a day from now on.¡± He says.

    He¡¯s right, | know he¡¯s right. | sigh. I''ll have to face it sooner orter. ¡°And if anyone bothers you, just let me know. I''ll handle it.¡±

    I snort. ¡°I can handle my own shit, thanks.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to do it alone anymore, Lily bud.¡±

    The school day goes the same as always. When we drop Cali off, she looks at me.¡± | have an idea, we can discuss itter today.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sounds good. See you at dinner.¡±

    As Clint and | head out to spar, Beta Calvin steps in front of us. ¡°Today is show and tell day, Lily.¡±

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 0501

    |ugh. ¡°Let me guess, I¡¯m showing you what I¡¯ve learned and you''re telling Alpha Patrick how | did?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± He says with a big grin. I¡¯ve always like Beta Calvin, but he¡¯s been extra nice to me since all this happened with my

    father.

    We head out to the forest again. If I¡¯m going to battle against our Beta, Andra will definitely be shining in my eyes.

    ¡°Okay, Lily. You take offense, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± Beta Calvin says, getting into a defensive stance.

    ¡°Remember what | said, Lily. Trust Andra and let her Guardian spirit flow through you.¡± Clint says.

    Andra pushes forward. ¡®We got this Lily.¡±

    We push hard, going in fast and moving quickly before Beta Calvin can get a hit on us. He¡¯s fast, but not as fast as Clint. We go

    back and forth, jabbing, kicking and asionally getting in a hit here and there until Calvin calls it.

    ¡°I''m impressed Lily. | knew you were good before, but in a couple of days, Clint has already helped you tap into your Guardian

    strength. | can only imagine how good you will be in another month. Keep up the good work.¡± He says before jogging off,

    presumably to tell Patrick about my progress.

    Clint gives me a high five. ¡°Nice job. That was helpful for me too. | can see where we still need to work to tighten up your fighting

    skills. Okay, let''s shift and give Andra her time.¡± Clint says.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    We give Andra her time training with Donovan. He finishes the training by rubbing himself on her again and then licking her face.

    My smitten wolf begins purring, rubbing her face against Donovan''s.

    ¡®Andra! | try to get my wolf under control.

    ¡®What? He started it, scenting me like that.¡¯

    ¡®Scenting you?? Are you kidding me?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t mind. | like it.

    ¡®I mind.¡® | pull my wolf back and shift.

    ¡°Donovan! No scenting my wolf! What are doing?¡±

    ?+15 HONOS

    Clint shifts back, smirking at me, ¡°What? Donovan likes Andra. He doesn¡¯t want other males looking at her.¡±

    | roll my eyes and start walking back to the packhouse. ¡°Lily. Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°| have studying to do, thank you. And now | have to take an extra long shower to get Donovan¡¯s scent off me.¡±

    ¡°First, put some clothes on before you walk to the packhouse. | don¡¯t want other males looking at you either. And second, you

    can shower all you want, it won¡¯t wash off.¡± He says smugly.

    | turn around, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°You need to get your wolf under control.¡± | say. But before | can do anything else, he¡¯s

    pulled me against him, hist lips iming mine in a kiss so steamy | feel like | might melt.

    I''m overwhelmed by his apple pie scent, his mouth moving expertly over mine, his tongue grazing across my lips until | sigh, and

    he slides his tongue into my mouth. One hand goes into my hair, tugging gently, moving my head to the side so he can get better

    ess. His tongue is dominating my mouth, tasting me, overwhelming my senses. His other hand wraps around my waist,

    pulling me against him so | can feel his heat sinking into my skin.

    I''m lost in the flood of sensations I¡¯m feeling. | grab hold of his shoulders, needing something to hold on to. A soft moan escapes

    my lips, and his answering growl sends shivers up and down my body. As | try to get ahold of my emotions, | realize there is

    something long and hard in between my body and Clint¡¯s, poking against my stomach. When the realization hits me, | quickly pull

    away, looking down. Yep, Clint¡¯s body is definitely responding to that kiss..

    ¡°| have to go.¡± | say and even to my ears, my voice sounds breathless. | turn to run off, run away from Clint and this feeling that is

    still rippling through my body.

    ¡°Lily. Here, put something on first.¡± He throws me his shirt. | grab it out of the air, putting it on as | start to run.

    But | know there¡¯s nowhere | can run to escape this feeling. This feeling that every fiber of my being wants to feel again.

 Chapter 502

    Fuck! | hadn¡¯t meant to scare her. | hadn¡¯t meant to lose control and kiss her like that. But, as soon as | tasted the delicious

    orange and ginger vor of her lips, | was lost. And then, when she moaned, holding on to me as if | was her lifeline, | wanted

    nothing more than to take her, im her as my mate, leave my mark on her neck so everyone will know she¡¯s mine.

    ¡®At least she''ll smell like us for another day or two.¡® Donovan says.

    ¡®Not helpful if she won''t talk to us.¡® | retort.

    ¡®She will. She wants to train and be stronger.¡±

    ¡®| want to spend time with her doing things other than training.¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that what got us into this mess in the first ce?¡¯ My snarky wolf says.

    | grab my shorts and quickly put them on, picking up Lily¡¯s clothes as well, | jog back to the packhouse, sneaking in the omega

    entrance, before rushing upstairs, hoping no one sees me. | get to my room, setting Lily''s clothes on a chair before taking a quick

    shower. | get dressed hurriedly before rushing down to dinner. | had forgotten that Calista was joining us for dinner tonight and

    when | get there, Lily hasn¡¯t shown up yet. Shit!

    ¡°Clint, where is Lily? | thought the two of you would get here at the same time.¡± Patrick says, looking at me more intently than I

    want at the moment. The man is too observant.

    ¡°I''m right here.¡± Lily says. She breezes past me and sits down next to Calista. ¡± Sorry I¡¯mte.¡±

    | sit across from Anders, next to Calvin. Anders looks at me.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He mind links me.

    ¡°Later.¡± | reply.

    Olivia and Naomi have started chatting easily with Lily and Calista. | can see Anders is trying to discreetly listen in and still pay

    attention to our conversation.

    ¡°So Lily, Calvin says you did well today sparring against him.¡± Patrick says, getting Lily¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She says.

    ¡°| guess the training that Clint is giving you is really working.¡± Damn the man. He¡¯s fishing for a response and Lily gives him one.

    She blushes a beautiful shade

    of red before agreeing with him.

    ¡°| look forward to testing your strengths myself in a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says before turning back to the conversation at her end of the

    table.

    Patrick, however, turns his gaze to me, his eyebrow raised in question.

    ¡°She¡¯s doing great. | saw some areas we need to work on and have her tighten up before she spars with you, but she¡¯ll be

    ready.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm..¡± Is all he says before getting back to his food.

    The entire meal was awkward. Anders was so busy trying to hear what his mother and Naomi were asking Calista, that he could

    barely keep up with our conversation. | was so busy trying to make sure that Lily was okay without Patrick or Calvin noticing that

    | was watching that | wasn¡¯t doing any better than Anders.

    When dinner was finally over, Lily grabbed Calista and moved off to the study room before Anders or | could get to them. When

    we walked in, they had set themselves up at one table, leaving the other table for me and Anders.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work.¡± Anders says, when we walk in. ¡°How am | going to study with Cali if we aren¡¯t sitting at the same

    table?¡±

    Calista turns and looks at us. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any tests tomorrow, so I¡¯m sure you''ll be fine.¡± She says before opening her

    books and beginning her studying. Lily hasn¡¯t even looked up from her book to acknowledge our entrance. Anders and | go to the

    other table. | stand there for a moment, before looking at Anders and giving him a devilish smile. | grab the end of the table and

    nod for him to do the same. He realizes instantly what I¡¯m doing, grabs his and we pull our table next to theirs.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lily asks as | sit down beside her.

    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing.¡± I say, pulling out my book and making a show of opening it. ¡°I¡¯m studying.¡± She rolls her eyes,

    moving her seat as far away as her table will allow before turning back to her book.

    After an hour of trying to engage her in conversation and getting nothing more than ¡°mmhmms¡¯ and ¡°yeps*, | decide to try

    another approach.

    | write her a quick note and slide it to her under the table.

    I''m sorry.

    She reads it and quickly looks up at Calista and Anders. They are talking about something in their book. She quickly writes

    something and gives it back to me.

    For what?

    Hmm, now this is tricky. | decide to go with honesty.

    I''m not sorry | kissed you. But | am sorry | upset you.

    She reads my note and looks back at her book. | think that¡¯s going to be it, but as | watch, | realize she¡¯s thinking about my

    response. Finally, she writes back.

    Why did you do it?

    Again, tricky territory. | decide to continue being honest.

    I''m attracted to you. My wolf is attracted to you. You know | want to date you. You looked so beautiful when you were angry,

    yelling at me. | wanted to kiss you, so | did.

    She snorts, but her response is quick.

    You know, you don¡¯t always get what you want.

    My response is even faster.

    What if | tell you I¡¯ve never wanted to kiss someone as much as | want to kiss you again.

    She scoffs.

    I''d say that sounds like a great line, Guardian. You should save it for someone that will believe it.

    Time to prove to her that I¡¯m serious.

    What if | give you my word as a Guardian. I¡¯ve never wanted to kiss someone as much as | want to kiss you again Lily bud.

    THE

    This time she looks up at me. | nod at her, so she knows | mean it.

    4

    ¡°If you two are done passing notes back and forth, I¡¯m going to walk Cali home.¡± Anders says, breaking our moment.

    Lily quickly looks at her watch. ¡°Oh, it¡¯ste.¡± She looks at Cali. ¡°I''ll get an answer for you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Sleep Well Lily.¡± Calista tells her before saying goodbye to me.

    | pack up all our books and begin walking Lily upstairs. ¡°An answer for what?¡± I-

    ask her.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Just something that | need to talk to Alpha Patrick about. No big deal.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    When we get to her room, she takes her books, putting them onto her desk before turning around. ¡°Thanks, Clint¡±

    She quickly leans up and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before closing the door. Hot Damn!

    Cooper

    Author

    Lily seems to be thawing toward Clint!

    | should be finished with my other book, The Banished Beta¡¯s Saving Grace, next week. When it''splete, this book will move

    to daily updates.

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 0503

    Clint gave me his word as a Guardian. Again.

    This time it was about wanting to kiss me. | wish it didn¡¯t make my heart flutter, but it did. | still hardened my heart and told him,

    basically, that | didn¡¯t believe. him, until he gave me his word. After that, all | could think about was kissing him. again.

    So, before he left for the night, | did.

    Now, as |y in bed, | want nothing more than to text him and go to the roof with him. But what if he thinks that kiss gives him an

    opening to push for more. I¡¯m not ready for that, and | still don¡¯t trust himpletely. At least not in a rtionship. As a Guardian

    and as my trainer, | trust him implicitly.

    I go sit by my window, opening it to smell the night air, when it urs to me. | don¡¯t need to text him to sleep on the roof. | can

    just do it. And secretly, | know I''ll be able to sleep because the nkets will smell like him.

    | climb out of my window, closing the window behind me before | begin to shimmy over to the where | can get on the roof. I''m

    almost there, when Clint slides down and nearly scares me off the ledge I¡¯m standing on. He quickly grabs. me, pulling me to him

    and covering my mouth to hide my scream.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asks me severely.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± | ask. | didn¡¯t text him and the only reason he would be here is if he wereing to get me.

    He holds up his hand and it has my clothes in it. ¡°Returning your clothes and checking to see if you were able to fall asleep

    tonight, since | didn¡¯t hear from you.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    He¡¯s still holding on to me and | can¡¯t move without the risk of falling.

    ¡°And what were you doing?¡± He asks me again.

    ¡°| was going to the roof.¡± | say. My hands are pressed against his chest, and | can feel his muscles under my hands. It¡¯s taking

    too much effort not to run my hands. over his chest. His heat is permeating my skimpy night clothes and | can feel the effect

    being this close to him is having on me.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you text me?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Can we get off the ledge?¡± | ask, wanting to put some space between us. His apple pie scent is starting to make my brain short

    circuit.

    ¡°As soon as you answer my question.¡± He says and | look up at him. His eyes are. intense on mine, his mouth is barely a breath

    away and | can¡¯t help but look at his lips. | know they are soft and warm, and they do things to my body that I¡¯ve never felt before.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t want you to think that just because | kissed you that | was going to sleep with you.¡± | whisper yell at him and even | can

    hear the aggressive tone of my voice.

    He looks at me for a moment, waiting for, what | don¡¯t know. But | refuse to make eye contact. My cheeks are burning with my

    statement. | stare at a point just below his eyes.

    ¡°You''ve been very clear about not wanting to have sex with me, Lily. And | don¡¯t force women into sex.¡±

    When | finally look up, | can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s irritated with me or amused by me.

    ¡°Come on. Let''s get to the roof so we can both get some sleep.¡±

    When we get there, he hands me my clothes. | set them aside to take back in the morning and help him set up the nkets. | sit

    down and wait for him toy down. He sits beside me. ¡°What?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I''m waiting for you toy down so | cany on your chest.¡± | say, as if this is the most obvious thing in the world. It¡¯s how we¡¯ve

    slept every night.

    ¡°Can | get one more kiss before bed?¡± He asks me, leaning in and giving me such a smoldering look that heat slides south,

    warming my core.

    ¡°| don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± | say, my voice more breathless than | would like.

    ¡°Afraid you might jump my bones?¡± He asks, wagging his eyebrows.

    ¡°Are you always this arrogant?¡±

    ¡°Confident.¡± He says.

    When | don¡¯t move forward, he sighs. ¡°I tell you what. I¡¯lly back and if you want to make my night and put a happy smile on my

    face before | go to sleep, you can give me another kiss. You''ll be on top, so it will all be on you how long or how deep the kiss

    gets. If not, I''ll still sleep, | just won¡¯t be as happy.¡± He says beforeying down, putting his hands behind his head and watching

    me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    +15 BONOS

    Here¡¯s the thing. | really want to kiss him. | want to drown in that feeling from earlier today.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 0504

    ¡®Just do it. It¡¯s just a kiss.¡® Andra says to me.

    | prop myself on my elbow, watching him as he watches me. He doesn¡¯t move and | lean in, my eyes never leaving his. My heart

    rate ratchets up, | feel like I¡¯m panting, and | haven¡¯t even touched him yet.

    | close my eyes and let our lips touch. It¡¯s gentle at first, just a gentle pressure of my lips against his. His lips start to move,

    drawing me in and before | know it, I¡¯m practicallyying on him, his hand is in my hair and I¡¯m deepening the kiss. | moan into

    his mouth and his tongue slides between my lips, expertly tasting me, ying with my tongue, teasing the kiss even deeper.

    His taste is divine. His smell intoxicating and | moan at the feelings that he¡¯s bringing out in me again. | want him to touch me, |

    want him to take control. | don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing and | want him to show me what I don¡¯t know.

    Slowly, | pull away. ¡°Can we shift positions and you kiss me?¡± | ask him shyly. | really want to continue this feeling.

    ¡°Are you sure Lily bud?¡±

    Inod.

    ¡°Words, Lily.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Clint. | want youOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    to kiss me. I... like the way it makes me feel.¡±

    That¡¯s all the encouragement he needs. In an instant, he¡¯s flipped our positions so that he¡¯sying over top of me. His hand

    caresses my face, gently tracing my cheek, pushing some hair out of my face.

    ¡°You are so beautiful.¡±

    Before | can respond, his lips capture mine in a kiss that has me arching up against him. How can a kiss make me feel this

    good?

    His hand slides over my stomach and to my hip, before grabbing hold, like he needs to make his hand stop its exploration.

    His kiss deepens and | run my hands through his hair, grabbing hold, never wanting this kiss to end. | let one hand run over his

    back, pulling him against me. | want to feel the heat of his body, not just his mouth. | want..... more, even though | don¡¯t know

    exactly what ¡®more¡¯ is.

    When he pulls away from me, both of us panting, | miss the feel of him instantly.

    He puts his forehead against mine. ¡°We need to stop Lily bud. | really want you and | only have so much self-control around

    you.¡±

    He rolls off me,ying beside me and | can see just how much our kissing impacted him as it¡¯s poking up toward the sky in his

    shorts. | saw it earlier, too. He seems to like kissing me as much as | like kissing him. He taps his chest for me toy on him.

    When | do, he covers us with a nket and Donovan begins. purring in my ear. Clint runs his fingers through my hair, and it

    doesn¡¯t take long before I¡¯m drifting off to sleep.

    When he wakes me in the morning, it¡¯s the same. We both slept toote and have to rush to my room. Before he leaves, he

    hands me my clothes and pulls me to him for a fiery kiss before winking and telling me he''ll see me in a few minutes. | quickly

    get ready and meet him on the stairs. ¡°I need to go see Alpha Patrick quickly, I''ll meet you at the forest?¡± | say to him. | can tell

    he wants to ask why | need to speak to Alpha Patrick, but he doesn¡¯t, and he agrees to meet me at our usual spot.

    | knock on Alpha Patrick''s door and wait for him to tell me toe in before | enter his office.

    ¡°Lily, is everything okay? I¡¯m surprised to see you this early.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes Alpha. | wasn¡¯t sure, with you being my guardian if I¡¯m supposed to get your approval to go out on the weekends now,

    or if it¡¯s okay for me to just go out.¡±

    ¡°Are we talking about dinner with your friend Calista, or are we talking about something else?¡±

    ¡°Cali and | wanted to go to the bar and grill on packnds on Saturday night. They have dancing there and she thought it would

    be a good idea to blow off some steam and rx for an evening.¡±

    ¡°| would like to know your whereabouts, Lily. Your safety if my primary concern. Will anyone else be going with you on

    Saturday?¡±

    ¡°No, just us.¡±

    ¡°Okay, | will be assigning you a guard. | won¡¯t risk your father or anyone else. trying to take you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. I''ll talk to Cali today and find out what time so you can assign me a guard.¡±

    ¡°Have a nice day, Lily.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha, you too.¡± | say before heading out to meet with Clint.

 Chapter 505

    It took me forever to fall asleepst night. My dick was so hard after kissing Lily that | couldn¡¯t getfortable and with herying

    on my chest, her scent

    surrounding me, and my inability to do anything about it, it took over an hour for my hard on to go away.

    We had a good training session and after breakfast I¡¯m on my way to get ready for school when Patrick mind links me to meet

    him in his office.

    | knock before walking in and sitting across from him.

    ¡°Good morning, Clint.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Patrick.¡±

    He¡¯s not looking at me, he¡¯s looking at some paperwork on his desk.

    ¡°Got ns for Saturday night?¡± Damn, he¡¯s got a job for me, and I was hoping to get Lily to go out with me.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m hoping to make ns. What did

    ¡°I need you on guard duty.¡±

    you need.¡± you

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Probably most of the night.¡±

    I sigh. ¡°Anders?¡±

    ¡°Not this time.¡± He says, finally looking up at me.

    | hear a knock and Anderses in. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up.¡± He says before falling into the seat beside me.

    | look at Anders and then back at Patrick. ¡°What''s going on?¡± | ask.

    He folds his hands together on his desk. ¡°It appears that Calista and Lily are going out on Saturday night, and | need the two of

    you on guard duty. | can¡¯t have anything happening to Lily while she¡¯s under my protection.¡±

    Anders and | look at each other and smile. Best job ever!

    ¡°You got it.¡± Anders says.

    ¡°Yep, always willing to help.¡± | add.

    ¡°Good. That''s all.¡±

    1/3

    +15 BONOSContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Anders and | start to leave, but before | can get out of the office, Patrick calls out. ¡°Oh and Clint, don¡¯t think | don¡¯t know that you

    take Lily to the roof every night. If that bes a problem for her or me, I''ll put an end to it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± | say, knowing it will piss him off.

    ¡°Get out of my office.¡± He scowls and | chuckle before closing the door behind me.

    ¡°You''re taking Lily to the roof every night? For what?¡®

    I shrug. ¡°She can¡¯t sleep. And | sleep much better with her lying beside me.¡±

    ¡°Damn, what | wouldn''t give to sleep beside Calista.¡±

    ¡°Hey, all we do is sleep.¡± | chastise him. | don¡¯t want him to think anything more is going on with Lily.

    ¡°That¡¯s all | meant.¡± He says to me. ¡°Although, | wouldn¡¯t mind a really hot make -out session.¡±

    And immediately, I¡¯m reminded of kissing Lilyst night. Now | need a cold shower. ¡°Well, see you in a few.¡± | say, rushing to my

    room before it¡¯s obvious that my mind went somewhere else.

    The rest of the week goes the same. School is good now that Lily and | are partnering together. We train morning and the

    afternoon, and she gives Patrick a run for his money when he spars with her. Donovan is working Andra hard, and she allows

    him to scent her after every training session. It keeps him calm knowing that every male that shees into contact with can

    smell Donovan¡¯s Guardian scent on her. I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s realized that the males that look at her no longer approach her, but |

    have.

    At night, | get Lily and we sleep on the roof. I¡¯ve added a couple more nkets to make it softer, especially now that she is more

    comfortable with us having long kissing moments before we go to sleep. She still doesn¡¯t like me kissing her in public, but I¡¯ve

    started sneaking kisses at school. It¡¯s just one more way to show the others that are interested in her that she¡¯s mine.

    Studying has be one of my favorite times of the day. My mate is smart, and she challenges me. It¡¯s fun to match wits with

    her and mentally spar after we physically spar in our training sessions. | spend hours with her every day and it¡¯s never enough. |

    could spend every minute of every day with my mate and | would never get tired of being with her.

    | ask her out on Friday, and | can tell that she¡¯s wavering, but she says no. She doesn¡¯t like the idea of a ¡®date¡¯. | don¡¯t think she

    knows that Anders and | are her guards on Saturday, so when she turns me down for Friday, | ask if she''ll join me

    a8)

    +15 BONOS

    for breakfast on Saturday after training. She does agree to that.

    | don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve just be a sappy guy, but over breakfast, | just want to hear her talk. | want to know everything | can about

    her. As she tells me about herself, she needs me to draw it out of her. She obviously isn¡¯t used to talking about herself.

    +15 DONOS

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 0506

    ¡°Favorite color?¡± | ask.

    ¡°Green.¡± She says and 1 don¡¯t understand the blush on her cheeks as she looks down. ¡°Yours?¡± She asks, putting a bite of food

    in her mouth.

    ¡°Mine used to be green as well, but now it¡¯s azure blue, the color of your eyes.¡±

    Those eyes connect with mine,ser focused to see if I¡¯m lying. I¡¯m not. And when her blush darkens, | realize that her favorite

    color may be because of my eyes too.

    ¡°Favorite flower?¡±

    She snorts. ¡°You''re expecting me to say lily?*.

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m asking. I¡¯m not assuming anything.¡±

    ¡°Tulips, actually.¡±

    ¡°Favorite food?¡±

    ¡°Lasagna. Yours?¡±

    ¡°BBQ ribs.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, a good option for sure.¡±

    ¡°Favorite activity?¡±

    ¡°Training.¡±

    ¡°Training?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Yeah. | love being strong. | love being tough and giving you guys a little unexpectedpetition.¡±

    | have to smile at that. She definitely surprised me.

    ¡°Why, what''s your favorite activity?¡±

    Hmmm, this is dangerous territory. Previously | would have said sex. Now, it¡¯s different.

    ¡°Kissing you.¡±

    She gives me a ¡®you''ve got to be kidding me¡¯ look.

    ¡°I''m serious. You¡¯ve seen my response to you. It¡¯s not exactly something | can hide.¡±

    1/3

    ¡°Please. With your reputation, you have that response to any female.¡±

    | lean in toward her across the table. ¡°Do you want to know the truth?¡±

    She looks hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t know, do 1?¡±

    | crook my finger at her, encouraging her to get closer and | lower my voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never had this strong of a reaction to kissing a

    woman. Everything about you makes me want more of you, Lily.¡±

    She looks a little dazed for a moment before replying. ¡°Well, you can want more, but you won¡¯t be getting it from me.¡±

    I smirk at her. ¡°Yes, you''re very vocal about that. Doesn¡¯t matter. | want you, no one else interests me. I''ll take whatever parts of

    you you''re willing to share with me.¡±

    ¡°You''re pretty smooth, you know that?¡± She asks me.

    I shrug. ¡°When ites to you, I¡¯m nothing but honest.¡±

    ¡°Future ns?¡± | get back to my questioning.

    ¡°That one is tough. | always wanted to be a warrior, maybe a Lead Warrior. But now, being a Guardian, | don¡¯t know what that

    means for me.¡± She shrugs and takes another bite of food. ¡°I do know that | want to find my mate, have some pups, make a

    happy life for my family and be a strong warrior that can protect not only my family but also my pack.¡±

    ¡°How many pups do you want?¡±

    Sheughs at me. ¡°Hoping I''ll scare you off?¡±

    ¡°| told you, you''re stuck with me for the rest of your life. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Really curious, since I¡¯m her mate and I¡¯m wondering

    how many pups are in my future. If she says ten, | might choke, but I know | could never say no to her.

    ¡°Two or three maybe. I¡¯d like to have a boy and a girl at least.¡± She smirks at me. ¡°What about you? How many pups do you

    want?¡±

    I lean into her again. She won''t understand just yet, but she will when the timees. ¡°As many as my mate will let me put in

    her belly.¡±

    She snorts. ¡°Let¡¯s hope she, at least, has some restraint. Otherwise, we''ll have a baby boom of little Clints running around.¡±

    ¡°| could only be so lucky. But something tells me my mate is going to be very good at keeping me in check.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    She raises her eyebrow at me. ¡°Really? You think you¡¯re that easily tamed?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t think much of me, Lily bud. And I

    do hope to change that. But believe me when | tell you that I¡¯ve never wanted anything more in my life than my fated mate. |

    believe, very strongly, that the Moon Goddess pairs us with the person who is perfect for us. | will treasure my mate with every

    fiber of my being. | will love her like I''ve never loved anyone. She will be my everything. There will be no need for her to tame

    me. I''ll be hers from the moment | find her.¡±

    ¡°Damn Clint. Keep it up and even | might start wishing to be your mate.¡± She says,ughing at her joke.

    Oh Lily bud, if you only knew.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Clint and Lily¡¯s growing romance? Updates daily, but remember, I¡¯m in the path of a hurricane

    tan they will resume when | get power back.

    so

 Chapter 507

    Okay, Clint confessing that his mate will be his everything made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. | almost want to be his mate if

    that¡¯s really how he feels. I¡¯ve never wanted to be with him, but the way he talks about his mate makes me consider changing my

    mind.

    When we get back to the packhouse, | go to my room and look for an outfit for tonight. Cali ising over and we''ll get ready

    together before we meet up with my guards for the evening. It¡¯s nothing fancy, but | also like to make sure | look good when | go

    out. You never know when you''re going to meet your mate. Not that I¡¯m old enough yet to know, but if he¡¯s there, better to make

    a good first impression. And who knows, maybe Clint will show up.

    So, I¡¯m wearing a ck fringe romper with ck high heels. Calista chose her usual elegance, with a colorful sequined dress

    that looks great on her. She¡¯s wearing gold heels and we¡¯ve both done up our hair. I¡¯m leaving mine down in its usual fat curls,

    but Calista has straightened her dark blond hair, so it falls to the top of her butt cheeks. After making sure our makeup is wless

    and grabbing our small purses, we head downstairs.

    As we walk down the stairs, | see Alpha Patrick talking to Anders and Clint. Clint is wearing a ck t shirt that looks like it was

    painted on him and ck jeans. The whole outfit makes him look sexy and dangerous. The only difference in his outfit and

    Anders¡¯ is that Anders is wearing a jacket. Where Clint looks like a Calvin Klein model, Anders looks like a movie star.

    | feel Calista reach over and squeeze my hand. She¡¯s not immune to how great they look either and as | look around, | see the

    covetous looks of every she¡ªwolf in the room. No worries girls, they aren¡¯t here for us.

    ¡°Good evening, Alpha.¡± | say to Alpha Patrick. | turn and nod my head, acknowledging Clint and Anders.

    | hear Clint growl. ¡°What are you wearing?¡±

    | frown at him, then look down at myself. ¡°It¡¯s a romper.¡±

    ¡°You look lovely, Calista.¡± Anders says to her.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. It looks like the two of you have dates tonight. | hope you have a nice evening.¡± She links her arm through

    mine. ¡°We certainly n to.¡±

    I can tell Cali¡¯s hiding her jealousy. I¡¯m right there with her. Clint and Anders. have been showing us so much attention, it almost

    felt as though they really

    wanted to date us. Yet, here they are, ready to take out some other she¡ª-wolves. Not only are they going out, but they¡¯re dressed

    to impress.

    | turn to look at Alpha Patrick. ¡°Alpha, we''re ready to go. Who did you have in mind to be my guards tonight?¡±

    Alpha Patrick smiles at me like I¡¯m missing the joke. ¡°You''re looking at them, Lily.¡±

    My head whips around to look at Clint and Anders, and | hear Calista gasp.

    ¡°You two are my guards?¡± | ask.

    Clints smiles at me with a Cheshire Cat grin. ¡°Yep.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Anders looks at Cali. ¡°| guess that makes you my date.¡± He says and holds his

    arm out to her.

    She looks at me then unlinks her arm from me and links it with Anders. Clintes up to me and does the same. | link my arm

    through his. | know it¡¯s my imagination, but | swear | can hear hissing from every female in the room. The jealousy that Cali and |

    are going out with the two most eligible bachelors in the pack is thick in the air.

    Anders has his father¡¯s SUV, and both he and Clint open the passenger doors for us. Once we are in our seats, they walk around

    to the other side, Anders sliding into the driver¡¯s seat and Clint sliding in beside me.

    ¡°So, where to?¡± Anders says.

    ¡°Dark Moon. They have a ce where we can get some food andter we can go. dance.¡± Cali tells him.

    He smiles at her, and | know that look. It¡¯s the look that Clint gives me. When | turn to look at Clint, he¡¯s frowning down at my

    legs. | look down seeing nothing wrong. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Those may be shorts, but they are awfully short.¡±

    ¡°Well then, | guess you''ll earn your money tonight, making sure no guy puts his hands on me.¡± | joke.

    His answering snarl is anything but yful. ¡°No one will touch you.¡±

    ¡°Geez, | was kidding. Rx.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, rx Clint. Lily looks great. If you¡¯re going to be a wet nket, we¡¯re

    going to leave you at home and let Anders be Lily¡¯s bodyguard tonight.¡± Cali tells him.

    +15 BONDS

    | watch Clint look at Anders through the rearview mirror as Anders gives him a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He says grumpily before turning

    to me. ¡°But don¡¯t be surprised if I¡¯m snarling at guys all night. You look entirely too sexy.¡±

    | blink at him. Was that apliment? Is he.... is he jealous that other guys may look at me tonight? That¡¯s kind of sweet.

    ¡°Well then, | may have to snarl at some she¡ª-wolves because you look entirely too sexy, too.¡±

    His smile is smug and mischievous. ¡°You think | look sexy?¡±

    | shake my head at him. ¡°You know you do. Don¡¯t go fishing forpliments.¡±

    +15 BONDS

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 0508

    ¡°| may think | look good, but I¡¯m d to know I look good to you.¡±

    We arrive at the club and walk into the restaurant side. The music here is quieter, but it¡¯s still loud, preparing you to go into the

    dance club side of the business. We get a table and order food.

    Dinner is actually enjoyable. We all get along well, and the conversationes easily. I¡¯ve not spent a lot of time with Anders,

    but | can see that his father has done a good job of training him to be the next Alpha. He¡¯s good at putting you at ease, keeping

    the conversation going and the dynamics between him and Clint are fun to watch. They act like brothers, antagonizing yet still

    supporting each other. Cali and |ugh a lot during dinner and they both seem thrilled to have elicited ourughter and smiles.

    When we finish, it¡¯s still a bit early to go to the club, so we get a high-top table at the bar. Since we''re at a shifter club, the

    drinking age is much younger than the human bars. It¡¯s why wee here.

    ¡°So Lily, why don¡¯t you tell Calista that she should agree to go out with me. Anders says.

    ¡°Cali can make up her own mind, Anders.¡±

    ¡°You went out with Clint and that seemed to go well.¡± He retorts.

    1

    Cali turns to me. ¡°You went out with Clint?¡± She looks offended. | hadn¡¯t had a chance to tell her yet.

    ¡°We had breakfast this morning. | haven''t had a chance to talk to you about it yet.¡± | give her a meaningful look.

    ¡°| had a great time. | hope you did too, Lily bud.¡± Clint says.

    I turn to look at Clint.

    ¡°Lily bud?¡± Cali asks.

    He smiles, but his eyes never leave mine. ¡°It¡¯s my name for Lily. She¡¯s my Lily bud.¡±

    | look at Clint. ¡°I¡¯m not your anything.¡± | retort.

    ¡°You''re my trainee, you¡¯re myb partner, you¡¯re my study¡ªbuddy...should | go on?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    I roll my eyes at him.

    ¡°So, Calista Johns, you really won¡¯t agree to go out with me?¡± Anders asks her.

    ¡°Anders...¡±

    He holds up his hands, looking irritated. ¡°Clint, can | see you for a moment.¡± He says and they walk away.

    ¡°Oh my goddess. Do you think that | offended him?¡± Cali asks me.

    ¡°| would have to say yes. He¡¯s an Alpha. He¡¯s not used to being turned down.¡±

    As we''re talking, the music in the bar turns off. Cali and | look around.

    ¡°What''s going on?¡±

    It''s quiet fora moment, then we hear the sound of horrible singing.

    ¡°Love, | get so lost sometimes

    Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart¡±

    ¡°Oh my goddess, is that someone singing karoke? They''re terrible.¡±

    We look around. Anders has a microphone and is walking toward us. Clint is

    walking beside him, and he has a....is that a boombox that he¡¯s carrying over his head?

    ¡°When | want to run away, | drive off in my car

    But whichever way | go

    |e back to the ce you are, Cali.¡±

    ¡°Are they singing that song from ¡®Say Anything''?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Oh yeah. And Clint has the damn boombox. Where did he even get one?

    ¡°Oh my goddess, Anders is so...¡±

    ¡°Awtul.¡± | finish for her.

    ¡°Really, terribly awful.¡± She says.

    | know we''re both frowning, looking at him.

    | turn to Clint as Anders continues his assault on our ears. He has a smug look on his face, acting the perfect wingman to his

    best friend and Alpha.

    | shake my head at him and the brightest smile I''ve ever seen breaks across his. face.

    ¡°In your eyes, Cali

    +15 BONDS

    The light, the heat (in your eyes)

    | amplete, Cali (in your eyes)

    I see the doorway (in your eyes)

    To a thousand churches, Cali (in your eyes)

    The resolution (in your eyes)

    Of all the fruitless searches (in your eyes)¡±

    Clint is singing the background ¡®in your eyes¡®. His voice is about a thousand times better than Anders who sounds like he¡¯s tone

    deaf.

    ¡°Oh, | see the light and the heat (in your eyes)

    Oh, | wanna take you on a date, Cali

    | wanna take you anywhere you want to go, Cali

    Please go on a date with me, Cali.¡±

    Anders starts to go off song, specifically asking Cali to go out with him.

    The entire ce has started telling Cali to say yes. Now they are starting to beg her so Anders will stop singing. Really, it''s that

    bad.

    ¡°For the love of the goddess and all that¡¯s holy Cali, please say yes and put all of us out of our misery.¡±

    ¡°Okay! I''ll go out with you!¡± She says.

    ¡°Oh thank the goddess! | wasn¡¯t sure how much more my ears could take.¡± Clint says, lowering the boombox.

    Anders turns off the microphone and looks at Cali. ¡°Really, you''ll go out with me?¡±

    ¡°Only if you promise to NEVER sing again.¡± The entire ce cheers at that. Clint takes the microphone and returns it and the

    boombox to goddess only knows where and the music starts up again.

    Anders looks like the happiest man on the. ¡°Are you ready to He asks us, but he¡¯s looking at Cali.

    go

    dance?¡±

    She looks at me before turning back. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 509

    I''m so thankful that Calista agreed to go on a date with Anders. His voice is the worst voice I¡¯ve ever heard in my life. For a man

    who is so good at so many

    things, he¡¯s terrible at singing.

    My mate looks so fucking sexy tonight. It took all of my self-restraint not to throw her over my shoulder and take her upstairs to

    change. I¡¯ve already had to snarl at several wolves who were looking at what is mine. | hate that she¡¯s not old enough to wear

    my mark. At least she still smells like Donovan. It¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s keeping him from going off tonight.

    When we get inside the dance club, the music is thumping. | lean down to speak in Lily¡¯s ear. ¡°Do you want a drink, or do you

    want to dance?¡±

    ¡°Dance!¡± She yells over the music.

    | look at Anders and it looks like Calista wants to dance as well. We follow them out to the dance floor, and | post up against the

    wall, watching over my mate. Anders moves to a raised stage area so he can look out over the crowd.

    The girls begin dancing together. | periodically growl lowly when someone starts to approach them and once, | have to go up and

    physically push a guy away. A club bounceres up to me, ready to throw me out. | sh Donovan''s golden eyes at him, and

    he puts his hands up and walks away. After that, no one messes with either of them.

    Lily just shakes her head at me. She''s moving in a way that | can¡¯t watch for too long. She may be inexperienced in sex, but she

    seems to inherently know how to move in a way that makes every man here want her. She¡¯s sensual and sexy in her movements

    and it¡¯s effortless. She¡¯s not trying to be sexy, she¡¯s just enjoying being with her friend and swaying her body to the music.

    When a slow songes on, Anders and | move in. | take Lily¡¯s arm, turning her and pulling her arm around my neck while | pull

    her body against mine. | begin swaying to the music. She wraps her other arm around my neck, and she leans in so our cheeks

    are touching.

    | wrap my arms around her waist, my hands touching her skin and | close my eyes just enjoying her orange and ginger scent.

    Her body fits perfectly against mine. We sway for a moment before | pull back and look at her. | lean in and press my lips against

    hers. | feel her body tense at such a public disy, but it only takes a minute for her to tilt her head, giving me ess to her

    mouth. Her fingers go into my hair, her nails scraping down my scalp, sending goosebumps

    over my skin.

    | slide my tongue into her mouth, loving her taste. | forget where we are, | tune out the music. There is only her and me, her body

    pressed against mine and this delicious taste. | could stay here in this moment forever.

    But, unfortunately, that¡¯s not in the n. Calistaes over, tapping Lily on the back. ¡°Come with me to the bathroom.¡± She yells

    over the music. | haven''t let Lily go yet, so when she turns around, | give her a quick kiss on her lips and release her. They turn

    and head toward the bathrooms. Anders and | follow.

    Lily sees me and turns. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We''re in charge of your safety. Anders and | will be waiting outside the bathroom for you two.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°| take protection detail very seriously.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°It''ll be a minute. This romper isn¡¯t easy to get off and on.¡±

    ¡°Need some help?¡± | smirk at her.

    ¡°Cali will help, thanks.¡± She says before walking into the bathroom with Cali.

    Anders and | lean against the wall opposite the bathroom. ¡°So, Lily seemed very receptive to that kiss.¡±

    I shrug. | love Anders like a brother, but my rtionship with Lily is private. It was never an issue before, but none of the other

    women were my mate. Lily is. different, she is special.

    ¡°| hope Calista gets to that point with me.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°Did you kiss her?¡± | ask him, noticing that he¡¯s looking a bit forlorn.

    ¡°It was a quick peck. | could tell Lily kissing you like she did was a surprise for Cali.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t happen overnight with me and Lily. Give it time and let her go at her pace. | think that¡¯s the key.¡±

    He nods as theye back out. Lily is shifting around in her outfit. ¡°We''re going to get a drink.¡± She says, starting to walk past

    me.

    | grab her, pulling her in front of me and untying the ties on the back of her romper. ¡°Hold on.¡±

    I retie them, shifting it so it¡¯s even. ¡°Better?¡± | ask her.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°Much, thank you.¡±

    We walk up to the bar and Anders turns around to us. ¡°What do

    ¡°Water.¡± Lily answers immediately.

    you want?¡±

    ¡°Two.¡± | tell him. It takes a lot to get me drunk, but if my mate is drinking water,

    then so am I.

    She and Calista down their water in three gulps and then they are ready to go back out on the dance floor. The rest of the night

    is the same. Lily and Calista dance to the fast songs, and when a slow songes on, | pull Lily into a dance and kiss her until

    one ofes back to reality.

    When they call it a night, we head back to the packhouse. Calista is staying over with Lily since we were out sote. Anders and

    | walk them to Lily¡¯s room. As Anders is saying goodnight to Calista, | pull Lily in close. ¡°Will | see youter?¡± | whisper quietly.

    She looks at me and nods, before reaching up and kissing me again.

    There¡¯s a throat clearing that makes me pull away and turn to look at Lily''s door. Calvin. Fucking cockblocker.

    ¡°Anders, Clint. It''s after hours.¡±

    ¡°We''re going.¡± Anders says, before sneaking in a quick kiss with Calista. Her eyes go wide but she doesn¡¯t look unhappy about

    the kiss. | don¡¯t have to sneak a kiss, but | lean in, pecking Lily¡¯s lips and whispering. ¡°See you soon.¡±

    Anders and | walk out, Calvin waiting at the door for us to leave before he wishes the girls goodnight and closes their door.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡± He says to us, meaningfully.

    ¡°Night Calvin.¡± We say in unison as we walk to the stairs.

    We walk upstairs and I¡¯m anxious to shower and get to the roof.

    ¡°Best job ever.¡± Anders says.

    ¡°Definitely.¡± | reply. ¡°When are you taking Calista out?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯m taking her out in the afternoon, then to dinner then to the overlook.¡±

    ¡°Have fun. And do us all a favor. Don¡¯t sing to her!¡± | say before going to my room to get ready to sleep with my mate.

 Chapter 510

    ¡°Lily! Oh my goddess! What was that tonight?¡±

    As soon as the guys left my room, Cali jumped on me.

    ¡°What? I¡¯ve kissed Clint a few times. He¡¯s a really good kisser.¡±

    ¡°Lily, do you realize that you would kiss from through like four songs?¡±

    Okay, no, | didn¡¯t realize that.

    ¡°What happened to not giving in to them?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I''m not giving in to him. I¡¯ve been very clear that | won¡¯t have sex with him, and he doesn¡¯t push it. He¡¯s actually been rather

    sweet about it. He doesn¡¯t push me to do more than I¡¯mfortable with.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°Did you kiss Anders tonight?¡± | ask her.

    Her blush is answer enough, but | want to hear her say it.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She turns away from me, grabbing her nightgown. ¡°But nothing like what you and Clint did.¡±

    ¡°Was he a good kisser?¡± | ask her, ignoring herment about me and Clint.

    She turns and looks at me. ¡°Yeah, he was.¡± She says with a smile.

    ¡°When is your date?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow. He wants to take me out, then dinner, then a surprise.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to let him kiss you again?¡±

    ¡°Do you think he wants to?¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡± | tell her.

    ¡°It''s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. Now, I¡¯m going to shower then I¡¯m going to meet Clint on the roof. You can sleep in my bed, I''ll be gone all night.¡±

    ¡°Lily, | thought you said you were only kissing him and not giving in to him.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s all we do, Cali, things with my family have been awful and | was scared, and he¡¯s been there for me. | sleep better

    beside him.¡±

    ¡°You''re falling for him, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    1.2

    I shrug. | am, but saying it out loud makes it more real.

    She gives me a knowing look. ¡°Oh yeah, you are totally falling for him. Wait! Do you think he¡¯s your mate?¡±

    I sit on the bed beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t know Cali, but | have to say, after hearing him talk about his mate, | don¡¯t think it would be a

    bad thing if | was.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°When we were at breakfast we talked about all sorts of things. He told me that his mate would be his everything, that he would

    love her more than anything else in the world.¡±

    Cali''s eyes go wide, and | can tell appreciates the sentiment as much as | do. ¡± Whoa, he said that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and Cali? | could tell he meant it. He was so serious, like finding his mate was the most important thing for him.¡±

    ¡°So, wait, if you¡¯re his mate, then he¡¯s talking about you. But if you''re not...¡± She trails off.

    ¡°Yeah, | need to be careful that | don¡¯t fall for him. But it¡¯s so hard. He¡¯s different than | expected. When we train, he¡¯s hardcore,

    pushing me to my limits but never letting me fall and never pushing me too hard. When we''re in ss or studying, he pushes me

    mentally. He¡¯s really smart and you know that¡¯s a total turn on for me. And then when it¡¯s just the two of us, he¡¯s so sweet. And

    his kisses. Cali, the things that man can do with his tongue.¡±

    She and | break down into giggles, falling back onto the bed.

    ¡°Well then, go shower and go sleep with your man.¡±

    I sit up, looking down at her. ¡°He¡¯s not my man.¡±

    ¡°Sure sounds like he is.¡± She says, giving me her knowing smile.

    ¡°I''m starting to really hope that | am his mate. | think he¡¯d make a great mate.¡± | say smiling, before | get up and head to the

    shower.

    When I''m done, | put on my shorts and nightshirt and head to the window. ¡°No one shoulde by, but if they do...¡±

    ¡°You''re in the bathroom and | think maybe you ate something that didn¡¯t agree with you. No telling how long you''ll be in there.¡±

    She finishes smiling at me.

    2/2Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 511

    ¡°You''re the best Cali. | had a great time tonight. We should do it again soon.¡± | say, hugging my best friend.

    ¡°Works for me. | like staying here in the packhouse. | get all the good gossip.¡±

    | head up to the roof and Clint is there, waiting for me.

    He turns when | get to the top, rushing over to help me. ¡°There you are. | was beginning to wonder if | needed toe get you.¡±

    ¡°Nope. | was just catching up with Cali.¡±

    Heys down, patting his chest for me toy on him. ¡°Telling her what a great kisser Lam?¡± He asks smugly.

    ¡°Actually, yes.¡± | say and | delight in the shocked look on his face. He hadn¡¯t expected me to admit it.

    ¡°What else did you tell her about me?¡±

    |y my head on his chest, looking at the stars. ¡°That | sleep on the roof with you every night.¡±

    His hand goes into my hair, and | can¡¯t help the moan that escapes my lips. how did Cali take that bit of information.¡±

    ¡°And

    ¡°Well, at first, she was concerned that I¡¯d given into your whoring ways and was having sex with you. But when | told her that

    wasn''t the case, she was surprised, but happy that I¡¯m happy.¡±

    He lifts my chin so I¡¯m looking up at him. ¡°Are you happy?¡±

    I nod. ¡°I am.¡±

    His smile lights up the night. ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    He leans down and we end up kissing until we both pull away, panting. get some sleep Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight Clint, thanks for watching over me tonight.¡±

    ¡°It would be my pleasure to watch over you every night, Lily bud.¡±

    Donovan starts purring in my ear and that¡¯s all it takes to send me into dreand.

    Time to

    I''m kissing Clint. His tongue ying with mine as he expertly teases me. He pulls

    away and begins kissing down my neck, his teeth grazing across my

    | gasp and arch my back. Nothing has ever felt so good as his teeth on the spot where my mate will mark me.

    | moan, wanting something more, but | don¡¯t know what it is. His lipse back to mine, and | begin to move against him. | can

    feel something building inside. me, a heat like I¡¯ve never experienced before. I¡¯m whimpering, pushing my body against him,

    trying to find a release for this heat, this pressure.

    ¡°Lily.¡± He says, softly in my ear, and it only makes the heat grow.

    | moan again, rubbing my body against him.

    ¡°Lily!¡± He says more loudly.

    | jolt awake and realize that I''m rubbing myself against Clint and he was calling my name, trying to wake me up.

    ¡°Oh my goddess!¡± | say and | move to jump up, but Clint rolls over, settling himself over top of me, lying between my legs.

    ¡°What were you dreaming about, Lily?¡± He asks, his nose rubbing up and down against mine.

    ¡°Ummmm...¡±

    ¡°I''m happy to make whatever fantasy you were havinge true.¡± He says, before leaning down and kissing me.

    ¡°Aren''t wete for training?¡± | ask, noticing that for once, the sky isn¡¯t too light.

    ¡°We have time. But it¡¯s up to you. You sounded like you were aching for a release.¡±

    My eyes snap back to his. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He looks at me for a moment. ¡°Have you ever had an orgasm, Lily?¡±

    ¡°Ummm...¡± | shake my head no. Having werewolf parents isn¡¯t exactly conducive to learning how to get yourself off.

    He rubs his nose against my neck before sliding his lips to my ear. ¡°Would you let me help you find your release?¡±

    I lick my lips, not sure how to answer. ¡°Will it hurt?¡±

    ¡°| promise | will make you feel good, there won''t be any pain.¡±

    ¡°|....!''m not ready to have sex.¡± | tell him.

    ¡°Lily bud, there is so much we can do that isn¡¯t having sex. | just need to know

    +15 BONOSContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    that you''re okay with it.¡±

    My body is aching. Andra is in my head begging me to let him make us feel better.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 512

    ¡°No sex?¡±

    ¡°No sex.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± | tell him. | have wanted that ¡®more¡¯ for a while now. | just have no idea

    what that is.

    Clint begins kissing my neck. ¡°Tell me what you were dreaming.¡±

    Oh no! | don¡¯t want him to know that | was thinking of him marking me.

    ¡°We were kissing.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmmm.¡± He says, licking and sucking on my neck.

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°Ummmm, you were kissing my neck.¡±

    ear to my corbone.¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡± He asks and begins kissing his way from my ear to my

    ¡°Yes.¡± | say and it sounds breathy, needy.

    ¡°Then what.¡±

    ¡°| started to feel warm, like something was building inside me.¡±

    TContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Where did you feel warm, Lily bud?¡±

    This was so embarrassing, but his kisses had started the ache building in me again.

    ¡°Between my legs.¡±

    He lifts his head and I¡¯m ready for him to be disgusted by me. But that¡¯s not the look on his face at all. Instead, he looks like he

    wants to devour me. He slides his hands down my chest, plucking a nipple. ¡°Here?¡±

    | moan, arching into his hand. ¡°That¡¯s...that¡¯s not where the heat is.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, too bad, your breasts are beautiful.¡±

    His hand continues to move over my stomach, sliding under my sleep shorts. | gasp as he pushes them down, giving himself

    ess. His hand stops and he looks at me. ¡°Tell me to stop at any point Lily bud. If not, I¡¯m going to keep going.¡±

    He waits, giving me a chance to tell him to stop, before his fingers slide between my thighs. The feel of him, pushing against the

    exact spot where my heat is

    +15 BONOS

    pulsing has my eyes rolling back into my head.

    ¡°Right there.¡± | whisper.

    ¡°You''re so fucking wet, Lily. Fuek.¡± | look at him and his teeth are clenched.

    He begins rubbing his fingers over my clit and the feeling has me moaning loudly. He takes my mouth with his, swallowing my

    moans as he continues rubbing his fingers in a rhythm that has my body quivering. When he slides a finger inside me, my eyes

    fly open and he pulls back, watching me as he slowly slides his finger in and out.

    ¡°So fucking tight.¡± He says, but it¡¯s a growl, deep in his chest.

    | whimper at the sound and the feeling, all of it pushing me to a point where | feel like I¡¯m about to explode. When he moves his

    finger back to my clit, he leans down, licking my nipple through my top. My body clenches and I feel my nipple harden. He sucks

    it into his mouth, gently tugging on it with his lips while continuing the movements of his fingers. | feel myself getting closer to...

    something.

    Clint sits back up, looking down at me as his fingers start to move faster. ¡°I want to watch youe undone for me Lily bud. |

    want to see you fall apart.¡±

    ¡°Clint, 1...¡±

    | don¡¯t know what | was about to say, but just then, he slips his finger back inside me, using the heel of his hand to continue

    rubbing my clit and that is all it takes. My body arches, an explosion goes off behind my eyes and I¡¯m on the verge screaming out

    when Clint¡¯s mouth takes mine in a fiery kiss, so full of passion. and promise that | can¡¯t do anything but grab onto him and ride

    out the pleasure that I¡¯m feeling.

    Slowly, he brings me back down, his kiss bing gentle and loving. When he finally pulls back, sliding his hand out of my

    shorts, he watches me as he sucks. my juices off his finger. ¡°So good.¡± He says, before leaning down to kiss me. | can taste

    myself on his lips.

    ¡°Time to get up for training, Lily bud.¡± | look up and realize that while | was having the most fantastic moment of my life, the sun

    has started to rise.

    Clint stands up, holding out his hand to me. ¡°Come on, I''ll make sure you get back to your room safely.¡±

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 513

    Waking up to Lily moaning and rubbing herself against me was the second-best moment of my life. The first was when | watched

    her beautiful facee undone.

    at

    my touch. Her lips parting, her eyes rolling back into her head and then her inner walls mping down hard on my finger.

    Knowing | gave her her first orgasm only makes me and Donovan feel more possessive of her. | want to be her first everything.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    After dropping her off, | jump into the shower and relive our morning as | take care of my painful erection. The thought of one day

    being able to have slide inside. her while | sink my teeth into her neck has meing again.

    Since it¡¯s Sunday, | want to see if | can get Lily to spend the day with me after training. Maybe since Anders is taking Calista out,

    | can get Lily to go out on a real date with me. When | get to the stairs, | see Lily and Calista already walking down.

    ¡°Good morning,dies.¡± | say as | jog down to join them. | watch the beautiful blush that creeps up Lily¡¯s cheeks before | turn to

    Calista. ¡°Are you joining us for training today?¡±

    ¡°Oh no. | haven''t been to training in years. I''m headed home. See youter Lily. Bye Clint.¡± She says hugging Lily before heading

    out. Lily and | turn toward the back of the packhouse to head to the forest.

    | throw my arm around her shoulder. ¡°So, after training, do you want to go get lunch, or maybe we could go get dinner tonight,

    since Calista will be busy with Anders?¡± | ask.

    | feel her tense under my arm and when | look around, | can see the jealous looks on multiple she¡ª-wolves faces. Too bad. None

    of them hold a candle to my mate.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know, Clint. We spent a lot of time together yesterday and | have to study tonight. We have that chemistry test this week.¡±

    ¡°Then, how about we get dinner, thene back and study together. I¡¯m your chem partner, so | my grade impacts yours, right?¡±

    | don''t care if we''re studying, reading, or dining, | just want to spend more time with my mate.

    She turns her head, looking up at me. ¡°You''re very persistent.¡±

    I stop, pulling her to face me. ¡°I know what | want. | want you, and | want to spend time with you. As much time as you''ll give

    me.¡± She looks away from me sighing.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°What?¡± | ask her. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°| believe you. | just wonder how long it will be before you get tired of me and move on.¡± Her honesty, while sometimes brutal, is

    also helpful for me to

    understand where her mind is.

    ¡°How many times do | have to tell you, Lily bud. You''re stuck with me forever.¡± This time, she doesn¡¯t tell me what she¡¯s thinking

    and I¡¯m not sure | like the look on her face. I¡¯m about to ask her what it means, when a howl goes up. Rogues.

    ¡°Stay here!¡± | shout before jumping and shifting mid-air, running for the border.

    Amomentter, | hear paws pounding behind me. | turn and see Andra running to catch up.

    ¡°| told you to stay behind!¡± | mind link her.

    ¡°And I¡¯m a warrior. I¡¯m not letting them attack our pack and hurt out pack members.¡± She links back.

    | don¡¯t have time to argue as | can hear the fighting up ahead. There are enough rogues that they have outmatched our patrols. |

    jump into the fray without thinking twice, grabbing a rogue by his throat, ripping it out while | pull him off one of our patrols.

    From the corner of my eye, | see Andra doing something simr, pulling rogues off our pack members, tearing into their nks,

    necks and sides, whatever she can reach. She and | are working well together, taking down rogues when another wave of them

    comes crashing through the trees.

 Chapter 514

    We turn our attention to the new wolvesing in, tearing into them. | hear her grunt and | know she¡¯s taken a hit at the same

    moment that | feel ws slide down my side. | turn, grabbing onto the back of the rogue¡¯s neck, Donovan shaking his head

    ferociously, breaking his neck.

    We''re surrounded, Lily and | are back-to-back, protecting each other when the rest of the pack finally arrives, Anders and

    Patrick in the front. | immediately go back on the offensive, tearing into rogues, ripping them apart, and keeping an eye on Lily,

    making sure she doesn¡¯t get hurt too badly.

    When the battle is finally over, we all reconvene next to Zed, Patrick¡¯s wolf. Suddenly, several warriors shift back, and | realize

    they are all looking from Donovan to Andra.

    ¡°We have two Guardians?¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, when did that happen?¡±

    ¡°No one can defeat our pack now.¡±

    More warriors start to shift back and Donovan snarls, moving to stand in front of Andra. Patrick shifts back as well.

    ¡°No one will speak of this to anyone outside the pack. That isOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    dura

    my Alpha

    command.¡± He says and | can feel his pushing out over the warriors. It

    doesn¡¯t affect Donovan or Andra, but | watch as they all expose their necks in submission to their Alpha.

    ¡°If | may Alpha, why wouldn¡¯t we want anyone to know that we have two Guardians in our pack?¡±

    Patrick sighs, looking at me. | growl at him. | don¡¯t want them to know who it is, but there¡¯s really no way to keep it a secret now.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s underage and it puts her at risk of being kidnapped by another pack to force her into a mate bond.¡±

    They all look back at Andra again, eliciting another snarl from Donovan.

    The Lead Warrior, Lyle, puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. ¡°Donovan, she¡¯s a pack member, We would never hurt her.

    And if I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s Andra. Lily goes to school with my son, Lucas. As the Lead Warrior, it would also be my job to

    protect her from anyone that wanted to take her against her will from this pack. | guess this exins why she¡¯s been moved to

    the packhouse.¡±

    ¡°It''s not the only reason, but it is the main reason.¡± Patrick says.

    . As he¡¯s talking, | see Lily¡¯s father¡¯s wolf, Gideon,ing forward. Aaron may be a total shit to his daughter, but Gideon is

    obviously proud that his daughter is a body, keeping myself between him and Lily.

    Guardian. He stops when | shift¡±

    He looks at me before turning to Andra and nodding his head at her,

    acknowledging her.

    Andra moves to walk up beside me. Donovan reaches over and gently nips at her shoulder, wanting her to stay away from

    Gideon, not trusting Aaron. She stops. and the strange dynamics do not go unnoticed by the other warriors. There is no reason |

    should be keeping an underaged she-wolf from her father. Not only am | keeping him away, but Gideon isn¡¯t fighting it and it¡¯s

    obvious that, while several of us knew she was a Guardian, her father did not.

    As we stand there, | hear Patrick send out a mind link to the entire pack. Not everyone was here to get his Alphamand. It

    would be simple for say, Aaron, to get Lily¡¯s mother to tell someone outside the pack about their daughter being a Guardian.

    Therefore, Patrick sends the Alphamand to the entire pack all at

    once.

    Gideon chuffs at Andra before turning and walking off toward his home.

    Cooper

    Author

    Well, the wolf''s out of the bag now. Everyone knows that Lily and Andra are Guardians, including her father.

    2

    +16 BOOS

 Chapter 515

    When the rogues attacked, | didn¡¯t think twice about jumping in to help. Clint¡¯s stupidmand to stay behind wasn¡¯t one | had

    any intention of listening to. I¡¯m a warrior, that¡¯s my job.

    What | hadn¡¯t thought through was that once | shifted, everyone would know that Andra is a Guardian. Her golden eyes would

    give us away. During the fight,

    everyone was too busy to notice, but once it was over, the warriors noticed it quickly.

    I''ve sparred with Lyle. He¡¯s a good man and a great warrior. Obviously, | know. his son Lucas well too, since he wanted to take

    me on a date. | trust that Lyle means what he says when he tells Donovan that he will keep me safe. I''m not exactly sure about

    the other warriors. If anything, I¡¯m in for a bunch of wolves suddenly showing me a lot of interest. The attention is unwanted, but

    I''m not. sure there is anything | can do about it.

    As a Guardian, | would make a powerful mate. It¡¯s why I¡¯m thankful that Alpha Patrick gives his Alphamand to keep this

    information in the pack. I¡¯d have to go into lockdown for the next 6 weeks until | turn 18, or even longer if my mate. isn¡¯t in this

    pack if word got out that an unmated, underage female Guardian was in our pack.

    | appreciate Donovan''s protectiveness. The immediate attention that is turned on me by every unmated male warrior in our pack

    is daunting. However, when he tries to keep Gideon from Andra, | need to let Gideon know that | don¡¯t hold him. responsible for

    my father¡¯s actions. He is a good wolf, stuck with a man who has an addiction. | know Gideon would never hurt me or Andra.

    ¡°Daughter. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± He says to me and Andra, through the mind link, nodding his head at me.

    ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Andra replies to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we had to keep this from you.¡±

    ¡°No, you were right to keep this from Aaron. He cannot be trusted with you. He and | are in a constant state of argument over

    how he has treated you.¡± He looks from me to Donovan. ¡°You have a good protector now. Donovan and Clint will keep you safe.¡±

    ¡°Your father is trying to take back control. | need to go now.¡± Gideon chuffs. before turning and walking away.

    ¡°llove

    you Gideon.¡± | say

    I say to him.

    16 BOHO

    ¡°| love you, my daughter.¡± He says, but he doesn¡¯t turn back.

    . I''m sad all over again at the loss of my family. | shift, intending to go back to my

    room andy down. | have some-injuries that need to heal after the battle. As soon as | shift, | hear Donovan growl.

    1 turn and see that he¡¯s shifted back, and Clint has positioned himself between me and the other warriors.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Walk away. NOW!¡± He orders them.

    He waits until they are out of sight before turning to me. ¡°Lily, for goddess¡¯s sake, | told you | don¡¯t want you naked in front of the

    pack members. Now that they know you''re a Guardian, every unmated male will want you and you showing off your gorgeous

    body will only make it worse.¡±

    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I¡¯m pleased that Clint thinks that my body is gorgeous. Since | train so many hours a day,

    my body is very lean. | have minimal curves and small breasts. Most men prefer a woman who is more voluptuous.

    than | am.

    However, in my current depression over seeing Gideon, | don¡¯t really care about who sees me naked. In this pack, or any pack,

    nudity ismon. They¡¯ve all seen me before.

    He must take in my emotional state because he tips my chin up to look him in the eye. ¡°What is it Lily bud? Are you hurt? Do we

    need to get you to the pack hospital?¡±

    | shake my head and I¡¯m embarrassed that a tear falls down my cheek.

 Chapter 516

    Chapter 0516

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey. What is this?¡± He asks, pulling me into his chest, wrapping his

    arms around me.

    | sniff as the tearse. Clint picks me up, taking me to a nearby tree and sitting me in hisp sideways. He runs his thumbs

    across my cheeks. ¡°Talk to me Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just....it¡¯s like losing my father all over again. Gideon is so proud to know that we''re a Guardian, but he knows he can¡¯t be

    part of our lives because of my father. | didn¡¯t just lose my dad, | lost Gideon too.¡±

    ¡°Aww, baby. I¡¯m sorry. | know this must be so hard for you.¡±

    He holds me until I¡¯m done crying. Then he gets me a shirt from the ones stuffed into the trees for situations such as these

    before we walk back to the packhouse. ¡°I need to check in with Patrick. I''lle look in on yourter. Maybe we can still have

    dinner, just make it something quieter. You go rest, I''ll be by in a bit.¡± He leans down, kissing my lips softly before heading to

    Alpha Patrick¡¯s office.

    I''m walking through the packhouse, headed to my room, when | hear a couple of she wolves talking.

    ¡°Now it makes sense why he was acting so interested in her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not because he really likes her, it¡¯s because she¡¯s a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°But that means that they will have a connection all their lives. Would you want to constantly live in Lily''s shadow?¡±

    ¡°Honey, she''d be living in my shadow, not the other way around.¡±

    On top of everything else, thest thing | need is to hear the unmated she¡ª-wolves gossiping about my rtionship with Clint. It

    only serves to make me feel even worse, knowing that they are probably right. The only reason he¡¯s attracted to me, even a little,

    is because I¡¯m a Guardian.

    | head up to my room and run a hot bath. | want to soak, then | want to crawl under my nkets and hide away from everything.

    |y in the tub until the water turns cold. When | finally get out, my fingers are pruning. | wrap a towel around my body and walk

    into my room. Clint isying on my bed and | jump, startled that he¡¯s here and so casually in my bed. | can see- that he¡¯s

    showered and cleaned up after the rogue attack.

    +15 BONOS

    When he looks at me, his eyes go dark. ¡°Lily bud. How was your bath?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing in here?¡±

    ¡°| told you | wasing to check on you.

    | turn and see that my door is still locked, then | look at my window, which is cracked open. Clint sits up. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± | say, not looking at him.

    ¡°Liar. Come here.¡± He says,ying back down and patting his chest.

    The idea ofying on his chest, letting Donovan purr until | drift off, forgetting about everything that happened today sounds

    perfect. But then | hear the voices. of those she-wolves and | can¡¯t make myself goy with Clint. If he¡¯s just doing this because

    I''m a Guardian, | need to keep my heart safe. It¡¯s already feeling battered from all my family dramately.

    | watch as his eyes narrow at me. ¡°Lily bud?¡±

    ¡°I''m really okay, Clint. Thank you for checking on me.¡± | turn and go into my closet, grabbing some clothes and getting dressed

    before walking back out.

    He¡¯s stillying on my bed. He pats his chest again.

    ¡°Clint, | said I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not okay, Lily. Pleaseey with me.¡± He says, and | don¡¯t know how to say no to that. Or maybe, | just don¡¯t want

    to. So, | crawl into bed with Clint,ying my head on his chest. Donovan immediately starts to purr, and | feel my body finally start

    to rx. | feel Clint pull a nket over top of us before | drift off to sleep.

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Gideon?

    2Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    +15 BONOS

 Chapter 517

    Something else is going on with Lily. She¡¯s always let mefort her, so when she says no, | know that something must have

    happened since |st saw her. This is more than sadness over Gideon.

    When | met with Patrick, | told him | wanted permanent guard duty over Lily. Now that the entire pack knows what she is, | have

    no intention of letting any unmated male get close to my mate. Patrick was resistant, but he finally agreed when | said | would

    trust Anders to watch over her as well.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Seeing those males look at my mate with their covetous eyes was almost too much for me and Donovan today. The moment

    they realized who she was, | could see they all wanted her. Not only is she unmated, but she¡¯s also underage so they can hope

    that she¡¯s their mate. She was strong before she gained her Guardian spirit. Most of the warriors know who she is, which was.

    confirmed when Lyle identified her through Andra. But now that they know she¡¯s a Guardian, they''ll be all over her, trying to gain

    her favor. Not on my fucking watch.

    Although | could tell that Lily was avoiding our intimacy and was unwilling to tell me the real reason for it, | wasn¡¯t lying when |

    said | needed our closeness. Seeing those warriors look at my mate, the instant desire and want in all their eyes set me on edge.

    I''ve always been a hot head, acting first, thinking second. But Lily calms me. Her touch soothes my temper. So, even after she

    falls asleep, | hold her, kissing her head, smelling her scent and calming my anger at what | know is going to be a rough few

    weeks before her birthday.

    Calistaes byter to check on Lily and | leave them alone. When Anders heads down to get Calista for their date, | go with

    him, wanting to take my girl out. When we get to Lily¡¯s room, they aren¡¯t there. We head downstairs, both our noses go up,

    sniffing them out.

    ¡°Hey, Clint.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Anna.¡± | say, still trying to find Lily and Calista.

    ¡°Hey, we never got together after talking about it at school.¡± She puts her hand

    on my arm. ¡°We should really get together some time. I''m free tonight.¡±

    I stop and look at her, frowning. Is she serious? ¡°I have ns, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, maybe some other time.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± | sayter.¡± | say, walking off.

    as | catch my mate¡¯s scent. ¡°See t

    We find them walking outside, looking like they are going off without us.

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°Oh, this is not happening.¡± Anders says.

    ¡°Definitely not. I¡¯m not letting my mate walk around for any asshole to hit on.¡± L tell him, Donovan growling in my chest.

    We''ve almost caught up to them when one of the warriors from earlier steps into their path. ¡°Hey, Lily. How are you this

    evening?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey Oliver.¡± My mate says.

    He nces at Calista. He obviously has no idea who she is.

    ¡°Hey.¡± He says to her.

    | hear Anders growl beside me.

    ¡°So, Lily, | was wondering...¡±

    ¡°The answer is no.¡± | say, walking up behind her and wrapping my arm around her waist.

    She turns and looks over her shoulder at me, narrowing her eyes. My eyes never leave Oliver as he stands there looking from

    me to Lily.

    ¡°Did | stutter?¡± | ask him.

    ¡°| didn¡¯t know you two were an item. | thought it was just a Guardian thing.¡® Oliver says.

    ¡°We''re not together. However, my answer would have also been no to whatever you were going to ask. | would suggest, in the

    future, if you want to make a good first impression on a girl, at least know the name of her best friend.¡± Lily tells him, stepping out

    of my grasp.

    Oliver looks from Lily to Calista. He clearly has no idea who she is, even though Anders has been obvious in his attention to her.

    ¡°Leave.¡± | growl at him. He turns and walks away.

    Lily, however, isn¡¯t happy. She turns to me, pping her hand on my chest. ¡± What the actual fuck, Clint,¡±

    ¡°It''s my job to guard and protect you, Lily. You won''t be going on any dates without me.¡±

    ¡°You are unbelievable.¡± She¡¯s furious and just like thest time when she was mad at me, all | want to do is kiss her.

    Knowing that this time, it will most likely earn a smack to the face, | lean in, towering over her. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free

    to ask Alpha Patrick.¡±

    +15 BONOS

    My beautiful, fiery mate doesn¡¯t even flinch at my intimidating posture.

    ¡®She¡¯s perfect.¡¯ Donovan says, watching through my eyes.

    | watch as Andra pushes forward as well. She growls, obviously not happy with the situation either. ¡°Why would Alpha Patrick try

    to keep us from finding our mate?¡± She asks.

    ¡°You''re not old enough to find your mate, but you are at risk of being kidnapped and held captive until you are old enough for

    someone to force a mate bond on you. So, behave and you and | can get through these next several weeks until your birthday.¡±

    ¡°Six¡±

    | frown. ¡°Six what?¡±

 Chapter 518

    Chapter 0518

    ¡°Six weeks until my birthday and | can¡¯t believe you think you¡¯re going to go on

    dates with me.¡±

    ¡°| didn¡¯t say | was going on dates with you, | said you wouldn¡¯t be going on any dates without me, meaning, | am the only one

    taking you out for the next six. weeks.¡±

    ¡°Un-freaking¡ªbelievable.¡±

    ¡°Get used to it. Now, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready for what?¡±

    ¡°Dinner. You and | have a dinner date.¡±

    ¡°Wrong. Cali and | have dinner ns.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± | ask, looking over at Calista and Anders. Lily follows my eyes and | watch her lips press into a thin line.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± | say, before steering her to my car. ¡°Let''s get you fed.¡±

    It takes a while to get her to thaw after that. Dinner isn¡¯t exactly easy

    conversation.

    Finally, I¡¯ve had enough. ¡°Lily, what part of you being in danger isn¡¯t clear?¡±

    ¡°It''s not about being in danger, Clint.¡±

    Then what is it?

    | watch as she pokes her apple pie dessert around her te. | soften my voice. ¡°I can¡¯t help if | don¡¯t know what the problem is,

    Lily bud.¡±

    She closes her eyes for longer than a blink before looking up at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to be saddled with me just because

    we''re both Guardians.¡±

    ¡°Saddled with you? Is that what you think?¡± | ask, surprised that this is the direction her mind has taken her.

    ¡°| know you''re doing this because you feel like you have a duty to protect the only other Guardian in the world. You''re not

    obligated to look out for me.¡±

    | lean forward, making sure | have her full attention. ¡°I volunteered for your guard duty, Lily.¡±

    +15 BONDS

    ¡°That¡¯s my point. You have some weird need to protect me as a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°No. It has nothing to do with you being a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    This is probably the only thing I¡¯m not ready to be honest with her about. | don¡¯t want her to know that she¡¯s my mate. | want her

    to want to be my mate when she realizes what she is to me.

    ¡°| like you, Lily. | wanted to date you before | knew you were a Guardian. I¡¯ve told you several times, | want to get to know you

    better. | want to know everything about you. And, news sh, the more | know, the more | want to know. That has nothing to do

    with you being a Guardian, that has to do with you being Lily Raines.¡±

    ¡°It''s only a matter of time before you get bored with me.¡±

    ¡°Where is thising from Lily? First, you didn¡¯t want toy with me earlier and now you''re talking about me getting bored with

    you. What''s going on?¡±

    ¡°It''s nothing. Are you ready to go?¡±

    | reach out and take her hand. ¡°Talk to me.¡± | say earnestly.

    I can see in her eyes that she¡¯s debating telling me. | knew something happened. Whatever it is, | need to make sure she

    understands that there is nothing in this world that will make me lose interest in her.

    ¡°Everyone is saying it. Even Oliver said it earlier.¡±

    Asshole Oliver said a lot. I¡¯m not sure what, specifically, she¡¯s referring to. ¡°Help me out, Lily. What is everyone saying?¡±

    She breaks eye contact with me and looks down again, but | refuse to release her hand when she goes to pull away.

    When she looks back up at me, there is defiance in her eyes. ¡°I know you''re just doing this because I¡¯m a Guardian. Everyone

    can see that you are only spending all this time with me because of what I am. | get it. You feel some sort of responsibility to

    what we are. That''s fine. It¡¯s just....with everything that happened on the roof...| just....I lost sight of what our rtionship is.¡±

    The fuck?

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m totally on board. | get it, | know that you are just doing your duty as a Guardian and there¡¯s nothing more to it

    than that.¡±

    This restaurant is full. There are members of our pack, members of our

    +15 BONOS

    neighboring pack, ranked members, warriors, pups, even others from our school. | nod my head at her, and | swear | can see her

    sadness at what she thinks is my agreement with her assessment. My heart flutters a bit. | hope she¡¯s starting to feel something

    for me.

    I stand up, never letting go of her hand. | pull her to her feet. ¡°Oh, are we ready to go?¡± She asks.

    ¡°No.¡± | say, before | pull her to me and take her mouth in a kiss that anyone with two eyes can see is me iming her. When she

    starts to pull away, | wrap my hands in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. | growl softly as | feel her begin to melt

    against me.

    When | feel like I¡¯ve made my point, | pull away, seeing her eyes looking a little dazed.

    ¡°Never, for one moment, think that this is only about you being a Guardian. You are mine, Lily.¡±

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think of Clint¡¯s public im?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    2

    +15 DONOS

 Chapter 519

    My brain is spinning. Clint¡¯s kisses have that effect on me. It takes me a moment. toe back to reality and when | do, | realize

    that the entire restaurant has gone quiet. | look around and see that everyone, and | mean everyone in the restaurant has

    stopped eating and is looking at us.

    My cheeks get hot with my blush. He imed me. He imed me in front of a restaurant full of pack members. | look back up at

    him and he hasn¡¯t taken his eyes off me. He doesn¡¯t care who is watching us.

    ¡°Did you hear me, Lily? You are mine. Do you want me to shout it out to everyone. here?¡±

    He starts to take a breath. ¡°NO!¡± | put my fingers on his lips. ¡°No.¡± | say again, more calmly and he kisses my fingers.

    He pulls my fingers from his lips and leans down to gently kiss my lips again. Ready to go, then?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I just nod.

    He takes my hand, walking up to our waitress who is looking as shocked as everyone else and he hands her the bill with some

    cash before leading me outside. to his car. He leans in, pushing me against the car and kissing me until I''m delirious again. ¡°Just

    in case you thought | was joking.¡± He says before opening my door.

    When we get in the car, he begins driving. I''m not paying attention because |

    suddenly find myself feeling shy around him. | don¡¯t know what to say. | sort of confessed that I¡¯m falling for him, and he basically

    told two packs that I¡¯m his. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming.

    ¡°Will you promise me something?¡± He asks me.

    | turn to look at him and | can see that he¡¯s switching between looking at me and watching the road.

    ¡°What''s that?¡±

    ¡°Always tell me what¡¯s on your mind. Always be honest, even if you think it will hurt me, even if it embarrasses you. | like knowing

    what''s going on in that beautiful mind of yours. | want to know what you''re thinking, what upsets you, what makes you happy. |

    want to know it all. | won¡¯t get bored, | won''t think you¡¯re silly or stupid. | just want your honesty, always. Can you do that for me?¡±

    +15 BONOS

    | think about it for a minute. He¡¯s asking a lot. I¡¯m normally an honest person. but being honest about my feelings toward him is a

    huge risk. | think about what I can promise him. ¡°I promise to try.¡±

    He nods at that. ¡°Will you do the same?¡± | ask him.

    He pulls the car to a stop and turns to give me his full attention. ¡°I have never been anything but honest with you Lily. | will never

    be anything but honest with you, even if it embarrasses you and even if you don¡¯t believe me. | will tell you anything you want to

    know, you only have to ask me.¡±

    | frown at him. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lily bud, really.¡±

    | decide to test him. ¡°Why did you kiss me so publicly back there?¡±

    ¡°First, | wanted you to believe me, and you seem to have a hard time realizing that I¡¯m serious about you. Second, | hate that

    every unmated male in our pack is going to try to gain your favor, so | wanted to make a point that you''re taken.¡±

    ¡°Am | taken?¡±

    ¡°Haven''t | been clear about wanting to date you, Lily?¡±

    ¡°Dating me and me being taken aren¡¯t the same, Clint.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not to you. But | don¡¯t date Lily. | never have. | know | have a reputation, but you can ask anyone, I¡¯ve never taken a

    woman on a date.¡± He shrugs. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to. They gave me the quick release | was looking for without me having to put in any

    effort. I¡¯m not looking for quick and easy with you. I¡¯m looking for something long-term.¡± He leans in, taking my chin between his

    finger and thumb. ¡°You''re special Lily, and it has nothing to do with you being a Guardian. | want you to know that | recognize

    that about you.¡±

    | blink several times. | had intended to prove he wasn¡¯t going to be honest with me, but what | got instead was something | wasn¡¯t

    expecting at all, an honest confession of how he feels about me.

    | lean in, watching him as | close the distance between us and press my lips against his. | see his eyes crinkle and feel his mouth

    turn up into a smile before he closes his eyes and kisses me back. It¡¯s gentle and sweet, his tongue tentatively tangling with

    mine. | moan softly, deepening the kiss. When we finally pull away, panting, he¡¯s smiling at me.

    | turn and look out the window. ¡°Where are we?¡± | ask, not having been to this part of our packnds before.

    +15 BONOS

    ¡°| wanted to show you something.¡±

    Hees around, helping me out of the car before | could get out myself. Holding my hand, we walk down a path. He brings me

    to a cliff where we can look. out and see the night sky, unhindered. In the distance, we can also see the lights of our neighboring

    pack. Clint finds a spot for us, and we sit and watch the stars.

    O DISHONOS

 Chapter 520

    We end of talking of nothing and everything. Something Inside me let go after our discussion. Clint wants me, and if I¡¯m honest, |

    want him too. | hope | am his mate. | can see how loving, kind and generous he would be as a mate. | don¡¯t know what it would

    mean for two Guardians to be mated. To my knowledge, it¡¯s never happened before. But, | know, deep down, that he and | could

    be great together.

    When we both start to get tired, we go back to the car and head back to the packhouse. When we arrive, Clint runs around again

    to help me out of the car. We''reughing when | catch the scent of cigarette smoke.

    1 teel Clint tense up before we both turn and see him standing at the corner of the packhouse. My father.

    He tosses the cigarette to the ground and begins walking over to us. Clint steps in front of me and snarls. ¡°You shouldn''t be here

    Aaron.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He ignores Clint and looks directly at me. ¡°So, you¡¯re a Guardian. How long have you known?¡±

    ¡°Long enough.¡± | say. Clint has wrapped his arm behind him, pulling me into his back, blocking my father from me.

    ¡°You should have told me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± | spit out at him. ¡°So you could have sold me for a higher price.¡±

    He shakes his head, having the audacity to look appalled. ¡°I¡¯m your father, Lily. It''s my job to look after you, protect you.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore.¡± Clint snarls, and his voice is deeper. | know Donovan has pushed. forward.

    My father finally looks at Clint. ¡°I told you this was all a big misunderstanding. Once it¡¯s cleared up, Lily wille home.¡±

    | grab hold of the back of Clint¡¯s shirt. | don¡¯t want to go home. | don¡¯t trust my father.

    ¡°There is no misunderstanding. And even if there was, you won''t be able to clear it up before Lily turns 18.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see about that. Guardian.¡± My father says derisively.

    ¡°Gideon told me not to trust you. Your own wolf said that | shouldn''t trust you.

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    He wouldn''t lie to me.¡±

    ¡°Gideon and | are at odds. That has nothing to do with you, Lily. You could tell Alpha Patrick that you want toe home. He

    would listen to you.¡±

    ¡°| have no intention of going home. | don¡¯t trust you.

    He shakes his head at me, looking at me like I¡¯m a silly child that has misunderstood the entire situation. But, before he can say

    anything else, Anders walks out the front of the packhouse. Based on his posture, he isn¡¯t surprised at what he walked into. Clint

    must have mind linked him.

    ¡°Aaron. | thought my father was clear that you were not allowed to speak to your daughter unless you had his permission. You

    have not been granted that permission. You need to leave. Now.¡± Anders says to him.

    ¡°Your father has overstepped his authority. He should be careful that it doesn¡¯t cause an uprising in the pack.¡± My father says,

    basically threatening our Alpha.

    In an instant, Anders is in his face. ¡°Did you just threaten my father?¡±

    My father steps back, his hands up in a cating gesture. ¡°I would never threaten my Alpha. I¡¯m just giving a warning.¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°Think about what | said Lily.¡± And he turns and walks away toward my old home.

    No one moves until he¡¯s out of sight. Once he is, | release a breath | didn¡¯t know | was holding and lean my head against Clint¡¯s

    back. Instantly, he turns and takes me in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Anders.¡± Clint says to him.

    | hear Anders walk over. ¡°I''ll tell my father about this. Are you okay Lily?¡±

    | nod, not moving away from Clint. ¡°You''re safe, Lily. You don¡¯t have to worry about your father getting to you here. I''ll also let

    Calvin know he was waiting for you when you got back.¡±

    ¡°I''ll stop and tell Calvin when | drop Lily in her room.¡± Clint

    says.

    Finally, | pull away, and the three of us begin to walk inside. ¡°How was your date with Cali?¡± | ask, trying to take my mind off what

    just happened.

    Anders¡® smile is brilliant. He turns to me. ¡°It was amazing!¡± And I can tell that¡¯s all I''ll get from him. ¡°See you tomorrow for school,

    Lily. Clint, Dad wants the two of you in training tomorrow morning now that the warriors know about Lily being a Guardian.*/

    me

    ¡°We''ll be there.¡± Clint says before walking me to my room.

 Chapter 521

    Aaron has some serious balls. That or he¡¯s desperate and stupid. I¡¯m going with thetter. Threating

    your Alpha is punishable by banishment or death. Directly ignoring a demand from your Alpha is also

    punishable by banishment. My guess is that Aaron will be spending a night or two in the cells for that

    little stunt.

    I drop Lily off at her room and kiss her goodnight, knowing it won¡¯t be long before I see her on the roof.

    Not unexpectedly, I hear the tell¨Ctale throat clearing behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon Lily bud.¡± I tell her before turning to Calvin.

    I walk over to him but wait until her door is closed before speaking. ¡°Aaron was waiting for us when we

    got back. He¡¯s trying to convince Lily that she shoulde home, and he also basically threatened

    Patrick.¡±

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Calvin snarls at that. ¡°What the fuck is he thinking?¡±

    His eyes go unfocused and I¡¯m guessing Patrick just mind linked him. He nods. ¡°Aaron is heading for

    the cells. I¡¯m going with the Patrick to get him.¡±

    At least Lily will be safe from him for another couple of days. If Aaron is desperate, there¡¯s no telling

    what he will do.

    I go up to my room, ready to see my mate. I can¡¯t wait for the day when I can move her up here to be

    with me all day, every day. Laying in bed with her earlier today was incredible. I love all our time

    together, but the bed was a lot softer than the nkets on the roof.

    I know Lily is tired, so I hurry to get to the roof. I¡¯m climbing down from my window as I see her climbing

    up. I race over to help her, and wey down together, her curling onto my chest, her hand gently

    rubbing my chest over my shirt. I¡¯m still wondering if she knows she does that, or if it¡¯s a subconscious

    thing that Andra does to feel closer to Donovan. Donovan begins purring and I begin rubbing her scalp,

    gently running my fingers through her hair. I know this is all it takes to put her to sleep.

    However, tonight, her hand slides under my shirt and the feel of her hand on my stomach and chest

    has me going instantly hard.

    ¡°Lily?¡± I ask, wondering what she¡¯s doing. She¡¯s been very clear about not having sex, so if this is

    something else, I want to know what it is.

    ¡°I like touching your skin. It feels¡­.good.¡± I feel her shrug in my arms.

    I lean up, pulling my shirt off over my head beforeying back down. ¡°You won¡¯t get cold?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a wolf Lily bud, we don¡¯t get cold, or not easily.¡± I tell her.

    Sheys back down and this time it¡¯s Andra that¡¯s purring, feeling her skin against mine.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°You could always take your top off too, if you wanted.¡± I say, not expecting her to do it. But my little

    mate surprises me. She sits up, taking off her top before grabbing the nket I had thrown over top of

    us andying back down, skin to skin from the waist up.

    Andra¡¯s purring gets louder and so does Donovan¡¯s. I don¡¯t think there is a ce on earth that would

    feel better than this does right now. The tingles, while still soft, are there. I have felt them getting

    stronger as Lily gets closer to her birthday. This is the most we¡¯ve touched skin to skin when there

    wasn¡¯t anything else going on. We¡¯re not arguing, Lily isn¡¯t upset over something with her father. It

    gives both of us a chance to just enjoy the feel of being wrapped up together.

    I listen as her heart rate slows and her breathing evens out and after Andra¡¯s purring fades in her

    sleep. Donovan and I drift off as well.

    That week we get back to our new normal. We train with the warriors in the morning. Aaron isn¡¯t part of

    morning training, so we don¡¯t have any run¨Cins with him. He¡¯s released on Wednesday from the cells,

    but he¡¯s restricted to only joining afternoon training when Lily and I train individually.

    The rest of our schedule stays the same. We¡¯re winding down the school year and getting ready for

    graduation, preparing for finals. We study with Anders and Calista every night and I can see that

    Anders is making headway with her. She¡¯s bing more receptive to his attention every day.

    He and I have started to make ns to take them both to prom this year. We¡¯ve never taken anyone

    before. We go, of course, but we¡¯ve never taken dates. It¡¯s left us open to choose who we may want to

    bring home that night. Now, we both know who we want to spend every minute of our days with, and

    we want to make thisst dance special for our girls.

    Calista has started joining us for dinner at the packhouse several nights a week. She and Lily have

    developed a good rtionship with Olivia and Naomi.

    On Thursday night during dinner, Patrick looks at Anders and me. ¡°I need to meet with the two of you in

    my office after dinner.¡± He looks at Calvin. ¡°You too.¡± Calvin nods but doesn¡¯t seem surprised. He

    already knows what this is about.¡±

    Anders and I tell Calista and Lily that we¡¯ll meet them in our study room after we talk to¨CPatrick. When

    we walk into his office, he tells us to have a seat. Calvin closes the door but continues to stand.

    Whatever this is, isn¡¯t good.

 Chapter 522

    ?Chapter 0522Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Patrick looks at me, giving me his best stern Alpha face. "I need you to stay calm, and not go off like you are prone to do." just him saying this has my blood pressure rising.

    "Is this about Lily?"

    "Yes. I received a call today from Alpha Mahli."

    The snarl erupts before I can hold it back. Patrick stops, waiting for me to get myself under control.

    "Apparently, Aaron Raines invited him toe here for a visit this weekend. Thankfully, Alpha Mahli did what any Alpha would do when visiting the territory of another Alpha, he called to make sure that there was no issue on my end."

    "You told him no, of course." I say through gritted teeth.

    "I have no reason to keep Alpha Mahli from visiting my pack members." Istart to stand, nearly losing my shit at this statement.

    Patrick holds his hands up, wanting me to calm down. I sit back down, gripping the edges of the chair. I''m holding on so hard that I can hear the wood cracking under the force of my grip.

    Iser Patrick sigh, as Anders jumps in. "What about Lily? You know it''s a risk to have Alpha Mahli here. We already know he wants her, and that Aaron is trying to sell his daughter to pay his debts. This can''t be a coincidence. Aaron finds out his daughter is a Guardian and less than a weekter he invites Alpha Mahli toe visit?"

    "Agreed." Patrick says, but his eyes never leave mine. "Which is why I''ve made ns for you to visit an off-the-grid pack in Maine this weekend. You, Clint, Calista and Lily will all fly to Maine for an extended weekend. You leave first thing in the morning. I''ve already spoken to the Alpha of the park, and they have an area near the coast they use for other packs who want toe for vacation. You''ll be staying in a vacation home in a human area, but I''ve already set up hiking trips, white water rafting and ces for you to get what is arguably the best lobster in the world."

    My grip rxes and I sit back, taking in a deep breath as Donovan settles and sits down in my head. I know my eyes must be back to their regr green when Patrick nods at me.

    "I was serious when I said I would treat her like my own daughter, Clint. I won''t allow anyone to hurt her, not even her father."

    I nod. I know this, but my tendency to act before thinking is only worse when I''m concerned with Lily''s safety. "Thank you, Patrick. What time do we leave, and will you be telling the girls what and why we are leaving?"

    He nods at Calvin and I see Calvin''s eyes go unfocused.

    "Alpha Mahli is due to arrive tomorrow morning. Your flight is leaving the airport at 6am, making sure you are long gone before he gets here. He is scheduled to leave Sunday evening, but just in case, your flight does not return until Monday afternoon. If something changes, I will call you and dy your return. I don''t have to tell you to keep Lily away from other parks. I chose the Boothbay Pack because they are used to hosting tourists and have arge human poption around them. It should be fairly easy for you to stay under the radar."

    As he finishes, there is a knock at the door. Calvin opens it and Lily and Calistae in. Lily stops as she steps in and sees us. I stand, motioning for her to take my seat. "Come sit, Lily bud."

    I notice Anders is doing the same for Calista. Lilly sits and I stand behind her, putting my hands on her shoulders.

    Patrick looks at Lily, "I want you to know, first, that everything is going to be okay. But I want to bepletely honest with you, so you understand what''s going on."

    Lily just nods and I can hear her heart rate picking up, her shoulders have gone tense under my hands, and I begin to knead them gently.

    "Your father has invited Alpha Mahli toe visit him this weekend." Lily gasps, her hands going to her mouth. She looks at me and I can see the fear in her eyes.

    "Let him finish Lily bud." I tell her softly.

    She turns back around. "I''m sending you, Clint, Anders and Calista on a weekend vacation to Maine, where you are set to have a fun weekend. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning at 6am, and I''ve already spoken to both of your teachers and your parents Calista." He turns looking at Calista

    She nods reaching out to take Lily''s hand. "I won''t take any chances with you, and I''ve given Anders and Clint the rundown of what will be happening, You two are to stay with them at all times. The ce I''m sending you is mostly human, but there will be

    other wolves in the area, so you''ll need to be careful Lily."

    She nods. "Do you have any questions?" He asks them.

    *

    When neither of them does, he tells them to go pack. "You have an early day tomorrow. I''m avable if you need to speak to me, or if you have any concerns or questions."

    Lily stands, and I take her hand, leading her from the room.

 Chapter 523

    My father invited Alpha Mahli to visit. It can only mean one thing. He can¡¯t tell Alpha Mahli about me,

    but if he is here, there¡¯s a strong possibility that he would see Andra or see her in my eyes. If he didn¡¯t

    already want me, he would once he knew I was a Guardian. The threat of being taken by Alpha Mahli,

    and with my father¡¯s help, was very real.

    As soon as Clint drops me off at my room, I pack for the weekend. It¡¯s spring, but Maine is cooler than

    Georgia. I¡¯ve never been, and I¡¯m excited to see somece new. As soon as I finish packing. I head up

    to the roof. I¡¯ve be ustomed to sleeping beside Clint, but even if I wasn¡¯t, I know I¡¯d need him

    and

    Donovan to sleep tonight.

    When I get to the roof, he is waiting for me. He pulls me into his arms, holding me. ¡°How are doing. Lily

    bud?¡±

    ¡°Better now.¡± I told him I¡¯d be honest as much as I could, and so I am. That means opening myself up.

    making myself vulnerable and I¡¯m hoping I don¡¯t regret it.

    He kisses the tip of my nose. ¡°Come on, we need to get some sleep if we¡¯re going to be up early

    enough. to go catch that flight.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t oversleep?¡± I ask him. He pulls his shirt over his head, before sitting down and

    showing me the travel rm clock he brought with him tonight.

    I pull off my night shirt, having befortable sleeping partially naked and skin to skin with Clint. I

    don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so soothing, but it just feels right, like his skin and mine were meant to touch. I like

    having my face and hand touching his chest and his hand on my back. The closeness feels¡­.right.

    Donovan and Andra immediately start purring at each other and it doesn¡¯t take long before I¡¯m falling

    asleep.

    The rm wakes us both in the morning and we hurriedly clear up our nkets. ¡°I¡¯m going to take

    these in to get washed while we¡¯re gone.¡± He says, grabbing all our nkets. ¡°They should be ready for

    us

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    when we get back.¡±

    I go back to my room, taking a quick shower and putting my hair in a messy bun before grabbing my

    bag and heading downstairs. Before I take two steps, Clint is there, taking my bag from me and

    carrying both of our bags out to the car. I get some quick to¨Cgo pre¨Cmade breakfast sandwiches,

    heating them quickly and grab some water, just as I hear Anders and Calie in from outside.

    I put our food and waters in a bag, and all of us pile into the car and head to the airport. ¡°Do we have

    tickets or anything?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Dad chartered a private ne, just to be safe.¡± Anders says. ¡°They are expecting us.¡±

    We arrive at the private hanger, and we park the car in the private parking lot. Clint and Anders grab

    our

    +15 BONUS

    bags and we load onto the ne. I¡¯ve never flown before so as we take off, I watch as the ground gets

    smaller and smaller until we¡¯re so high I can¡¯t see it any longer. Then I watch as the sun rises before !

    turn to my friends.

    ¡°How long is the flight?¡±

    ¡°About two and a half hours. We¡¯re going to Pornd and from there, we have a car to get to Boothbay

    Harbor, which is part of the Boothbay Pack¡¯s territory. However, it¡¯s such a tourist area, that it¡¯s mostly

    humans and only a handful of wolves.¡± Clint says before turning to me.

    auto

    ¡°Even though there aren¡¯t many wolves, Andra, I need you to be very careful and only push forward

    when it¡¯s the four of us. Do you understand? If there is any danger, Anders and I will handle it.¡±

    Donovan has

    pushed forward, wanting Andra to know that he¡¯s just as serious as Clint.

    ¡°We understand.¡± I answer for both of us. And I do, we¡¯re on this trip to escape an Alpha that would

    probably kidnap me. I don¡¯t need to be on the run so far from home and protection.

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    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 524

    When we arrive, I can see that the area where we are staying is gorgeous. The air is cool and crisp, but

    everything is starting to bloom after their harsh winter. When we get to the vacation home that Alpha

    Patrick rented for us, there are only two bedrooms. I¡¯ll have to talk to Cali about our sleeping

    arrangements. I¡¯d prefer to sleep with Clint, but I don¡¯t want to make her ufortable, or force Anders

    to sleep on the couch.

    After we drop off our bags, we head out to look around. We walk to the Harbor and the airing off

    the water is chilly. Clint wraps his arms around me as we watch the boats heading out for the day.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Cali says and I turn to see that Anders has wrapped his arms around her as well. She

    doesn¡¯t seem upset with the touch or his closeness.

    We find a coffee shop and I feel myself rxing for the first time in a long time. I feel carefree away

    from

    the demands of school, the pack and my parents. After coffee, we find that our hike is scheduled for

    early

    afternoon. We head back to the vacation house and change into clothes more suitable for hiking.

    We drive out to the mountain range and find a ce to park. The information that Clint and Anders

    have on the hike is that we are on pack property, and humans can¡¯t hike here. Normally, we would shift

    into our wolves, but instead, we stay on foot and begin climbing.

    It¡¯s beautiful, thendscape, the view, all of it. As we¡¯re hiking, Clint and I start to pull away from Cali

    and

    Anders. Cali isn¡¯t as in shape as the rest of us, not participating in training like we do. Clint and I start to

    find rocks and areas where we can test our strength and speed without actually training. We¡¯re

    laughing

    and y fighting trying to beat each other at every ¡°test¡® we set up for ourselves.

    ¡°Are they always like this?¡± I hear Cali ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe it¡¯s a Guardian thing.¡± Anders replies.

    I

    I

    Clint and I are racing to the top of a boulder. He bet me a kiss that I couldn¡¯t beat him. I keep moving

    ahead of him and he keeps grabbing my foot and pulling me back. When we finally reach the top, we

    both bend over,ughing and panting at our antics. I look down and see that Cali is riding on Anders

    back. He

    doesn¡¯t look phased at all that he is hiking with the weight of another person on his back.

    Clint pulls me to him. ¡°You lost.¡± He says, before taking my lips in a scorching kiss.

    ¡°You cheated.¡± I tell him when we pull away.

    ¡°All¡¯s fair in love and war.¡± He says kissing me again..

    Iugh. ¡°And which is this? Love or war?¡±

    ¡°Love, absolutely.¡±

    I look at him, waiting for the smirk orughter. It doesn¡¯te. He ispletely serious. I¡¯m on the

    verge

    ? +15 RONUS

    of kissing him when Anders finally makes his way up the boulder, Cali hanging on him like a monkey.

    ¡°Cali, I can¡¯t believe you made Anders carry you!¡± I exim, running over to help him.

    ¡°Made him? He insisted on carrying me. I told him to put me down, but he refused.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got her Lily. She barely weighs anything.¡± Anders says, standing up. He¡¯s not even winded.

    We sit and enjoy the view before starting our descent. We have dinner ns tonight and ording to

    Anders, his father made reservations at a nice restaurant for all of us.

    We get back to the house, and I take the opportunity when the guys are showering to talk to Cali about

    the sleeping arrangements.

    ¡°What do you think, Cali. If you¡¯re ufortable having Anders sleep on the couch, we can share a

    room.¡±

    She looks at the room that Anders went into to shower. ¡°No, you go ahead and stay with Clint tonight.

    I¡¯ll figure things out with Anders.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Cali. I don¡¯t want you to be ufortable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± She tells me.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    I¡¯m beginning to think we¡¯re both giving in and neither of us is sorry about it.

    Cooper

    Author

    of their getaway!

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 525

    We all get ready for dinner. The girls are both wearing dresses with knee high boots. Lily is wearing a sweater that matches her

    dress and she has her hair up in a high ponytail. | can¡¯t wait to get back and pull her hair down, wrapping my hands in it and

    kissing her until neither of us can breathe.

    Dinner is amazing. We all order the lobster, baked potato and sd. When we''re done, we walk back to the house we¡¯re staying

    at then decide to go to the Harbor and see it at night. It¡¯s beautiful in apletely different way at night. | wrap my arms around

    Lily, rocking us slightly in time with the sounds of the waves pping against the boats in the mooring. The wood on the boats is

    creaking softly and you can hear the sound of fish jumping periodically. | realize | want to experience so many things with Lily. |

    want to take her everywhere, the mountains, the ocean, every continent, every ce we''ve never been so we can see it

    together, experience it together for the first time.

    | realize in this moment, that | am totally andpletely in love with Lily. | felt it when | felt the pull of the mate bond, but now, I

    feel it even more. It¡¯s not just the bond that is pulling me to her. It¡¯s her, everything about her captivates me. Herughter, her

    yfulness during our hike today, her intelligence as we talked over dinner, her love for her friend. She¡¯s perfect in so many

    ways. | feel whole having her around

    1. me. And | want nothing more than to feel this way every day for the rest of my life.

    As we start to head back to the house, | ask Lily what the sleeping arrangements will be tonight. After

    she let¡¯s me know that she and | will share a room, | ask her if she wants to go for a walk with me. | mind

    link Anders to let him know he¡¯s either sharing a room with Calista or he¡¯s on the couch before | guide

    Lily down a side street.

    | find a secluded, darkened wooded area. | lean against a tree, pulling her against me and | kiss her.

    pouring all my love into the kiss. | want her, more than anything, but | know she wants to wait and I¡¯m okay with that. She leans

    into me, giving me ess to her mouth. | slide my tongue in, tasting her orange and ginger vor, moaning against her mouth.

    She tastes so delicious.

    | slide my hands over her back, down her to ass cheeks, pulling her closer. She lifts a leg, hooking it on my waist and rubbing

    herself against me. | can smell the scent of her arousal as she moans, grinding herself on my hard erection.

    | switch our positions, pushing her against the tree, continuing to kiss her as | run my hand down her thigh to her knee, pulling it

    back up to my waist. | can feel her heat through my pants. | run my hand higher up her thigh, sliding my thumb between us,

    when | realize there is nothing between us other than

    my pants.

    | pull my head back and look at her. ¡°You aren¡¯t wearing panties?¡± It¡¯s a guttural growl, full of

    possessiveness and need. No wonder | can feel her warmth. And | know if | looked at the front of my

    pants, there would be a glistening slickness on them, the evidence of her arousal.

    ¡°| knew we were sharing a room, and | thought, maybe we could sleeppletely naked tonight.¡±

    1/2

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°What does that have to do with wearing panties to dinner?¡± | ask, reaching forward and nipping at her neck. She lifts her chin,

    exposing her neck to mepletely. Another growl of pleasure at her submission rumbles in my chest.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°| was hoping maybe we could do something like we didst weekend on the roof.¡±

    Oh, my sweet mate.

    | pull back, looking at her. ¡°All you have to do is ask. I¡¯m happy to do anything you want to try. Lily bud.¡±

    | watch as her eyes flicker away for a

    minute before she looks back at me

    and | watch her blush. ¡°Tell me Lily.¡± |

    encourage her. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°| don¡¯t know what to ask for.¡± She

    says quietly. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°Do you want to try something new?¡±

    She nods her head. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    Commentaires

    Voter (8.2k)

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 526

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t wake the humans.¡± I say before dropping to my knees in front of her. I look up

    and see her confusion before I take her leg and pull it over my shoulder. I slowly take my hands,

    pushing her dress up, getting my first glimpse of her beautiful lips, glistening for me.

    I

    I look back up at her, holding her gaze as I lean forward and slowly lick her juices. I can¡¯t help the moan

    that escapes me at how delicious she tastes. If I thought her mouth tasted good, it is nothingpared

    to this sweet nectar.

    I push my face between her thighs, sliding my tongue between her lips, then pulling her hips forward to

    give me better ess. I slide my tongue inside her,pping at her juices.

    ¡°Clint.¡± She whispers, and it¡¯s a needy cry. Her hand goes into my hair, tugging gently.

    I slide my tongue back to her clit, sucking it into my mouth before pushing my tongue against it, swirling

    it around and around. Her body is so response, her legs start to shake almost instantly.

    ¡°Clint.¡± Her voice is higher, her breathing faster.

    I pull away, looking up at her. She looks at me like she¡¯s offended that I stopped so soon.

    ¡°Be ready to cover your mouth, Lily.¡± I tell her, before sliding a finger inside her.

    Her body pushes down, like she wants my finger to go deeper, so I push another one in. Her gasp of

    pleasure is music to my ears, and I watch my fingers sliding in and out of her, corkscrewing them.

    making her whimper as she drenches my fingers.

    ¡°Hand to your mouth, Lily.¡± I tell her and wait for her toply. As soon as she does, I suck her clit

    back into my mouth, my tongue and fingers moving at the same speed. I hear her moan and she must

    have listened about her hand over her mouth as she takes her hand out of my hair and I hear it p

    against the one covering her mouth. Her muffled moans get louder, and I increase my speed. Her legs

    are

    quivering, the leg over my shoulder pulling me closer to her, when I feel her inner walls mp down on

    my fingers, her body jerking with the strength of her orgasm.

    I continue my assault, forcing her to take everything I¡¯m giving her. When I feel like she won¡¯t be able to

    stand any longer, I pull her other leg over my shoulder and use my free hand to hold her up while my

    fingers and tongue continue to push her over the edge again and again.

    When she begins whimpering my name over and over, I finally let here down. Her body continues

    to jerk, her legsnguid on my shoulders. When I feel thest of her aftershocks clenching my fingers, I

    release her clit and slowly slide my fingers out of her. When I look up at her, her eyes are closed and

    she¡¯s breathing heavily.

    +15 BONUS

    I pull first one leg, then the other to the ground before pulling her dress down and standing up. I take

    her

    mouth, my tongue sliding between her lips letting her taste herself.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    I pull away looking down at my dazed mate. ¡°You taste delicious, Lily.¡± I tell her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get

    back. I need a cold shower before we go to sleep.¡±

    When we get back, Anders is not on the couch. I¡¯m d to know he¡¯s making headway with Calista.

    When I walk into the room Lily and I are sharing. I see that both our bags are in here. I grab mine and

    head to the shower. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes Lily. Go ahead and get in bed and I¡¯ll join you when

    I¡¯m done.¡±

    I don¡¯t wait for her reply, I¡¯m desperate to relieve the pressure that¡¯s been building ever since we left

    dinner. I turn the water on, letting it turn warm before sliding under the shower spray. My eyes are

    closed and I¡¯m thinking of how delicious my mate tasted and the sounds she made. I¡¯m jerking off at

    breakneck speed when I hear the door open.

    I look up, not sure how to react to my mate, watching my hand stroking my dick. ¡°Can I help you with

    that?¡±

    Cooper Author

    Looks like Lily¡¯s exploration will continue in the shower. Updates daily.

 Chapter 527

    When Clint walks into the bathroom, I sit on the bed and take my boots off. Every time we¡¯ve been

    intimate, it¡¯s me that experiences the pleasure and never him. He¡¯s never pressured me to give him.

    anything, but I want to. I want to give him the same pleasure that he¡¯s been giving to me.

    When I walk into the bathroom, I can see that he¡¯s taking matters into his own hands, literally. I

    shouldn¡¯t be the only one that is getting pleasure from our time together.

    When I offer to help, I don¡¯t know what to do, so I pull my dress over my head, before walking into the

    shower with him. He hasn¡¯t said a word, he¡¯s just watching me. He steps back, letting me in and the

    water from the shower pours over my back. I look down and gulp at howrge he is. His hand fits

    around his girth, but I can tell that mine won¡¯t.

    I reach down, recing his hand with mine. He immediately sucks in air, and my eyes shoot to his face.

    His eyes have closed and his mouth is open slightly. I begin to stroke him, as I saw him doing when I

    walked in, only slower. I take my other hand wrapping it around him under the first one. Once I realize

    that I¡¯m giving him pleasure, I look back down, watching my hands stroking him. His penis feels

    different than I expected. It¡¯s so hard and I can feel it twitching in my hands, but the skin is soft. As I

    watch, a bit of precum slips out of the tip.

    I look up to see he¡¯s watching me, his eyes are darker than I¡¯ve ever seen them. I look back down and

    lick my lips. He said I tasted delicious. I wonder how he tastes.

    Without thinking about it, I lean down and lick the precum off the tip of his cock. His response is

    instantaneous.

    ¡°FUCK LILY!¡± He says through gritted teeth, his entire body tensing at just the lick of my tongue. I didn¡¯t

    expect his response to be so intense at just a flick of my tongue. I also didn¡¯t expect that he would taste

    delicious too. Apple pie. He smells like it, but now I know he also tastes like it. It¡¯s my very favorite

    dessert and now I want more.

    I kneel down in front of him, like he did to me earlier. I look back up at him and he¡¯s watching me with

    so much intensity, I can feel heat pooling in my core, the scent of my arousal perfuming the warm,

    humid air

    of the shower.

    I continue to stroke him with one hand, putting the other on his thigh before leaning in and swirling my

    tongue around the tip. When I hear him moan, I move my tongue to the base of his cock and lick my

    way

    to the tip.

    ¡°Lily.¡± My name is a quiet, pleading moan.

    I suck the tip into my mouth, feeling his body clench, his hand going into my hair. I look up again. I love

    that I am getting this response from his body. I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m doing, but I must be doing

    something right.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    +15 BONUS

    As I watch, I slide more of him into my mouth. His teeth clench again and his eyes close for longer than

    a blink but they open again, pinned to what I¡¯m doing. He¡¯s big, too big to get all of him into my mouth,

    so I keep stroking with one hand, using my mouth to stroke the rest of him.

    ¡°That feels so fucking good, Lily.

    Since I can¡¯t speak, I hum my response to him and the minute I do, his body jerks again, a growl of

    pleasureing from his chest. I take him as deep as I can, feeling him hitting the back of my throat.

    ¡°Lily, I¡¯m not going tost long.¡± He tells me, so I begin to move faster, feeling his hand tighten in my

    hair.

    My hand on his thigh moves to his ass, his really muscr ass. Wow! Something to think aboutter.

    Focus Lily! I pull him closer, wanting to give him the same pleasure he gave me. He uses the hand in

    my hair to guide me to the rhythm he wants me to keep, careful not to be too forceful when he hits the

    back of my throat.

    ¡°Fuck Lily, I¡¯m going to cum.¡± He says and moves to pull me off his cock. Instead, I grab his ass with

    both hand and push him farther into my mouth, feeling him slide into my throat. I open my throat taking

    him even deeper just as his cock begins spasming against my tongue. I feel the hot, thick liquid

    shooting into my throat, and I automatically begin swallowing, my throat contracting around him.

    His answering snarl and his body jerking at his release lets me know how much he likes this. I take

    everything he gives me, moaning myself at the apple vor that hits my tongue.

    When I feel his body rx, his cock going soft in my mouth, I pull back, licking every drop off him

    before standing back up. I only have a moment before he¡¯s pushed me against the shower wall, his

    hand tangling in my hair, his mouth and tongue devouring me.

    By Commentaires

 Chapter 528

    When he finally pulls away, he puts his forehead against mine. ¡°I don¡¯t know what made you decide to

    do that, Lily, but that was incredible.¡±

    I smile, pleased with myself for having given him the pleasure he has been giving to me.

    We dry off and crawl into bed together. It urs to me that I would be happy getting into bed with Clint

    every night, curling up on his chest, while he wraps his arms around me, listening to the sound of our

    wolves purring to each other. In a sh, I see my future, clear as day with Clint by my side, and I know,

    want this more than anything.

    The next morning. I wake up, practicallyying on top of Clint. He kisses my head. ¡°Good morning.

    beautiful.¡±

    I lift my head and look at him. ¡°Have you been awake long?¡± I ask, noticing that he doesn¡¯t look sleepy.

    ¡°A while. I was enjoying having youying on my chest.¡± His hand is stroking my back from the top of

    my

    butt cheek to my shoulder de. I have the urge to stretch like a cat under his touch.

    ¡°I¡¯m a wolf, not a cat.¡® Andra huffs at me. ¡°But it does feel good. Clint can stroke us any time he wants.¡±

    ¡°What does Andra have to say this morning?¡± Clint asks me.

    Honesty. I promised to give him honesty. ¡°We are both enjoying the way you¡¯re stroking my back. It

    makes me want to arch against your hand. I thought like a cat, but Andra took offense.¡±

    I feel his chest bouncing under me with hisughter. ¡°I¡¯m happy to stroke either of you any time.¡±

    My hussy of a wolf pushes forward. ¡°Thank you, Clint, your touch is very nice.¡± She tells him.

    He strokes my face with the back of his fingers. Donovan pushing forward. ¡°We love touching you, both

    of you.¡± He says.

    I watch as Clint pulls Donovan back. ¡°Before these two get carried away, it smells like someone is

    cooking breakfast out there.¡±

    I sniff the air and sure enough, it smells like pancakes and bacon. My stomach rumbles.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get my girls fed.¡± Clint said.

    ¡°Your girls?¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± He says, kissing my nose. ¡°You and Andra. My girls.¡±

    Andra begins purring at this. I roll my eyes, before moving off Clint.

    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda for today?¡± I ask, pulling on some clothes.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Whitewater rafting today. We need to leave soon, I think it¡¯s an hour or so away and we need to be

    there by a certain time.

    When I open the door to our room to go to the kitchen. I stop in my tracks. Anders has Cali up against

    the counter and is kissing her the same way Clint kisses me. I already know that Cali is going to be

    dazed when he pulls away.

    Clintes up behind me and clears his throat. ¡°Something smells good.¡±

    Anders whips his head around, growling at Clint. I frown, what¡¯s this?

    ¡°I meant breakfast.¡± Clint says, meaningfully. And it takes me a moment before I realize that we can

    smell Cali¡¯s arousal from Anders¡® kisses and Anders took Clint¡¯s statement all wrong.

    Cali blushes a bright shade of red and Anders steps back, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Sorry

    about that.¡±

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    ¡°No problem, as long as breakfast doesn¡¯t get burned because you aren¡¯t paying attention.¡± Clint

    teases him before walking into the kitchen to check the pancakes.

    Cali looks at me and I can tell that we have a lot to catch up on. Although maybe not. As much as I

    want to tell someone about what happened between me and Clint, I also want to keep it private. I don¡¯t

    want to share it with anyone, not even Cali.

    As we sit down to eat, we begin talking about the day. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to go white water rafting?¡± Cali

    asks.

    Anders smiles at her in a way that feels very intimate. Oh yeah, there¡¯s a story there.

    ¡°Usually, but dad got the pack here to agree to a modified version for us. We have to go south, and it

    won¡¯t be the normal version, but it will still be fun. And because it¡¯s someone that works for the pack

    that¡¯s taking us, we can swim and not worry about the water temperature being too cold for humans.

    We finish breakfast and get changed for our trip. Everyone is excited and while the rafting isn¡¯t as

    exciting as I¡¯m sure it is during the season, it¡¯s still fun and we take some time to swim in the water. It is

    cold, but Clint warms me up.

    ¡°Someday, we¡¯lle back during the season and go on a real whitewater rafting trip, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    thou

    I wrap my arms and legs around him in the water. ¡°I would love that. It¡¯s really beautiful here. And I

    know

    have other ces in the country that do whitewater rafting as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡± He says, kissing me.

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 529

    I¡¯m not sure life gets any better than it is right now. Everything is perfect. My mate is opening up to me,

    she¡¯s agreeing to future time together and she¡¯s wanting to be more physical with me. I literally

    thought my head was going to explodest night when Lily went down on me. Well, one head actually

    did explode. Nothing has ever felt as good as her mouth on me. I could tell she wasn¡¯t experienced in

    giving blow jobs and that just made the whole experience that much better. She¡¯s a natural, she¡¯s

    perfect, and she was made just for me. Thank you, Moon Goddess!

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    It¡¯s obvious this morning that Anders and Calista had gotten intimate as well. I won¡¯t ask him about it. I

    won¡¯t share my rtionship with Lily, and I know he won¡¯t share his with Calista, but it¡¯s there, and I¡¯m

    happy for him. It makes it a lot easier to spend time together since they were already close friends and

    he and I are as well.

    We¡¯re all so rxed. Thepany is easy and fun. We alternate between spending time together with

    the four of us and then splitting off into pairs. Dinner tonight is a more rxed affair, but we all get

    lobster again, taking advantage of the fresh seafood.

    At night we all walk around the harbor again, just enjoying the fresh, briny air. Anders and Calista

    decide to go off on their own and Lily and I return to the house.

    When we get back, Lily pulls me into the shower with her. I could definitely get used to this. She¡¯s

    be veryfortable with me, and I love it. She bends over to turn on the shower, giving me an

    excellent view of her ass. My hand twitches wanting to touch her, but I don¡¯t want to push her

    boundaries. I need to let her guide this and tell me what she wants.

    but

    She pulls me into the shower, stepping backward under the water as she kisses me. I wrap my arms

    around her, feeling the water washing down our bodies. My body instantly responds to her closeness, b

    I don¡¯t want her to think that I have any expectations other than being together. When we pull apart. I

    grab the shampoo and pour some into my hands before beginning to rub it into her hair. I step back,

    turning her around and pulling her out of the stream of the shower while I work the shampoo down into

    her long hair.

    As I do, I kiss her shoulders, and let my fingers slide up her body. I turn her around, kissing her nose.

    before gently pushing her under the shower and rinsing her hair. When I¡¯m done, I do it again with

    conditioner. After that, I get the body wash and begin washing her body, taking my time, enjoying

    touching and taking care of my mate.

    When I finish, she turns and begins washing me, taking her time. It¡¯s so intimate and the feeling of her

    touching me feels so good, I think this might be my new favorite thing to do with my mate.

    When we¡¯re done, we dry each other off, leaving kisses all over the other¡¯s body. My erection is on full.

    disy and her arousal is scenting the air deliciously.

    We crawl into bed, and Iy on my back, waiting for her toy on my chest. Instead, she leans over me

    +15 BONUS

    kissing me deeply. Her hand starts to slide over my chest, moving south to stroke my throbbing

    erection.

    I pull away from her. ¡°Lily?¡± I ask her.

    She looks down at me and I can see her indecision. ¡°Baby, we can just go to sleep. Or if you want to try

    something new or do something we¡¯ve already done, we can do that too. What do you want, love?¡±

    I cup her face with my hand, running my thumb across her cheek. She leans into my hand, her eyes.

    closing, before she looks at me and the indecision has turned to determination.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    I smile at my sweet mate. ¡°That¡¯s great, Lily bud. What are you ready for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to go all the way.¡± My thumb stops, mid¨Cstroke.

    I look into her eyes, and I see that there is no uncertainty, no hesitation. My mate wants me, and she is

    willing to let me be her first, even before she knows for sure that I¡¯m her mate.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I lift up and gently push her back on the bed,ying over top of her. ¡°I¡¯m honored, but I need to make

    sure that you are positive that you want this. We don¡¯t have to, we can wait.¡±

    Commentaires

    Voter(eak)

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 530

    She shakes her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m ready.¡±

    I lean in, kissing her deeply, taking my time to get my heart rate under control. I want to make sure that

    this night is memorable for all the right reasons for my mate. I want her to look back on tonight and

    smile. every time she thinks of our first time together.

    I run my hand down her body, slowly taking in every curve, every sensitive area, every ce where she

    is ticklish. I begin kissing my way down her neck and have to check myself when I feel my canines start

    to

    extend. I can¡¯t wait until I can mark her as mine.

    I move down her body, taking her nipple into my mouth, sucking on it while I use my fingers to gently

    tug on the other one. She arches up into my mouth and I swirl my tongue around it until she¡¯s

    whimpering my name. I switch to her other nipple, taking it into my mouth, loving the sounds that she¡¯s

    making and

    the increasing scent of her arousal. I have to taste her.

    I kiss my way down her stomach, moving between her thighs and pulling one over my shoulder. I have

    much better ess here on the bed than I didst night when I had her against the tree. I run my hand

    down her other thigh, hooking my hand under her knee and pushing her leg up against the mattress.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    opening her to me.

    I blow on her glistening lips. ¡°So beautiful.¡± I say reverently before diving in to feast on my favorite

    meal.

    I¡¯m thankful that Anders and Calista haven¡¯t returned. My mate can be as loud as she wants to be, and

    I love hearing her call my name as I give her pleasure. I take my free hand and slide a finger inside her

    wet folds, slowly moving in and out before adding a second finger. I begin sucking and licking on her clit

    while I corkscrew my fingers, gently stretching her as I start to feel her legs shaking. I increase my

    pressure and speed until she¡¯s screaming her pleasure, her inner walls mping down on my fingers. I

    want to make her cum again, but I know I won¡¯tst if I do.

    I slide up her body, taking her face in my hands. ¡°Are you sure, Lily bud? Last chance to back out.¡±

    ¡°I want you, Clint. I¡¯m sure.¡±

    I kiss her again, then rub my tip against her wetness before lifting my head and looking at her. I slowly

    start to slide inside her, and she feels so good. It¡¯s the most incredible feeling I¡¯ve ever experienced.

    When I reach the barrier of her maidenhead, I reach down and kiss her once more before thrusting into

    her until I bottom out. I immediately feel her body tense, and she pulls away from our kiss with her gasp

    of pain.

    ¡°I love you, Lily.¡± I say and I hold absolutely still, waiting for her to adjust to the intrusion and my size. I

    kiss a tear that drops from her eyes, then kiss her cheek, her nose and move back to her lips. When

    she finally starts to move, I lift up to watch her as I begin to slowly slide in and out of her.

    Her eyes focus on me, her handse to my face, then she buries them in my hair, pulling me to her,

    kissing me more deeply.

    She pulls away, her eyes are closed and her back is arched. ¡°Faster.¡± She whispers.

    I begin to go faster, then start to feel her body moving against mine. I pull one of her legs up, hooking it

    over my shoulder giving me better ess. I shift until I find the spot that has her eyes going wide and

    her mouth opening into an ¡®0¡®. Once I¡¯ve found her perfect spot, I begin to thrust into her faster and

    faster. I grit my teeth to keep froming. I need her to reach her climax before I reach mine.

    When her body arches and she screams my name, I can only hold out for two more strokes before I am

    joining her, my body shooting off like a rocket. My mouth begins to salivate, my canines extend,

    needing to sink into something. I roar my release, reaching past her and sinking my teeth into the pillow

    beside her head. It¡¯s not what I want, the pillow is a poor substitute for my mate¡¯s neck, but I feel the

    venom flowing from my canines as my dick continues to contract long after it normally would, reacting

    to every pulse of my mate¡¯s body.

    Cooper Author

    Wow, Lily agreed to let Clint be her first without knowing for sure that he is her mate. What do you think

    should she have waited?

    Commentaires

 Chapter 531

    I did it. This weekend has been amazing, and I wanted to

    ive myself to Clint. Maybe I should have waited another couple of weeks to see if he¡¯s my mate. But

    this weekend is perfect. This ce is perfect, our time together has been perfect, and he has been

    perfect. He is everything I have ever wanted in a mate. He¡¯s funny, considerate, loving, caring. He is

    constantly making sure my needs are met, that I¡¯m happy. He hasn¡¯t pushed me to do anything that I

    didn¡¯t want to do and it¡¯s why I finally decided that

    tonight was the night.

    I don¡¯t think I could have chosen a better time or ce to lose my virginity. Clint made it so special. He

    made me feel like I was precious to him, he made sure it was good for me and goddess was it good!

    For once. I appreciate his sexual prowess. I got to reap the benefits of that knowledge tonight. Beyond

    that. he told me he loved me. I¡¯m not sure he realized that he said it, but I heard it, and it made my

    heart soar.

    His head is still beside mine, and our bodies are still joined. I kiss his shoulder and his neck, wishing I

    was old enough to sink my teeth into his mating spot. He responds by kissing my shoulder and I feel

    his teeth graze my mating mark, causing my inner walls to contract around him and my body to shiver.

    He lifts up, looking at me before leaning in to rub his nose against mine. ¡°How do you feel Lily bud?¡±

    ¡°A bit sore, but good.¡±

    ¡°No regrets?¡±

    ¡°No regrets.¡± I kiss him gently and he responds just as gently, treating me as if I am a treasure.

    We hear Anders and Calista return, and Clint slides out of me. Instead ofying t, he curls up behind

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    me, wrapping his arms and his body around me. I sigh contentedly as Donovan begins purring. I can

    feel it in my body as his chest is pressed against my back and it¡¯s just as soothing as if I wasying on

    his

    chest. It doesn¡¯t take long before I drift off to sleep.

    The next morning, I wake up slowly. I feel different and it takes a moment for the events ofst night to

    come back to me. I open my eyes and turn my head to look at Clint behind me. His eyes are open, and

    he

    shifts,ying back so I can turn over.

    ¡°How do you feel this morning, Lily bud?¡±

    I stretch, feeling some soreness between my thighs. ¡°A bit sore, but overall, I feel really good.¡±

    I look up at him. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel like the luckiest man in the world.¡±

    I smile shyly at him, before tucking my head against his chest. He begins to run his fingers through my

    hair, massaging my scalp.

    ¡°What are we doing today?¡± I ask.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Today is a free day. We need to check in with Patrick and make sure that Alpha Mahli is leaving today.

    but we don¡¯t have anything specific nned.¡± I feel him look down at me. ¡°Is there something you

    would

    like to do today, Lily bud?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Anders and Cali, but I would be fine just walking around, maybe looking at some of

    the

    local shops and just enjoying the area.¡±

    ¡°I think that sounds like a good n.¡±

    We get up before Anders and Calista, so we begin to make breakfast. Clint takes every opportunity

    possible to touch me and kiss me. It makes breakfast a slow affair, but since our friends don¡¯t seem to

    be up and moving about yet, we don¡¯t care.

    e are

    Once they finally emerge and we¡¯ve eaten breakfast, everyone agrees to explore the town that we

    staying in. We have a great day and when Anders talks to his father and learns that Alpha Mahli has

    extended his stay, but still ns to leave tomorrow, our flight ns shift toter in the day, but we will

    still be leaving tomorrow.

    I¡¯m a bit sad to leave here, I¡¯ve enjoyed our time rxing, and it has given me time to really enjoy Clint.

    He¡¯s different away from the pack, more calm, more himself.¡±

    After a fantastic day where we walked around our town, walked the marina, shopped in a cute art store.

    with paintings of the local area, and had a final lobster dinner, we finally decide to call it a night.

    That night, Clint makes love to me again. It¡¯s the only way to describe it. It¡¯s not just sex, it¡¯s so special

    that I know I¡¯ll never forget this weekend. I wish it wouldst though. I really hope that he¡¯s my mate.

    The next morning, we take advantage of our bed and ourst bit of time together and we make love

    again. before showering together. We¡¯ve packed and received the official notification that Alpha Mahli

    has left our packnds.

 Chapter 532

    On our flight back, after take off, Clint pulls me into hisp and we have a quiet conversation between

    kissing. I worried that we were making Anders and Calista ufortable until I realized that they were

    in a simr position and weren¡¯t paying any more attention to us than we were to them. I guess the

    weekend was as good for them as it was for us.

    When we finally get back to the packhouse, we check in with Alpha Patrick, thanking him for our

    wonderful weekend.

    ¡°You all seem very rxed. I¡¯m d you were able to enjoy your time away. I¡¯ll fill you inter on the

    events that urred during your absence.¡± Alpha Patrick says to us.

    Clint walks me to my room and while I know I¡¯ll see him soon, I don¡¯t want to part from him. I don¡¯t want

    to be in this room alone. I wish I could fast forward time and know that he¡¯s my mate so I could move to

    his room, and we wouldn¡¯t have to part.

    As I¡¯m unpacking my clothes, I find one of his shirts. At first, I n to keep it, then I realize I can use

    this as an excuse to see him more quickly. I grab the shirt and rush upstairs to his room.

    As I walk up to his door, I see it is open and I hear a female voice. My stomach clenches and my heart

    stops. Please don¡¯t let this be what it sounds like. I walk up to the door and see Clint, his hands are on

    Anna¡¯s hips, she has her arms wrapped around his neck and they are kissing.

    I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up. It was all a lie, every bit of it. This whole time, he was using me, and I

    gave him exactly what he wanted. I must make a noise as my handes to my mouth, trying to keep

    whatever is nning toe up, in.

    Clint rips away from Anna. ¡°Oh, hey Lily.¡± Anna says to me. But my eyes never leave Clint¡¯s. He looks

    horrified at being caught.

    I turn on my heel and rush downstairs.

    ¡°LILY!¡± I hear him call, but I don¡¯t stop. I race to my room, locking the door behind me and barely make

    it

    I

    to the bathroom before everything in my stomaches back up.

    One night earlier: Beta Terrance

    I¡¯mying in bed with a surprisingly willing she¨Cwolf. I don¡¯t remember her name, but she was happy to

    do everything that I wanted to do. Not everyone can handle my¨Ctastes. But she took everything I gave

    her like a champ. She might have some bruises and I can guarantee that she¡¯ll be sore in every orifice

    of her body. I¡¯m not gentle, but she didn¡¯t seem to care.

    I¡¯m not a monster though, and she¡¯sying on my chest as I rub her back, wondering if there is

    anything else I want to do to this she¨Cwolf before I have to leave tomorrow. I¡¯m here at the Canyon

    Ridge pack with

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    my Alpha, Alpha Mahli. He came with the intention of bringing our future Luna home. Her father is very

    willing for my Alpha to mate with his daughter, whether or not his daughter agrees. We had nned to

    bring her home with us, knowing that she will turn 18 in a month or so. Then we can make sure that

    she

    is ready and avable for him to mark and mate on her birthday.

    However, she isn¡¯t here. It made Alpha Mahli angry when he learned that she had gone away. I had

    asked around but had not found out anything helpful. I had also thought that there was a Guardian in

    this pack, but I have yet to see him. Maybe mypliant she¨Cwolf knows where he is.

    ¡°I thought you had a Guardian in your pack.¡± I say.

    ¡°Mmmm, they went away for the weekend.¡±

    Thes

    ¡°Where did they go?¡± I ask, not making an issue of the plural pronoun.

    She shrugs in my arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Do you know when they will be back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it has to be soon, they are still in school.¡±

    Am I hearing this correctly? My Alpha¡¯s intended mate is a Guardian? No wonder Alpha Patrick got her

    out of here before we arrived.

    I roll over, kissing the she¨Cwolf. ¡°More?¡± She whimpers. Oh yes, there will be much more.

    And once I tell my Alpha that his intended is a Guardian, he will reward me greatly!

    Cooper Author

    Why did Lily find Clint kissing Anna?? Alpha Mahli nned to take Lily? And now they know she¡¯s a

    Guardian,

    3

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 Chapter 533

    After returning from the best weekend of my life. | drop Lily at her room. | hate leaving her. After just one weekend. | don¡¯t want to

    be separated from her. | know we will be meeting on the roof soon, but | want to shower with her, go to bed together in an actual

    bed, not one made up of nkets that I¡¯ve gathered.

    I''m not paying attention as | head up to my room, my mind still on my perfect weekend with my perfect mate. It¡¯s not until I¡¯m at

    my door, unlocking it, that | catch the scent of perfume. | turn, seeing Anna

    stepping out of the shadows.

    ¡°Anna, what are you doing up here?¡±

    ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Can we speak, privately?¡± She says and moves past me into my room. She may want to speak privately. but I¡¯m not closing the

    door to my room. | don¡¯t want her getting any ideas.

    | follow her into my room. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Anna?¡±

    She¡¯s turned away from me, so | can¡¯t see her face. | walk over to my bed, putting my bag on it. | hope this won''t take long. I¡¯m

    desperate to get back to my mate.

    When | turn back to Anna, she has moved much closer to me. | take a step back. ¡°Anna, what did you

    need?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°I need you, Clint.¡± She says then throws her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine. | put my

    hands on her hips, intending to push her away when | hear a sound that makes my heart skip a beat. Please, goddess, no.

    When | look up and see Lily, her hand over her mouth, | know exactly what she¡¯s thinking, it¡¯s written all

    over her face. Anna¡¯s casual hello only makes it worse.

    ¡°LILY!¡± | call as she spins on her heel and runs from me.

    | turn back to Anna, snarling ferociously. ¡°Don¡¯t evere near me again. Don¡¯t touch me, don¡¯t even

    look at me. If you do, | won¡¯t be responsible for what Donovan does to you.¡± | let him push forward to

    show her I¡¯m not joking. If she has ruined my rtionship with Lily, | may hurt her.

    | race out of my room, leaving Anna to find her way out. When | get to Lily¡¯s room, | knock. When she doesn¡¯t answer, | try the

    doorknob, but it¡¯s locked.

    | hear Calvin''s throat clearing behind me, but I¡¯m not in the mood. ¡°I need to speak to Lily.¡±

    ¡°It''s after hours and you just spent the weekend with her. She''ll be here tomorrow.¡±

    I snarl, stomping past him and rush back to my room. I''ll go through her window if that¡¯s what it takes.

    +15 BONUS

    When | return to my room, Anna is gone. | crawl out my window and down to Lily¡¯s. When | get there, she has locked her window

    and closed the blinds.

    | knock on her window. ¡°Lily, please. It wasn¡¯t what you think. | swear, Lily. Please, talk to me.¡±

    I can hear her crying softly behind the window. ¡°Lily, please talk to me.¡±

    | stand at her window for two hours, pleading with her to open up and talk to me. She never responds to me. If | didn¡¯t hear her

    crying, | wouldn¡¯t even think she was in there.

    ¡°If that she¡ªwolf ruined our chances with our mate, | will kill her.¡± Donovan snarls in my head. I¡¯m right there with him.

    | return to my room, grabbing the

    nkets that | had washed while we

    were gone. They don''t even smell like

    her anymore. | have nothing that

    smells like her. | can only hope that

    she wille to the roof. If she

    would just let me exin, hear me

    out, | know | could make her

    understand. The content is on

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    | go up to the roof and drop off the

    nkets. Then, just in case, | make

    my way back to her window. She''s

    still crying and it breaks my heart.

    ¡°Lily, I''ll be on the roof. Please, just let

    me exin. | know it looked bad, but |

    can exin everything. Please, just

    hear me out.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    When | get no response, | head back

    to the roof. | sit there all night,

    waiting, hoping that she will join me.

    As the sun starts to rise, | realize she

    isn''ting. I¡¯m hoping she fell

    asleep and will see things differently

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 Chapter 534

    I head back to my room, getting ready for training. I race down the stairs, hoping to catch her on her

    way down. When I get to her hallway. I can smell her scent strongly and I realize she¡¯s already left her

    room. I start to head downstairs, intending to find her when I get a mind link from Patrick.

    ¡°Clint,e see me in my office.¡±

    As I head to his office, and based on her scent, I realize Lily was already here this morning. I don¡¯t

    know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I knock, walking in without waiting for a response. I was

    hoping Lily would still be here, but she¡¯s not. Her scent, however, still lingers and it both helps calm me

    and hurts that I missed even one night with her.

    Anders is standing, looking out his window. ¡°Clint. What did you do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    all of

    He turns around and looks at me, disappointment written all over his face. ¡°After seeing how happy you

    werest night, specifically smelling your scent all over Lily, imagine my surprise when I see her at my

    door first thing this morning. She looked like she didn¡¯t sleep at allst night and her eyes are red

    rimmed from crying. I don¡¯t have to tell you that I¡¯m not a fan of men who make women cry. So, I¡¯ll ask

    again, what did you do?¡±

    I rub my hands over my face. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. But she saw something that she misinterpreted.¡±

    He just raises his eyebrow at me.

    ¡°Anna was waiting for me when I returned. She said she needed to talk and walked into my room,

    uninvited. She threw herself into my arms and kissed me. It was at that moment that Lily walked in. She

    saw us kissing, Anna¡¯s arms around my neck and now she thinks that I left her and immediately ran

    into

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    another woman¡¯s arms.¡±

    He rubs his hand over his jaw, watching me. ¡°Well, this is really bad timing and now I¡¯m in a bind, Clint.

    You see, Lily has asked me to take you off her guard duty.¡±

    I growl at that. ¡°You didn¡¯t agree?¡±

    I

    ¡°Of course, I agreed. I told you I would treat her like my daughter and if someone hurts her,

    intentionally.

    or unintentionally, I will act.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll watch her from afar.¡±

    He¡¯s shaking his head before I finish. ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± He pauses, growling himself. ¡°Alpha Mahli

    showed up here this weekend with his Beta and several warriors.¡±

    My hands clench into fists. ¡°He was nning to take Lily.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a question.

    ¡°I have to believe that was his intention. Why else would he show up with so many fighters when he

    was

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°You can¡¯t take me off her guard duty. You know I¡¯m the best person to watch and protect her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. But I won¡¯t go against her wishes. You need to figure out how to fix this and you need to do it

    quickly. She did agree to continue afternoon training with you. I would advise you not to use that time to

    try to convince her that she needs to give you another chance. If she tells me she¡¯s done training with

    you, I¡¯ll pull you from that, too.¡±

    I nod, turning to walk out and find my mate. ¡°Oh and Clint, I may treat her like she¡¯s my daughter, but

    I¡¯ve always thought of you as my son. I hope that I¡¯ve always treated you that way. And as your father

    figure. I have a suggestion for you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°She¡¯s mad at you, Clint.¡±

    Brilliant, because I hadn¡¯t figure that out on my own. ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s very helpful.¡± I say sarcastically.

    turning to leave again.

    ¡°You misunderstand me.¡±

    I stop, turning around.

    ¡°She¡¯s mad at you. She¡¯s not mad at Donovan. If it were my mate, I¡¯d use that to my

    advantage.

    I nod, leaving his office to find my mate. I¡¯m not in charge of her training in the morning, so maybe I

    have

    a chance to make things right and get back on her protection and guard duty today.

    Cooper Author

    Alpha Mahil knows Lily is a Guardian and Clint is off guard duty. That a recipe for disaster. What do you

    think Donovan¡¯s chances are for making things right with Lily?

    Updates daily.

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    Chapter 0535

    | cried all night. | feel so stupid, | fell him. | knew better. | knew his reputation, that he¡¯s adies¡® man. Cali called it weeks ago.

    He only wanted me because | was a chase, a conquest. As soon as he caught me.

    he moved on to greener pastures.

    l ignored him all night, crying myself out. Before the sun rose, | jumped in the shower, dried my eyes and swore that | would not

    cry another tear for Clint Nelson. | put on my big girl pants and decided to take charge of my life. | would not be a victim of my

    father or of Clint. | am a Guardian and it¡¯s about time |

    started acting like one.

    First things first, | stopped by Alpha Patrick¡¯s office and requested that Clint be removed from my guard duty. | refused to tell him

    why, just stating that | would prefer if he assigned someone else. He didn¡¯t say anything about my puffy eyes, but he hugged me

    and agreed to pull Clint off my guard duty. I¡¯m not foolish enough to think that Clint won¡¯t fight me on this, but | won¡¯t budge. I''ve

    had enough of his lies and no matter how he spins it, | saw him in the arms of another woman, minutes after he left me.

    | head down to training. Beta Calvin is running training today. | find Lucas and ask if he wants to pair He frowns at me. ¡°I thought

    you were training with Clint?¡±

    1. up.

    ¡°Not today. If you don¡¯t want to spar with me, I''ll find someone else.¡± | turn, scanning the crowd. | notice several-unmated

    warriors watching our exchange.

    ¡°No, | would love to spar with you, I¡¯m just surprised, that¡¯s all.¡±

    | know immediately when Clint walks out the back of the packhouse that he¡¯s already talked to Alpha

    Patrick. He heads straight over to me.

    ¡°Lily, can | have a word?¡±

    | don¡¯t look at him. ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to start training, Guardian. I¡¯m afraid it will have to wait.¡±

    | hear him growl. ¡°Lily.¡±

    l ignore him and watch Beta Calvin show us what he wants us to practice today. | turn to Lucas. effectively turning my back on

    Clint. ¡°Ready?¡± | ask Lucas.

    | see Lucas looking from me to Clint and back again. | raise my eyebrows at him. If he¡¯s not willing to Spar with me because Clint

    is here, then he¡¯s not worthy of sparring with a Guardian.

    ¡°Ready.¡± He says hurriedly when he sees me getting aggravated with him.

    We begin practicing while Clint stands there watching and fuming.

    ¡°Clint.¡± Beta Calvin calls to him.

    He must wave him over because Clint finally leaves. | feel my shoulders rx and begin sparring for real. It doesn¡¯t take long

    before I¡¯m taking Lucas down again and again.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    @?HIS MONS

    ¡°Lily, it looks like you need a challenge, and my son needs a break. How about youe spar with me.¡±

    Warrior Lyle says.

    | turn my attention to Warrior Lyle, and he does provide more of a challenge. When | take him down two times in a row, he

    changes tactics and forces me to think on my feet. He¡¯s our Lead Warrior for a reason. He¡¯s a good teacher and I¡¯m learning

    while we spar.

    When training is over, | grab my water and turn to walk inside.

    ¡°Lily.¡± Clint is beside me again.

    ¡°Guardian. I¡¯m afraid | have to get ready for school. I''ll see you in ss.¡± | turn and start to walk inside.

    ¡°LILY RAINES. DON¡¯T YOU DARE FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM ME.¡± He yells, causing everyone on the field to stop and turn

    to watch what happens next.

    ¡°Please just talk to me.¡± He says more quietly as | turn to face him.

    I stomp over to him and using a t hand, | punch him in the chest as hard as | can. He stumbles back a few steps but doesn¡¯t

    fall.

    ¡°You want to talk?¡± | snarl at him.

    ¡°Yes, please, just let me exin.¡±

    ¡°No. How about | give you that honesty you so desperately want from me.¡± | lean into him, getting in his face. ¡°Here¡¯s the honest

    truth. You are exactly who | thought you were. | lost sight of that, but you reminded me in the blindingly honest way that only you

    could do. So, go ahead,¡± | smack my hand on his chest again, pushing him back. ¡°Put another notch on your bedpost. But don¡¯t

    expect me toe crawling back to you.¡± | punch him again. ¡°I¡¯m not like your other conquests.¡± Punch. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking need

    you, Clint Nelson.¡± Punch. ¡°I don¡¯t want you.¡± Punch. ¡°So leave me the fuck alone.¡± Punch.

    ¡°No.¡± He snarls at me.

    ¡°No?¡± | ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

    ¡°No. | won''t leave you alone and you will listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Wrong. I¡¯m done listening to your lies. Save them for Anna.¡±

    | turn to walk away again, but he grabs my arm and spins me around. | don¡¯t even think, my other armes up and smacks

    him across the face, the force knocking him sideways, but he still doesn¡¯t fall.

    ¡°Don''t you fucking touch me.¡± | snarl at him, Andraing forward.

    ¡°Just give me five minutes, Lily.¡±

    ¡°I''ve given you more time than you deserve Clint. The only time you will get from me is during afternoon

    training. Don¡¯t make me regret agreeing to continue that.¡±

    O +15 BONUS

    | turn on my heel and walk away.

    Inside, | grab my breakfast, and head to my room. On my way, | pass Lucas. ¡°Lucas, can | get a ride to school today?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure.¡±

    ¡°Good, I''ll meet you back down here in 45 minutes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± He looks like a deer in headlights, but at least | have someone other than Anders to take me school.

    | mind link Cali, telling her | got a different ride to school and asking her if we can eat at the today instead of with Anders and

    Clint.

    She agrees but only after | promise to tell her what¡¯s going on.

    e track field

    After getting ready for school, | grab

    my bag and walk downstairs. Anders

    and Clint are waiting for me. I¡¯m

    riding with Lucas today.¡± | say and

    turn to him. His eyes are wide, but he

    doesn''t say anything turning and

    gesturing for me to precede him out

    the door. The content is on

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    | hear Clint snarl behind me, but | just ignore him.

    When | get to school, | thank Lucas

    and head to my locker. I¡¯m just

    closing the door when Calies up

    beside me and pulls me into a hug. ¡°I

    don¡¯t know what happened, but I¡¯m

    here for you.¡± She says quietly in my

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    | wrap my arms around my dearest friend. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Do you think Lily is justified in feeling

    hurt that she found Clint in another

    woman¡¯s arms after their weekend

    together? And it looks like she¡¯s

    finally ready to show her strength as

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 Chapter 536

    ¡°What happened?¡± Anders says as we watch Lily walk out the door with Lucas. | can¡¯t believe that douchebag is taking my mate

    to school. | can¡¯t believe any of this is happening. Donovan is pacing angrily in my head, and | want to hit something or someone

    so bad my fists are twitching.

    Anders handes down on my shoulder, forcing my attention to him. ¡°What happened?¡± He asks slowly, forcing me to focus on

    him.

    | take a deep breath and we walk out to his car. | wait until I¡¯m inside before telling him about the events of the night before. He

    whistles low. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking mess, Clint.¡±

    ¡°No fucking kidding. Anders. Why do you think I¡¯m about ready to explode?¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t know. She won¡¯t even speak to me. She has agreed to train with me in the afternoons and your dad rmended that |

    not say anything about this and focus on training. After this morning. | think he¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°My father usually is.¡± Anders says, as we pull up to Calista¡¯s house. She doesn¡¯t seem surprised that Lily isn¡¯t with us today.

    Anders hops out and opens the door for her, kissing her before she gets in. My heart feels like it¡¯s breaking. That should have

    been how my morning went with my mate.

    ¡°I''ll move to the back.¡± | say and switch ces with Calista. | don¡¯t want to talk, | need to think, which is practically impossible

    with Donovan snarling at me and my stupidity, as he calls it.

    ¡°What would you call it?¡¯ He asks me.

    ¡®| didn¡¯t do anything stupid. Maybe | was distracted and not paying attention to the signs, but | never wanted to kiss Anna. You

    know | don¡¯t want anyone other than Lily.¡±

    ¡°We''re following Patrick¡¯s advice and I¡¯m running training today.¡±

    ¡®Fine. I''ll do anything as long as we get to spend some time with our mate.¡±

    In Chemistry, | try to engage Lily in conversation about anything. She only speaks about our project. Her demeaner is so cold, it''s

    like I¡¯m no one to her, like this weekend never happened. She refuses to look at me and answers my questions with the least

    amount of words possible.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    In Literature shepletely ignores me, and I¡¯m so distracted | can¡¯t answer a single question asked of me. Inplete

    contrast, Lily has every answer to every question. I''d be utterly impressed if | wasn¡¯t so devastated.

    At lunch, neither Lily nor Calista is anywhere to be found. ¡°Okay, you need to fix this. Your issues with your mate are now

    impacting my time with mine.¡± Anders says to me.

    ¡°I''m open to suggestions,¡± | tell him.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°| wish | had words of wisdom for you, my friend. | guess | would go with my dad¡¯s suggestion. Use.

    Donovan.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do for training. Donovan will train Andra. At least I''ll get to spend some time with her.¡±

    Anders looks thoughtful for a moment. ¡°You know, if that goes well, maybe have Donovan go see her tonight.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°I mean, shift and have Donovan go to her room. Maybe she''ll let him in. Don¡¯t shift back, let him

    spend the time with her, but you can be there with them. It may help. You need to do something, my brother, because you seem

    like you¡¯re about to snap.¡±

    m.¡± | say quietly, forcing the lump in my throat back. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. I''ll try it.¡±

    ¡°Good. I''ll think of some other ideas if that doesn¡¯t work. You know I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    | look at my friend and for the first time, | see him as the Alpha he will be in a very short amount of time. ¡°You''re going to be

    an amazing Alpha, do you know that?¡±

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 Chapter 537

    He chuckles, shaking his head at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Most of the time I don¡¯t see you as my Alpha, I see you as my friend, my brother. But you

    will be one hell of an Alpha and our pack will flourish because they have you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks man. That means a loting from you.¡±

    History ss is the same as Literature. Lily ignores me and I can do nothing but stare at her longingly,

    like a lost puppy, which is exactly how I feel. I had a taste of perfection and having it ripped away from

    me so quickly and easily has left me feeling lost and adrift.

    I¡¯m thankful that, after school I have two and half hours of training time with Lily and Andra. I drop off

    my

    things and head outside, shifting immediately. Donovan sits and waits for Lily.

    I see Lily before she sees me. She¡¯s looking around, hesitantly. She doesn¡¯t want to train with me, I can

    tell by her demeanor. Donovan was right, this will make her feel morefortable.

    When she sees Donovan, I see the first smile I¡¯ve seen in over a day on her face. ¡°Donovan, what are

    your

    doing?¡± Shees over and takes his face in her hands, kissing his furry head. He licks her face, and I

    can¡¯t help but sigh as the tension around my heart eases at her closeness.

    ¡°Gross Donovan!¡± She says, wiping her face andughing. It¡¯s such a beautiful sound. How can I miss

    something so much that I¡¯ve only been without for such a short time?

    ¡°So, you and Andra are training today?¡±

    He woofs at her. ¡°Okay, give me a minute.¡±

    I

    There¡¯s no one around, so her going behind the tree to strip and shift is specifically so I won¡¯t see her. It

    makes me sad again, but at least we get some time with her and Andra this afternoon.

    ¡®Again, I¡¯m the one they like. You¡¯re a dick that screwed things up with our mate.¡® Donovan snaps at

    me.

    Donovan pushes Andra hard. She¡¯s getting stronger. I could tell when Lily was punching me this

    morning. In the past, it wouldn¡¯t have phased me, but today, she kept knocking me back. There were a

    couple of times where it was everything I could do to stay on my feet.

    When he finishes their training, Donovan drops his front legs down, leaving his hindquarters in the air,

    his

    tail wagging. He woofs at Andra before jumping at her and returning to his crouch. It only takes Andra a

    second to realize that he wants to y, and she takes off.

    Through Donovan¡¯s eyes, I watch them y, him nipping at her heels. They y for nearly an hour

    before

    I see Lily pull Andra back. She heads to the tree where she left her clothes and shifts, changing before

    shees out.

    She walks over to Donovan and kisses him on his head. ¡°Thanks Donovan. That was a great workout

    +15 BONUS

    and Andra enjoyed the run.¡±

    She turns and heads inside and Donovan runs to where our clothes are stashed. I shift and pull my

    clothes on before heading in to get dinner. When I arrive, I see that Lily is in line, getting food to eat in

    her

    room, I¡¯m guessing. However, next to her is Lucas and as I walk closer, I can hear that he is asking her

    out on another fucking date.

    Every good feeling that I had from thest three hours with my mate evaporates and I snarl as I walk

    up

    to them.

    ¡°No, she will not be going on a date with you.¡±

    Cooper Author

    Do you think Donovan can break through Lily¡¯s hurt and get Clint back in her good graces?

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 Chapter 538

    After leaving Clint, | decide to grab food and head to my room. Cali said she would join me tonight so we can talk some more. |

    filled her in on everything that happened this weekend and then finding Clint and Anna wrapped in each other¡¯s arms. Call, being

    the amazing friend that she is, is surrounding me in her armor and supporting me in my decision to ignore Clint.

    Lucas walks up behind me as I¡¯m getting my food. ¡°Hey Lily. So, now that | know that you are Clint aren¡¯t together¡ªyou aren''t

    together, right?¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    | look at him over my shoulder, adding more food to my te.

    ¡°We are definitely NOT together.¡±

    ¡°Then, | would love to take you on that date that we never got a chance to go on.¡±

    Thest thing | want to do is go on a date with Lucas and I¡¯m about to say something like that to him, when Clint walks up, acting

    like he still has a say in my life.

    His immediate dismissal of Lucas has my hackles going up. | turn and put myself between Clint and Lucas.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in who | do and don¡¯t go out with Clint.¡±

    ¡°Lily, don¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it''s okay for you, but not for me.¡± | put my food down and step into his space. ¡°Do you really want to do this right here, right

    now? | doubt Alpha Patrick would be happy if we got into it in his dining hall.¡±

    ¡°No, Alpha Patrick would not. Clint, my office. Now.¡± Alpha Patrick says,ing up behind us.

    | watch as he grits his teeth and clenches his fists, but he turns to follow Alpha Patrick. I¡¯m feeling petty.

    so | turn to Lucas before Clint leaves the room. ¡°I would love to go out with you Lucas.¡±

    Clint¡¯s answering snarl let¡¯s me know my shot hit its mark.

    Lucas is watching Clint leave. He looks nervous. ¡°Uh, great. Friday night work for you?¡±

    *Sounds perfect. Oh and, can | get a ride to school again tomorrow morning?¡±

    His focus finallyes back to me. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    | grab my te of food and the one | made for Cali before heading up to my room. I¡¯ve justid everything

    out when there is a knock at my door. | know before | open it that it''s Cali.

    We eat dinner and then | really want to get out of my room. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Can you just go for a walk?¡± She asks. me.

    ¡°No, but | can find out who my guard is and see if they are busy.¡±

    | mind link Alpha Patrick, hoping he¡¯s not still talking to Clint. ¡°Excuse me, Alpha Patrick.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lily, is everything okay.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Alpha. | was wondering who I¡¯should contact if | wanted to go walking around the packnds. Or is

    it okay if | walk with Cali?¡±

    ¡°Warrior Lyle ising off shift in 15 minutes. He will be your guard for the night. Unless you want to go now, and | can have

    Beta Calvin apany you.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay, I''ll link Warrior Lyle and have him meet us when he¡¯s ready. Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    | mind link Warrior Lyle and he agrees to meet us in 30 minutes. After confirming that he¡¯s not too tired for guard duty, we agree

    to meet behind the packhouse.

    When Cali and | show up, Warrior Lyle is waiting for us. ¡°Good evening,dies. Where are we headed. tonight?¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Warrior.¡± We both say.

    ¡°We wanted to walk to theke and

    just rx for a bit.¡± The content is on

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    ¡°Sounds nice.¡± He says and we walk

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    Cali and | sit down at the edge of the

    lake. Lyle gives us Some space,

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 Chapter 539

    ¡°| feel so stupid. Cali. You called it weeks ago, but Clint was being so nice. | wanted to believe him.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know, Lily. | feel like Clint was really into you. He seemed serious when we were all together. He¡¯s

    been more attentive to you than I¡¯ve ever seen him.¡±

    ¡°Then why was he kissing Anna as soon as we got back?¡± | say and my voice breaks. | force the tears back. | told myself |

    wouldn''t cry any more tears for Clint, and | won''t.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know Lits. Maybe you should hear him out. Honestly, | wouldn''t think he¡¯d put so much effort into talking to you if he didn¡¯t

    care.¡±

    ¡°| fell for him Cali. | let myself fall hard.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, | know.¡± She wraps her arm around me as we look out over theke. ¡°It¡¯s not always easy

    is it?¡±

    | realize I¡¯ve been drowning in my own pity party and haven¡¯t really talked to Cali about this weekend. |

    turn to her. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it always easy?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°Oh, you know.¡±

    | sit up straighter. I¡¯m not the only one that needs a friend right now. ¡°Apparently, | don¡¯t. Why don¡¯t you

    lay it out for me.¡±

    She looks at me, before turning back to the water. ¡°You know their reputations, Clint¡¯s and Anders¡°. We

    know they weren''t little angels waiting for their mates. But it never urred to me that my problems

    wouldn''te from Anders, but from his previous rtionships.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°Well, you know how I¡¯ve been spending more time in the packhouse?¡± | nod. ¡°I¡¯ve just been hearing more and more she¡ª-wolves

    talking about their time with Anders, how big he is, how good he is in bed.

    why is he bothering with a wet nket like me.¡± | snarl at thatst part.

    ¡°Any man would be lucky to have you, Calista.¡± | tell her.

    She smiles. ¡°That¡¯s what Anders says. But it doesn¡¯t make it any easier to deal with all the rumors and

    discussions that | overhear. Most of the time, | don¡¯t think it¡¯s idental, like they make it seem. | feel

    like it''s intentional to make me feel insignificant.¡±

    I start tough. ¡°Cali, my dearest friend in the whole wide world, don¡¯t you realize that if they are trying to make you feel

    insignificant, it¡¯s because you are a threat to them?¡±

    She frowns. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°| mean, if they weren¡¯t worried about Anders giving you so much attention, they wouldn¡¯t think twice

    about you. If they are really making sure you overhear their ¡®private¡¯ conversations¡°, | use my fingers to

    +15 BONUS

    make air quotes, ¡°then they feel you are a real threat to bing our Luna.¡±

    | pull my friend into a hug. ¡°And Call? They are right. There is no one in this pack that would make a better Luna, than you!¡±

    She hugs me back. ¡°Thanks Lils.¡±

    | pull back, looking at her, suddenly

    realizing that the forest around us

    has gone too quiet. The hair on my

    arms goes up and Andraes

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    ¡°Lily, what is it?¡± Just as she asks, a dart shoots into her leg.

    In an instant, | pull it out. ¡°Run, Cali!¡± | shout as Andra pushes forward and a dart shoots into my leg.

    | pull out the dart and Andra forces

    our shift, just as five wolves step out

    on the other side of theke. Shai,

    Calista¡¯s wolf, shifts but | can tell she

    won''t get far. | can smell the

    wolfsbane. While my leg feels sore, |

    am not feeling any effects from the

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    | smell him before | see him, Alpha

    Mahli. He steps out behind his

    warriors. ¡°Darling. It¡¯s time for you to

    come home.¡± He says to me,

    beginning to walk around theke

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 Chapter 540

    I snarl at him, backing up to Calista¡¯s now limp body. Shali having been forced to shift back because of

    the wolfsbane. I won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt my friend. Warrior Lyle is nowhere around. I¡¯m hoping he¡¯s

    just knocked out somewhere and not dead.

    Andra lifts her head and sends up the howl for help.

    ¡°Oh, my beautiful mate. They won¡¯t make it in time. I don¡¯t want your friend. I only want you, my future

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Luna.¡±

    Another man steps up beside Alpha Mahli as four more darts get shot into my legs. Andra¡¯s snart is

    feral as she reaches around and pulls the darts out with her mouth.

    ¡°I told you, Alpha. I told you she¡¯s a Guardian. Imagine how strong our pack will be when you take her

    as our Luna.¡± The stranger says to Alpha Mahli.

    ¡°You¡¯re so right Terrance. It¡¯s amazing what you can learn over pillow talk. I will have to find a way to

    reward you for this important information.¡± He says, his eyes never leaving Andra.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she feeling the effects of the wolfsbane?¡± Terrance asks.

    ¡°A good question.¡± He turns to his warriors. ¡°Again.¡± He says and six more darts get shot into me.

    Andra¡¯s answering snarl is echoed by another feral snarl, one we know well Donovan.

    Just as Donovan enters the area where I am standing off against Alpha Mahli and Terrance, Andra

    jumps to attack Terrance. He¡¯s obviously expecting the attack and he jumps, shifting mid¨Cair and turns

    to fight. The problem for him is that he doesn¡¯t want to kill me. I, however, have no such restraint

    I feel more darts going into Andra¡¯s hindquarters and when I quickly look at Donovan, I can see that he

    has several in his leg too. The warriors have shifted and are on their way around theke. But this pack

    has never fought a Guardian, much less two. Donovan is fierce, even though I can tell the wolfsbane is

    impacting him. And me? I have no intention of bing Alpha Mahli¡¯s Luna, today or any day.

    I take advantage of the time that it takes the warriors to get to us and rip Terrance¡¯s wolf¡¯s throat out

    Alpha Mahli is not fighter but Donovan, while still on his feet, is obviously feeling the effects of the

    wolfsbane.

    I turn, putting myself between the warriors and Calista¡¯s prone body. As they attack, I take them down,

    one by one. Donovan is able to take on two at a time, but he¡¯s not at full strength. Andra is and we¡¯re

    taking on five at once when I see Zakai, Anders¡® wolf,e barreling into the fight.

    He quickly takes out three warriors, giving me the chance to take out two more. Thest one makes the

    mistake of going for Donovan who grabs him, mid¨Cair by the stomach, and practically rips the wolf in

    half before he crumbles to the ground and sumbs to the effects of the wolfsbane.

    +15 BONUS

    Anders shifts quickly and runs to Cali. I shift as well. ¡°She¡¯s okay, she was hit with a wolfsbane dart.¡± I

    tell Anders. He picks her up before turning to me.

    ¡°Can you deal with Clint? I need to get Calista to the pack hospital.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it.

    The rest of our warriors are racing after Alpha Mahli. He left his warriors to die while he ran off like the

    coward he is.

    Donovan has shifted back to Clint and when I walk over to him, I check his pulse. Once I realize that he

    is

    okay except for being knocked out, I grab his arms, turning and pulling him onto my back wrapping his

    arms around my neck to keep him up before I begin the slow walk back to the packhouse.

    Cooper Author

    Alpha Mahli made his move. And Andra is immune to wolfsbane.

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 Chapter 541

    | was still with Patrick when Lily mind linked him about going for a walk. It should be me going with her. Patrick told me | needed

    time to cool off, but it wasn¡¯t working, so he took me to the indoor weight room and sparred with me until my murderous intent

    toward Lucas was gone, leaving me feeling empty.

    | went back to my room, taking a shower and trying to practice my guitar. Now, more than ever. | needed

    to figure out my grand gesture for Lily. One way or another, I¡¯m going to win her back.

    | finally give up and decide to go look for her. | won''t get close, but | need to see her. | go out the omega¡¯s entrance, not wanting

    to alert Patrick or Calvin to my ns. | catch her scent, along with Calista¡¯s and |

    begin to make my way toward them.

    | haven''t gone far when | hear Andra¡¯s howl for help. Donovan immediately forces the shift and we''re

    running toward Lily. When we get there, | recognize the scents as those lingering in the packhouse from

    this weekend. Alpha Mahli and his warriors.

    Andra jumps at one of them and I go after the other. | think he¡¯s the Alpha, but he doesn¡¯t smell like other

    Alphas that I¡¯ve met. Before | get to him, | feel several sharp pains in Donovan''s leg. Immediately, | begin

    to feel the effects of the wolfsbane. | turn and see that Andra has multiple darts in her legs and body, but

    she doesn¡¯t seem phased at all.

    | see the group of warriors that were shooting the wolfsbane dartsing our way and they shoot a few more at me. | want to kill

    this Alpha foring after my mate, but my vision is blurring. | can¡¯t tell exactly

    where he is and when Donovan swipes at him, he only gets air.

    When the warriors get to us, | see four, but quickly realize I¡¯m seeing double and there are only two. As

    Donovan swipes at them, it almost makes the fight easier that there is more than one and I can find at

    least one of them to tear into.

    | hear Zakaie running into the fight and I¡¯m relieved when | see that Andra looks like she¡¯s got a small pack of wolves

    surrounding her. Zakai begins taking them down and Andra finishes them off. | want Alpha Mahli, but my senses are all out of

    whack. | can no longer smell him and my vision is going ck.

    | see a wolfing for Donovan and he reaches out to grab it by its throat but instead, Donovan''s teeth sink into his stomach

    and he shakes his head ferociously to rip it out and put the wolf down. As soon as we do, Donovan copses and everything

    goes ck.

    When |e e to, it takes a moment for me to remember what happened and to take in my surroundings. | go to sit up, but a

    handes down on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    The scent of orange and ginger surrounds me and the voice that calms my soul speaks. | turn my and see my mate standing

    next to me, a chair behind her. She was watching over me.

    ¡°What happened?¡± | ask, my voice hoarse.

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    ¡°You took a lot of wolfsbane darts and you''ve been out for over a day.¡±

    | frown, that exins why I¡¯m sore. |

    look at Lily. ¡°You had a lot of darts in

    you too.¡± | say to her. The content is

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    She nods but doesn¡¯t look at me.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Lily?¡±

    She shrugs then finally looks at me.

    Her azure blue eyes connecting with

    mine and causing me to lose focus

    on anything else for a moment. ¡°I

    wasn''t affected.¡± The content is on

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    It takes a moment before what she

    says sinks in. ¡°You weren''t affected

    by the wolfsbane?¡± She shakes her

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 Chapter 542

    ¡°Do you know why I wasn¡¯t affected?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a Guardian thing. Obviously, I was affected.¡±

    She nods again, before stepping away.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t go, Lily.¡±

    She turns and smiles at me over her shoulder. It¡¯s a small smile, but it¡¯s a smile. I¡¯ll take it.

    ¡°I¡¯m just getting you some water. And I need to let the doctor know you¡¯re awake.¡±

    She brings me a ss of water and turns for the door.

    ¡°Will youe back?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says without looking at me before she walks out.

    When she returns, she has the doctor in tow, along with Anders.

    ¡°Finally!¡± He says, walking up to me and pping me on the shoulder. ¡°You had me worried!¡±

    Lily looks at him. ¡°I told you he took a lot of wolfsbane.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you weren¡¯t affected at all.¡± He says to her, then looks at the doctor. ¡°Well, is he going to live?¡±

    He asks, looking at me with a smirk on his face.

    The doctor is checking all my vitals and looking over the machines hooked to me.

    ¡°Yes, our Guardian will live.¡± He says.

    ¡°One of.¡± I say.

    He turns and looks at me, frowning. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°One of our Guardians. Lily is a Guardian too and apparently, she is the only one that is immune to

    wolfsbane.¡±

    He looks back at Lily and the frown he gives her makes me think he¡¯s put out that he doesn¡¯t know why

    she¡¯s immune to wolfsbane.

    The doctor says I¡¯m recovering well, but he wants me to stay another night. Anders is happy with the

    report and heads out, saying he needs to check on Calista.

    I turn back to Lily when it¡¯s just the two of us again. ¡°How is Calista doing? And where was your

    guard?¡± I

    ask her, knowing that Cali is a safe subject, given that Anders was willing to leave her side.

    ¡°Cali was only hit with one dart, so she woke up yesterday. She is due to be released today. Warrior

    Lyle

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    was hit with three. He woke up earlier today and is staying overnight as well.¡±

    ¡°It was Alpha Mahli, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He found out I was a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure. Apparently, the guy I killed was his Beta, Terrance. He mentioned something

    about¡® pillow talk¡® and that¡¯s how he got the information.¡±

    Who the fuck did this Beta sleep with and get information from? How did they surpass Patrick¡¯s Alpha

    order?

    ¡°Did you tell Patrick what he said?¡±

    I

    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t left your bedside. I was worried that you weren¡¯t waking up.¡±

    My heart soars. She was worried about me, even though she probably didn¡¯t want to be and wished

    that she wasn¡¯t worried, she¡¯s here.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯re awake, I can¡­¡±

    ¡°Please stay.¡±

    She turns and looks at me. The pain in her eyes is clear. ¡°Why?¡± She whispers.

    ¡°Because I love you, Lily. What you saw, wasn¡¯t what you think. I don¡¯t want anyone else but you. No

    one. else could ever turn my head from you. All I wanted was to get Anna out of my room so I could get

    back to you. I didn¡¯t know she was going to kiss me, and I was about to push her away when I heard

    you. I know it looked bad. I was distracted, thinking about you and our weekend together. I wasn¡¯t

    paying attention to what she was doing. I would never hurt you like that. Please Lily, there will never be

    anyone else for me, but you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°I do know that.¡±

    ¡°How could you possibly know that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to tell her, not yet. But I need her to realize that I mean every word I¡¯m saying.

    ¡°Because Lily Raines. You are my mate.¡±

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 Chapter 543

    His mate? Did he say I¡¯m his mate?

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m 18. I knew the minute I saw you after my birthday. It was Monday morning, and you were straddling

    Lucas, defeating him in your sparring match. Donovan almost killed Lucas that day, seeing you like

    that.¡±

    I look at him, not sure if I believe him.

    ¡°I turned 18 on a Friday. Anders and I went out all weekend looking for my mate. Little did I know that

    my little slip of a mate was in our pack but was underage and wouldn¡¯t recognize me as her mate for

    another

    couple of months.¡±

    ¡°So, the only reason you¡¯ve been giving me attention is because I¡¯m your mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. I was hoping I could get you to fall in love with me before you realized I was your mate. I

    thought I as doing a good job of it until this mess with Anna happened.¡±

    ¡°What about me being a Guardian?¡± Did he fall in love with me because I¡¯m a Guardian?

    He shrugs. ¡°What about it? You hadn¡¯t gotten your Guardian spirit when Donovan recognized you as

    our mate. I don¡¯t care that you are a Guardian. But once Andra got her Guardian spirit, I knew I had to

    train

    you, help you to be the strong Guardian you were meant to be.¡±

    That¡¯s true. I think back, remembering that first day when he started to show interest in me. Andra

    hadn¡¯t

    received her Guardian spirit yet..

    He looks at me, honesty shining in his eyes. ¡°Everything I told you about how I feel about the mate

    bond

    was honest. You are my everything, Lily. No one will ever be more important to me than you. The mate

    bond made me feel love for you immediately. But I have fallen head over heels in love with you as a

    person. Getting to know you has been the most incredible experience of my life. You make me see

    things

    differently. You challenge me in ways I¡¯ve never been challenged by anyone, except maybe Anders.

    You calm my mind and my soul, and it keeps my temper at bay. Everything about you draws me in and

    makes

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    me want you more.¡±

    I close my eyes, forcing back the tears that want toe. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Clint. I never thought I would

    allow someone to hurt me the way that you did. Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional, it hurt more than anything.

    ever has, including my father trying to sell me off to Alpha Mahli.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you, Lily bud. That was never my intention. Last weekend

    was the most amazing, special, memorable time in my life. And it was all because of you. Please don¡¯t

    push

    me away. If you don¡¯t believe me that we¡¯re mates, at least give me a chance to prove to you that I

    mean what I say. Once you turn 18, you and Andra will know that everything I¡¯m saying is true. Please,

    juste back to me Lily. Stop pushing me away. I can¡¯t take it. I feel like I had everything I¡¯ve ever

    wanted

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    in life and then it was snatched away from me in an instant.¡±

    I look at him for a long moment. ¡°Okay, Clint.¡±

    He pats his chest. ¡°Pleaseey with me, Lily bud. Donovan¡¯s not back yet, so he can¡¯t purr in your

    ear, but I can at least rub your head.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be getting rest, Clint.¡±

    ¡°I have never slept as well as I do when you areying on my chest, Lily. Please.¡± He pats his chest.

    again.

    I slowly walk back to his bed. I shift the tubes that he has attached to him and crawl into bed beside

    him. As soon as Iy down on his chest, I feel his body rx. Andra immediately starts to purr, and I

    hear Clint as he starts to drift off to sleep. ¡°Thank you, Lily bud. I love you.¡±

    Commentaires

    Voter (8.2x)

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 544

    I watched Clint for a while after he fell asleep, but eventually, I feel asleep as well. I was exhausted,

    having stayed awake worrying about him, Cali and Lyle.

    While he is sleeping. Cali pokes her head in, smiling immediately at meying on Clint¡¯s chest. I start to

    get up, but she shooes me back down. Shees over and hugs me, smiling at our closeness.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to talkter, but I wanted you to know they are releasing me. Shali is back and I¡¯m feeling.

    stronger every minute.¡± She whispers before looking at Clint. ¡°How is he?¡±

    ¡°Weak, but he woke up. Donovan isn¡¯t back yet, but hopefully soon.¡± I tell her quietly.

    She hugs me again before moving to leave. Anders is waiting by the door for her, watching. He nods at

    me, smiling before wrapping his arm around Cali and guiding her out of Clint¡¯s room.

    When Clint wakes up, I let him know that I¡¯m going to check on Lyle and get him some food. I order the

    food first, before going to check on Warrior Lyle. He is in this hospital because he was protecting me.

    When I walk in, Lucas is there along with a woman that I am guessing is Warrior Lyle¡¯s mate.

    ¡°How are you doing. Warrior Lyle?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine Lily. I¡¯m d to see that you are well. I was worried that the Alpha might have gotten

    you, but my mate told me you and Clint were able to hold them off until Anders and the other warriors

    arrived.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry that you were injured protecting me.¡±

    He smiles a fatherly smile at me. ¡°Nonsense, that¡¯s my job.¡±

    ¡°If you need anything at all¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Guardian. Lucas and I will look after my mate. You look after Clint. I understand he hasn¡¯t

    woken yet?¡± She asks.

    ¡°He did finally wake up a couple hours ago before falling back to sleep. I¡¯ve juste from ordering

    him

    food and I¡¯m going to go back and check on him now.¡±

    ¡°Lily.¡± Warrior Lyle stops me as I start to turn around. ¡°I understand the wolfsbane darts didn¡¯t affect

    you.¡±

    ¡°The wolfsbane didn¡¯t. However, my backside is still pretty bruised from all the darts that Andra took,

    trying to take her down.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, Guardian. I thought Clint would be the most impressive Guardian I¡¯d ever meet, but

    you may just surpass him in my book.¡±

    Iugh. ¡°Clint is pretty impressive in his own right. I don¡¯t know why I wasn¡¯t affected by the wolfsbane,

    +15 BONUS

    and neither does he, but maybe we¡¯ll be able to figure it out.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    As I turn to leave. Lucas stands up, following me into the hall. ¡°Listen Lily, I don¡¯t want to get between

    whatever you and Clint have going on. If it looks like the two of you are going to get back together, I¡¯ll

    understand if you want to cancel our date tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Lucas. I don¡¯t know what is going to happen between us, but I think it would be better if I let it

    run its course before I start dating other people.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    I start to turn around but turn back as he reaches for the door to his father¡¯s room. ¡°I think you¡¯re going

    to make a great Lead Warrior, Lucas.¡±

    He looks back at me, smiling. ¡°Yeah, what other pack can say that their Lead Warrior trained against,

    not one, but two Guardians. I may not be able to defeat you, but every time I spar with either of you, I

    come out stronger for it.¡±

    I nod and head back to Clint¡¯s room. When I arrive, I can smell the food. I walk in and see Alpha Patrick

    has taken up a seat beside Clint.

    ¡°Lily,e sit down. We need to talk about the events that happened with Alpha Mahli.¡±

    Cooper Author

    This is the first time they realize that Andra is immune to wolfsbane, and it seems that everyone is

    beginning to identify Lily and Andra as Guardians.

    Commentaires

 Chapter 545

    | hate it when Lily walks out of my room. A part of me worries that she wouldn¡¯te back. |id all my cards on the table. | have

    to hope that it¡¯s enough for her to give me a chance to prove that she¡¯s the only

    woman for me.

    Not long after she leaves. Alpha Patrickes in.

    ¡°Clint, | was happy to hear that you awakened earlier today.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Patrick. It was good to wake up and have Lily at my side.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t leave you. She¡¯s the one that carried you from the battlefield to the hospital.¡±

    That¡¯s news to me. | know she¡¯s strong but I¡¯m nearly a foot taller than her. ¡°How did she manage that?¡±

    ¡°Have you looked at your feet?¡± He asks, raising an eyebrow.

    | pull the sheets off and see that, indeed, my feet look like they¡¯ve been drug through the mud. | chuckle before pulling the sheets

    back over me and shrugging. | don¡¯t care. I''d get shot with wolfsbane every day if that¡¯s what it takes for Lily to stop pushing me

    away.

    ¡°Have you spoken to her yet?¡± | ask Patrick.

    ¡°Not yet she¡¯s been busy watching over you, and I¡¯ve been busy trying to figure out how Alpha Mahli figured out that she¡¯s a

    Guardian. I¡¯ve been interviewing Aaron but even under Alphamand, he says

    he didn¡¯t say anything.

    I''m shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s not how it came across to Lily. When she gets back, you need to talk to

    her.

    My food is delivered and it¡¯s not five minutester that Lilyes back into the room. | hadn¡¯t realized that the tightness in my

    chest had returned when she left, but it immediately eases when | see her and

    smell her scent.

    Patrick asks Lily toe and talk to him. She looks at me and rather than pulling up a chair, shees

    and sits beside me on the bed. | reach out and take her hand, needing her touch.

    Lily confirms that Terrance was Alpha Mahli¡¯s Beta then proceeds to tell Patrick about their conversation by theke. | can see

    Patrick processing this information and his eyes go unfocused as he mind links

    someone.

    ¡°| might know who it was, but I don¡¯t know how they did it. It¡¯s not someone that would go against an

    Alpha order or be able to override mymand. I''ll have to talk to her.¡±

    ¡°I''d like to be there.¡± Says Lily.

    | frown at that. ¡°Why?¡±

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    She turns and looks at me. ¡°I¡¯ve always had an uncanny ability to tell if people are lying. I¡¯d like to see if | believe this she¡ªwolf

    when she exins how it happened.¡±

    Patrick looks from Lily to me and back again. ¡°In light of recent events. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    I sit up, focusing on Patrick. ¡°Why not?¡±

    He looks at me for a long moment. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s the she¡ªwolf | think it is. Lily,¡± he looks back at her. ¡°you won''t be objective.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think it is?¡± | ask. There¡¯s only one she-wolf | can think of that he¡¯s referring to.

    He holds my gaze. ¡°Anna.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I start to pull h

    Ito pull back the nkets. ¡°I¡¯ming too.¡±

    I can feel Lily tense next to me before standing up. | turn all my focus on her.

    ¡°She almost ruined everything

    between us. | won''t have you ina

    room with her when she could say

    anything that might impact the

    tenuous connection we''ve just

    re-established. If you''re going to be

    in aroom with her, I¡¯m going to be

    there, too.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    | turn to Patrick. ¡°Give me 30 minutes and I''ll be ready.¡±

    ¡°Clint, you need your rest. You were unconscious less than 12 hours ago.¡± Lily says to me.

    | take her face in my hands. ¡°| don''t

    care if | were on my death bed. I¡¯m

    not letting her get between us again.

    She''s already proven herself

    untrustworthy and the timing of her

    telling Alpha Mahli¡¯s Beta about you

    and then causing a huge rift between

    us is too coincidental.¡± The content is

    on noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°The doctor hasn''t released you yet, Clint.¡± Patrick says.

    ¡°As if that''s ever mattered. You and | both know I heal fast.¡± | say, not even looking at him as | begin to search the room for

    clothes or something I can put on.

    ¡°Don''t | have any clothes here?¡±

    ¡°Clint. | don¡¯t think this is a good idea.¡±

    | stop and look at Lily. ¡°If you''re going.

    I''m going. | only just got you to agree

    to talk to me again. Thesest few

    days have been the worst time of my

    life, equal to the time | lost my

    parents. I¡¯m not willing to go through

    that again, Lily. | told you, you''re my

    mate. You are my future, my

    everything. Anna is nothing to me

    and | won''t have hering between

    us again.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

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 Chapter 546

    Chapter 0546

    She turns and looks at Patrick, but he is looking at me. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re strong enough?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Til be fine.¡±

    He nods, then stands. ¡°I''ll have someone send you some clothes. Get a shower and be in my office in one hour. And for

    goddess¡¯s sake, wash your feet.¡±

    I snort at that as he leaves, | start to walk on shaky legs toward the shower in the room. Lily immediately moves and pulls one of

    my arms over her shoulder, helping me. ¡°Clint, | really don¡¯t think this is a good idea. You''ve barely woken up, you haven¡¯t eaten

    in at least two days.¡±

    ¡°Lily, what is it going to take for you to realize that nothing is more important to me, than you. Not my health, which will be fine,

    not food, not sleep. Nothing, not one thing is more important than you. And if

    Anna is sabotaging us or hurting you, she will answer to me.¡±

    Lily leans me against the sink as she turns on the shower, letting it warm. ¡°Am I going to have to worry

    about you falling over in the shower?¡±

    ¡°I''ll manage.¡± A week ago, I¡¯d be inviting her to join me, but now, I¡¯m just d she hasn¡¯t left.

    | pull off my hospital gown and go to stand under the shower spray. It feels incredible. | lean both hands against the wall and let

    the water wash over my back, watching as the dirt and sweat on my body begins

    to wash away.

    I''m shocked when Lily steps in behind me. ¡°Lily, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I''m making sure you don¡¯t fall and kill yourself, Clint. Behave yourself and don¡¯t try anything with me. We''re not back to that

    ce yet, but I¡¯m not going to let you die on my watch because you can¡¯t stand upright in a shower on your own.¡±

    | feel her soapy hands begin to rub over my back and sides. | can¡¯t help the sigh that leaves my lips. I¡¯ve

    heard it said that a mate''s touch is healing. It¡¯s true. My body feels stronger and | feel better while she¡¯s

    cleaning me. When it¡¯s time for her to wash my hair, | turn, leaning against the wall and bend over so she can more easily reach

    my head. Her hands on my scalp feel incredible, reminding me our time together. My body instantly responds.

    ¡°Whatever you''re thinking about, cut it out.¡±

    ¡°It''s hard not to think about the best weekend of my life when my mate is naked in front of me and

    washing my hair.¡± | tell her.

    Her hands still in my hair for a moment before she directs me back under the shower to rinse it off. She takes extra time cleaning

    my feet, apologizing for getting them so dirty.

    ¡°You carried me to the hospital Lily. | don¡¯t care what my feet look like. And | don¡¯t think I¡¯ve actually

    +15 BONUS

    thanked you for making sure | was treated after the fight. So, thank you.¡±

    When we f

    finish, she steps out first and | look at her backside for the first time. ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    I say, reaching out to grab her. Her butt and thighs are covered in bruises. Most of them are faded, but they are there.

    She follows my line of sight and shrugs. ¡°I was immune to the wolfsbane, but that doesn¡¯t mean the darts didn¡¯t hurt. You took

    somewhere around 10. Andra took at least twice that since she wasn¡¯t going down.

    | gently run my fingers over her bruises. ¡°Clint.¡± It¡¯s a plea more than a warning. She wants me to stop. but she¡¯s affected by my

    touch.

    | pull my hand away as | hear my phone ping.

    ¡°Will you grab that for me?¡± | say as she hands me a towel.

    Shees back in and holds my phone out to me.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± | ask her, not taking my phone.

    ¡°Uh, Patrick, | think.¡±

    ¡°Can you read me what he said?¡±

    She frowns at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know your code.¡±

    ¡°0514.¡±

    She looks up at me, her hands going still.

    ¡°Your birthday.¡± | tell her.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    | know what she''ll see when she

    opens my text messages. It¡¯s why |

    asked her to read Patrick''s. | see the

    flicker of her eyes when she sees it.

    She looks back up at me and | smile

    at her. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°Open it. You''ll see they are my texts

    to you.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°You have me listed as ¡®mate¡¯ in your

    phone?¡± ¡°Ever since the day | realized

    who you are to me.¡± The content is

    on noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    Cooper Author

 Chapter 547

    Clint is making it impossible for me not to fall for him all over again. Everything about what he¡¯s saying

    seems genuine. The fact that he has me listed as his mate in his phone and my birthday is his code

    is¡­. well, a bit overwhelming. I can feel my heart giving in.

    I close my eyes for a moment, trying to collect myself before opening them and reading Alpha Patrick¡¯s

    message.

    ¡°He

    le says

    to meet him in his office in a half hour. Beta Calvin is bringing Anna in for an interview.¡±

    I look back up at Clint. ¡°How do you think she got past Alpha Patrick¡¯smand?¡±

    He¡¯s drying himself off and as he turns, I can see that he also has bruises on his butt and legs. His are

    not healing as fast as mine, since Donovan is still out because of the wolfsbane.

    Andra pushes forward and leans down, licking the wounds on his legs and over his muscr butt.

    ¡°Lily? What are you doing?¡± Clint¡¯s voice is choked, and his body has gone tense. He turns and looks at

    me, realizing it¡¯s Andra that has pushed forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m healing my mate. I know Donovan isn¡¯t back and I know the bruises are painful. You would do it for

    me and Lily.¡±

    He gently brushes the hair from my face as Andra continues to lick his wounds. While I¡¯m

    ufortable

    with this level of intimacy, I do agree that we can help begin his healing process while Donovan is

    unconscious.

    ¡°Do you recognize Donovan as your mate?¡± Clint asks Andra.

    to him. That

    She finishes licking his wounds and stands in front of him. ¡°No. But I¡¯ve always felt a pull

    pull has been getting stronger the closer we get to our birthday. I can¡¯t speak for Lily, but I believe you

    that you and Donovan are our mates.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Andra. And thank you for healing me.¡± He takes my face in his hands and rubs his nose

    against mine before kissing it.

    ¡°Can you give Lily back control so we can go to this meeting now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my mate.¡±

    Clint¡¯s answering smile lights up the room. ¡°I like hearing you

    you say that.¡±

    ¡°Well she may be willing to say it, but I¡¯m not. Not until I know for sure.¡± I say, taking over control from

    Andra. I look back down at his legs. They look better already. ¡°Did it help?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and so did having you wash me. What they say about a mate¡¯s touch having healing powers is

    true, even if you don¡¯t feel it yet.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    I don¡¯t respond, but he¡¯s wrong. I do feel it. It makes sense why I¡¯ve had such strong feelings toward

    him. I tried to push him away and I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him, but my heart and my

    head are at odds. My heart and Andra, however, are inplete agreement.

    There¡¯s only about a month until my birthday. While my body reacts very strongly to his touch, I think I

    want to restrict any sexual activities until I know for sure that he¡¯s my mate. I gave myself to him and

    almost immediately regretted it. Maybe it wasn¡¯t his fault and maybe I misread what I saw, but it has

    made me rethink giving myself to him before I know that he¡¯s my mate.

    I help him get dressed and then we head over to the packhouse. He¡¯s still a bit weak, but not as weak

    as he was when he first got out of bed.

    When we get to Alpha Patrick¡¯s office, we are the first to arrive. Clint pulls two chairs away from the

    others, and motions for me to sit in one and he sits in the other. It¡¯s only a moment before Beta Calvin

    walks in with Anna.

    She sees the two of us and immediately stiffens. ¡°I did what you asked. I haven¡¯t gone near you since

    you told me to stay away.¡± She turns to Alpha Patrick. ¡°If he says I did, he¡¯s lying.¡±

    Alpha Patrick raises an eyebrow at her, and she realizes she spoke out of turn. However, I find her

    outburst intriguing. Clint told her to stay away from him? That had to be after I saw them together.

    ¡°That is not why you are here, Anna. Have a seat.¡± Alpha Patrick says to her.

    She sits down, Beta Calvin sitting beside her. Clint¡¯s demeanor hasn¡¯t changed. He¡¯s not happy that

    Anna

    and I are in the same room.

    I¡¯ve never been on the receiving end of an Alpha¡¯s interrogation. Even for me, it¡¯s a bit intimidating.

    While Alpha Patrick¡¯s aura doesn¡¯t affect me, I can still feel it. Anna, on the other hand, is very affected

    by his

    aura. Her neck tilts in submission and he hasn¡¯t even asked anything yet.

    ¡°I understand you slept with Alpha Mahli¡¯s Beta, Terrancest weekend. Is that correct?¡±

    Commentaires

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    +15 BONUSContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 548

    I watch as her eyes flick to Clint, then back to Alpha Patrick. ¡°What does that have to do.¡± Alphal

    Patrick¡¯s aura pushes out even stronger and she yelps before cutting off her question.

    ¡°Answer the question, Anna.¡± He says and his voice is not friendly or kind.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She squeaks out.

    ¡°Did you receive my Alphamand that no one in the pack was allowed to speak of Lily being a

    Guardian to anyone outside of the pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± This response is much more rxed. If she did it, she didn¡¯t realize she was giving away

    information about me. It wasn¡¯t intentional, or at least, not consciously intentional. I feel Alpha Patrick¡¯s

    aura subside a bit, but Clint does not rx beside me.

    ¡°When you were having sexual rtions with Beta Terrance, did the subject of Lily evere up?¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°No. I heard he was asking around about her, but no one said anything that I

    know

    of, and he never asked me.¡±

    I can feel Clint getting more tense beside me. He doesn¡¯t believe her. I reach out andy my hand on

    his arm. Going off on Anna isn¡¯t going to help and so far, I believe her. I feel his body rx and he

    reaches up. taking my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. The action does not go unnoticed by Anna.

    Clint stares back at her, unflinching. He¡¯s making a point. Whether it¡¯s to her or me, I¡¯m not sure.

    ¡°What did the two of you talk about?¡±

    Anna immediately looks ufortable. ¡°Uhhh, well, we didn¡¯t talk a lot. We were busy, you know. I

    mean, there was, uh, discussion while we were having sex.¡± She looks around and she¡¯s the brightest

    shade of red I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to tell you that do you?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    I watch Alpha Patrick¡¯s eyes close for just longer than a blink. Anna is trying his patience. I¡¯m guessing

    he must feel this way most days. Being an Alpha would be exhausting.

    Beta Calvin picks up the interrogation. ¡°Unless that conversation had to do with Lily, no, we don¡¯t want

    to hear it. Was there any conversation before or after you had sex?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Well, before, no. He was kind of in a hurry, you know? But afterward, he did ask about Clint.¡±

    That gets all of our attention. ¡°What about Clint?¡± Alpha Patrick asks.

    ¡°He said he thought we had a Guardian in our pack but he hadn¡¯t seen him. I told him they went away

    for

    the weekend.¡± She says and she waves her hand in our direction.

    Clint snarls at her. Her hand drops immediately.

    ¡°Is that what you said? THEY?¡±

    +15 BONUS

    I watch as Anna blinks, her mouth moving but nothinging out. Finally, it dawns on her what she

    did.

    and her eyes go wide and her mouth makes a perfect ¡®0¡°.

    ¡°I¡ª¨CI didn¡¯t mean to.¡± She turns to Alpha Patrick. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to. I admit I wanted Clint, and

    I may be jealous of all the attention he gives Lily, but I would never go against your Alphamand.

    Please you have to believe me.¡± She says, and tears are streaming down her face.

    Alpha Patrick scrubs his hands down his face. ¡°You¡¯re on kitchen duty for a month.¡± He nods at Beta

    Calvin to take her out.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S IT?¡± Clint yells, jumping to his feet. ¡°She put Lily at risk and now EVERY Alpha is going to

    know that she¡¯s an underaged Guardian. They¡¯ll hunt her down and all she gets is kitchen duty?¡± He¡¯s

    pointing at Anna, looking murderous.

    I jump up and stand in front of him, putting my hands on his chest. If being his mate calms him, as he

    said, then I need to do that right now before he tears Anna apart.

    ¡°Clint.¡± His chest is heaving but he doesn¡¯t take his eyes off of Anna. I can hear her sobs getting louder.

    She may not be bright, she may be a jealous she¨Cwolf, but she isn¡¯t devious. Herment wasn¡¯t

    purposeful.

    ¡°CLINT!¡± I say more forcefully.

    He looks down at me before grabbing me and pulling me against him. ¡°They can¡¯t have you. None of

    them. I won¡¯t allow it.¡± He¡¯s crushing me and even without his wolf, he¡¯s very strong.

    I wrap my arms around him. ¡°I know you won¡¯t.¡± I rub his back until he calms, then I pull back and look

    at Alpha Patrick over my shoulder.

    ¡°I want Clint back on my guard duty.¡±

    I see the relief on Alpha Patrick¡¯s face as I feel Clint¡¯s body rx against me.

    ¡°Done. As soon as Donovan is back, you¡¯re on Lily¡¯s guard duty full time Clint.¡±

    He pulls back and looks at me. ¡°Thank you.¡± He says before pulling me against him again.

    Cooper Author

    So, it was Anna that let it slip, even though it wasn¡¯t intentional Do you think her punishment is

    sufficient?

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    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 549

    I am so angry at Anna that I could literally tear her apart. I was on the verge of doing just that when Lily

    stood in front of me. Her calming touch helped me to settle down, but it was her telling Patrick that she

    would let me guard her again that finally had me settling.

    I know that other Alphas will have heard about her by now and they will being for her. But I also

    know, if I¡¯m with her, they won¡¯t get to her. No one will take my mate from me.

    I don¡¯t know how Lily can be so forgiving of what Anna did, but I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t forget that she put my

    mate¡¯s life in danger.

    When we leave Patrick¡¯s office, I walk her to her room.

    ¡°Clint, you¡¯re dead on your feet. Come in andy down.¡±

    I don¡¯t have the energy or the will to argue with her. She leaves her door cracked open and takes me to

    her bed, tucking me in. ¡°What are you going to do while I sleep?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I need to catch up on homework and then I¡¯ll order food for us to have when you wake up.¡±

    I pat the bed beside me. ¡°I need to catch up on homework too, Lily bud. Probably a lot more than you

    do, since I haven¡¯t been able to focus all week. Comey down with me. It will help me to sleep and

    then we can start our homework over dinner. Deal?¡±

    I honestly don¡¯t need her toy down with me. The scent of her is all over the bed and I could sleep

    easily, but I¡¯ve missed her so much. I just want to curl up around her,

    She rolls her r eyes at me butes over and crawls into bed. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep too long, otherwise I won¡¯t

    be

    able to sleep tonight.¡±

    ¡°Wake me when you get up.¡± I say as I wrap my arms around her, my entire body rxing, and I bury

    my

    I I

    I

    face in her hair before I fall asleep.

    When I feel Lily begin to stir, I wrap my arms more tightly around her. ¡°Just a little while longer. I¡¯m still

    healing.¡± My voice much deeper than it should be.

    That has my eyes shooting open, Lily¡¯s head turning to look at me over her shoulder. ¡°Donovan?¡± We

    ask

    in unison.

    ¡°Mmhmmm.¡± He says, snuggling closer to Lily.

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    She turns over in my arms, facing me. She begins stroking my hair and my face as if Donovan was in

    wolf form. Donovan immediately begins purring at her. ¡°There¡¯s that sound I love.¡± She says to him.

    I watch her through Donovan¡¯s eyes, letting him stay forward with her. Her touch will heal him too.

    ¡°How did he convince you toe back?¡± He asks her.

    +15 BONUS

    I watch as Lily¡¯s azure eyes shift to green and rim with gold as Andraes forward. ¡°He told us that

    we

    are your mates.¡±

    Donovan nuzzles Andra¡¯s nose. ¡°You are. You are mine, little one.¡±

    Andra¡¯s answering purr makes it nearly impossible to hear their conversation. ¡°I¡¯m very happy about

    that, even though I can¡¯t feel it yet. Lily isn¡¯t quite there, but Clint is being patient.¡±

    ¡°You both have every right to be angry with him. We are yours as much as you are ours. That she¨Cwolf

    is lucky to be alive. I wanted to kill her that night.¡±

    Donovan begins rubbing his face on hers, trying to scent her, but it won¡¯t work in our human form. The

    meaning is still there, and Andra seems to appreciate the gesture. ¡°What else did I miss?¡± He asks her.

    Andra tells him and when she¡¯s nearly done, there is a knock at the door before Calvin walks in,

    carrying food. He stops when he sees both of our eyes shining gold.

    ¡°Guardians.¡± He nods his head, acknowledging our status and our wolves being forward. I watch as

    Nn, Calvin¡¯s wolf pushes forward.

    ¡°Anders spoke to Alpha Patrick. He has agreed that you can stay in Lily¡¯s room tonight Clint, as long as

    it is okay with Lily. Anders convinced him that you would heal faster in her presence and since she has

    agreed to you being her primary guard again, the sooner you are at full strength, the better for

    everyone. I can see that Anders was right, since Donovan is peering through your eyes.¡±

    As he walks in, Calvin pulls Nn back. ¡°I¡¯ve brought food for the two of you. You missed dinner.¡± He

    sets the food on the table. ¡°Make sure you eat. Clint, you¡¯ve been given a pass on training tomorrow,

    but Lily, you need to be there.¡±

    She nods, sitting up. She has pulled Andra back, so Donovan shifts to the back of my mind to continue

    healing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I say.

    She turns and looks at me. ¡°Clint¡­¡±

    ¡°Where you go, I go, Lily bud.¡±

    The scent of the food hits my nose and my stomach growls loudly. Calvin smiles. ¡°I brought enough for

    three, so it should fill you up. If you need anything, I¡¯m just a couple doors away.¡± He says before

    leaving and closing the door behind him.

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 550

    Lily and I eat, which helps me feel even stronger, then we do homework. I¡¯m not caught up, but I will be

    this weekend. Lily agreed to help me catch up. It¡¯s not exactly like it was before the ¡®Anna incident¡± but

    it¡¯s close.

    I sleep curled up around Lily, my face buried in her neck and by morning, Donovan is back to full

    strength. We both go to training and once Patrick sees that I¡¯m back to full strength, he lets me spar.

    When we finish, Anderses over. ¡°So, I see it worked.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask, not sure what Anders is talking about.

    ¡°You, spending the night with Lily. I told dad it would help you heal faster. I could only get you the one

    night, but it seems to have done the trick.¡±

    ¡°It did. Thanks, man.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what brothers are for.¡±

    When it¡¯s time to go to school, I don¡¯t see Lucas anywhere and Lilyes down the stairs, looking like

    she¡¯s nning to ride with us. Thankfully Anders asks her.

    ¡°Are you with us today, Lily?¡±

    ¡°I am. I thought I was glued to Clint until I turn 18.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡± I lean in closer as we walk to the car. ¡°Does this mean I don¡¯t have to sit in on a date with

    you and Lucas?¡±

    She turns to as I open her door. ¡°We cancelled our ns until I know what¡¯s going on between you and

    me.¡±

    ¡°Good. Because what¡¯s going on with you and me is forever, so Lucas will never be taking my mate on

    a date.¡±

    I catch her smiling as I close the door. That¡¯s a good sign, and my heart rxes knowing I won¡¯t have

    to watch someone else flirting with my mate.

    Friday goes much better than the rest of the week. Lily is talking andughing with me again. I¡¯m so

    happy, I feel as light as air.

    The rest of the day and the weekend go back to the normal we had before our weekend away. Lily and

    I meet on the roof and now the nkets smell like her again. She isn¡¯t ready for any intimacy, and I am

    respecting her decision, letting her drive our rtionship in the direction and speed she¡¯sfortable

    with.

    She is letting me kiss her again, and I¡¯ve devoured her sweet mouth more times than I can say, but it¡¯s

    +15 BONUS

    never enough. Her taste, her sweet moans and feeling her body respond to me, just makes me want

    her

    more and more.

    On Sunday night, Patrick calls us into his office. When we arrive, Anders and Calvin are already there.

    ¡°Have a seat. We need to talk about next weekend.¡±

    I have Lily sit and I sit beside her, taking her hand. ¡°What about next weekend. You mean Anders

    birthday party?¡± I ask. Anders turns 18 this week and there is a party nned next Saturday.

    ¡°Yes. As you know, we sent out invitations for Anders¡® birthday party months ago. An Alpha heir turning

    18 is a big deal for our pack as well as others.¡± Patrick is looking at me, and I don¡¯t like the direction of

    this conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m not terribly surprised that every Alpha has epted our invitation. It¡¯s unheard of, but that means

    news of us having an unmated, female Guardian has spread. Even those that initially declined, called

    to

    say their ns had changed and they would be here.¡±

    Donovan snarls. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°Ten Alphas.¡± I¡¯m on my feet, fist clenched.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Lily and go away somewhere.¡±

    He¡¯s already shaking his head. ¡°I need you here. This is Anders¡® birthday party and you are his

    Guardian.¡±

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want Lily going away without me.¡± I refuse to let her out of my sight.

    ¡°Agreed, which is why she will be here and we won¡¯t be hiding her. They want to see our Guardians, we

    will let them.¡±

    Donovan snarls again. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Donovan. Lily is strong and so are you and Clint. So is this pack and every warrior in this pack

    will

    be alerted to the danger that Lily is in.¡±

    He turns to Lily. ¡°I want to move you to the Alpha floor.¡±

    ¡°Put her in my room.¡± I say.

    ¡°Clint-..¡± Patrick says with a warning in his voice.

    Lily jumps up beside me. ¡°He¡¯s right Alpha. You¡¯ll need someone either outside my door or in my room

    at all times anyway. Either move me to Clint¡¯s room or move him to mine. If there are going to be that

    many Alphas here, we¡¯ll be pulling warriors in too many directions. This way, at least at night, they can

    get a break.¡±

    Patrick looks between me and Lily. ¡°Fine. You two decide who is moving. And sit down, we have more

    to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 551

    I have to admit, the thought of ten Alphas being on our packnds at the same time, all of them

    knowing about me, has me on edge. I know I can fight, and I know I¡¯m strong, but having Clint beside

    me makes my chances for making it through next weekend without being kidnapped exponentially

    better. So, I agree to sharing a room. I already know that if I¡¯m not with him at night, I won¡¯t sleep a

    wink and I need to on my game and extra careful next weekend, which I can¡¯t do if I¡¯m exhausted.

    ¡°First,¡± Alpha Patrick begins. ¡°Lily, you will train with me or Anders every morning. No one else. I want

    to make sure you are ready to fight an Alpha if that¡¯s what ites to.¡±

    He looks at me and I nod. I¡¯ve already sparred with Alpha Patrick a couple of times. I¡¯m hoping now I¡¯ll

    be strong enough to defeat him.

    ¡°Second, you will train with Clint every afternoon in both human and wolf form.¡±

    Clint and I nod. ¡°We already do that every day.¡± Clint tells him.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a look at who will be here and who we need to focus our worry and warriors on. Alpha

    Leander is the Alpha from our neighboring pack, Shadow Falls, and already has a mate. I don¡¯t expect

    any problems from him. Alpha William and Alpha James also have mates and both of them also have

    heirs, so I don¡¯t expect any problems from them. Alpha Christopher has a human mate, but from

    everything I¡¯ve heard, he is very much in love, so he shouldn¡¯t be a problem either.¡±

    Okay, four of the ten have mates. That¡¯s not as many as I would have hoped.

    ¡°Of the remaining six Alphas, the two that I am most concerned about are Alpha Jerome and Alpha

    Benjamin. Alpha Jerome lost his mate under questionable circumstances after she gave him a male

    heir. There have been rumors of questionable deaths in his pack ever since he took over as Alpha. He

    is power hungry and would love to have a Guardian in his pack, even if he has to forcibly mark her.

    Alpha Benjamin is ruthless and power hungry. He has taken a chosen mate, and from everything I¡¯ve

    heard, he¡¯s not happy and so far, she hasn¡¯t given him an heir. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say he will be

    bringing the most warriors of any Alpha. He¡¯s definitely at the top of my list of concerns for Lily¡¯s safety.

    The remaining four Alphas are a risk simply because they are unmated. Two had already declined but

    have since rescinded and are nowing. Both of them are in their twenties and still looking for their

    mates. They may just want to see if Lily is their mate, but they could make a y to take her. The other

    two are

    older Alphas who have sons close to Lily¡¯s age, so we can¡¯t rule them out.

    The severity of the situation begins to sink in. Next weekend I¡¯m going to be glued to Clint.

    ¡°Of course, Alpha Mahli¡¯s invitation has been revoked since he attempted to take Lily, but that doesn¡¯t

    mean that he won¡¯t make a y either. And, of course, we have to worry about Aaron trying to make

    another deal with an Alpha to get the money he needs to pay his debts. In addition, every one of these

    Alphas will be traveling with their Betas or Gammas and most likely some of their too warriors. This

    means, if they try to take Lily, they will either have strength to try to achieve it or they will be able to

    make

    a diversion.¡±

    15 BONUS

    ¡°What is the n to keep Lily safe?¡± Anders asks his father. Clint has been getting increasingly angry

    beside me, but my increasing fear for my safety is making it hard for me to calm him.

    ¡°As I mentioned, Lily only spar with me, Anders or Clint this week. Clint, when you train, I want you

    training in both human and woll forms.¡±

    Clint nods. ¡°We already train in both forms.¡±

    d you to

    Alpha Patrick looks at me. ¡°I push yourself and Andra this week. I need you to be stronger by next

    weekend.¡±

    I nod. ¡°I can do that.¡±

    Clint takes my hand, looking at me. It helps calm me. ¡°You can definitely do that. You¡¯re strong and

    you¡¯re a Guardian. You¡¯ll be ready to take on an Alpha by next weekend, no question. Honestly, you

    probably already are.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see tomorrow morning.¡± I say, not feeling very confident right now. Clint squeezes my

    hand.

    ¡°Nothing will happen to you Lily. I won¡¯t leave your side next weekend.¡±

    I look at him and see that he has reigned in his temper to help me with my fear.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need more than just Clint watching Lily at all times.¡± Calvin says.

    ¡°Agreed. You and I need toe up with a n to have increased patrols and also have three warriors

    with Lily at all times. We can rotate that out if it includes you, me or Anders.¡± Patrick replies and I can

    see the wheels turning in Calvin¡¯s head as he begins nning for the increased protection duty.

    ¡°What about my mother? Do you think any of them would go after her to get to me?¡±

    Alpha Patrick smiles a fatherly smile at me. ¡°Spoken like a true Guardian.¡± He says before nodding. We

    will need to have someone watching her as well. I¡¯m assuming your father isn¡¯t an issue?¡±

    I have to think about that one. If someone threatened to hurt my father, would I be willing to give myself

    up to keep him safe?

    When I look up, everyone in the room is watching me for my response. ¡°He is part of the reason I¡¯m in

    this mess. If he is threatened, then he will have to deal with the consequences of his actions.¡±

    Everyone nods. ¡°We have four days. There may be other preparations to make between now and then.

    but Lily, your main job is to get stronger. You and Clint are our best defense against you getting taken.

    Don¡¯t go anywhere without Clint or your protection duty, not the bathroom, not your bedroom, nowhere.

    Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Alpha.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be leaving her side, not for a moment.¡± Clint chimes in. He squeezes my hand and looks at me.

    ¡°I

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    told you, no one will take you from me, and I mean it. I don¡¯t care if I have to kill every Alpha that

    comes.

    to visit. They can¡¯t have you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯te to that.¡± Alpha Patrick says.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d rather my 18th birthday not go down in history as ¡®The Bloody Birthday¡°.¡± Anders chimes in. I

    hope so too. But I¡¯d rather be in a bloody battle than kidnapped and forced into a mate bond.

    Cooper Author

    nd did

    Alpha Anders birthday is going to be interesting. That¡¯s a lot of Alphas in one ce. And did anyone

    recognize some of those names?

    I¡¯m working on a second chapter for today, but I can¡¯t guarantee it. Tomorrow will be back to regr

    daily updates with two chapters.

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 Chapter 552

    While I¡¯m thrilled that I get to move in with Lily, and don¡¯t think I won¡¯t push to keep it that way, I¡¯d rather

    things stay as¨Cis and know that she¡¯s safe. Since that¡¯s not an option, the next best thing I can do is

    help her get stronger while protecting her.

    When we leave Alpha Patrick¡¯s office, I walk her to her room. ¡°What would your preference be, Lily

    bud? Do you want to move to my room, or have me move in here with you?¡±

    She opens her door, looking around. ¡°This isn¡¯t really my room. It¡¯s been a sort of stopping point since

    leaving my home. I have no connection to it, unlike you who has lived in your room years.¡±

    I shrug. Any ce will feel like home if she¡¯s there with me. ¡°I want you to befortable. I will be

    comfortable because you are there.¡± I say, pulling her into a hug. I know tonight has been nerve-

    wracking for her. Her fear was palpable and all of us could smell it earlier. As angry as I am about

    having so many Alphas in our territorying after my mate, I had to suppress it to help her calm

    down.

    Anders¡®ment about the bloody birthday was aimed at me. He knows I¡¯m a hot¨Chead and that I

    won¡¯t hesitate to get into a fight if it means keeping Lily safe. But this is also a political event, by

    werewolf standards. Anders¡® birthday is a chance for other Alphas to get to know him before he

    bes an official Alpha. This is a chance to strengthen alliances and make new ones. Not every

    Alpha will be after

    Lily and not everyone that may want her is ruthless enough to kidnap her. I¡¯ll have to remember that

    and

    keep from going off next weekend.

    In addition to everything else, Anders¡® birthday was the day we had decided that I would sing my song

    for Lily. Of course, that was before all of this. But now, maybe it¡¯s not such a bad idea. I would be

    staking a

    im on her in front of all these Alphas. If it isn¡¯t clear by then, it will be that they have to go through me

    to get to her.

    She rxes against me. ¡°I will move to your room. Not only will being on the Alpha floor make the other

    Alphas think twice, but it will also mean they have to go through Anders and Alpha Patrick to get to

    me.¡±

    ¡°And me.¡± I say, pulling back and looking at her.

    ¡°And you.¡± She says.

    I kiss her nose. ¡°See you on the roof in a few minutes?¡±

    She smiles and nods.

    The rest of the week is pretty standard. She defeats Patrick on Tuesday, Anders on Wednesday and on

    Thursday, I put her up against both together. She¡¯s able to hold her own and almost gets them both, but

    they have been fighting together all of Anders¡® life and they work well together. I realize that from now

    on, this is how Lily needs to train. She¡¯s gotten stronger and needs to fight more than one warrior at a

    time. After this weekend, I will rmend that to Patrick.

    +15 BONUS

    On Anders¡® birthday, he recognizes Calista as his mate. She still has a couple of weeks left before her

    birthday, but he¡¯s making ns to give her a birthday gift that she¡¯ll never forget.

    ¡°How have you done it all this time? I¡¯m going crazy and I only have to wait a couple of weeks.¡± He

    asks

    1. me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent every minute I can with her. It was the only way that Donovan would remain calm. And our

    nights on the roof have helped tremendously. Now you understand how desperate I was when she

    wouldn¡¯t speak to me.¡±

    I can see his wheels turning. I know it¡¯s hard for him, being an Alpha, but it was hard for me too. I¡¯m so

    thankful that the issues between Lily and I have resolved.

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 Chapter 553

    Lily officially moved into my room on Wednesday. | made space for her in my closet and in my bathroom. | love that my room

    smells like her now. Patrick tried to have another bed put in the room, but | told him that Lily knows that I¡¯m her mate and after

    she said it didn¡¯t bother her to sleep in the same bed with me. he let it go. But | got the Alpha version of a father¡¯s lecture about

    birth control. | assured him we weren''t having sex. I¡¯m not sure he believed me, because | got a box of condoms anyway.

    Friday morning, the Alphas started to arrive with their pack members. Alpha Leander and his mate, Luna Este arrived first, as

    their pack borders our own. When they arrived, | could tell that Lily liked Luna Este immediately. Alpha Leander is a very

    attentive mate, and | rxed, knowing that he would not be trying to take Lily. | felt even better when he announced that he and

    his mate had just learned that she is expecting their first pup.

    ¡°Do you know if it¡¯s a boy or a girl?¡± Lily asks her.

    Luna Este shakes her head. ¡°Not yet. We''ve only just learned that I¡¯m pregnant.¡± She says, smiling up at her mate. He wraps

    his arms around her, his hands on her stomach.

    ¡°I''m sure it''s a strong male who will take over the pack for me.¡± He says in true Alpha fashion.

    | see Luna Este roll her eyes and Lily duck her head to keep from showing her smile.

    Luna Olivia exins the n for Alphas and Lunas to be ced in the packhouse, while their warriors will be ced in other

    homes.

    ¡°If | may, with my mate expecting our pup, | would feel better having my warriors close. If that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯d at least like to

    have my Gamma nearby. | know you have plenty of protection avable. especially with your unmated Guardian, but | won¡¯t take

    any chances with my mate and our pup.¡±

    Calvin rearranges rooms and puts Alpha Leander, Luna Este and their Gamma on his floor. This means some of the other

    Alphas will be across the packhouse, giving more space between Lily and them. | ampletely on board with this.

    Next to arrive is Alpha Benjamin. As Patrick expected, hees with a full contingent of warriors and his Beta. There is no

    reason for Lily to be a part of the greeting party, so | tuck her away in our room, leaving Lyle to guard her while | stand next to

    Anders and Patrick. The Alphas will realize soon enough who she is just based on the protective detail that Patrick and Calvin

    have assigned to guard her.

    I can see Alpha Benjamin looking disappointed as he looks around, hoping to see Lily. I¡¯m not sure if he expected her to be on

    disy, but even if she was here, unless Andra was shining in her eyes, or we introduced her as a Guardian, he wouldn¡¯t know

    that she is our unmated Guardian.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    When Alpha Jerome arrives, his response is simr to Alpha Benjamin¡¯s. Once again, Patrick was correct in his assessment. So

    far, these two Alphas are at the top of my list of people that do note near Lily.

    +15 BONUS

    As the rest of the Alphas arrive, | realize the others may show an interest in her, possibly even try to convince her to consider

    them as mates, but Benjamin and Jerome are the two that | am most concerned about.

    When they have all arrived, Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi offer to give tours of the packnds. The Alphas who brought their

    Lunas agree. The others say they would like to rx out back by the pool, which has been set up with refreshments and drinks

    before the party this evening. Anders birthday party isn¡¯t until tomorrow, so tonight is more mingling and schmoozing with Alphas.

    As soon as possible, | head up to our room, relieving Warrior Lyle.

    Cooper Author

    What did you think of getting to see Alpha Leander and Luna Este? And at the very early stages of pregnancy with Liam.

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 Chapter 554

    I spend a boring afternoon watching as the Alphas arrive and then move to the backyard to enjoy time

    by the pool.

    Finally, Clintes back to the room, just as I get out of the shower. The official cocktail party starts at

    6pm, with a sit¨Cdown dinner at 7pm.

    Calista and I wanted to go shopping this week, so Luna Olivia and Beta Naomi took us with Clint and

    Anders as our guards. Luna Olivia Informed me that, as my surrogate mother, she was responsible for

    buying my dress for both nights. I wanted to argue, but she wouldn¡¯t hear it.

    So, tonight. I¡¯m wearing a royal blue midi wrap dress that has a v¨Cneck, flutter sleeves, and a matching

    sash. The dresses to my knees, and I have a pair of 3¨Cinch silver heels to go with them. I decide

    to leave my hair down in itsrge curls and after I finish getting ready, I feel Clinte up behind me.

    He pulls my hair off one shoulder, kissing the spot on my neck where I know he hopes to mark me one

    day very soon, sending shivers down my spine. ¡°I will be there with you all night. If I¡¯m not at your side,

    I will be close enough to get to you in less than two minutes. You will always have three warriors

    surrounding you, so the Alphas will know immediately that you are the Guardian. If you or Andra feel

    ufortable at any time, mind link me immediately and I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    I turn around, breathing in his scent and letting it calm me. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I have to be near Anders a lot, but I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you. Lyle will

    be on your guard duty all night and the other two will rotate depending on whether or not Patrick, Calvin

    or I am also on your guard. Don¡¯t leave my sight without telling me where you¡¯re going, even if it¡¯s the

    bathroom. I know it sounds intrusive, but I¡¯m not taking any risks with you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I say. He pulls back and looks at me, Donovaning forward. ¡°Andra, we need you to agree

    as well.¡± He says to her.

    ¡°I have no intention of being taken by anyone but my fated mate. I will let you know if I feel

    ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Perfect answer.¡± Donovan purrs at her.

    Clint pulls Donovan back and I pull Andra back. I see his eyes go unfocused and I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s

    mind linking my guard. He nods and takes my hand. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be.¡± I say. When he opens the door, Warrior Lyle and Lucas are there, waiting for us.

    ¡°You look lovely this evening. Lily.¡± Warrior Lyle smiles at me.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you, both. I know tonight will probably be as stressful for the two of you as it is for

    me.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Lily.¡± Lucas says to me. ¡°We volunteered. You¡¯re part of our pack and no one is

    taking our pack member against her will.¡±

    As we walk down the stairs, I can hear that the party seems to already be in full swing. ¡°Everyone is

    hoping to see the newest Guardian.¡± Clint says, as if he just read my mind. Who knows, maybe he did.

    He¡¯s very in¨Ctune to metely.

    When we walk in the door, I have Clint on one side, Warrior Lyle on the other and Lucas at my back.

    The room goes quiet, and I instantly feel my heart rate increase as everyone turns and looks in my

    direction.

    Andra, sensing my unease, pushes forward and I feel the mood in the room change. Clint squeezes my

    hand before he guides me into the room. Alpha Patrickes up, taking Clint¡¯s spot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make introductions, why don¡¯t you go check on Anders.¡± He says to Clint. Clint nods and walks

    toward Anders. This must have been pre¨Cnned. I know his job is to make sure that Anders is safe

    tonight. While unlikely, it¡¯s not unheard of that packs will attempt to take out a new Alpha on or before

    their Alpha ceremony. Clint, Alpha Patrick and Beta Calvin are on double guard duty this weekend.

    Luna Olivia joins us, and it helps to ease the feeling of my being surrounded by a group of fighters.

    There are a few standouts among the Alphas. Alpha Benjamin and Alpha Jerome both make my skin

    crawl. Both of them have their Betas with them, and interestingly, I like Alpha Jerome¡¯s Beta, Emerson.

    He seems like a much better man than his Alpha does.

    After the introductions of those two Alphas, I see Alpha Patrick slip away and he is subtly reced by

    another warrior.

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 Chapter 555

    0555

    Alpha Fernando, while not creepy in the way he looks at me, leaves no question that he wants me to join his pack. ¡°My son,

    Santiago, may be a year or so younger than Chapter you, my dear, but | know he would happily take you as his chosen mate.

    You should make sure you consider all your options. A youngdy in your position has many options to choose from. Do not feel

    that you are bound to remain in this pack if you are unhappy here.¡± Santiago takes my hand and kisses it. It was meant to be a

    charming gesture, but it falls considerably short as Santiago is young and you can tell that he¡¯s never kissed a woman¡¯s hand

    before.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Fernando, Alpha Santiago. | am quite happy here.¡± | say, pulling my hand free from

    Santiago.

    Before | have a chance to move away, another Alpha is right there. This one is young, older than me but not by too many years.

    His Alpha aura and charm flow off him like water flows over pebbles in a creek. And | am Alpha Eric.¡± When he takes my hand

    and kisses it. | can tell this man is used to having women fall at his feet. As much as | feel a pull to Clint, even | am captivated by

    his debonair nature. He looks up at me, still bent over my hand and the look he gives me is smoldering.

    Andra must also be affected because shees forward. His smile is radiant as he winks at me before standing up. ¡®Is it true

    what they say about Guardians?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°| don¡¯t know, what do they say?¡± | ask, finding myself responding to his flirtation in an equally flirtatious way. It¡¯s like he¡¯s drawing

    it out of me without me being conscious of it.

    ¡°They say,¡± his eyes twinkle as he leans in as if this is some secret information that he is sharing with me alone, ¡°that a Guardian

    can defeat an Alpha in a battle.¡±

    I shrug. | haven¡¯t removed my hand from his. For some reason, he isn¡¯t nearly as offensive as the young. inexperienced

    Santiago. ¡°Clint has defeated both Alpha Patrick and Alpha Anders in sparring contests.¡±

    His smoldering eyes never leave mine, and now they are twinkling with mischief. ¡°And what about you, Lovely Lily. Have you

    ever defeated an Alpha?¡±

    | realize that several of the Alphas surrounding us are now listening in to our conversation. ¡°Alpha Eric.

    are you truly willing to risk your reputation by losing against a she¡ªwolf in a sparring match?¡±

    ¡°Not any she-wolf. A Guardian. And yes, I¡¯d be willing to try my hand against you in a sparring match. | don¡¯t think my reputation

    would be damaged, not because | doubt your strength, but because you are a

    Guardian. You are meant to be the strongest of us all, are you not?¡±

    | feel heat at my back and the scent of apple pie lets me know that Clint is right behind me. ¡°Lily is a very strong Guardian. I¡¯m

    quite sure she could take you, Alpha Eric.¡± He says as he wraps his hand around my wrist and, not so subtly, pulls my hand from

    Alpha Eric¡¯s.

    ¡°Then perhaps we can set up a sparring session tomorrow. I''ve never had the opportunity to go against a

    Guardian.¡± Alpha Eric says, never taking his eyes off me

    ¡°I''d be happy to spar with you, Alpha Eric.¡± Clint says to him.

    Alpha Eric finally looks up at Clint. ¡°It would be my privilege to go up against both of you, though not at the same time. | don¡¯t

    have a death wish. Afterall, how many Alphas can say that they have sparred with both Guardians?¡±

    ¡°Two in this room.¡± Anders says, walking up and joining the conversation.

    ¡°| would also be interested in seeing If what they say about the Guardians is true. | can¡¯t believe this little girl could possibly

    defeat me.¡±

    Alpha Patrick walks up and snorts. ¡°And that would be your undoing, Alpha Benjamin. Lily defeated me and Anders just this past

    week.¡±

    I''m a bit offended by the shock on

    Alpha Benjamin¡¯s face. Seriously?

    Does he not know how strong a

    Guardian is? Isn''t that why every

    Alpha wants one? Of course, an

    arrogant Alpha would never believe

    that a Guardian could defeat him,

    much less a Guardian who is a

    she-wolf. The content is on

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    chapter there!

    ¡°Now, if you''ll all follow my mate,

    dinner is being served in our dining

    hall.¡± Alpha Patrick gestures and

    everyone begins filing out to the

    dining hall. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Cooper Author

    So, we get to see Alpha Jerome

    before he kills Eli¡¯s father (his Beta)

    and we got to see Alpha Fernando

    and Santiago, Carlos¡¯s father and

    brother. The content is on

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    chapter there!

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 Chapter 556

    wanted to rip that Alpha¡¯s arm off, not only because he was touching Lily, but he was also holding her

    hand like he had a right to do so. What¡¯s worse. Lily seemed enamored with him. I had been keeping

    an eve on her and I saw when Andra shed in her eyes. Whatever Alpha Eric said, it impacted not

    only Lily but also Andra. I can¡¯t wait for the day that I can sink my teeth into her neck, leaving my mark,

    so everyone knows she¡¯s mine.

    Maybe we should leave a different kind of mark on her neck tonight.¡± Donovan says.

    ¡°If she¡¯ll let me. I¡¯m all in.¡± I say to him as we move into the dining hall.

    I see Alpha Jerome making his way toward us and I steer Lily toward our seats. Alpha Patrick and I met

    with Luna Olivia before this event to make sure that Lily would always be surrounded by two of us, at

    minimum during meals and that she would never be seated next to one of the other Alphas.

    I sit Lily beside Luna Este and I sit on her other side. Alpha Leander is on the other side of Luna

    Este and his Gamma is opposite her. Calvin and Naomi are opposite Lily. Also at our table are Alpha

    Christopher and his mate, the human. Anders, Calista, Patrick and Olivia are at another table talking

    with

    the group of Alphas seated with them tonight. They are being rotated around at each meal to ensure

    that every Alpha has time to speak with Patrick and Anders.

    Dinner is an easy affair. Lily, Naomi, Este and Christopher¡¯s mate. Emily, talk of children, mates and

    other female types of things. Alpha Leander, Calvin, Christopher and I join them periodically, but I¡¯m

    keeping an eye on Anders as well as watching the other Alphas. I don¡¯t like what I see from Alpha

    Jerome or his Beta¡¯s obvious disagreement with whatever is being said quietly between them. Alpha

    Benjamin is tantly staring at Lily and continues to do so until he feels my stare boring into him. When

    he looks at me, he jumps slightly at what must a threatening look on my face before casually looking

    away. Yeah, asshole, get whatever it is you¡¯re thinking, out of your head.

    After dinner, Patrickes over to me and Lily. ¡°So, several Alphas have expressed an interest in

    sparring with a Guardian or two. So, I¡¯m setting up a sparring event tomorrow morning. It won¡¯t just be

    Alphas versus Guardians, I¡¯ll be putting Alpha against Alpha and any Beta that wants to participate will

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    be wee. Several of our warriors will be there, along with me, Calvin and Anders, so you¡¯ll be well

    protected Lily.¡± He says.

    ¡°Is this really necessary? I¡¯m willing to spar with all of them, several at once if they want.¡± I say, trying to

    keep Lily from having those Alphas¡® hands all over her.

    ¡°Clint, I¡¯ve trained my entire life to be a strong fighter. I will be fine. Nothing will happen to me while

    everyone is there watching out for me.¡±

    The next morning, we meet outside for training. Not surprising, Alpha Eric wants to spar with Lily. He

    steps up first. ¡°Okay little Guardian, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±

    I want to watch them and make sure that Lily is okay, but I have my own match. Mine is with Alpha

    Benjamin. I decide to make a point that he needs to stop staring at my mate. I fight him hard, harder

    than

    I¡¯ve ever fought against Anders or Patrick. I make sure to hit him hard enough that he¡¯ll be feeling it for

    hours and hopefully, he changes his mind about sparring with Lily.

    When he finally taps out, he¡¯s bleeding from multiple parts on his body, and he limps off the training

    grounds to sit and watch. I turn and see that Lily has defeated Alpha Eric, but he¡¯s smiling at her and

    acting pleased that he was defeated by my mate.

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    ¡°Thank you, Guardian. That was quite¡­¡­¡­ exhrating.¡± I watch as he takes her hand and kisses it. I

    can¡¯t help the growl that rumbles in my chest. Lily¡¯s head snaps up, but Alpha Eric never takes his eyes

    off her.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Did you want to try your hand with another Guardian, Alpha Eric?¡± That gets his attention, and he turns

    to me.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±

    like my chance to spar with a Guardian.¡± Alpha Jerome walks up. Dammit, if I¡¯d known that he was

    going to spar, I would have taken him. Now it¡¯s toote.

    I look at Anders, who gives me a subtle nod. He¡¯ll watch the light and make sure nothing bad happens

    to

    my girl.

    I begin my battle with Alpha Eric. He¡¯s good. I¡¯m impressed that Lily beat him. He¡¯s fast, a smart fighter

    and he¡¯s strong. ¡°I can see you have been training Lily. She has many of the same moves that you are

    using. I might actually be able to defeat you, Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Doubtful.¡± I say and just as I¡¯m about to jump in again, I hear Andra snarl. I whip my head around and

    see that Andra has Alpha Jerome on the ground by the throat.

    ¡°Andra!¡± Anders says, moving quickly to her side.

    Something happened and Anders missed it. It must have been subtle but significant if Andra forced a

    shift and is threatening to rip this Alpha¡¯s throat out.

    I walk over to her, crouching down at her eye level. ¡°Andra. You can¡¯t kill an Alpha during a sparring

    match. Not unless he did something unforgiveable. Give Lily back control and let her tell us what

    happened.¡±

    Andra snarls once more, pressing her teeth against his throat, making a point to Alpha Jerome that she

    could easily kill him before she shifts. I immediately pull my shirt off, yanking it over her head before

    every Alpha here stares at her naked body. When she stands, her chest is heaving and she¡¯s ring at

    Alpha Jerome.

    She reaches down and pulls a small needle from her thigh. ¡°I¡¯m immune to wolfsbane, you piece of

    shit.¡±

    Donovan snarls,ing forward. I take the needle and smell it. I can smell the wolfsbane. Alpha Eric

    I give him the needle and he also smells it before turning to Alpha Jerome. ¡°What is the meaning of

    this?¡±

    Anderses over, taking the needle and sniffing it before passing it to Patrick.

    ¡°Oh please. Don¡¯t pretend you aren¡¯t nning to do whatever it takes to get this Guardian to your pack.

    We¡¯ve all seen how you¡¯ve been charming her. I may not have youth on my side, but I have other ways

    to

    get her to my pack.¡± Alpha Jerome says.

    + IS BONUS

    Patrick snarls. ¡°You have attacked a member of my pack without justification. Get off my packnds

    immediately or I will dere war on you and your pack. You and your pack members are no longer

    wee in Canyon Ridge.¡±

    I watch as Alpha Jerome¡¯s Beta, Emerson,es over to help his Alpha up. Jerome ps his hand

    away before getting up. ¡°Are you sure you want to make an enemy out of me?¡± He asks Patrick.

    I step forward. ¡°You heard my Alpha. Leave. Before I make you leave.¡±

    He turns and begins walking away. ¡°You will regret this.¡± Alpha Jerome says as he leaves.

    I watch Patrick mind link and several warriors, including Calvin follow behind Alpha Jerome and his

    Beta to ensure they and their warriors leave our packnds.

    ¡°Anyone else want to try to take my underage Guardian from my pack against her will?¡± It¡¯s Zakai that

    snarls the question to every other Alpha on the training field. He looks directly at Alpha Benjamin, who

    looks away. Hopefully he¡¯s rethinking whatever he was nning.

    ¡°Anyone who tries to take a Guardian from my pack against their will, will be considered an enemy of

    my

    pack.¡±

    He makes eye contact with every Alpha, before ending the sparring session.

    Cooper Author

    Well, we knew Alpha Jerome was a jerk. Game, set and match to Andra!

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 Chapter 558

    Not only was Alpha Jerome taking every opportunity to put his hands in inappropriate ces while we

    sparred, but when he realized he couldn¡¯t take me, or maybe because he realized he was running out

    of

    time, he injected me with wolfsbane.

    I¡¯m thankful that I¡¯m immune. If I wasn¡¯t, I would have ended up in the pack hospital and of all the

    ces

    in our pack, that would probably have been the easiest to kidnap me from.

    As I turn to walk inside, Alpha Eric falls into step beside me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asks and there is no

    flirtation in his voice. He is genuinely concerned.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. I¡¯ll just have a bruise for a couple of hours.¡±

    ¡°So, you really are immune to wolfbane?¡±

    I look at him. ¡°I am.¡±

    He turns to look at Clint who is hovering on my other side. ¡°What about you, Guardian Clint? Are you

    immune to wolfsbane?¡±

    ¡°No. Just Lily.¡±

    Alpha Eric looks impressed as he looks back at me. ¡°Why do you think you are immune?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. But I¡¯m thankful that I am, and that it wasn¡¯tmon knowledge until now, otherwise,

    he

    might have tried to use silver.¡±

    Both Alpha Eric and Clint growl at that. ¡°No Alpha worth the title would stoop to such a level. If you

    can¡¯t win a she¨Cwolf, Guardian or no, on your own merits, then you don¡¯t deserve her.¡± Alpha Eric says.

    As we reach the packhouse, he turns to me. ¡°I do hope to see youter, and perhaps you¡¯ll save me a

    dance?¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile at him. I do like Alpha Eric. ¡°Of course.¡± I say, and I feel Clint tense next to me. It

    doesn¡¯t go unnoticed by Alpha Eric, but he chooses to ignore it.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to speak to your Alpha. I want to make sure that he takes Alpha Jerome¡¯s

    threat seriously. He¡¯s a ruthless Alpha and will want revenge for today.¡±

    He bows over my hand again, kissing it and giving me another smoldering look. ¡°Untilter, Lily. Clint.¡±

    He nods his head at Clint before walking off.

    As we start to walk upstairs, Clint leans into me. ¡°Lily, I swear if you try to go off with that Alpha tonight,

    I

    might kill him.¡±

    We get to o

    our room, and I turn and wrap my arms around him. ¡°And where would I go with him, Clint? My room is

    here, with you. I share a bed, with you. I have no intention of going anywhere with any of these

    Alphas. I like Alpha Eric and he proved today to be an honorable Alpha. I agreed to one dance, not a

    night

    of illicit passion.¡±

    He wraps his arms around me. ¡°If you want illicit passion, all you have to do is ask, Lily bud.¡±

    I nip his bottom lip. ¡°You mentioned wanting to leave a mark on my neckst night. Would you feel

    better if I let you leave one before Anders¡® party tonight?¡±

    He pulls back, looking at me, seeing if I¡¯m serious. It felt over¨Cthe¨Ctopst night, but after what

    happened with Alpha Jerome, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to have a hickey on my mate mark from Clint.

    I won¡¯t smell like him, but he¡¯d be staking his im and I might have some reprieve from the pressuring

    Alphas.

    ¡°You¡¯d let me leave a mark on you?¡±

    I turn my head, exposing my neck to him.

    He opens the door to our room and walks me inside, closing the door behind me and pushing me

    against the wall. He grabs my thighs pulling them up and wrapping them around his waist. He kisses

    me passionately before pulling back, growling low and deep. ¡°You smell like those Alphas.¡± He says

    before

    walking me into the bathroom.

    I continue kissing his neck while he turns on the shower and sits me on the sink, pulling his shirt over

    my

    head. Then he strips down before running his hands over my thighs, to my hips then up my sides,

    letting his thumbs brush against my nipples. They immediately harden at his touch, and I suck in a

    breath at the pleasure of his touch.

    I let my head fall back and his mouth goes to my neck, licking and sucking where he wants to leave his

    mark. I begin moaning and he wraps my legs around him again, walking me into the shower. He

    pushes me against the cold tile of the shower wall, and I can feel his hard length pressing between my

    thighs.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    I feel his canines slide over my mate mark and my body clenches in pleasure. ¡°Someday soon, I¡¯ll sink

    my teeth into this pretty little neck so all the world will know you are mine, Lily bud.¡± His voice is deep.

    and I know that Donovan is forward.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sink them somewhere else for now?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what made me say it, but Clint doesn¡¯t hesitate. He reaches down, taking my nipple in his

    mouth and gently sliding his canines into my breast, sucking and licking my nipple at the same time.

    The feeling of pleasure and pain is so exquisite that I cum, just from that, my body clenching, aching to

    squeeze around his length. I shout his name and feel his body contract. Warm, sticky liquid squirts

    against my thighs as he continues to milk his canines into my breast.

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 Chapter 559

    When he finally pulls his teeth from my breast, he licks the wound closed. He leans his head against

    mine. ¡°You are so damn sexy, Lily bud. Thank you. Donovan and I will be much calmer tonight knowing

    that you will smell like us, even if it will onlyst until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I will smell like you?¡± I ask.

    He runs his nose over the spot where he sank his teeth, humming softly. ¡°You already do.¡±

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I like the idea of having Clint¡¯s scent mixed with mine and so does Andra. Maybe that¡¯s what makes me

    daring. ¡°If you want, you can sink your canines into my other breast.¡±

    His eyes brighten as Donovan pushes forward immediately and I feel his excitement bump against my

    thigh.

    After giving me matching bite marks on each breast, making us both curn again and finally showering

    off the sweat from sparring and mess we made in the shower, we get ready for lunch.

    He takes my hand and leads me to where we will be eating. Because lunch is a more casual affair,

    Clint will be sitting with Anders and I will be sitting with Calista and some other pack mates.

    When we are seated there are two Alphas at our table including Alpha Fernando and his son Santiago.

    When I sit, I see Alpha Fernando¡¯s nose wrinkle and he looks over at Clint. I guess it¡¯s obvious who l

    smell like. I see Clint smirking from the corner of my eye. When I turn to look at him, he winks at me

    before focusing on the conversation at his table.

    Lunch is fairly uneventful. Calista is a master at guiding conversation and asking the Alphas at our

    table about themselves and their packs. I¡¯m in awe of my friend. She¡¯s usually so quiet, but in this

    environment, she shines. I realize, once again, that she would make an amazing Luna. For my sake

    and for the sake of Canyon Ridge, I hope she¡¯s Anders¡® mate. He¡¯s certainly treating her as if she is. I

    guess both of us will find out in the next couple of weeks, her on the day of prom and me one week

    later.

    I have noticed Anders keeping an eye on her and she told me that she chose her ck dress for

    tonight because he wanted to match for his birthday. When she asked him what he wanted for his

    birthday, he said the only thing he wanted was for her to be by his side as his date, so she agreed.

    After lunch, we all have some down time before the party tonight. Most of the Alphas decide to go

    lounge by the pool. Calista and I head to my room. It will take us some time to get ready for tonight.

    Clint has already moved his clothes to Anders¡® room so he can get ready there and give us space to

    get ready in

    his room.

    We put on our make¨Cup then spend time putting our hair into formal updos. Calista curls her straight

    hair and then I pull it up, pinning it so that it cascades to her shoulders. We finish the look by braiding a

    small piece of her hair and pulling it over her head, so it looks like a headband. I anchor it to her curls

    on one side of her head with a delicate clip that looks like silver baby¡¯s breath.

    Calista helps me with my hair. We keep my thick curls, but Cali pulls them up, creating arge, bun¨C

    style look. Because my hair is so thick, the bun is extensive andes nearly to my shoulders. She

    adds a silver baby¡¯s breath clip to my hair as well.

    When we get dressed, I am wearing a nude colored, floor length dress with spaghetti straps and a slit

    to my mid¨Cthigh. The dress isyered with acy ovey that is covered in off¨Cwhite embroidery that

    looks like vines covering my body. Call¡¯s dress is ck and elegant in its simplicity. It has a fitted bodice

    with spaghetti straps and a skirt that irs out from her waist to her feet with a slit to her mid¨Cthigh. Her

    dress also has a sheer ck ovey from the waist down, but you can only see it when the skirt irs

    out around her. She will be stunning when she dances with Anders tonight.

    Just as

    we finish putting our shoes on, there is a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡± I call out, knowing it¡¯s Anders and Clint.

    When they walk in, both of them stop short. My heart stutters at the absolute love and adoration I see

    in

    Clint¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°We must be the luckiest men in the world.¡± Anders says, but his eyes never leave Cali.

    ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Clint agrees, before they both hold out their arms to us.

    We walk to them, taking their arms and head down to Anders¡¯s party.

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 Chapter 560

    While Calista and Lily were getting ready for Anders¡± party, he and I had our own ns to prepare.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the y?¡± He asks me, as I tuck the guitar behind the podium on the stage.

    ¡°I was thinking, it might work if it looks like I¡¯m going to give you a toast, but instead, I begin serenading

    Lily.¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s a risk that she might shoot you down in front of everyone.¡±

    I had thought of that, but I don¡¯t think she will. I¡¯m feeling more confident since this morning. If she¡¯s

    willing to let me scent her in such a bold and sexual way. I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll agree to go to prom with me.

    ¡°It is, but it¡¯s a calcted risk and I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ve done my calctions properly.¡±

    Anders shakes his head and chuckles. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re a better singer than I am. You won¡¯t ruin

    everyone¡¯s evening with your voice.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve gotten pretty good on the guitar too.¡±

    He raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°Do you know any songs other than the one you¡¯re singing tonight?

    Because I¡¯m pretty sure I could y that tune by now, I¡¯ve heard it so many times.¡±

    ¡°I only need to know the one song. If she likes it, I¡¯ll learn more and y them for her every night.¡±

    ¡°Goddess, help us all. Let¡¯s hope she doesn¡¯t want more songs.¡±

    When we have it set up and we¡¯re bothfortable with how the events will y out, we head up to his

    room to get ready. We¡¯re both wearing suits tonight as is the custom for formal events such as this.

    Anders is in standard ck suit with a white dress shirt. I, however, wanted to match Lily, so I bought a

    off¨Cwhite dress shirt to go with my ck suit. I checked it against her dress to make sure it was a

    match. Not only will my scent be mixed with hers tonight, but we¡¯ll look like a couple in our matching

    attire.

    When we finish, we go to get our girls and I think both of us are stunned at their beauty. I know my

    mate is gorgeous. But tonight, she¡¯s beyond stunning. I¡¯m doubly thankful my scent is mixed with hers.

    Even if she wasn¡¯t a Guardian, every Alpha here would want her.

    I spare a nce at Calista. She is the epitome of a perfect Luna. In a week, Anders will be able to

    officially mark her if she agrees. He¡¯s been doing his best to make sure that happens. From everything

    I know about her, she¡¯ll be perfect for the position, and I couldn¡¯t be happier for my friend.

    When we walk into the ballroom, decorated for tonight¡¯s festivities, I can sense every Alpha¡¯s envy.

    They

    want our mates, one a powerful Guardian, and one a perfect Luna.

    Patrick and Oliviae over immediately and greet us, weing Calista and Lily to the party, Olivia

    hugging them before hugging Anders and me. Patrick shakes our hands and guides us to the stage.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. Tonight, we celebrate my son¡¯s 18th birthday. In just a couple of months,

    after

    he finishes school, I will transfer the Alpha title to him. But tonight, we thank you for being here to

    celebrate my son officially bing an adult.¡±

    Everyone ps, and Anders moves to the microphone, bringing Calista with him. He¡¯s iming her in

    front of these other Alphas. I take this opportunity to follow Patrick and Olivia and guide Lily off the

    stage.

    After Anders finishes his speech, I leave Lily beside Patrick, Calvin and Lyle moving closer to guard

    her, while I go on stage. Anders ps a hand on my shoulder as he passes me, giving me a smile. This

    is it.

    I walk up to the microphone. ¡°As all of you know, Anders and I have been friends our entire life. He is

    like a brother to me, and I couldn¡¯t be happier to celebrate with him, here tonight.¡± Everyone ps at

    that.

    ¡°However, there is someone else I would like to acknowledge this evening. This person is even mor

    important to me than Anders. She has my whole heart and will have it for the rest of our lives.¡±

    I look at Lily and her eyes have gone wide. I reach down and pull the guitar out, putting the strap over

    my shoulder and attaching the mini microphone to the strap of the guitar. I strum out the first notes of

    the song before I begin, walking toward Lily.

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 Chapter 561

    -September lily

    Come here and kiss me

    That¡¯s an order

    September lily

    Come here and kiss met

    Please think about me

    But only the good things

    Like a mother

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    And the truth of it is

    I wonder am I beautiful enough

    For you to kiss me true¡±

    The song has lyrics about the reasons for her tears and asking her to marry me. I sing them all, never

    taking my eyes off hers. I watch as hers fill with tears.

    I modify the final lyrics as I get down on one knee in front of her and her eyes get impossibly wider,

    Andra shining through them.

    ¡°September lily

    My Lily bud

    Please say you¡¯ll go

    To Prom with me.¡±

    I finish the song, strumming the final notes and wait for her answer. The entire room has gone quiet. I

    have an instant of fear that she¡¯ll reject me before she startsughing, tears falling from her eyes.

    ¡°You are crazy. But yes. Yes, I¡¯ll go to prom with you.¡±

    I jump up, pushing the guitar behind my back and pick her up, swinging her around as I kiss her. I hear

    polite apuse behind me, but I don¡¯t care. My mate agreed to go to Prom with me. Every Alpha in the

    room can suck it. She¡¯s mine.

    The rest of the night, I keep Lily by my side except for the one dance that Alpha Eric insisted she

    promised him. I take the opportunity to dance with Luna Olivia. It keeps me closer to Lily. But while I

    thought I would be able to listen into their conversation, Olivia has other ideas..

    ¡°That was a p

    reyes.

    a pretty clear im on Lily. Clint.¡± I focus my attention on my Luna, looking down into her

    ¡°Yes, Donovan recognized her as his mate the first time we saw her after we turned 18. Since then, I¡¯ve

    been trying to convince her that I was worthy of being her mate.¡±

    She nods. ¡°And you didn¡¯t notice until after your birthday?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t looking for my mate, nor was I paying attention. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d find her until after

    my birthday.¡±

    ¡°But Donovan definitely recognized her as your mate after your birthday?¡± She asks me and I look

    where she¡¯s looking, seeing Anders dancing with Calista. He has the look on his face that I imagine

    that I have

    when Lily is in my arms.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I answer her question, knowing she¡¯s trying to figure out if Zakai has recognized Calista and

    Shali as their mate. I know he has, Anders told me so, but that¡¯s not for me to tell his mother. If he

    didn¡¯t tell

    her, there¡¯s a reason, and I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s to keep her from putting her nose in the situation.

    ¡°Calista turns 18 next weekend, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she does.¡± I say, my lips twitching at my Luna¡¯s attempt to meddle in her son¡¯s love life.

    She must hear the smile in my voice because herser focus returns to me. ¡°And when is Lily¡¯s

    birthday?¡±

    ¡°Two weeks.¡± I lean in, whispering in her ear. ¡°And I can¡¯t wait until she recognizes me as her mate, and

    I

    can mark her as mine.¡±

    She smiles at me a moment. ¡°What do you think it means that two Guardians are fated? And that those

    Guardians are both in our pack?¡±

    I shrug. Anders, Patrick and Calvin have all asked this same question. ¡°It could be the Moon Goddess

    wanting her children toe together in a way they never have before. Or maybe it was always meant

    to be this way and selfish Alphas kept them apart. I guess it¡¯s also possible that something bad is

    coming and we¡¯ll need two Guardians to fight it off, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°I like this new you, Clint. You¡¯re still confident, but without the arrogance.¡±

    ¡°My mate has made me want to be a better man for her and for our future pups.¡±

    Olivia chokes at that. ¡°It¡¯s a bit soon for that, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I shrug again. ¡°I want an eternity with Lily. That means a family and a beautiful life together. I want it all

    everything. I never did before, but with her, I do.¡± I say, looking over at my mate. She must feel my

    stare

    because she looks at me and gives me a radiant smile.

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 Chapter 562

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    How could anyone say no to Clint when he sang me a song in front of our entire pack and nine

    neighboring Alphas, I may not have spent any time with Clint before he realized I was his mate, but I

    know that he never, ever, treated another she¨Cwolf like he treats me.

    His im is so tant, his song is so sweet, that my heart melts. I said before that I hoped that he was

    my mate. It¡¯s impossible for me not to believe him when he says he is. Other than the ¡®Anna incident¡®.

    he¡¯s been nothing but perfect.

    When Alpha Eric convinces me to dance, he reinforces just how significant Clint¡¯s gesture was. ¡°I¡¯ve

    seen several Alphas im their mates. But no one has been quite so public about it unless it¡¯s at the

    moment where they both recognize each other. I¡¯ve never seen it when one of the mates is underage.¡±

    I can¡¯t help the smile that spreads across my face. ¡°He¡¯s been pretty amazing.¡±

    ¡°How lond

    long before you turn 187¡±

    I refocus on him. ¡°Two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Well, if things go south with him.¡± He wags his eyebrows at me.

    I can¡¯t help butugh at his antics. ¡°Somehow, I think there is a very special someone for you.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest. I¡¯m losing hope. It won¡¯t be long before I have to take a chosen mate or go feral

    and

    I have no intention of doing that to my pack or forcing my Beta to put me down.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that I know what the mate bond feels like, not really. But I can tell you what it¡¯s like

    being on the receiving end of someone who says they¡¯re your mate. I don¡¯t know how a chosen mate

    couldpare to that.¡± I say, as I look over and see Clint watching me. I put every bit of happiness he¡¯s

    given me tonight into my smile.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    When the dance ends, Alpha Eric kisses my hand. None of the other Alphas dare to approach me and

    Clint stays by my side the entire night.

    The next day, the Alphas begin leaving early. Those that don¡¯t, leave soon after breakfast. Alpha

    Leander and Luna Este let us know that they will invite us to meet the new Alpha heir when he or she

    is born.

    Our alliance with Shadow Falls is strong, and I hope that it always remains that way.

    After they are gone, I thought we would be able to rx, but Clint has different ideas.

    ¡°Okay, Lily bud. I talked to Patrick, and you are going to start sparring against two warriors at once.

    We¡¯ll

    see how it goes and then we¡¯ll bump you up to three and four and so on until you max out.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± I ask, only half joking.

    ¡°Nope, haven¡¯t you heard? What doesn¡¯t kill you, makes you stronger. And I n to make you stronger,

    Lily bud.¡±

    True to his word, the next week is grueling. I¡¯m sparring against two warriors all morning, we¡¯reing

    to the end of the school year, so teachers are piling the workload on us and in the afternoon, Clint is

    pushing me like some sort of crazed military boot camp drill instructor.

    Friday night, I plead out of studying to spend some time with Calista. Tomorrow is her 18th birthday, so

    I wanted to get her something special. Clint had asked what I nned to do and when I told him, he

    asked if he could pay for the gift and put his name on it too. I agreed, especially since I have limited

    funds.

    After dinner on Friday, Anders, Calista, Clint and I go sit out on the back patio. Anders prepared a spot

    that is separated from the rest, so we¡¯d have a bit of privacy. I know she¡¯s going to spend the morning

    with her parents beforeing over to get ready for Prom. The guys have something nned, but

    they¡¯ve refused to tell us what it is.

    After we sit down, I hand Calista the gift from me and Clint. After talking about it, Clint wanted to add a

    second gift, and I agreed. The first gift is a picture of me and Cali. It was when we were in Maine and

    we are standing in front of the marina in the quaint town where we stayed. That weekend was so

    special, I wanted to memorialize it for her.

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 Chapter 563

    She gets teary eyed when she sees it before holding it against her chest and thanking me. She sets it

    down and pulls me in for a hug. I love you, Lily.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Cali.¡± I tell her.

    Next, she opens the second picture that Clint wanted to get her. It¡¯s a great picture, I just wasn¡¯t sure

    how she¡¯d feel about it, but Clint was persistent. When she opens it, she holds it for a moment, just

    staring at it. I look at Clint, but he¡¯s focused on Cali.

    I see a tear roll down her face and see her trying to swallow what must be a lump in her throat. ¡°It¡¯s

    perfect.¡± She says, looking up at Anders. It¡¯s a picture of the two of them. Anders had said something to

    Call, and she has her head thrown back inughter in a rare moment of uninhibited joy. While that

    would make the picture beautiful by itself, the look that Anders is giving her makes it even better. It¡¯s

    intense, full of love and admiration. He isn¡¯t looking at the camera, you can tell he only has eyes for her.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    Anders reaches out and wipes the tears from her cheeks. ¡°Will you open mine?¡±

    She nods, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She looks at the picture once more before

    thanking us and cing it on the table, taking the box that Anders gives to her. Based on the size, I¡¯m

    guessing he got her jewelry.

    I look at Clint and I can tell he¡¯s already seen it. I haven¡¯t, so I lean forward while she opens the box.

    When she does, we both gasp. It¡¯s an earring and ne set with an aquamarine stone surrounded

    by

    sapphires. It¡¯s exactly what her eyes look like when Shali is shining in them.

    ¡°Oh Cali. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I say.

    ¡°I love you, Calista.¡± Anders says and leans in, kissing her softly. As the kiss deepens, Clint nudges me

    and we quietly leave them to celebrate alone.

    When we get far enough away, I turn to Clint. ¡°He¡¯s her mate, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    He shrugs, not willing to answer me. I push him against a tree, pinning him with my hips. ¡°Yes or no,

    Clint

    Nelson.¡±

    I see the challenge in his eyes. ¡°What if I refuse to tell you, Lily bud. After all, you only have a few hours

    left until you¡¯ll know for sure.¡±

    I pout. ¡°I thought mates wanted to give their mates everything?¡±

    He chuckles at me. ¡°Nice try. I will give you the world, but for this, you just have to be patient.¡±

    I lean in, nipping his bottom lip. I watch as his eyes darken. ¡°What will it take. Mate.¡± Donovan shes

    in

    his eyes and in an instant, our positions are reversed, and he has me pinned against the tree, one of

    his legs between mine. I can feel his hard length pressed against my stomach.

    ¡°Say it again.¡± His voice is deep with Donovan¡¯s, but rough and ragged.

    +15 ROHS

    ¡°What? Mate?¡± I say in a purring tone, rubbing my nose against his neck before moving to his ear.¡±

    Mate.¡± I whisper licking his ear lobe into my mouth and gently nibbling on it. I feel his dick twitch against

    my stomach.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me?¡± I say, moving down to his mate mark and licking the spot that in a week, I hope to

    be sinking my canines into.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He says and this time it¡¯s breathy, needy.

    ¡°Yes what, my sexy mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s his mate, just as you are mine.¡±

    ¡°I am yours, mate.¡±

    He growls, before taking my mouth in a scorching kiss, leaving me breathless. ¡°In one week Lily bud,

    one week, you will be mine and this pretty little neck of yours will wear my mark so everyone knows it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait, mate.¡±

    The next morning, I catch Cali leaving Anders room. She¡¯s wearing his clothes and his mate mark on

    her

    neck.

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 Chapter 564

    The week before Lily¡¯s birthday must be the slowest of my life. All I want is for Sunday to arrive so I can

    im her as mine for all the world to see.

    Anders wasted no time marking Calista. He made sure they were together at midnight and Shall

    recognized him immediately. By morning, she was officially our future Luna. Olivia and Patrick couldn¡¯t

    be happier, and ns for the Alpha and Luna ceremonies have started. Calista officially moved in the

    day after her birthday, her parents thrilled that she is Anders¡® mate.

    Prom was wonderful. I got to dance with my mate all night. She looked stunning and I couldn¡¯t tear my

    eyes away from her. Anders and I got hotel rooms and enjoyed the private time with our mates. While !

    want nothing more than to bury myself in my mate, I want to make her birthday special, so I held off.

    I think she was surprised, but she didn¡¯t fight me. It¡¯s good that she didn¡¯t because I have very little

    restraint when ites to Lily. I did, however, sink my teeth into her tight ass cheek. She says she has

    no curves, but she does. My mate will never be considered voluptuous, but she¡¯s perfect for me. And

    having my venom in her again, having my scent mixed with hers, even for a short time, made me

    happy.

    The week before her birthday is filled with final exams. It¡¯s the seniorsst week of school. So, between

    training, where I have Lily battling three warriors at a time now, finals, and our evening warrior training.

    you¡¯d think my days would go quickly, but they don¡¯t. Or at least, not quickly enough for me.

    Olivia and Naomi are nning a party for Lily. Since she is a Guardian, her birthday is a big deal for the

    entire pack. Everyone is invited, including her parents. I was against it, but Patrick overruled me.

    I spend as much time with Lily as I can on Saturday. But, while she is distracted by party preparations. I

    slip away, heading to our room. I grab the nkets that were our bed for weeks on the roof and leave a

    card on the bed for her. I tell her to meet me at theke at midnight.

    I go to theke, preparing a romantic spot, where I can show Lily how much I love her, want her and

    can make her mine under the moon and stars. As the midnight hour draws near, I light some candles

    and

    wait for her.

    When I hear her soft footfalls. I walk toward her. As soon as she sees me, I know she feels it. Andra

    pushes forward and Donovan does as well.

    ¡°Mate.¡± She says, looking at me with awe and love. So much love. She runs into my arms, wrapping

    herself around me, iming my mouth in a fiery kiss that leaves us both panting.

    Her scent of orange blossoms and ginger is so much stronger now. It surrounds me, infusing into my

    pores, into my very essence. Very soon, this scent will be mixed with mine forever, and I can¡¯t wait.

    I carry her over to the nkets,ying her down gently. I sit back, caressing her face, and just looking

    at her. Her answering blush is perfect.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you mine tonight, Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°About time.¡± My sassy mate says to me.

    I start at the top of her head, taking my time, kissing both her eyes, her nose, the corners of her mouth.

    and finally her lips. I slowly move my way down her throat, as she lifts her neck, giving me perfect

    ess to her most vulnerable body part. Her submission has Donovan growling in my chest, and we

    gently nip her throat before licking and sucking on her mate mark, making my perfect mate moan in

    pleasure and press her body up against mine.

    She tugs on my shirt, and I pull it over my head and pull off my pants before sliding my hand up her

    thigh. She¡¯s wearing a dress and I assume this was purposeful. She would have known she would

    recognize me as her mate and wanted toplete the bond. The dress makes it easier. As I lift her

    thigh, wrapping it around my waist, I can smell the sweet scent of her arousal. Her scent is so much

    stronger now that it makes it almost impossible for me to continue at my slow pace. I want to devour

    her, plunge my hard length into her, sink my teeth into her, taking everything that she has and giving

    her everything that I am

    in return.

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 Chapter 565

    But this first time only happens one time and 1 force myself to focus. As my hand continues its way up her thigh, | realize my

    mate had other ns. | lift my head up, looking down at her hip before looking back

    up at her.

    ¡°No panties7¡±

    ¡°They would just be in the way.¡± She says breathily, but the look in her eyes is full of desire. Desire for

    1. me.

    | growl again, before pushing the dress up higher. No bra either. My mate is seriously pushing the edges of my patience and my

    sanity.

    I slide the dress up and over her head, sitting back and looking down at my mate spread before me.¡± Were you in a hurry, my

    sweet mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve waited long enough to make you mine, mate.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Looking down at her, | run my hands from her toes, up her calves to her thighs, over her hips and her t stomach, caressing her

    breasts and feeling her nipples peak under my hands before moving up to her shoulders and down her arms.

    ¡°You are so beautiful. | don¡¯t know what | did to deserve you, but I¡¯m so d that | did it.¡±

    | pull her leg up and never taking my eyes off hers, | begin kissing my way from her ankle to her calf, licking behind her knee

    before nipping and kissing my way down her thigh. | can¡¯t help but slide my tongue over her pussy lips. They are glistening with

    her arousal and her smell and taste are making my head spin. Nothing has ever tasted as good as my mate does right now.

    | hadn¡¯t nned to stop here, but | have to have more of her. | dive between her legs, devouring her. She pushes her hips up,

    giving me better ess to her. | slide my hands under backside and lick my way to her clit, sucking it into my mouth.

    Her moans of pleasure mix with thete-night sounds of the forest and thepping sounds of the water from theke beside us. |

    could feast on her all night, but | have a mark to put on her. | slide two fingers inside her, making sure she¡¯s ready for me. She¡¯s

    soaking wet, her body on the edge of release.

    ¡°Clint.¡± Her panting moan makes me growl against her, causing her to go over the edge, her inner walls mping down on my

    fingers.

    ¡°Clint!¡± Mmmm, | love hearing my name screamed from my mate¡¯s lips when I¡¯m giving her pleasure. | look forward to hearing

    that sound for the rest of my life.

    | don¡¯t wait for her ride out her pleasure. I¡¯m not done with her yet. When | pull off her clit, sliding my fingers out of her, her eyes

    open and focus on me. ¡°Make me yours.¡±

    My control snaps. | thrust into her, taking her mouth in a savage kiss. | want everything, all of her. When her whimpers turn to

    moans and she begins rocking her hips against mine, | start to move in and out of her. Her body is warm and wet around me,

    and it feels like I¡¯ve died and gone to ce where there is nothing but Lily, me and this ecstasy.

    | pull her leg up, pressing her knee to her chest, plunging even deeper into her core. | clench my teeth and hold out until | feel

    her body mp down on mine, the force of her orgasm pushing me over the edge. | feel my gums tingle and this time, when my

    canines extend, | sink them into her neck.

    The feeling of my teeth burying into her mating spot is almost as intense as being balls deep inside her. | feel the venom of my

    canines milking into her at the same speed my cock is releasing inside her. The feeling is so strong, | almost ck out. An instant

    later, | feel her canines sink into my neck, milking into my mate mark. The pure rapture of feeling our minds and bodies connect

    as one, has both of us shooting off again. | roar my release into her neck, our bodies convulsing with our pleasure.

    When we finallye down, we pull our teeth from each other¡¯s necks licking the wounds closed. ¡°You''re mine now, Lily bud.

    Forever.¡±

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 Chapter 566

    I knew as I was walking to theke that Clint was my mate. His scent of apple pie was so much

    stronger than before. And when I saw him, Andra said the word he¡¯s been waiting to hear for months.

    Mate.

    Everything that was good about Clint is now amplified, his scent, his voice, his hands roaming over my

    body sending tingling sensations everywhere. I can¡¯t wait toplete our mate bond. I knew I wanted

    him before, but it was nothingpared to this.

    When he¡¯s finally inside me, when our teeth are buried in each other¡¯s mate marks, the feeling is like

    nothing I could have ever imagined, nothing you can exin to someone that hasn¡¯t experienced it.

    Sex with Clint was fantastic before, and it doesn¡¯t evene close to this.

    We make love for hours, exploring, touching, tasting. I want to do and have everything with my mate. I

    want to experience it all and every time is just as amazing as the first time. I can¡¯t ever foresee a time

    when I will not want him to touch me, when I won¡¯t respond to his touch exactly like I am tonight.

    A couple of hours before sunrise, we shift and give Donovan and Andra their time to mate and connect.

    While I¡¯m happy for Andra, it feels a little voyeuristic to be front and center while they are going at it.

    So, I

    pull back, Clint keeping mepany through the mind link.

    I knew Lwas falling for him before, but this feeling of love, it¡¯s almost overwhelming.

    ¡°How did you wait for two months for me to turn 18?¡± I ask him, after getting distracted by Donovan

    sinking his teeth into Andra¡¯s neck, marking her.

    ¡°I spent every possible moment with you that I could. Now you see why sitting next to you in ss,

    riding to and from school with you, training with you was imperative in my day. It was the only way to

    keep Donovan calm and keep me from losing my shit having you around all those unmated males.¡±

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, you are all mine, Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°And mine.¡± Donovan says in our link.

    ¡°And Clint is mine.¡± Andra adds.

    ¡°Are you two done?¡± Clint asks them.

    ¡°For now.¡± Andra says, rubbing herself against Donovan.

    ¡°Did you mark Donovan? I closed my eyes after he marked you.¡± I ask my wolf.

    ¡°Donovan is officially mine and any she¨Cwolf that thinks she can have him will answer to me.¡± She

    growls

    Donovan licks her face, rubbing his body across hers, scenting her. ¡°There is no one for me, but you.¡±

    Clint and I shift back as the sun begins to rise. We get dressed grab the nkets and candles and walk

    back to the packhouse hand in hand. ¡°Shall we get some steep before we have to get up for training?¡±

    ¡ü

    ¡°I got Patrick to agree to a day off for the two of us. It is your birthday after all, and he knows that you¡¯re

    my mate. He figured we¡¯d be otherwise upied.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, does that mean that we aren¡¯t expected to be anywhere until my party this evening?¡± I ask

    him.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it means. Why? Does my insatiable mate want something from me?¡±

    ¡°I want everything from you. But right now, I want you to take me again in the shower.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    He throws me over his shoulder, smacking my ass before running into the packhouse and up to our

    room. Later that morning. I hear my phone ping. Clint is wrapped around me, sleeping, like I should be.

    I grab my phone and see a text from my mother.

    Mom: Happy birthday, sweetheart.

    I haven¡¯t spoken to my mother since I moved into the packhouse. She has never once reached out to

    me.

    Me: Thanks, Mom. Will I see you tonight?

    Mom: Well, that¡¯s why I was reaching out. Your father is ufortableing to the packhouse for

    your party because of everything that has happened recently. I was hoping that I could meet up with

    you before your party. I have a gift for you.

    I¡¯m not surprised my father isn¡¯tfortableing to the packhouse. Everyone in the pack knows

    what he did. I appreciate the olive branch my mother is extending. Maybe she and I can start fresh. I¡¯m

    not ready to forgive my father yet, but I would like to have a rtionship with my mother.

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 Chapter 567

    Me: Sure. Should Ie to the house?

    Mom: Actually, I don¡¯t want your father to know. Could you meet me behind theke?

    So, I won¡¯t be having a rtionship with my mother, at least not while my father forbids it. I¡¯m sad, but

    d that she¡¯s at least willing to recognize me on my birthday. Maybe I can at least get a hug from her.

    Me: Sure. What time?

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    Mom: Your party is in a couple of hours, so how about now?

    I turn and look at Clint still sleeping behind me. Maybe he won¡¯t notice that I¡¯m gone.

    Me: Sure mom, I¡¯ll be there in about 20 minutes.

    I slide out of bed, pulling my pillow down and smiling as Clint wraps himself around it. I put on a pair of

    shorts and one of Clint¡¯s shirts, tying it at the waist so it doesn¡¯t hang down too long. I grab my shoes

    and slip out the door, closing it quietly so it doesn¡¯t wake him.

    As I head out, I run my fingers through my hair, fingerbing it as I head out to theke. I wave at a

    couple of people and when I get to theke, I can¡¯t help but smile at the spot where Clint and I

    completed our mate bond early this morning.

    I walk around to the back side of theke, looking around for my mother.

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    I raise my nose in the air and the minute I smell him, I turn to run. When I do, my father is there,

    blocking

    my way. Behind me, Alpha Mahli and several of his warriorse out of the woods.

    ¡°Clint!¡± I scream in our mind link. I can take some of these men, but not all of them.

    ¡°Hello again, Darling. I havee to take what is mine. Your father promised me your hand and I have

    paid handsomely for you.¡±

    ¡°I am not amodity to be paid for and I am not yours.¡±

    I feel my father move toward me from behind. I turn, grabbing his arm and swinging him to the ground. I

    underestimated him though, and he had a syringe in both hands. While I am taking him down, the hand

    I

    don¡¯t havees up and jams a syringe of liquid silver into my ribcage.

    I immediately release my hold on my father, grabbing my side. The pain of the silver is making it hard to

    breathe.

    ¡°You idiot! If you kill her, the deal is off.¡± Alpha Mahli says to my father.

    ¡°Lily, where are you? I¡¯m on my way.¡± Clint says in the mind link

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    ¡°Lake.¡± I say, and I think the needle must have punctured my lung. I feel like I¡¯m breathing silver.

    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m almost there.¡±

    ¡°My wife heard that Lily is resistant to silver. She won¡¯t die, but she¡¯s immune to wolfsbane. This is the

    only way to subdue her.¡± My father says.

    Alpha Mahli walks over to me. I try to take a step back, but my father reaches up, holding me in ce.

    ¡°Was mother in on this too, or did you force her to send that message?¡± I spit out at my father.

    ¡°Your mother loves me. She doesn¡¯t want to see me get torn apart by loan sharks.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should have thought of that before you gambled everything away.¡± I say as Alpha Mahli

    comes up in front of me.

    ¡°Why does she smell like the other Guardian?¡± Alpha Mahli asks.

    ¡°She¡¯s wearing his shirt.¡± My father says.

    And suddenly it dawns on me. They don¡¯t know. They have no idea that I¡¯m already marked. They¡¯re

    toote. Clint and I meeting at midnightst night just saved me from being marked by Alpha Mahli.

    I reach up and pull Clint¡¯s shirt from my neck. ¡°Or it could be that I¡¯m already marked and mated.¡± I start

    tough at the shock and surprise on their faces.

    My father whips me around, yanking the shirt down. Seeing my mate mark, his hand flies out to punch

    me in the face. A moment before he makes contact, his hand stops.

    ¡°Touch my mate ever again, and I will fucking end you.¡±

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 Chapter 568

    I woke up to find that Lily was gone. The pillow in her ce not providing the same sense of calm that

    having her body next to mine does. I was just getting dressed to go find her when her panicked scream

    came through the mind link.

    I reached out to Anders, telling him that Lily was in trouble. She must have gone off on her own,

    knowing

    that she was marked, but no one else knows that.

    When she tells me she¡¯s at theke. I open my mind link to all the warriors, Anders, Patrick and Calvin,

    letting them know that Lily is at theke and in trouble.

    I don¡¯t wait for them to respond, I rush out the back door, shifting into Donovan as I jump off the back

    step. We race to theke, catching the scent of Aaron Raines and Alpha Mahli. That asshole will pay

    for this. He¡¯s still trying to sell his daughter to pay for his debts.

    I hear Lily tell them she¡¯s already marked and mated a moment before I see Aaron¡¯s arm shoot up to hit

    her. I shift back, grabbing his arm, threatening his life if he everys a hand on her again. Rather than

    dealing with him, I punch him in the face, knocking him out.

    Lily¡¯s mom rushes over, leaning over her husband. ¡°You killed him!¡± She screams.

    ¡°Mother, you idiot. If he were dead, you¡¯d feel it. Clint just knocked him out.¡± Lily says and I can tell

    something is wrong. Her voice is off, her lungs rattling like they have fluid in them.

    I turn, pulling her into my arms as I re at Alpha Mahli. ¡°As you have seen, Lily is marked and mated.

    You can¡¯t have her.¡±

    ¡°Well, this presents a predicament, seeing has how I paid in advance for a Guardian mate.¡± He says.

    looking at Aaron.

    I couldn¡¯t care less what happens to Aaron. But something is definitely wrong with my mate. She¡¯s

    leaning against me, and her breathing is ragged.

    Anders and Patrick arrive and taking in the situation quickly, they confront Alpha Mahli, but I need to

    find out what¡¯s wrong with Lily. When I ask her, she can¡¯t even answer me. I can feel her pain

    emanating from her lungs.

    I pick her up, but as I turn to leave, it¡¯s Alpha Mahli that answers. ¡°Her father injected her with liquid

    silver, but he did it in her side. He may have punctured her lung.¡±

    I feel my heart stop. I turn and race for the pack hospital I don¡¯t know if there is anything they can do for

    her, but I can¡¯t lose her when I just finally made her mine.

    When I get to the pack hospital I realize that someone must have alerted them. They are waiting for

    me. They begin to ask Lily questions, but she can¡¯t answer, and when she tries, she begins coughing

    uncontrobly.

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    I tell them what we know, and I carry Lily back to a room where we can get x¨Crays of her lungs. I make

    sure they keep her sitting up, so she doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s drowning in silver. Her breathing isbored,

    and I can tell theck of oxygen is affecting her.

    When the doctores back in, he doesn¡¯t have good news. He puts her x¨Crays up on the screen and

    shows me that there is indeed silver in her right lung, making it practically unusable.

    ¡°What can we do?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°The only possible option is to remove the silver from her lung.¡±

    I look at him. ¡°How can we do that?¡±

    ¡°The same way it went in, we put a needle into her lung and draw it out. But there are potential

    complications. She¡¯ll still have silver residue in her lung and now she¡¯ll have two puncture wounds in

    that lung. It may not heal, and it will most likely copse, at least temporarily. If that doesn¡¯t work, we

    may have to put a tube into her lung or try to aspirate the silver some other way.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Do it, do whatever needs to be done to help her heal.¡±

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll get started. Lily Raines, right? Is there anyone that we should¡­¡±

    ¡°Nelson.¡± I cut the doctor off.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Lily Nelson, not Lily Raines.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well then, having you here will be a good thing for her. It will help her heal. I¡¯ll get a surgery room

    ready We¡¯ll have to sedate her to do this procedure. I¡¯ll be back in a moment to get her.¡±

    When he leaves, I lean over Lily. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s conscious or can hear me, but I want her to kno

    that I¡¯m here. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way. Lily. I promise. I¡¯ll be right here.¡±

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 Chapter 569

    When theye for her. I follow them into the surgery room. ¡°If you are going to be in here, you need

    to stay out of my way. The doctor tells me, and I move to stand by her head, my fingers running

    through her hair, I just need to touch her and hopefully, she feel my touch and it will help to calm her.

    They sedate her but when he begins to cut her top off, I can¡¯t help the growl that leaves my mouth. He

    stops and looks at me. ¡°In this hospital I am in charge, Guardian. You either stay out of my way or get

    out and let me do my job.¡±

    I rein Donovan in and let him get back to work. I watch as he pulls up a live camera feed attached to

    the needle He makes an incision then pushes the needle and camera into her side. He slowly and

    methodically moves the needle until it is at the bottom of her lung. After he gently pushes the needle in.

    he slowly begins to pull the plunger on the needle, suctioning the silver out of Lily¡¯s lung.

    When he¡¯s done, he pulls the needle from her body, leaving the camera, before wiping the trickle of

    blood caused by the needle. He watches her body on the screen before sighing. ¡°As I expected, the

    suctioning process and the silver itself has forced the copse of her lung. We will keep her sedated for

    now, so she doesn¡¯t struggle to breathe.¡±

    He pulls the camera from her body and looks at me. ¡°You are wee to stay with her and it¡¯s

    probably the best¨Cmedicine we can give her. I¡¯m going to give her some oxygen and tomorrow we¡¯ll

    see if there is any improvement. I can¡¯t begin to try to reinte the lung until the punctures have

    healed.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± I say and follow the medical assistants as they push Lily to a recovery room.

    Iy down beside her on the bed, talking to her, letting her know I¡¯m here. After a while, Anders and

    Patricke in.

    ¡°We just got a status update on Lily. Any change?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet. What happened to Aaron and Alpha Mahli?¡±

    ¡°Aaron and his wife are in the cells awaiting my verdict.¡± Patrick says, looking at Lily before turning

    back

    to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to banish them.¡±

    If I wasn¡¯tying beside myatose mate, I would have blown up at him. As it is, I lean in, kissing her

    temple and telling her I¡¯ll be right back before sliding off the bed and covering her. I motion for Anders

    and Patrick to join me outside.

    As soon as her door closes, I turn on Patrick. ¡°He nearly killed his daughter and you¡¯re only going to

    banish him?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Mahli has already put a bounty on his head. I doubt he will survive a week, but this way, Lily

    won¡¯t me me, you, Dad or this pack for the death of her parents.¡± Anders says.

    Patrick nods. ¡°Not wanting a rtionship with her parents is very different than wanting them dead.

    Anders and I discussed what Lily would want it she were awake. This is more for her than it is for

    them.¡±

    I have my hands on my hips, but my shoulders rx and my head drops. They¡¯re right. Lily wouldn¡¯t

    want to see them dead, and she would struggle to know that the Alpha and pack she loves, ordered

    their death.

    When Ie to terms with their decision, I look back up. ¡°What about Alpha Mahli?¡±

    ¡°Technically, he didn¡¯tmit any crimes. A pack member invited him on our packnds and he paid

    one of our pack members a lot of money. I also took into consideration that he probably saved Lily¡¯s life

    by telling us what Aaron did. I don¡¯t like his methods, but he didn¡¯t mean any harm toe to Lily.

    However, I let him know that he is now an enemy of our pack and if he or any of his pack ever enter

    territory again, they will be killed on site.¡±

    ¡°When will you be banishing the Raines¡®?¡± I ask.

    r our

    ¡°Tonight. I¡¯ve called the entire pack to witness what happens when one of our pack members threaten

    another.¡±

    ¡°If you want to be there, Cali wille stay with Lily. I think she¡¯s nning toe by anyway.¡± Ande

    says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay. She¡¯s a Guardian and she has her mate by her side.¡±

    They turn to leave, and I return to my mate, crawling into bed and curling myself around her.

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    instead of killing them for what they did to Lily?

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 Chapter 570

    When i wake up, my lungs are cilli burring, but the scent of apple pie and the feeling of my mate

    wrapped around me in my hospital bed soothes the ache in mynas. The doctors run a bunch of tests

    and are shocked at how quickly I have healed. A serious silver injury like this should have had me out

    for weeks. I don¡¯t feel great, but I definitely feel better.

    I find out what happened in the two days I was out. My parents were banished on the evening of my

    birthday Clint told me that Call stayed with me while he went to watch. My father apparently shouted

    obscenities to everyone in the pack, but specifically at Clint while my mother sobbed but followed my

    father off the packnds.

    I

    The doctors keep me another day after I wake up, watching me as I cough up silver residue. The

    punctures in my lungs have healed and my copsed lung has repaired itself. The doctors were

    concerned that the excessive coughing might cause it to copse again, but as the day goes on, my

    coughing gets lighter and lighter. Clint never leaves my side.

    The doctors release me in time for graduation. Most of the pack is there to watch as their future Alpha.

    Luna and two Guardians graduate. Afterwards the pack has a huge party, and they add my birthday

    party in. It¡¯s a festive night and the best part was getting to sleep beside my mate in our bed.

    The day after our graduation, Alpha Patrick calls me and Clint into his office. Anders and Calvin are

    also there. ¡°Lily, I have some news about your parents. I found out yesterday but didn¡¯t want to say

    anything until I confirmed what I was told and I didn¡¯t want to ruin your graduation party.¡±

    I tense up. This won¡¯t be good. Clint is immediately there, pulling me into hisp and sharing my seat

    with me, his arms wrap around me in a ring of love and security. I lean back against him and nod myOwned by N?velDrama.Org.

    head at Alpha Patrick to continue.

    ¡°I received a call from Alpha Leander yesterday. His patrols found two individuals near their borders.

    They had been murdered and dumped in close proximity to Shadow Fall¡¯s borders. Calvin went and

    confirmed that they were your parents.¡± My throat constricts and a single tear drops down my face. ¡°I¡¯m

    sorry Lily. I know they weren¡¯t good parents, but they were your parents; and this must be hard for you.¡±

    Clint¡¯s arms tighten around me. I turn in hisp, burying my face in his neck, breathing in his scent. My

    father was never a great father, but in the end his addiction tore our family apart and ended my parents¡®

    lives.

    Everyone waits while Clint murmurs to me, rubbing my back and my hair while I let me silent tears for

    my parents fall. When I¡¯m done, I sniff, sitting up and looking back at Alpha Patrick. ¡°Do you need me to

    confirm their identities?¡± I look at Beta Calvin. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t trust you, but I didn¡¯t know if, as family, I

    needed to confirm that they are my parents.¡±

    Beta Calvin looks Alpha Patrick. It¡¯s Alpha Patrick that responds. ¡°Lily.¡± He stops, and I can see he¡¯s

    struggling with how to tell me what he wants to say. Whatever it is, it¡¯s bad.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t enough left to identify your parents visually. Calvin had to do it based on scent.¡±

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    I blink and I blink again. I feel my mouth opening and closing, trying to make words, but nothinges

    out.

    ¡°They were ughtered? Even my mother?¡± I finally whisper.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so.¡±

    I feel like I¡¯m in shock. Maybe my father deserved that, but my mother didn¡¯t. All she ever did was

    follow

    the mate bond and her love of my father. And it got her killed in the worst possible way.

    I pull out of Clint¡¯s arms. I need to get out of this office now. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± I

    dy and I race out the door. Clint is right behind me. He takes my hand and without a word, he pulls me

    down the stairs and out the back door. As soon as we¡¯re outside, he picks me up and begins running.

    He takes me to theke, our part of theke where just a short week ago we spent hours making love.

    He sits down, keeping me in hisp. ¡°I¡¯m right here Lily bud.¡± That¡¯s all he says. He sits with me for

    hours, letting me process my sadness and anger without saying a word. He lends me his strength and

    pours his love for me through the bond.

    When I finallye to terms with the fact that they are dead, he asks me if I want to do anything for

    them. Over the next week, I decide what I want to do, not necessarily to honor my father, but to make

    sure that this doesn¡¯t happen to anyone again.

    I meet with Alpha Patrick, Anders and Clint and I tell him what I¡¯d like to do. Our pack is known for its

    internal gambling. It¡¯s a fun past¨Ctime that helps break up monotony when things are quiet and helps

    blow off steam during stressful times. However, there are times when people, like my father, be

    addicted. I tell them that I want to develop a program or some way that any people in our pack that

    be addicted to gambling, or begin to show concerning signs that they are getting in over their

    head financially, are identified early and get the help that they need.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a fantastic idea Lily and I¡¯m embarrased that I didn¡¯t think of it myself. Calvin, Anders and

    I will talk about it and develop a n to assist those that struggle with addiction.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± I say.

    When Clint and I leave the office, he looks at me, smiling.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask him.

    ¦§

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve told you today how amazing you are. Every day, you do something that puts me in

    awe

    of you.¡± He pulls me into his arms, leaning down and giving me a soft kiss.

    ¡°I seriously don¡¯t know what I ever did to deserve such an incredible mate. You are the most

    extraordinary woman I¡¯ve never met, and I am the luckiest man in the world.¡±

    ¡°Are you going soft on me, Guardian?¡±

    Donovan growls softly, while Clint pushes his hips against me. ¡°Do I feel soft to you, Guardian?¡±

    Iugh as Clint takes me to our room and shows me just how soft he hasn¡¯t gotten.

    Clint and I get into a routine after graduation. We decide to wait to have children. We want to enjoy

    some time together, just the two of us. It works out great, because Anders and Calista have the same

    thought so the four of us get to spend lots of time together, enjoying our friendship and our mates.

    Cooper Author

    A great idea Lily! Sounds like the pack needed something like that.

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 Chapter 571

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    In the two months before Anders takes over as Alpha, he and I, as well as Charles, Calvin¡¯s son and

    Anders¡® intended Beta, begin a new schedule of training. Patrick is slowly passing things over to

    Anders and while we take the time we have to go away and spend with our mates, most of our time is

    spent taking over the duties of the pack. Anders had Lily and I take over morning training, letting us

    train together in the afternoons while he and Charles took over afternoon training.

    One day, as Anders and I were finishing up our training schedule, we walked toward the kitchen to find

    our mates for lunch. When I hear my mate¡¯s snarling voice, I stop to hear what¡¯s going on, pulling

    Anders¡± arm to get him to stop too.

    ¡°Ladies. Are you so desperate and petty that you have to sit around the kitchen, talking about the good

    old days when you had your 15 minutes of heaven with someone that is no longer avable and will

    never be yours? I mean, if it were me, and, of course, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m mated to a Guardian, but if it

    were me, I¡¯d be more concerned about who was avable that maybe I could actually have a chance

    with, not sitting around like a bunch of old maids talking of the days gone by. And, if the purpose of this

    conversation is to make your future Luna ufortable with the fact that her mate slept with someone

    other than her, rest assured that she already knows. But that is in the past. No one and nothing will

    take Anders away from Calista.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± One of the she¨Cwolves that Lily is addressing says.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, you do need to be excused. All of you need to get a life. Get over it. You may have slept with

    Anders. Maybe you slept with Clint. That was then, this is now bitches. Those men are off the market.

    Go

    find your own.¡±

    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Another girl stands up. Seriously? These she¨Cwolves need to get a life. Anders and I

    haven¡¯t been interested in anyone else in months. And no one will ever be able to turn our heads from

    our

    mates.

    ¡°Not one of you even trains, do you really think I couldn¡¯t take every one of you at once and not even

    break a sweat. Don¡¯t embarrass yourselves any more than you already have.¡± I hear Lily say.

    ¡°Lily.¡± I hear Calista¡¯s soft voice say, just as Anders takes a step forward. I can see the anger on his

    face that pack members have been making his mate feel ufortable, but I know my mate has it

    under control. I grab his arm again, holding him back.

    ¡°Ladies, I understand how difficult it must be for you. You wanted to be Luna, or perhaps you thought

    Anders loved you. But that¡¯s not the case. I know any of you would take a chance to spend another

    night with my mate, and I can¡¯t me you for wanting that. Anders is an incredible lover. But he is

    mine. He will always be mine. It would be better if you recognized that and stop trying to make things in

    this pack ufortable with your constant chatter or your time with my mate.¡± Calista¡¯s voice echoes

    down the hall. It¡¯s obvious that as she speaks, Shalies forward more and more.

    Anders pulls away again and he and I walk into the kitchen. As if we had nned it, we bothe up

    I

    behind our mates, wrapping our arms around them.

    ¡°Let me be clear.¡± Anders says, running his nose up Calista¡¯s neck and into her hair. ¡°There is no one

    that I will ever want, other than my mate. She is everything to me. Anyone that hurts my mate, will

    answer to me.¡± His heades up and he pins each of the she¨Cwolves with his stare, his Alpha aura

    coming out and Zakaiing forward. ¡°I will not tolerate any disrespect to my mate and your future

    Luna.¡±

    They all lift their necks in submission and a chorus of ¡®Yes, Alphas ring out in the room. He turns

    Calistal in his arms and pulls her into a passionate kiss. Anders isn¡¯t one for public disys of affection,

    so I know he¡¯s making a point. Maybe the pack hasn¡¯t seen how much he truly loves Calista, and he¡¯s

    making sure they see it now. It doesn¡¯t take long before Anders and Calista get lost in the kiss,

    forgetting about everything else around them.

    When the she¨Cwolves leave, I lean down to my mate¡¯s ear. ¡°That was so hot.¡±

    She turns in my arms. ¡°Which part?¡± She asks, while nipping at my throat.

    ¡°All of it, but I especially like how you reminded them that you¡¯re my mate.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± She gets a contemtive look on her face. ¡°Am I your mate? I forget. Maybe I need to be

    reminded.¡± She gives me a seductive look, biting her lower lip.

    That¡¯s all the suggestion I need. I reach down, throwing her over my shoulder before taking her to our

    room and reminding her for the next couple of hours just who¡¯s mate she is.

    Two months after graduation, Lily and I stand on stage beside Anders and Calista as they swear their

    oaths and fealty to the pack as Alpha and Luna. Charles and his mate, Donna, are then sworn in as the

    pack Betas. Afterward, Lily and I are sworn in as Anders¡® and Calista¡¯s Guardians. We had all

    discussed it and since my mate was a Guardian, and Anders already had me as his Guardian, it was

    decided that Lily would be Calista¡¯s Guardian. Lily was thrilled and I think Calista was too. Honestly, it

    makes everything much easier for all of us. Any time Anders has an Alpha event, he can feel

    comfortable bringing Calista, knowing Lily will be there to protect her and that keeps me and Lily

    together more often.

    It¡¯s a beautiful evening full of dancing and celebrating. I know other males in our pack our jealous and

    watch my mate with hopeful eyes. But I know she¡¯s all mine. I make a point to show her at every

    opportunity how grateful I am that she¡¯s mine, how much I love her, how special she is to me.

    And, I have to say, when my mate jumps in, she jumps in with both feet. There is never a day that goes

    by where she doesn¡¯t show me how much she loves me. Every time she looks at me, it makes my

    heart stutter in my chest. Her love and respect for me are always on disy for everyone to see. I am

    the luckiest man alive. I¡¯m sure most people who have found their mates feel the same way, but they

    would be wrong. No one and nothing is more special than Lily.

 Chapter 572

    =

    Acouple of months after Anders and Calista take over the pack, we receive an invitation to celebrate

    birth of Liam Holstin, Alpha Leander and Luna Fetu¡¯s child. Calista and | are excited to see Este

    again and meet her new son, while Clint and Anders begin talking of the work they can aplish while we are in Shadow Falls

    pack. Look at Cali and roll my eyes, making her gte,

    We drive to Shadow Falls, leaving Charles in charge of our pack for the weekend. There are several milestones that are

    important in a pack, especially when ites to ranked pack members. The birth of the future Alpha is one of them. Many packs

    have been invited to this momentous asion.

    Alpha Leander asked us toe a day earlier than the others. When we arrive, he escorts us into his

    office, Luna Este joining us. Because we are in an alliance, and have been friendly for many years, the feeling in the room is

    rxed. We sit around a table together, Calista and | hugging Este when she

    comes in.

    ¡°I''m sure you are wondering why | have asked you toe here earlier than the others.¡± Alpha Leander begins. ¡°As you know,

    the birth of my son is very important, not only to me and Este, but also to the pack. Our rtionship with Alpha Benjamin has

    been tenuous at best in thesest couple of months. He seems to have be more aggressive, power-hungry since west

    saw him at your birthday party.

    Alpha Anders.¡±

    ¡°Please, we are all friends here, call me Anders. And yes, my father and | have noticed the same thing. While Alpha Jerome has

    beenbeled as an enemy to our pack, Alpha Benjamin seems to have almost

    be closer to him. We have men watching both packs to make sure they do not n an attack

    against us.¡±

    Leander is nodding his head in agreement. ¡°We have noticed the same. And what you may not know is that, after the incident in

    your pack with Guardian Lily, we alsobeled Alpha Jerome and the Silver Dawn

    pack enemies of the Shadow Falls pack.¡±

    I can tell Anders was not aware of this. ¡°Our alliance with Canyon Ridge has always been very strong.

    Any act against your pack, is seen as an act against ours. Therefore, your enemies are our enemies. Which brings me to my

    request today. Your pack is strong, stronger even than mine. What | would like to

    request is that, while you are here for the party, would you allow your Guardians to watch over my mate

    and our son, ensuring nothing happens to them. If | could have found a way to not invite Alpha Benjamin to these festivities

    without practically dering war, | would have. However, | do not want him here and |

    do not trust him.¡±

    He looks at Anders and Clint. ¡°You have both found your mates. You understand the concern | feel and the need to protect mine.

    And, while you do not yet have an heir or children of your own, I¡¯m sure you can understand that a parent¡¯s love of their children

    is second only to the love of a mate.¡±

    | watch as Clint and Anders mind link before Clint links me. ¡°Would you be willing to watch over Este. It would look more

    natural if you and Calista were around her and the baby.¡±

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    | look at Anders, giving a brief nod of my head. | see Leander¡¯s entire body rx, as does Este¡¯s. | turn to her. ¡°Looks like I''ll be

    getting lots of time holding that new baby of yours. Where is he?¡±

    After deciding the best approach to watching over both Este and Liam, Este has her Beta female bring him in. Calista and |

    coo over baby Liamn, while Este watches with the total love of a mother in her eyes. ¡°I knew | loved him while he grew in my

    stomach, but the moment | held him? It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before. Ina moment, something inside me changed, and |

    never want to change it back. I¡¯ve never been a jealous mate, never felt particrly possessive or protective of Leander. But with

    Liam, | swear if anyone ever threatens my child, they will see fury like they''ve never seen before.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    We talk of babies and our ns for

    having them, saying we want to put it

    off for a couple of years to adjust to

    our new roles and just enjoy being

    together before we bring a child into

    the mix. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great n.

    Leander and | took a year before

    trying. It only took me going into heat

    once and now we have Liam.¡± She

    says smiling at her mate as we talk

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    That night in bed, Clint is more amorous than normal, which is saying something. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± | ask him,ughing.

    ¡°| liked seeing you holding that baby

    today. | can¡¯t wait until your stomach

    iS growing with my child, watching

    you hold our baby girl or boy.¡± He

    says, nuzzling my ear. The content is

    on noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    | can feel my body responding to him.

    It doesn''t take much. There has never

    been a time when | didn¡¯t want more,

    want him like | hadn''t just had him

    inside me for hours. The content is

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 Chapter 573

    ¡°Which would you prefer? A boy or a girl?¡± I ask and my voice breathy with my need for him.

    He¡¯s curled up behind me and his fingers begin working their magic, strumming my body like it¡¯s his

    guitar while he murmurs in my ear, sending shivers all over my body.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°One of each? Maybe more than one of each. Knowing how much I want you every minute of the day,

    we could end up with an entire pack of babies if you want.¡±

    ¡°Well then, Guardian mine, you¡¯d better start practicing.¡± I love that my mate takes his practice very

    seriously.

    The next morning. I¡¯m a bit tired after Clint kept me up most of the night. But my body feels amazing, if

    a little sore. We agreed that Calista and I would stay near Este when the Alphas and their packs

    arrive. As soon as he exits his car, I can see that Alpha Benjamin is still angry at not having his chance

    to take me as his mate. His barely contained snarl shes across his face when he sees Anders and

    Clint standing near Leander.

    However, when he approaches, he¡¯s the epitome of a perfect Alpha. ¡°Alpha Leander, Luna Este,

    what a pleasure to see you. I¡¯m honored to have received the invitation to meet your son and heir.¡± He

    says. looking down at Liam. If I wasn¡¯t watching Este so closely, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed her body

    tense Alpha Benjamin looks at Liam and gently runs a hand over his head.

    as

    ¡°The pleasure is ours, Alpha Benjamin. Have you met my Beta, Daniel? He and his mate, M will

    show you and your pack members to your rooms.¡± Leander says, effortlessly putting himself between

    Alpha Benjamin and his mate, steering him away from his son.

    There are eight additional Alphas and pack members that arrive, including Alpha Christopher whose

    human mate, Emily, recently learned she is pregnant with their first child. Alpha Eric also arrives. He

    still has not found his mate. I can tell theck of a mate is starting to take its toll on him. Theughter

    and

    flirtatiousness I saw in him several months ago, is gone. His eyes have begun to look haunted, and

    they¡¯ve lost the light that used to shine in them. He¡¯s very close to going feral. He smiles and says all

    the

    right things when he approaches Leander and Este, but I can see the need in him, feel his desire to

    find

    his mate and have a child of his own. My heart breaks for him.

    At dinner that night, I watch the other Alphas. Leander was right about Alpha Benjamin. There is

    something shifty and underhanded in the way he watches Este. I can tell she feels his eyes on her,

    but she does an excellent job of hiding it. There is something to be said for women meant to be Lunas.

    I would never be able to sit quietly and maintain myposure while someone outwardly seemed to

    be plotting against me and my child. But she does, and I know if Cali was in this situation, she would be

    doing exactly the same thing. The Moon Goddess doesn¡¯t choose her children and their mates lightly

    and she doesn¡¯t make mistakes. It makes me wonder about Alpha Eric and why he hasn¡¯t found his

    mate yet. It makes me wonder if she was killed or is being held against her will somewhere, keeping

    him from finding her.

    +15 BONUS

    Alpha Leander put the four of us on his floor in the packhouse. Clint and I are next door to the nursery

    and Anders and Calista are across the hall. I asked Este for a spare baby monitor, just to have in our

    room so I could make sure we didn¡¯t miss anything. Clint and I have both noticed that, since our

    marking and mating, our senses, strength and just about everything that makes us Guardians has

    be enhanced. So, while I don¡¯t need the baby monitor, it makes me feel better knowing I have it.

    In the middle of the night. I hear a shuffling sound. Iy in bed, listening to the sound, trying to make

    sense of what I¡¯m hearing. It isn¡¯t until I hear the cooing of the baby that I jolt up in bed. I told Este

    that if she went into Liam¡¯s room at night, to quietly let me know. That way, if I heard anything, I¡¯d know

    it was her. I didn¡¯t need to bother, the entire time she¡¯s in with Liam, she coos and sings to him.

    However, ther is no sound other than the shifting of clothing.

    As I move to get out of bed, I feel Clint climbing out behind me. I turn and look at him, but he¡¯s listenin

    intently as well. Someone is in Liam¡¯s nursery and there can only be one reason. Someone is nning

    kidnap or kill him.

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 Chapter 574

    I felt Lily tense in my arms. I immediatelye awake, listening to the soundsing from the baby

    monitor. As Lily moves to get out of bed, I¡¯m right behind her. Someone is in the nursery that shouldn¡¯t

    be.

    I toss her a shirt as I put on a pair of shorts, and we quietly make our way to the door to our room. I

    mind link Anders but he¡¯s asleep. I shout in the mind link, trying to wake him up before we sneak out of

    our room, quietly moving to Liam¡¯s room.

    ¡°You grab the baby. I¡¯ll get the person that is trying to take him.¡± I say to Lily in the mind link.

    She nods and we burst into the room. There is a figure in dark clothing, reaching into the crib. He

    snatches Liam up into his arms turning to face us.

    ¡°Stand down, Guardians, or I kill the Alpha heir. This isn¡¯t your fight.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, any fight against Shadow Falls is our fight. You¡¯ve just waged war with not one, but

    two packs.¡± I say.

    He chuckles and as my eyes adjust to the nightlight in the room, I can see that this is Alpha Benjamin¡¯s

    Beta.

    ¡°Does your Alpha know what you are doing?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you really are stupid. All brawn and no brain. Who do you think set this up?¡± He looks between

    me and Lily again. ¡°What I want to know is how you are still standing. We knew she would be.¡± He nods

    at Lily. ¡°But how are you?¡±

    ¡°What are your talking about?¡± Lily asks him.

    ¡°We poisoned everyone with wolfsbane. It was in the food. The entire pack is incapacitated and now

    Alpha Benjamin will make his move. We will take over this pack and since we¡¯ve already weakened

    your Alpha and Luna as well all we need to do is eliminate the two of you and he¡¯ll take over your pack

    too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find we¡¯re not so easy to kill.¡± I say to him.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    I see the sh of a knife in his hand and Lily is moving. I¡¯m a half second behind her. She grabs his

    arm, pulling it away from Liam. I take his arm from her as he throws the baby. Lily catches Liam mid¨Cair

    as he

    begins to scream.

    The Beta¡¯s armes up to hit me, but Donovan¡¯s ws have alreadye out and I slice them

    through his throat, holding his arm as he drops to the floor, drowning in his own blood.

    I turn to Lily. ¡°You need to quiet him down. If the others know he¡¯s awake, they¡¯lle looking for him.

    If we¡¯re all this pack has standing between them and death, we need to be stealthy.¡± I tell her. She

    looks around, grabbing a bottle from the mini fridge in the room. She pops it in a microwave, heating it

    quickly. She checks the temperature and pops it into Liam¡¯s mouth, effectively quieting his cries.

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    ¡°You stay here. I¡¯m going to check on Anders and Calista.¡± She nods, walking and gently bouncing

    Liam as she feeds him.

    I move quickly to their rooms, hearing the sounds of movement on the floors below us in the

    packhouse. Once I check to make sure they are alive, I pick them up and carry them to our room.

    As I pass the nursery, I poke my head in and see Lily changing Liam. ¡°They¡¯re alive, I¡¯m going to check

    Leander and Este now.¡±

    I find Liam¡¯s parents unconscious, but both are still alive. I quickly pick them up and move them to our

    room with Anders and Calista. I put them on the bed and go to get Lily. She follows me into our room

    and puts a now sleeping Liam in between his parents on the bed.

    As quietly as possible, we close and lock our door, barricading it with dressers and anything else we

    can find. Once we¡¯re done, we sneak out the window. She and I became adept at climbing on roofs

    when we¡¯d sneak out to meet up at night. We make our way to the next floor down. I find the window

    and check to see that the hallway is empty. I raise the window and we slide in quietly.

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 Chapter 575

    We listen and don¡¯t hear anyone on this floor yet. We check the rooms and pull the quests staying on the Beta floor into the

    B¡¯s room, barricading it as best as possible before sneaking out the window and going down to the next floor.

    This time, there are several warriors on the floor. Three of the four doors are open. | carefully pull open the window and slide

    inside, Lily right behind me. We can hear the sounds of several people in one of the rooms,ughing over the murders they are

    committing

    We slide into the room, quietly. Lily and | quickly take down a warrior and | turn and slice the throat of the third in this room. Lily

    goes and checks the pack¡¯s Gammas. She looks at me, shaking her head. We carefully walk out of the room, check the other

    three as we go. The Gamma children have also been murdered in their beds. However, we find that the other Alphas on this

    floor, Alpha Christopher and his mate and Alpha Eric, were left untouched. The must have drugged Luna Emily with something,

    since she¡¯s human and the wolfsbane wouldn''t affect her.

    We quietly make our way to the bottom floor of the packhouse. The omegas have been piled in the center

    of the floor. Some are awake and crying, while others are passed out, or at least | hope they are unconscious and not dead.

    Benjamin would have no reason to kill omegas.

    As | look around, | see Lily put a finger to her lips, asking the omegas that are awake to stay quiet about our presence. They¡¯ve

    been roughed up, but | see a couple of them nod and one carefully points to another hallway.

    I nod and Lily and | begin to make our way to that hallway. We can hear the crying and pleading as they pull the omegas from

    their beds. They are dragging the ones that are unconscious by their hair or feet,

    not caring if they injure them.

    Lily and | back up against the wall as one passes by us. She nods that she''ll take the one that just went by, and | turn to continue

    on. | hear the soft thud as the warrior hits the floor behind me. At that moment, another onees out the door of a bedroom,

    pulling an omega with him. She is screaming and kicking trying to get away and it gives me the moment of distraction | need to

    slice my ws into his heart from

    behind.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    The omegas eyes go wide, and | put my finger to my lips, telling her to stay quiet. ¡°Hide.¡± | whisper to her. and she nods her

    head, turning to find a hiding spot in her room.

    | feel Lily pass behind me, going to the next room. We continue down the hall taking out warriors one at a time, and then pulling

    them into rooms so it¡¯s not obvious that they are dead to anyone ncing down the hallway. When we''re done, we¡¯ve taken out

    another 20 warriors.

    We quietly walk back to the main hall. The omegas are still sitting there. They look at us, their eyes going wide that we are back.

    | hear the sound of footfalls and watch as the omegas that are awake flinch.

    ¡°Where the fuck are the rest of the omegas?¡± | hear Alpha Benjamin shout. He¡¯s not concerned that

    anyone but his pack members will hear him.

    +15 BONUS

    He turns and looks down the hall that we just left. Lily and | are skirting around the room, staying quiet and moving out of sight.

    Benjamin calls out to the dead warriors down the hall. When no one answers, he turns, looking at the warriors that came in with

    him.

    ¡°Find the Guardian!¡±

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    Alpha Benjamin is definitely making

    his move. Good thing there are two

    Guardians to help. The content is on

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 Chapter 576

    1

    Clint and I work well together. Not only are we in tune as mates, but also having trained together for

    months. We trust each other and know that we¡¯ve got each other¡¯s back, so it frees us to be able to

    focus on the immediate battle in front of us.

    When Benjamin tells them to search for me, we realize we have an advantage. He still hasn¡¯t realized

    that Clint is awake. We both know we¡¯re about to be in the fight of our lives. There is no one else to

    help us. The fate of this pack and possibly our own, lies with us.

    ¡°Stay together, Lily. We¡¯re stronger together.¡± Clint says in our mind link.

    I nod. We continue to move around the packhouse, taking out warriors. We hear Benjamin roar from

    above us. We realize he has found the three warriors we left dead and most likely realized that we¡¯ve

    barricaded the others in the Beta¡¯s room and our room.

    When hees back down, he pulls his ace card. He knows I won¡¯t stand by and let him kill someone

    while I hide. He grabs one of the omegas from the floor, putting her in front of him. A w extends and

    heys it like a knife across her throat.

    ¡°Come out, Lily. I know it¡¯s you killing my men. Come out now, and I won¡¯t kill this innocent omega. You

    don¡¯t want her blood on your hands, do you?¡±

    ¡°Lily, no!¡± Clint links me.

    I turn to him, kissing him quickly. ¡°I trust you. We can do this. You go around, get behind him. I¡¯ll distract

    him.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lily!¡± He says, but I¡¯m already moving forward. I watch him dart away, not willing to leave me on my

    own against Benjamin and his remaining warriors.

    two

    ¡°Lily!¡± Benjamin calls out to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three. One

    I¡¯m out of time and have

    to hope that Clint gets into position quickly. I step out of the shadows, closer than he was expecting me.

    ¡°Let her go.¡± I say, making him jump.

    He turns, keeping the omega between us. He looks me over. I don¡¯t know what he sees, but it makes

    him

    sneer at me. ¡°You killed my Beta.¡±

    ¡°Your Beta was going to kill an innocent child.¡±

    ¡°An Alpha heir to a pack that is now an enemy of my mine.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should have thought of that before you came to a celebration of his life where there

    would

    be two Guardians.¡±

    ¡°One of those Guardians has been eliminated. Once he is dead, I will mark you and make you mine.¡±

    I chuckle at him. I can¡¯t help it. ¡°As if I would ever let you mark me. You are not an Alpha worthy of the

    title, much less a Guardian, and you¡¯ll find that my mate is hard to kill.¡±

    ¡°You should have been my mate months ago. But Alpha Jerome ruined it by trying to take you out in

    front of everyone. I have much more finesse, more patience. I¡¯ve bided my time and here we are. No

    one to

    stop me.¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡± Clint says,ing up behind him and injecting him with something in his neck. Instantly, hist

    w retracts and he grabs his neck.

    He turns, looking at Clint, his eyes wide. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    ¡°Injected you with what smelled like liquid silver. I think I got it into your blood stream. It should be

    pumping through your body right now. When it gets to your heart, you¡¯ll be dead. NO ONE threatens

    my mate.¡± He snarls as Alpha Benjamin falls to the floor.

    From the corner of my eye, I see a warrior leap at Clint. Andra shifts and takes him out before to Clint. I

    stand beside Clint, guarding his back as he turns to the warriors.

    can get

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your Alpha and your Beta, along with close

    40 thirty warriors. If you choose to stay and fight, you will die along with them. There may only be two

    of us, but we¡¯re Guardians. We¡¯re stronger than you, we heal faster than you and we¡¯re both immune to

    wolfsbane, as you can see. I suggest you think long and hard before deciding to attack us.¡±

    Alpha Benjamin is writhing in pain at our feet. His warriors look at him. He¡¯s trying to speak, but he

    can¡¯t make coherent words. One after another, the warriors turn and leave. I don¡¯t move until thest

    one moves out of the back door.

    Clint turns to me. ¡°Stay here and check these omegas. I¡¯m going to make sure they leave and call

    Charles. We need back up.¡±

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    I shift back. ¡°I¡¯ll call Beta Charles while I check this group. You follow them, let me know if you need

    assistance.¡± I grab him and lock my lips on his in a passionate kiss. ¡°Be careful with my mate.¡±

    He kisses my forehead. ¡°Take care of mine. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can. Watch your back in case any

    double back or are still lingering.¡±

    I wait until he¡¯s out the door before looking at the omega who Benjamin threatened. She hasn¡¯t stopped

    watching him writhing on the floor. ¡°Where¡¯s your phone?¡± I ask her.

    She points to the wall against the kitchen, I grab thendline and dial Charles¡® number. He answers

    groggily but as I fill him in on the events of what happened, he wakes quickly, growling and promising

    to have warriors here in a couple of hours to support the pack until everyone wakes up. He is also

    going to

    send doctors, since Leander¡¯s doctors are also going to be recovering.

    I hang up and turn around to find the omega kicking Benjamin and cursing him for hurting her and her

    pack. I walk up to her, looking down at Benjamin who is now dead.

    ¡°Hey, hey.¡± I wait until she looks at me. ¡°I need your help. Focus.¡±

    When she nods, I get her name, Lucy, and get her to round up the omegas that are awake. There are

    only

    20 of them.

    ¡°We need to know who in the pack has been killed, who is still unconscious and who might be awake. If

    anything seems wrong, get back here immediately and let me know.¡±

    I break them into groups of two, so they won¡¯t be alone and send them out to start checking. I have two

    stay in the packhouse to help me search the rooms and thoseying on the floor in the main room.

    I¡¯m on the floor, checking the omegas when someone shouts. ¡°Guardian, look out!¡± I turn, seeing a

    warrioring at me in a partial shift. I move to protect myself when someone reaches out and grabs

    him by his throat.

    Alpha Eric, while wobbly on his feet, holds the warrior off the ground. ¡°Now, why would you be trying to

    kirdian?¡±

    The warrior can¡¯t answer since Eric is holding him by his throat. Eric turns to me. ¡°What the fuck is

    going

    Son?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Benjamin and his pack poisoned everyone and nned to take out all the ranked members and

    warriors of Shadow Falls while they were unconscious. You have wolfsbane in your system.¡±

    He extends his ws, slicing through the warrior¡¯s throat, letting him drop to the floor dead, before

    stumbling. I catch him before he falls, supporting his weight as I walk him to a chair.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± He asks, taking control as the only Alpha awake.

    I fill him in, starting with saving Liam to killing Benjamin and Clint following the others to make sure they

    leave the packnds, I let him know our Beta is sending help and medical staff to care for everyone as

    they start to wake up.

    ¡°How are you awake already?¡± Lask Alpha Eric. No one else is showing any sign of consciousness.

    He gives me a rueful smile. ¡°I guess feral sickness is good for something. I didn¡¯t eat much at dinner.¡±

    Clintes back in. ¡°Alpha Eric, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve been injected with wolfsbane.¡± He says sarcastically, a semnce of his formal selfing

    through.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Clint asks, pointing to the dead warrior at nearest us.

    ¡°He stayed behind and tried to get me while my back was turned. The omegas warned me a moment

    before Alpha Eric grabbed him by the throat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Clint says to Alpha Eric, pulling me against him.

    The omegas begin returning, giving us the numbers of who is dead and who is still unconscious.

    I¡¯mpiling the numbers to provide to Alpha Leander when he wakes up, when the front door opens.

    Our warriorse in and Clint immediately walks to them.

    I see Alpha Eric¡¯s head whip around and a growl rips from his lips as he stands and stalks to one of our

    pack members. She stands there, eyes wide and looking stunned. I race over to him, hoping he isn¡¯t

    having a feral moment when he pulls one of our newest doctors into his arms and takes her mouth in

    an ardent kiss.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    He pulls back, looking at her. ¡°Mate.¡± He says, before kissing her again.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 0578

    The next morning is chaotic. Lily and | took charge of the situation once Alpha Eric found his mate. WhileOwned by N?velDrama.Org.

    | understood that he just wanted to take her somewhere private and mark and mate her, he was recovering from wollsbane, and

    she was needed to provide medical attention as people woke.

    We began pulling all of Benjamin¡¯s dead pack members outside, away from the packhouse. More carefully, we began collecting

    andying Alpha Leander¡¯s dead inside the packhouse. We covered them with nkets that the omegas brought to us. As

    people woke, they began looking for their loved ones. Many fell the severed bond when they woke.

    While we couldn¡¯t save everyone, Lily and | protecting Liam inadvertently helped to save many of the other pack members. If we

    hadn¡¯t woken when we did, who knows how many pack members would have died.

    The ranked members wake up first. Anders and Leander must have realized what happened when they

    woke up in our bedroom, barricaded in. After checking their mates and baby Liam, they moved the

    barricades and came rushing down the stairs.

    Leander took charge of the situation, sending pack members as they woke to see the medical personnel. Lily reported what she

    had gathered about the dead and those impacted by the wolfsbane. When Alpha Christopher woke, his concern for his human

    mate and her fetus had him heading home to be treated by

    his medical team.

    By mid-morning. Lily and | were exhausted, having battled through most of the night and into the

    morning. Once everyone was awake, we went to our room, showered and copsed on our beds

    exhausted.

    We didn¡¯t wake untilte afternoon. When we re-emerged, all the visiting Alphas, except Alpha Eric had

    returned to their packs. While it seemed that Alpha Benjamin had acted alone, they wanted to make sure

    their own packs were safe.

    Anders and Leander sent word to the elder council about what had happened. Alpha Benjamin¡¯s pack would be dismantled, and

    the pack members would face trial for their attempt to kill multiple Alphas and

    their collusion in the attack on Shadow Falls.

    The event, while devastating to many, did strengthen the bond between Este, Calista and Lily. The celebration of Liam¡¯s birth

    was cancelled in light of all the deaths that had urred in the pack, but

    before we left, Este, Calista and Lily made ns to get together again.

    Over the next couple of months, we hear that Alpha Benjamin¡¯s pack was disbanded. Several groups of his now-rogue members

    attack our pack, attempting a retaliation. Lily and | are always involved in defending our pack. She and | have be a powerful

    fighting machine. We work in tandem, not needingmunication. We just know and understand what the other person is going

    to do. None of the attacks on our pack present much of an issue when the two of us get involved.

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    Eventually, we hear that many of the disced pack members join Alpha Jerome¡¯s pack. He wees them with open arms. It

    makes us wary of his intentions, but other than the asional unexined death in his pack, their activities do not impact us or

    Shadow Falls.

    Lily, Calista and Este have developed quite a friendship and get together at least once a month for lunch or shopping.

    Alpha Christopher¡¯s mate had a little girl but died in childbirth. We were never sure if it was because she was a human, or if the

    drugs that Alpha Benjamin and his people gave her weakened her beyond her human body¡¯s ability to recover. Either way, Alpha

    Christopher grieved, refusing to take another Luna and raising his daughter alone.

    Alpha Eric mates with our previous doctor, Zoey, taking her as his Luna. Four months after officially making her his Luna, they

    weed their first child, a boy. We were invited to the Harvest Moon Pack¡¯s celebration of their Alpha heir. It was nice to see

    Zoey again and see how she¡¯se into her own. | don¡¯t know if they struggled with her being Luna and maintaining her medical

    practice, but they¡¯ve made it work.

    We stay the night at Harvest Moon after the celebration. That night, | curl up with my mate. ¡°Are you still okay with waiting to

    have a child?¡± | ask her. We''re at an age where many friends and other packs are finding their mates and beginning their

    families.

    She turns in my arms, facing me. ¡°Are you?¡±

    | smile at her, kissing her nose. ¡°I asked you first. What do you want my sweet Lily bud?¡±

    She looks thoughtful for a moment before focusing on me. ¡°I''ve watched what has happened with Luna Este. | know she loves

    her mate, and wants time with him, but being a parent and running a pack pulls her in many different directions.¡± She licks her

    lips, looking at mine. | can feel my body responding to the non-verbal cues she¡¯s giving me.

    ¡°I''m not ready to give that up yet. | like that we¡¯re both adventurous in the bedroom, or, wherever the urge takes us.¡± | smile,

    knowing she¡¯s thinking of me taking her against the side of Harvest Moon¡¯s packhouse during the celebratory party earlier

    tonight.

    ¡°| want more time for us to y, explore, be together without a child pulling our attention from each other. | want to try new

    positions that we haven''t thought of yet, have the opportunity to wake you in the middle of the night with my mouth because |

    want you right then, wake up early in the morning to your hands exploring me and making my body sing before we have to go

    train. | love that after you¡¯ve made me forget my name, we can lounge in bed, while you learn a new song on your guitar to sing

    to me. We can eat naked, feeding each other if we want, have sex in the shower as many times as we want. I¡¯m not ready for

    that to change. Does that make me selfish?¡±

    | reach down, nipping at her bottom lip. ¡°If it makes you selfish, then | guess we''re both selfish. Nearly a year after taking you as

    my mate, | still can¡¯t get enough of you. | want you every minute of every day. So, if you want to wait, so | can take you every

    conceivable moment that we have, then who am | to argue?¡±

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    She giggles in my arms, and |

    proceed to show her exactly why it¡¯s

    still a good idea for us to wait. | show

    her over and over, all night long, just

    because | can. The content is on

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    Cooper

    Author

    Alpha Benjamin¡¯s pack joining Alpha

    Jerome¡¯s doesn''t bode well for the

    future. But | love these private

    moments between Clint and Lily. |

    hope you do too. The content is on

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 Chapter 579

    Several years go by. Life with Clint is everything he promised and everything | knew it would be when | fell in love with him. On

    the first anniversary of our mating, he took me back to Maine. This time, we were able to do a full-on white water rafting trip, just

    like he promised me. | didn¡¯t know that he had nned to take me there, so | had gotten him a picture of us in Maine. | had it

    blown up so we could hang it on our wall. It was a picture of the two of us in front of the ocean. He was behind me with his arms

    wrapped around my waist. His eyes were watching me intently as |ughed. My hair was blowing in the wind and my head was

    turned toward him, listening to what he said in my ear. He remembered the moment, remembered that he was telling me he¡¯d

    never love anyone the way he loves me, which made it that much more special.

    On our second anniversary, he took me to the Rocky Mountains. He made sure that where we were going still had snow. He got

    us a cabin removed from everyone and everything. We spent a long weekend letting our wolves run through the forest and

    making love in front of the firece.

    On our third anniversary, he took me to the inds. He rented an entire ind, so we let our wolves run free and we spent the

    weekend naked, lounging in the sun, making love in the ocean and learning the fun that could be had with bondage.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    For our fourth anniversary, he took me to Oregon and the wine country. We spent our days tasting wines and our evenings

    finding creative ways to ¡°spill¡± wine on each other before licking it off. Never in four years has my love or desire for this man

    waned. If anything, my need for him, my desire for him has only gotten stronger. Every day we find ways to touch each other,

    caress each other, flirt with each other. My heart is so full of love for this man that some days, it takes my breath away and brings

    tears to my eyes.

    When we return from Oregon, Anders calls us into his office. We arrive to find Calista sitting in hisp. In front of the pack,

    Anders and Cali are still reserved in their affection. Behind closed doors, Clint and | see a very different side to them. Their love

    is obvious, even if they are not as outwardly affectionate as Clint and | are.

    ¡°We wanted to talk with the two of you. Cali and | have decided it¡¯s time for us to begin trying to have a pup.¡± My mouth breaks

    into a huge smile.

    ¡°That''s awesome!¡±

    Cali smiles at me. ¡°Hear him out, Lily.¡± | sit back, not sure what to expect.

    ¡°Neither of us is aware of the two of you also wanting to have a pup right now?¡± It¡¯s more of a question than ament. | look at

    Clint. It''s been something that has started to push forward in both our minds, but we haven''t decided to start trying yet.

    ¡°Not yet, but what does that have to do with anything?¡± My mate asks.

    Anders looks at Cali. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about both Cali and Lily being pregnant at the same time. | know | will be extremely

    protective of my sweet mate when she¡¯s with child.¡± Anders says, kissing the side

    +15 BONUS

    of her head. | know that look in his eyes. I¡¯ve started seeing it more often in Clint¡¯s. It¡¯s the look of a man that wants to see his

    mate¡¯s stomach growing with their child.

    ¡°| don¡¯t want to keep the two of you from having a child, but I¡¯m asking you to wait to start trying until Cali is pregnant. We don¡¯t

    know how long it will take for her birth control to stop working but if | have my mate and a Guardian both pregnant at the same

    time, neither | nor Clint will be able to focus on anything, especially if we are attacked. | need to know that at least two of the

    three of us can be objective and

    focus on the protection of my mate.

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 Chapter 580

    I look at Clint. ¡°We want to start trying soon, but we¡¯re not there yet. Maybe, the Moon Goddess will see

    fit to give us both pups within a year of each other. And if we¡¯re really lucky, you¡¯ll have a boy, and we¡¯ll

    have a girl, and they will be mates one day. The future Alpha and Luna of the pack!¡± I say, practically

    bouncing in my seat and pping my hands at the idea..

    Anders and Clintugh. ¡°Lily bud, how about we get you girls pregnant first and we can worry about

    matester.¡±

    §¯§Ö pulls me into hisp, kissing my temple. But as I look at Call, she¡¯s giving me a thumbs up where

    Anders can¡¯t see it. Perfect! We¡¯re in agreement.

    It takes six months for Cali to go into heat. When she does, everyone except Charles, Donna, Clint and

    I are ordered to leave the packhouse. Even I can smell Call¡¯s pheromones and as much as I love my

    best friend, I would have preferred NOT to have heard her screaming our Alpha¡¯s name all day and all

    night for

    a week.

    During that time, Clint and I guard our Alpha and Luna and work with Charles to protect and run the

    pack. We get word of the death of Alpha Jerome¡¯s son and also his Beta. The news that we got was

    that his Beta killed his own son and the Alpha¡¯s son. Alpha Jerome beheaded his Beta for treason and

    banished

    his youngest son.

    ¡°Do you believe that?¡± Clint asks Charles.

    ¡°No. Alpha Jerome is vicious, cruel. There have been too many unexined or poorly exined deaths

    in

    his pack and this is just one more.¡±

    ¡°I liked his Beta. He seemed like a good man when we met him at Anders¡® birthday party. Emerson, I

    believe his name was. I can¡¯t imagine him killing one of his sons and the Alpha¡¯s son. That doesn¡¯t

    make any sense. Does anyone know where the banished son is?¡± I ask.

    ¡°No.¡± Charles says. ¡°I¡¯ve sent men out and told our patrols to be on alert. But it¡¯s unlikely that a 12¨C

    year-

    old boy, even one with Beta blood, will survive on his own.¡±

    When Cali¡¯s heat finally ends, Clint and Charles fill Anders in on everything that happened while he

    was

    out. I pull Cali into my room and ask her about being in heat. My sweet friend¡¯s cheeks go pink, but she

    tells me about how intense it is, how her body craved Anders¡® even more than normal.

    ¡°Be prepared, Lily. It¡¯s intense. You don¡¯t want to eat or sleep, you just want to¡­well, you know.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but tease my friend a bit. ¡°Oh yes, I do know. You were screaming Anders name to the roof

    tops. I think they might have heard you two packs over.¡±

    Her eyes go wide, and her cheeks turn a brilliant shade of red. ¡°Oh my goddess, Lily. Was it that bad? I

    honestly was so out of it, I didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t care.¡±

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    ¡°All I have to say is, I hope it worked. If it¡¯s that much fun to go into heat, I can¡¯t wait.¡± I say and we both

    burst into giggles.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Two weekster, we get the announcement. Calista is pregnant. The next day, I go off my birth control

    Cooper

    Author

    What do you think now, hearing the other side of Eli¡¯s father¡¯s death and knowing what we do about

    Alpha Jerome? And now Calis pregnant with Rik And we know Lily¡¯s hope of their children being mates

    will

    eventuallye true.

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 Chapter 581

    Lily and I are finally ready to start a family. And while I¡¯m excited, it also makes me nervous that Alpha

    Jerome is now very desperate. He no longer has a mate or an heir. He reced his Beta, but we heard

    it was someone from Alpha Benjamin¡¯s pack that joined theirs. That didn¡¯t make any of us feel better.

    We were hoping that Calista would give birth to their son before Lily went into heat, but apparently

    everything with Guardians is faster. Three and a half months after stopping her birth control, one month

    before Calista¡¯s due date, she went into heat.

    Anders and I are discussing some concerning patrol reports that hade in when the scent of orange

    and ginger hits my nose. The scent is so strong I can¡¯t help the feral snarl that erupts from my lips as l

    leap to my feet. Anders takes one look at me and orders every unmated male out of the packhouse.

    He opens his mind link to me and Lily. ¡°Lily, where are you?¡±

    All we get in return is a whimpering, wailing sound from Lily.

    ¡°Go! Take care of your mate. Charles and I have this.¡± He says.

    The words are barely out of his mouth before I¡¯m rushing out the door and up to my mate, following her

    potent scent. I find her in Calista and Anders¡® room, writhing on the floor. When she looks up, Andra is

    shing in her eyes, and she growls, her eyes full of desire.

    ¡°Get her to your room, Clint!¡± Calista shouts, breaking through the haze that the pheromones are

    causing.

    I¡¯m barely able to maintain control, the animal instinct taking over. I pick Lily up, her body wrapping

    around me as she mewls against my neck. When I turn, Anders is standing in the doorway. I snarl at

    him. ready to fight him for my mate. Somewhere deep in my mind, I know he¡¯s my Alpha and he has a

    mate, but right now, my mate¡¯s scent is so strong, any male would want her. But she is MINE! They

    can¡¯t have

    her.

    ¡°Go, Clint. Get her out of here. I can¡¯t move Call, she¡¯s nesting. GO!¡± I can tell he¡¯s holding his breath.

    He steps aside and I rush from the room, taking my writhing mate to our room? I¡¯m barely, through our

    door when her wse out. She¡¯s tears through my clothing, wanting me naked.

    I¡¯m so lost in the animal side of myself, I don¡¯t think about making sure she¡¯s ready for me. I rip her

    clothes off as she ws mine out of her way. As soon as the clothes fall away, I¡¯m mming myself

    inside her.

    She croons as I sheath myself in her hot, slick pussy. She¡¯s so ready for me, it¡¯s dripping down her

    thighs. I take her against the wall, making her scream, her inner walls pulsing around me before I pull

    out. turning her around and pulling her hips toward me, mming into her again. Her back arches,

    trying to take me deeper. I¡¯m lost in the sensations of her body, her heady scent surrounding me, the

    soundsing from her drawing me to the brink of control.

    As her body mps down on my cock, I explode inside her. She feels so good, I sink my teeth into her

    +15 BONUS

    mating mark. When we finallye down, I realize I¡¯m still hard inside her. She pulls away from me,

    turning and jumping on me. ¡°The bed.¡± Is all she says. Her voice sounds more normal, but it¡¯s still

    flooded with her desire, her need for me.

    I move to the bed,ying on my back and let her ride me, let her take what she needs from me. When

    we both cum again, she copses on me. We¡¯re both sweaty and panting. We only have about 20

    minutes before her heat starts to take hold again.

    I lose track of time over the next week. All there is, is her and me. We sleep when we can, 10-15

    minutes

    here and there. There is always water outside our door to help us stay hydrated. We eat what we can,

    but the heat continues to drive us both, wanting nothing but each other.

    ..hody aches/can

    Eight dayster, I feel like my dick is going to fall off. I¡¯m raw and every muscle in only imagine how my

    little mate feels. When it finally seems that her heat is over, I carry her to the bathtub, gently setting her

    on the side of the tub while I turn on the water, making sure it¡¯s warm, but not too hot. Neither of our

    bodies could take that.

    When it¡¯s half full, I pick up my mate, sitting in the tub and putting her between my legs. She leans

    back. against me. ¡°Don¡¯t let me drown.¡± She says, her exhaustion making her words slur.

    ¡°Never.¡± I tell her. I may be nearly as exhausted as she is, but my body wasn¡¯t a raging inferno. I¡¯ll take

    care of my mate while she rests. I bathe her and wash her hair, forcing her to wake up periodically so I

    can rinse her. Then I bathe myself before wrapping towels around both of us and carrying Lily to bed. I

    towel dry her hair, before copsing behind her, pulling the nkets off the floor where we threw them a

    week ago, andying them over us.

    We must sleep for at least a day, maybe longer. When we wake, we¡¯re starving. I mind link Anders to

    let him know her heat has passed, and he tells me that there are clean sheets and food outside our

    door. I leave Lily resting and go to the door, pulling in the cart of food and the clean sheets.

    I open a window, realizing that our room smells like a brothel. And, if I had to guess, this room has had

    more action in thest week than any brothel I¡¯ve ever heard of.

    I grab a piece of toast as Lily begins to stir. ¡°Come on, baby. Come get some food. You must be

    starved. I know I am.¡± I tell her, going to her and picking her up. I take her to our couch, sitting her down

    and pour

    her a cup of coffee.

    ¡°That smells like something the goddess made.¡± She says, taking a deep breath and inhaling the rich

    scent of caffeine.

    I leave her on the couch with the food and coffee, continuing to stuff the toast into my mouth as I strip

    our bed of the sheets. I remake our bed and then join my mate on the couch.

    ¡°How do you feel Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°Better. But still sore. How about you?¡±

    I chuckle. ¡°They aren¡¯t lying when they say that a she¨Cwolf¡¯s heat is brutal. I thought it was an

    exaggeration, but that was¡­.a lot.¡±

    ¦§

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You seemed pretty up¨Cto the task, my mate.¡± Lily says, giving me a mischievous smile.

    ¡°I hope I kept you satisfied.¡±

    She leans in kissing me. ¡°Every minute of every day, my love.¡±

    Two weekster, my mate and I went to the pack hospital and learned that she is carrying my pup.

    I didn¡¯t know that I could be any happier in my life, but somehow, I am.

    Cooper Author

    That heat was intense! But Cara is here, even if she is still in Lily¡¯s womb.

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 Chapter 582

    I was so excited to find out that I was carrying Clint¡¯s child. We have waited until the time was right, or

    as right as it could be. We spent our time together, enjoying each other and doing the things in life that

    we wanted to do. While we may have wanted it to happen after Anders and Cali¡¯s son¡¯s birth, it didn¡¯t.

    But we¡¯ll make it work.

    My heat was intense but finding out that I¡¯m pregnant was the second best day of my life. The first was

    when Andra smelled Clint and Donovan on my birthday and recognized them as our mates.

    Donovan might actually be cuter about us having a pup than Clint. Every night, he wants to sniff my

    stomach and he rumbles against me, telling me that he wants our pup to know he¡¯s here.

    ¡°I know we won¡¯t know for another couple of weeks, but your scent is stronger than before. If I had to

    guess. I¡¯d say we¡¯re having a girl.¡± He tells me.

    ¡°Would you be happy with that, Donovan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy with a healthy pup, regardless of gender.¡± He tells me.

    I kiss Clint¡¯s lips. ¡°I love you both so much.¡± I say. ¡°As do I.¡± Andra says in our mind link. She is

    wrapped around our little one, protecting him or her while we are pregnant.

    A week after I find out I¡¯m pregnant, Anders hears that Alpha Jerome is nning to attack our pack. He

    begins to assemble the group that will go to the Silver Dawn pack and attempt to sway them from a

    war. They will lose, and they need to know it is a suicide mission to attack us. But more than that,

    Calista is due within the next two weeks. She is having a boy. Canyon Ridge will have an heir, and

    Anders is not willing to risk Cali or their son.

    When Clint tells me that I am not part of the assembled going to Silver Dawn, I stomp to Anders¡® officeN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    and burst into the room.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this? How can you assemble a show of force and not include me? I am a

    Guardian. I am the second strongest member of this pack.¡±

    Everyone in the room goes silent as I go on my tirade. Clint has walked in behind me, but he stays

    quiet.

    I see Anders look at Clint before looking at me. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. I will not risk your child. You¡¯re

    staying.¡± He says, dismissing me and turning back to his meeting.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± My anger dripping in my tone.

    ¡°Clint, do you want to exin to your mate why she can¡¯te with us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put me in the middle of your fight with my mate. She¡¯s a Guardian, I understand her desire to

    participate.¡± Have I mentioned how much I love my mate?

    Anders half¨Cturns looking at Clint. ¡°Seriously?¡±

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    ¡°Let me exin something to you, Alpha. I am not a regr she¨Cwolf. I am a Guardian. If you want to

    show how strong our pack is, you need me there.¡±

    ¡°I disagree.¡± He interrupts me.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll fight you for it.¡±

    Now he really does turn around. ¡°Fight me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll spar for it. You win, I shut up and stay home. I win, you shut up and take me with you and

    we never again discuss the fact that you underestimated a Guardian in your pack because she was a

    female.¡±

    Clint walks up, wrapping his arms around my waist. Anders looks at him. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to say

    anything?¡± He asks Clint.

    ¡°Lily has beat you before. I don¡¯t see how her being pregnant will impact that. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s

    showing. Donovan agrees that Andra is perfectly capable of protecting our pup in a sparring match

    against you.¡± Anders stands up, and I can tell he¡¯s equal parts furious and proud. He won¡¯t admit it, but

    he knows I¡¯m

    right.

    I turn and we walk through the packhouse to the back yard. Cali runs up to us. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

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 Chapter 583

    ¡°Anders thinks that because I¡¯m a pregnant female that | can¡¯t go on the trip to Silver Dawn as part of our show of strength.¡± |

    say, stomping out the packhouse door and into the yard.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Clint?¡± | hear her ask from behind me.

    ¡°It''ll be okay. Cal

    Calista. Lily is stronger than Anders is giving her credit for and she¡¯s about to remind him of

    that.¡± And | hear him chuckling.

    | have no intention of dragging this out. I''ve be stronger since thest time Anders sparred with me. Back then, | was using

    the time to learn and practice my moves. Now, I¡¯m going to take my Alpha down and remind him that a Guardian is a Guardian,

    regardless of gender.

    As soon as we are in ce and Charles blows the whistle, | don¡¯t hesitate. | immediately go on offense, kicking and swiping at

    Anders¡® head and feet. | swipe his legs, taking him down, but he jumps back up immediately.

    | anticipated this and my next kick goes straight for his head. He ducks in time and begins to spar with me for real. Maybe he

    thought he would need to be gentle with me, but that¡¯s not the case. Even if he punched me in my stomach, Andra¡¯s shield would

    protect our child.

    However, | don¡¯t give Anders that opportunity. | keep going at him, taking him down again and again. When | finally get my

    chance, | grab his arm, twisting it just to the point of dislocation. He drops to his knees and looks at me over his shoulder.

    ¡°Fuck Lily!¡±

    ¡°Do you submit, Alpha?¡±

    He grimaces and | twist just a bit more to make sure he knows | have him. ¡°Yes, fine. You cane with

    us.¡±

    | release his arm and turn. Seeing my mate¡¯s proud smile, | run and jump into is arms. ¡°That''s my girl.¡± He says, hugging me.

    The night before we head to Silver Dawn, Clint and | areying in bed, curled up together..

    ¡°Lily, | know you can take care of yourself and you¡¯re an excellent fighter. But you are my mate, and your are carrying my child. |

    need to you stay close to me tomorrow. If they fight, you won''t be able to shift, and Donovan and | will need to be close to protect

    you and our pup.¡±

    | can feel his worry bleeding through the bond. ¡°I will. | have no intention of risking our pup for that asshole. But | don¡¯t think it will

    come to that. If he doesn¡¯t listen to Anders, Andra and | will just remind him of what it felt like to have her teeth sinking into his

    throat. And we weren''t even adults yet when we had him pinned.¡±

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    ¡°But you can¡¯t shift.¡± He says, and | can feel his confusion.

    ¡°Yes, but Alpha Jerome doesn¡¯t know that.¡±

    Clint chuckles behind me. ¡°I hope that¡¯s all it will take for him to back down. | know Anders is worried about Calista and their pup.

    He doesn¡¯t want to do anything to risk either of them.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jerome is a pompous, arrogant coward. He thinks too highly of himself. But his fear for his life. will make him back down.¡±

    He kisses my hair, pulling me closer to him. ¡°Have | told you today how much | love you? How amazing you are and how lucky |

    am to be your mate?¡±

    | make a point of pretending to think, tapping my finger against my chin. ¡°Hmmm, maybe? | don¡¯t think so. Perhaps you can

    make it up to me by showing me just how much you love me and just how lucky you

    feel

    | turn my head, smirking at him over

    my shoulder and that''s all it takes.

    Clint never leaves a question in my

    mind. My mate loves me more than

    anything in the world. The content is

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    So, my little Easter Egg of ¡°That''s my

    girl. When | wrote it in Broken Warrior

    when Anders told Clint that Cara had

    pinned him in 15 minutes, | knew

    Clint had said it to Lily. His smile at

    the time was his memory of this day,

    when Lily took Anders down. | hope

    you enjoyed the tie-in. The content is

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    chapter there!

    Commentaires

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    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 0584

    We decided to run in wolf form to Alpha Jerome¡¯s pack. From Canyon Ridge, it¡¯s about four hours over

    rocky terrain. We leave early, Lily riding on Donovan''s back. Our n is to stop in about three hours to regroup and send out

    scouts before walking to the Silver Dawn borders to make our stand.

    When we stop, | make sure Lily eats. Now that she¡¯ pregnant, she eats small meals all day long. She

    hasn''t had any morning sickness, unlike Calista who doesn¡¯t emerge from her bedroom until after 10am when her nausea finally

    settles. | have to assume it¡¯s a Guardian thing. If anything, Lily looks even more beautiful pregnant. Her skin glows, her hair

    seems thicker, and her body moves with more grace than before. Or maybe it¡¯s just me loving my mate being pregnant with our

    child.

    When the scouts return, we decide to run halfway in our human form, then move more slowly to Silver Dawn¡¯s borders. Our pack

    is thergest in the country, so while we left a full contingent of warriors at home to protect the pack, we¡¯ve brought enough with

    us to take out Alpha Jerome¡¯s pack if necessary. His pack has gottenrger since he¡¯s taken in Alpha Benjamin¡¯s pack members,

    but | doubt they are as dedicated to their warrior training as our pack is.

    When we arrive. Lily and | nk Anders, walking up to the borders. The border patrol stops us there.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Rude and obnoxious. As expected.

    ¡°Tell your Alpha, that I¡¯m here to see him.¡±

    ¡°And who might you be?¡±

    To his credit, Anders doesn¡¯t snarl or growl. All packs know the Alphas of the other packs and even if

    they didn¡¯t. Anders¡® aura is making it obvious that he¡¯s an Alpha. ¡°Alpha Anders, the Alpha of Canyon

    Ridge Pack.¡±

    ¡°| think Alpha Jerome is busy.¡± The patrol looks at his four partners.

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely busy.¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s about to be a whole lot busier if he doesn¡¯t show his face here in the next three minutes. If he

    thinks he can threaten my pack, then ignore my presence, he¡¯s about to see why Canyon Ridge is the

    strongest pack in the country.¡±

    They scoff at Anders. In an instant one of them pulls a knife and goes for Anders¡¯ throat. | reach out, grabbing his hand, breaking

    it in mine, and bending it behind his back, forcing him to his knees in front of

    1.me.

    ¡°Looks like these guys are as smart as they look. Which is to say, not at all.¡± Lily says.

    The patrols sneer at Lily before looking at me. ¡°Let him go.

    ¡°No.¡± | say, twisting the guy¡¯s arm even more.

    ¡°You do realize he¡¯s a Guardian, right? He could take all of you at once.¡± Lily says again.

    They look back at me and | let Donovan sh in my eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, we''re contacting our Alpha now.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Two minutes.¡± Anders says, folding his hands together in front of him.

    The patrol¡¯s eyes go wide but he rys the message.

    ¡°Alpha says we should bring you to him.¡±

    ¡°No. Hees here.¡± Anders says. ¡°One minute or my Guardian dislocates your friend¡¯s arm.¡±

    The guy in front of me turns and looks at Anders with wide eyes, then looks at me.

    ¡°One minute.¡± | mouth to him.

    | watch as all four patrols¡± eyes go nk as they mind link their Alpha trying to get him here before ! dislocate this guy''s arm. But

    there¡¯s no possible way unless he¡¯s beenying in wait for us to cross his borders.

    ¡°Alpha Jerome. How unpleasant to see you again.¡± Lily says and | follow her eyes to where Alpha Jerome just stepped out of the

    shadows.

    ¡°| would suggest that you tell your warriors to stand down. More than half of them are not on your packnds and we would be

    well within our rights to kill them for the threatening posture they are taking.¡± She growls. | was busy watching the patrols to

    make sure they didn¡¯t try anything with Anders. Lily was watching our surroundings. As usual, together, we are perfect.

    ¡°Lily Raines.¡± The Alpha purrs at her.

    ¡°It''s Lily Nelson, now.¡± | say!

    His head whips to me. ¡°A Guardian mated to a Guardian? It isn¡¯t done.¡± He spits out.

    ¡°Apparently, it is. Or maybe the Moon Goddess just found me worthy.¡± | can¡¯t help it. | smirk at him.

    ¡°About those warriors...¡± Lily says.

    His eyes go nk for a moment and about 40 warriors move back onto his packnds.

    ¡°Now.¡± Anders starts. ¡°I understand that you think you and your pack, can take me and mine. I¡¯m here to help you change your

    mind before you make a terrible mistake that will cost you not only your pack, but also your life.¡±

    Alpha Jerome scoffs. ¡°You think you and your group here are going to intimidate me?¡±

    ¡°I''m not here to intimidate you. I¡¯m here to let you know that if you or anyone from your pack attacks me, or anyone from my

    pack, | will consider that an act of war.¡±

    20

    +15 BONUS

    He turns and nods his head at me. | slice the head off the patrol member in front of me and let him fall to

    the ground at my feet.

    ¡°Consider that your warning. Your patrol came at me with a knife. His life was forfeit. Who''s next?¡±

    Anders asks, looking around at Alpha Jerome''s warriors.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Alpha Jerome''s lip is curled in what I guess is a cross between anger and what is supposed to be a

    threat.

    ¡°Alpha Jerome. Need | remind you

    what it felt like to have Andra¡¯s teeth

    wrapped around your throat? And

    that was before | was an adult. | can

    only imagine how much easier it

    would be to take you down now.¡± Lily

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    chapter there!

    | watch as Alpha Jerome swallows and his hands twitch as if he wants to cover his throat. Yeah, he definitely remembers that.

    ¡°| would never be so foolish as to

    attack a pack with two Guardians.

    Your pack is well known to be the

    strongest in the country, Alpha

    Anders, and that was before you had

    two Guardians.¡± The content is on

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    ¡°Be warned Alpha Jerome. If | have

    any hint of a threat against me or

    mine, we will not hesitate to

    decimate your entire pack.¡± Anders

    says. | know he¡¯s bluffing. He would

    never kill the innocent, but Alpha

    Jerome would, so it''s a believable

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    We return home but add to our patrols anyway. Alpha Jerome isn¡¯t to be trusted.

    Cooper Author

    That was quite a show of power. Lily and Clint work well together.

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    4

 Chapter 585

    +15 BONUS

    Two weeks after we went to the Silver Dawn pack, Alpha Jerome attacked Shadow Falls. Anders

    received the call for help. He immediately sent out a mind link to the entire pack, ordering half the

    warriors to assemble in the back immediately and the other half to surround the packhouse. All pack

    members unable to fight were ordered into the safe rooms within the packhouse.

    I was in our room when the mind link went out. Clint rushes into our room, finding me quickly. He goes

    into our closet grabbing an overnight bag before taking my hand and pulling me to Anders and Calista¡¯s

    room. When he opens the door, she is waiting, wide¨Ceyed.

    ¡°Anders said you woulde for me.¡± She says.

    Clint rushes to their closet and pulls another overnight bag before corralling us down the stairs and to a

    safe room. I know I can¡¯t go with them, but I don¡¯t want him to leave me.

    ¡°Clint!¡± I¡¯m not sure what I want to say, but he pulls me into his arms and kisses me like there¡¯s no

    tomorrow.

    ¡°Take care of my girls.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°Come home and take care of us yourself.¡± I say to him.

    ¡°As soon as I can. I love you Lily bud.¡±

    He makes sure we¡¯re in the safe room before racing off. I watch and see him shift into Donovan before

    he¡¯s even out the door.

    I turn and it¡¯s not long before the door is closed and locked with a resounding ng. For a moment. I¡¯m

    terrified, lost in my own emotions. Then, Calista is there, pping her hands.

    ¡°Okay everyone. Let¡¯s take a look around and see what we have here. I know this was sudden, but we

    n for this every month. Our warriors are protecting the packhouse, so I believe we¡¯ll be safe. We just

    need to wait it out.¡±

    Calista organizes our room, which is a mix of elderly, mothers with young children and other pregnant

    women like us. As we begin to settle in, I send up a prayer to the Moon Goddess to look over Clint, our

    pack and the Shadow Falls pack.

    That night is one of the longest of my life. I don¡¯t want to bother Clint, knowing he¡¯s fighting, but I can¡¯t

    help reaching out to him periodically, just to feel his presence, I make sure not to interrupt him or push

    too hard. My amazing mate, while he doesn¡¯t speak, will open his mind for a second when I push, just

    to let me know he¡¯s okay.

    Calista and I are sitting side by side on a makeshift bed, holding each other as we both worry about the

    fate of our mates, our pack and our friends. At some point, I finally fall asleep.

    RONUS

    Ijott awake when I hear the door to the safe room unlocking. I jump up and stand in front of Calista. I

    may be pregnant, but I¡¯m still her Guardian. When the door opens, the first person I see Is Clint and I

    rush into his arms. He is covered in blood and gore, but I don¡¯t care. As soon as his arms wrap around

    me, I begin to sob. I was so worried that he wouldn¡¯te home, and I realized, I can¡¯t survive without

    my mate. He is my everything. There is no life for me without him.

    ¡°Shhh. Lily bud. I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    I hear others in the room or those that have moved out of the room crying, happy to see their mates

    alive and well.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I ask stepping back and wiping my eyes. I look over my mate. I can¡¯t tell if any of the

    blood is his. He has so many scents on him.

    ¡°Nothing that won¡¯t heal.¡±

    ¡°Clint. Go shower. Meet me in my room in 30 minutes.¡± Anders directs, holding a stoic Cali.

    Clint nods before wrapping his arm around me and guiding me to our room. He immediately goes to the

    shower, and I grab him some clothes.

    ¡°Was it Alpha Jerome?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s dead. Leander killed him.¡±

    ¡°Well thank the goddess for that. I can¡¯t help but be angry that the elder council didn¡¯t move faster. This

    could all have been avoided. Did they lose a lot of warriors?¡±

    Clint looks at me for a moment. ¡°Anders will give you and Calista an update at the same time. Come

    on, let¡¯s go to their room.¡±

    My heart rate immediately spikes. I know my mate. If he¡¯s not telling me something, it¡¯s because it¡¯s

    bad. If they are telling us together, they are concerned that what they are going to tell us will affect us

    enough to impact our babies.

    By Commentaires

    Voter (8.2k)

 Chapter 586

    Anders lets us into their room and Clint walks me to sit on the love seat next to Calista. Clint sits beside

    me and Anders bring him a ss of amber liquid that smells like bourbon. Clint downs it in one go.

    I look at Calista and she looks at me. We both know we aren¡¯t going to like this news.

    *Just tell us. Anders.¡± She says quietly.

    He pulls up a chair and sits in front of Calista, taking her hand as Clint reaches out and takes mine.

    wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

    ¡°Luna Este is dead.¡±

    My stomach clenches, my whole body goes rigid and my eyes fill with burning tears as Clint¡¯s arm

    tightens around me. Calista¡¯s free hand flies to her mouth. ¡°Dead?¡± She whispers, blinking back her

    own

    tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry love. I know all of you were close. I¡¯m not sure I believe the story of what happened. It was a

    war, after all. But you¡¯ll hear it, so it¡¯s better that you hear it from me. They say they found her dead

    body in the arms of Eli Gunnar, the boy that Alpha Jerome banished nearly a year ago.¡±

    I feel like I¡¯m in shock. ¡°What about Liam?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He¡¯s okay, Lily bud.¡± Clint says, pulling me into hisp. His hands go to my stomach. He begins

    rubbing

    circles on my stomach, easing the tension I was feeling.

    ¡°How is Leander?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive, but barely. Leander¡¯s Beta is watching over Liam. He knows he can call on us if he needs

    any

    assistance.¡±

    ¡°Did we lose any warriors?¡± I ask. No one in our safe room lost a mate, or we would have known, but

    there are multiple safe rooms.

    ¡°No. Having us join the fight tipped the scales. Many of Jerome¡¯s pack members got away, so we¡¯ll

    have to be extra careful, and I¡¯ll be doubling the patrols. Leander lost some of his pack members. Once

    they have their dead ready to send to the Moon Goddess, I¡¯ll go back and stand in as Alpha if Leander

    isn¡¯t

    capable.¡±

    ¡°Liam¡¯s going to need you now, Anders.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be there for him as much as I can be. He¡¯s only six. For now, the biggest thing I can do is help

    keep his pack from being taken from him.¡±

    The Shadow Falls packid their dead to rest. Anders was there acting as Alpha, speaking over their

    dead and attempting to calm the pack and support those that lost their mates.

    ?IS BONUS

    Luna Este had her own funeral. Clint brought me and Call to her services. Anders presided over her

    funeral while Leander and Liam sat in the front row. Leander looked like a body that was empty of it¡¯s

    soul, Liam cried silently.

    When it was over, I was watching Liam and so I saw when he quietly left the room. I followed him,

    wanting to make sure he was as okay as he could be. I found him in a library, curled up in a corner.

    sobbing.

    I went and sat beside him, putting my arm around him. He immediately stiffened, his head shooting up

    as he wiped his tears from his face.

    ¡°Guardian Lily. I apologize. I know Alphas aren¡¯t supposed to cry.¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡± I ask him softly, helping him to wipe his eyes.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°My father.¡±

    ¡°Well how about we make this our little secret. I won¡¯t tell if you won¡¯t. And you can cry until you¡¯re

    done. What do you say?¡±

    He nods his head before the tears start to fall again. I pull him against my side, wrapping my arms

    around him and rocking him as his tears fell. When he finally finished and pulled away, he looked at

    me.

    ¡°Thank you, Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Call me Lily. And if you ever need anything at all, Liam, just call me. Do you have a phone?¡±

    He nods again.

    I get up, finding a pen and a scrap piece of paper and write my number down. ¡°Any time, Liam. If you

    need to talk, want to cry or just need a friend, you call me. I¡¯ll always answer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lily.¡±

    Over the next several years, Liam would call me off and on. I always answered and usually he just

    needed a friend. I realized quickly how lonely he was. Leander never recovered from Este¡¯s death

    and

    the only person Liam had in his life was his father¡¯s Beta who was busy running the pack and the

    Beta¡¯s son who was several years younger than him. Some days, I was all he had.

    W

    Cooper Author

    it was hard writing about Luna Este¡¯s death, but more so the aftermath for Liam Updates ur daily.

 Chapter 587

    Aweek after weid Luna Este to rest, Calista gave birth to their son, Rik. Anders and Calista allowed Lily and | to be there

    immediately after the birth. Lily went straight to Calista, hugging her while sheid on the bed, holding her child. | gave Anders a

    p in the shoulder and hugged my dearest friend. | know this is one of the proudest days of his life. It''s made even more

    precious knowing what happened in Shadow Falls a week ago,

    | was worried that Lily would suffer after hearing the news that her friend had passed. She took it hard, but thankfully she¡¯s early

    enough in her pregnancy that it didn¡¯t affect our little girl.

    Yep, that¡¯s right. We''re having a girl. Lily and | are already thinking of names. | think Lily was worried at first, that | wanted a boy,

    but honestly, I¡¯m thrilled. | know she''ll be daddy¡¯s little girl in no time. Donovan is just as taken with our little girl as | am. All he

    talks about is how he¡¯s going to take her for runs in the forest and show her the packnds.

    Patrick and Olivia join us in the delivery room, and everyone takes turns holding our next Alpha, Lily and Olivia cooing over him.

    As Lily is holding him, she looks at Calista. ¡°He¡¯s already got his father¡¯s dark head of hair.¡± | see Anders smirking at this.

    ¡°He does but wait until he looks at you. He¡¯s got my eyes.¡± Calista says, smiling at her mate. Anders leans in and kisses her

    softly.

    Aweekter, Lily and | are back on protection duty as Anders brings in our neighboring Alphas to celebrate Rik¡¯s birth. I¡¯m not

    thrilled to have Lily on protection duty. Her stomach has been growing and our little girl is an active baby. Andra and Donovan

    say we''re still okay, but it won¡¯t be long before any significant activity will be a risk for the baby.

    Alpha Eric and Zoeye, bringing their three children. Surprisingly, Alpha Christopheres and brings his daughter,

    Anastasia. His eyes still look haunted, but | can tell he is trying for his daughter. Leander didn¡¯te, but his Beta brought Liam.

    Anders exined to the young Alpha that he and Rik will grow up as friends and remain allies in the future so our packs can

    continue to thrive together.

    As Anders and Calista stand on the stage, introducing Rik to our pack members and the neighboring Alphas, Lily and | take our

    positions on either side of them.

    While there is a lingering sadness among the Alphas, overall, the weekend was rxed and enjoyable. There were a lot of

    children running around and Lily seemed to have fun talking about babies and the joys and difficulties of parenthood.

    Since | was watching over Lily, | heard Luna Zoey telling the story of Alpha Eric who apparently can¡¯t change a diaper without

    gagging. Zoey has all the girls doubled overughing at her reenactment of Eric¡¯s gag reflex when he¡¯s changing a diaper. ¡°I

    mean seriously! Tell the man to go into a battle and he can y an army,e home covered in gore and not blink an eye. Ask

    him to change a diaper and the minute he sees a bit of poop he¡¯s practically hanging over a toilet.

    +15 BONUSN?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    | notice that Lily makes time to speak with Liam, and it¡¯s the only time all weekend that | see him almost smile. After that. | realize

    that Lily has developed a bond with Liam. She¡¯s not necessarily a surrogate mother to him, but she gives him someone to talk to

    when he feels like he doesn¡¯t have anyone else.

    The next couple of months before our little girl is born, | let Donovane forward every night. He¡¯s as excited as | am to meet

    our pup, and since he can¡¯t spend time with Andra, this helps him to feel better. I¡¯ve noticed that our daughter responds to our

    touch and Donovan''s purring. So, every night, Donovanes forward, purring to our daughter and then when she settles, | talk

    to her. | tell her about my day. about how wonderful her mother is and about how great her future is going to be.

    My mate bes increasingly grumpy. She can¡¯t spar, but Anders has her lead training morning and afternoon to keep her

    busy. However, as the days go by, even that is too much for her. In a bizarre twist, my mate who only loves apple pie, which she

    says is what | smell like, suddenly only wants brownies. I¡¯m not sure if | should be concerned that the scent that my mate used to

    love has suddenly changed.! ask her if there is another person in the pack that smells like brownies, but she assures me she still

    loves my scent. She just has a pregnancy craving for brownies.

    Thankfully, our Luna is the best. She makes brownies every time Lily wants them and I¡¯m equal parts amazed and horrified that

    my mate can sit down and eat an entire pan of Calista¡¯s brownies. And since she wants them at least twice a week, that¡¯s quite a

    feat, even for a werewolf.

    Lily and | finally decide on a name, Cara. Lily had been researching names in her spare time. She stumbled across the name

    Cara and found out that it means ¡°beloved¡¯. We both decided that, since we know our little girl is going to be loved beyond belief

    by both her parents, it is a fitting name.

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 Chapter 588

    One night, as wey in bed, Lily moves around as usual trying to find afortable position. She

    keeps rubbing her stomach and pulling my hand over her to calm Cara, since our little girl is especially

    responsive to me and Donovan. When that doesn¡¯t help, I move down, letting Donovane forward.

    He

    begins purring to Cara, trying to soothe her.

    Lily has been having Braxton¨CHicks contractions so we¡¯ve be somewhat ustomed to her

    stomach contracting as we touch and hold her. Usually, our touch can calm the contractions, but

    tonight. it¡¯s not helping. Lily keeps shifting around and even Donovan¡¯s purring doesn¡¯t seem to be

    helping.

    All at once, I feel the bed go wet under me. My head pops up and I look at my mate. Her eyes are wide

    as

    she looks at me then down at her body.

    ¡°Clint.¡± She says, looking back at me. ¡°I think it¡¯s time.¡±

    I¡¯m out of bed in an instant. I¡¯m rushing around trying to remember what I¡¯m supposed to do.

    ¡°Okay. Breathe.¡± I take several breaths trying to calm myself, when that doesn¡¯t work. I start pacing.¡±

    We¡¯re supposed to stay calm.¡± I turn to my mate. ¡°Are you calm?¡±

    My mate has gotten up off the bed and is moving to the closet. She looks at me like I¡¯m crazy, her

    brows furrowing. ¡°Yeah, are you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m calm. I¡¯m really calm.¡± I feel like my head is bobbing up and down like one of

    those things humans put on the dashboard of their car. My brain haspletely emptied of everything.

    My pup ising!

    ¡°Get your fucking head out of your ass and help our mate!¡± Donovan yells at me.

    I look up and see that Lily has grabbed her bag that has been packed for weeks. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll take that!¡± I

    say, thankful that I can do something for her. I throw the bag over my shoulder and look at Lily.

    She looks at me for a minute. ¡°We need to get to the car.¡± She says to me very slowly as if I¡¯m too

    stupid

    to understand her.

    ¡°Right! Car!¡±

    I take off down the stairs and rush out to get in the car. I put her bag in the car and get in the driver

    side. I

    put the car in drive and Donovan starts yelling in my head again.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving our mate you moron!¡± I throw the car in park and as I open the door, Donovan forces a

    shift.

    ¡®Donovan, what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re acting like a crazed man. You¡¯re a fucking Guardian and you¡¯re acting like an idiot. I¡¯m taking

    over.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    He grabs the bag out of the car with his teeth and runs back into the packhouse and up the stairs. Lily

    is holding on to the walls trying to get down the hall. Donovan gently walks up to her, leaning against

    her as she has a contraction.

    ¡°Hey Donovan. Did you get tired of Clint acting stupid?¡±

    He chuffs at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lily bud. I freaked out. I¡¯m good now.¡± I say to her in the mind link.

    She turns and looks at Donovan, raising her eyebrow. ¡°Is he?¡± She asks him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll get you and our pup to the pack hospital. Get on my back.¡±

    Donovanys down on the floor and once the contraction passes, Lily climbs onto his back. Anders

    door opens and he looks out. ¡°Lily? What¡¯s going on? Why is Donovan here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m inbor. Clint freaked out and Donovan took over.¡±

    ¡°Do you need help?¡±

    ¡°No, Donovan will take good care of us.¡±

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Calista up and have someonee to watch Rik. We¡¯ll meet you at the pack hospital¡±

    Donovan stands and begins to gently walk down the stairs. Lily holds on tight and once he¡¯s outside, he

    begins to move as fast as he can without jostling her.

    When we get to the hospital, he walks in howling. He needn¡¯t have bothered. Anders obviously let them

    know we wereing. A nursees to help Lily off Donovan¡¯s back and helps her walk to a delivery

    room. Lily has another contraction as I shift back, rushing up to hold her.

    ¡°Wee back, mate.¡± She says through gritted teeth.

    I get her into bed and settled. They hook her up to machines that will monitor her heart rate and Cara¡¯s.

    The doctores in and checks her. ¡°You¡¯re doing well, Lily. It won¡¯t be long now.

    I turn and look at my mate, her face screwed up with her next contraction. ¡°Have I told you today how

    much I love you and how wonderful you are, Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, and no matter what I say to you between now and when our daughter is born, don¡¯t

    forget

    that!¡±

    Over the next couple of hours, my mate curses my name to the Moon Goddess and anyone that would

    listen. But in the end, she delivered the most beautiful, precious little girl a father could ever ask for.

 Chapter 589

    As easy as my pregnancy was, adjusting to having a baby has been difficult for me. It¡¯s supposed to be

    easy, right? Everyone says ites naturally. Well I¡¯m here to tell you, it doesn¡¯t alwayse

    naturally. Liketching on to my breast. Cara is supposed to have some instinct totch on and my

    body is supposed to be what she needs, but we struggled.

    It took weeks for us to figure it out and countless tears on my part.

    ¡®Don¡¯t get frustrated, she¡¯ll feel it.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t give up, you can do this.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t do this, don¡¯t do that, try it this way, try it that way.¡±

    Everyone has a damn opinion about how I should nurse my child or what I¡¯m doing wrong. All it did was

    make me feel more like a failure that it wasn¡¯t working.

    After another bout of crying about being a worthless mother who can¡¯t do the one thing my body is

    inherently meant to do, feed my child, Clintes and takes her from me. He heats up a bottle,

    bncing our little girl while managing to heat up the bottle and test it. He¡¯s a natural. I¡¯d love watching

    him if it

    didn¡¯t make me feel even more like a failure.

    He walks out of our room, and I stand up, putting my breast back into my top and walking to the

    bathroom to ssh water on my face to wash away my tears. My face is in the towel, drying off when

    Clintes back in.

    ¡°Come on, Lily bud. We¡¯re going for a run.¡± He tells me,ing up behind me and wrapping his arms

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    around me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Cara? We can¡¯t just leave her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with Calista and yes, we can. I told her you need to get out and run. You¡¯re too stressed out and

    this will help. Andra hasn¡¯t been out in months and Donovan misses his mate. Come on.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s right. I miss Donovan too.¡® Andra tells me.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Clint takes my hand and I follow my mate down the stairs and out the back of the packhouse. My

    breasts

    are huge with milk, or at least huge for me, so I¡¯m ufortable stripping like I normally would. I walk

    to the tree line and Clint follows me. He waits until I shift, it takes a few moments longer than normal

    while Andra and I adjust to the slightly different shape of my body.

    Once I¡¯ve shifted, Donovan is beside us in an instant. Andra takes off and the feeling of the air flowing

    through her fur, the scents and sounds of the forest, bring a calm to me that I didn¡¯t know I was

    missing. We run for hours, Donovan and Andra taking time to reconnect and mate several times while

    we¡¯re out.

    +15. ROHUS

    When we finally stop at theke. Clint shifts back. He waits for me to shift as well before wrapping his

    arms around me.

    ¡°Feel better, Lily bud?

    ¡°Much. How did you know?¡±

    He kisses my forehead. ¡°I know my mate. You want to be the best at everything. But you are perfect,

    just the way you are.¡±

    I lean into him, missing our time together. I take a deep breath, breathing in his scent of apple pie.

    Goddess, I love his smell. His hands begin to rub up and down my body, slowly, gently. We make love

    beside theke in our spot, the spot where we first connected as mates. When Clint pushes my body

    over the edge of bliss, I sink my teeth into his mate mark, making him growl his pleasure before he

    sinks his canines into my mark. This is what I needed. This reconnection with my mate, my life, my

    love. Everything in my world rights itself and I feel like I can breathe for the first time since Cara was

    born.

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    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 590

    When we get back to the packhouse, I rush to take Cara from Calista. Maybe it¡¯s true what they say,

    that just needed to rx. Or maybe I just needed my mate, but whatever it is, everything finally begins

    to connect between me and Cara and I can finally just enjoy my daughter.

    Clint and I get back into a routine and while it can be exhausting having a newborn and training twice a

    day, working to get my strength and stamina back, it¡¯s worth it. Clint is there beside me every step of

    the way, and I stop being jealous of how easy my mate makes being a father look and appreciate how

    amazing his is with our child.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Clint and I take Cara to Maine for her first birthday. I have some tourists take a picture of the three of us

    in the same ce where we took the picture of Clint and I, the one I gave to him on our first

    anniversary. I¡¯ll get this one blown up as well and it can go beside the one hanging in our bedroom. In

    this picture. I¡¯m holding aughing Cara between us while Clint and I smile at each other over her

    head, his arms are wrapped around both of us. It¡¯s a perfect picture of our perfect family.

    Over the next few years, there is an increase in attacks on surrounding packs as well as ours. Clint and

    i are always on the front lines of an attack and Calista is responsible for getting Cara and Rik to the

    safe rooms. While there are new leaders who are instigating the attacks, many of the fighters attacking

    us are those from Alpha Benjamin and Alpha Jerome¡¯s previous packs. Sometimes it¡¯s new Alphas

    who have taken over their packs and want more power or strength and don¡¯t realize the strength of our

    pack.

    While we are able to defeat our enemies fairly easily, it¡¯s not just our pack that we are protecting.

    Anders made a promise to Liam that he would help him, and he continues to stick to that. More and

    more. Liam is taking on an Alpha role. My heart aches for him. He¡¯s so young to have so much

    responsibility ced on him, however, Leander never recovered from Este¡¯s death and Anders can

    only do so much. Liam called me the morning after his first shift. He was alone and the shift was long

    and painful for him, but he told me he couldn¡¯t wait to introduce me to his wolf, Cyran.

    In between these times, Clint and I enjoy our daughter. Watching her grow, begin to crawl, then walk

    and eventually run everywhere. Donovan insists on taking her on walks as soon as she is able to hold

    on.. She learns quickly how to stay on him while he was walking and running. Sometimes Andra will

    run beside them and sometimes Donovan wants alone time with his pup. As she gets older, he runs

    with her in the forest, or curls up around her and guards her if she gets tired and falls asleep while

    laying on him. He and Clint continue to be the most amazing fathers to our daughter.

    With the frequent attacks on the pack, Clint and I decide to put off having another child. We are still

    young and Cara is young, so it seems like the best idea. Anders ishappy with our decision. He and Cali

    decided something simr, not wanting to have to worry about more pups or having Cali pregnant and

    trying to manage two pups while Anders, Clint and I are away fighting. And this way, I could continue to

    be not only Cali¡¯s Guardian, but also Rik¡¯s, leaving Clint to focus on Anders.

    While it¡¯s busy and Clint and I always seem to be fighitng to protect our packs, it¡¯s a great life.

 Chapter 591

    My girls are the highlight of my life. There is nothing better than having the two of them in my arms

    together. Some nights, like tonight, Ie into our room and my mate and my daughter are on the floor

    ying together.

    They are ying with blocks and building what looks like a packhouse and packnds. ¡°There¡¯s my

    girls.¡± I say as I walk in.

    ¡°Daddy!¡± My baby girl gets up and runs over. I scoop her up and throw her in the air, listening to her

    squeal. I catch her and pull her against me, kissing her face and neck while Donovan purrs against her.

    ¡°Daddy, stop!¡± She says in a fit of giggles.

    Lilyes over and wraps her arms around me, hugging me. ¡°Wee home, love.¡±

    I hold Cara in one arm while Donovan continues to purr at her and take my mate in the other, kissing

    her until I hear her moaning softly. ¡°I missed you.¡± I tell her, finally letting here up for air.

    She looks up at me, her eyes filled with love. ¡°I missed you, too.¡±

    I lean in, nuzzling her ear. ¡°Maybe you can show me how much you missed me after we put a certain

    someone to bed.¡±

    She reaches up, nipping at my ear. ¡°Deal!¡±

    With that promise. I turn back to my daughter. ¡°So, what are you building over here.¡±

    daughter shows me her packhouse, having miniatures of Andra and Donovan. I notice there is now a

    baby wolf too. ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my wolf, daddy.¡±

    ¡°It is? What¡¯s her name? Did you introduce her to Andra and Donovan?¡±

    She nods her head, and we spend the rest of the night ying wolfpack. These quiet moments of

    yfulness together with my girls are the best. It helps me ovee the frustration of the attacks that

    seem to being more and more frequently.

    For Cara¡¯s fourth birthday, I want to take them back to the ind that I took Lily for our 4th anniversary.

    When I go to see Anders, he is looking over the patrol reports, frowning.

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never ending. I swear, if I¡¯d known it was going to be like this, I¡¯d have either had Rik sooner or

    waited even longer. Having a mate and a pup who is an heir makes all of this more worrisome.¡± He

    says as he tosses his reports across his desk.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°So, I guess this is a bad time to ask for a long weekend away?¡±

    He looks up at me. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    I tell him and he looks at me for a moment. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Five days.¡±

    He blows out a breath. ¡°Yeah. Sure, go and enjoy your weekend with your family.¡±

    I frown. Anders his never acted like he¡¯s concerned about me being away before.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°There are several packs making a move against us and Shadow Falls. I know you work hard for me,

    but ¡ªnever mind. Of course, take your family and have a good time.¡±

    ¡°No. I would never leave you during a time of battle or war, Anders. Even if I could, which I can¡¯t being

    your Guardian, I wouldn¡¯t.¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see how things stand for our anniversary, that¡¯s a

    couple months away still.¡±

    Both mine and Lily¡¯s birthdays pass, and our anniversary and the attacks keeping. Lily and I are

    an

    amazing fighting machine. Together, no one can defeat us. We can take on 12 wolves between the two

    of

    us when we are together. We know we can count on the other to protect our back and so we can focus

    on the fight in front of us. Anders and Charles are both powerful as are our warriors, but it¡¯s me and Lily

    that are the tipping point in many of our battles.

    There is loss. While we decimate the packs that attack us, in every battle we lose some warriors. Then,

    sometimes, we lose their mates as well. I¡¯ve never quite figured out why sometimes the mates can

    survive and sometimes they can¡¯t.

    Cara¡¯s fifth birthdayes along. This time, I already know we can¡¯t go away from a long period of

    time.

    but I need to take my girls away from all the fighting, at least for a couple of days.

    I get Anders to agree to a weekend, and we go into the mountains a couple of hours away, Andra and

    Donovan run with Cara on their backs, ying tag and catch. Caraughs and whoever she¡¯s riding on

    always miraculously wins.

    It¡¯s a wonderful weekend. Weugh and y with Cara. I find a mountain peak that is high enough to

    still have snow and Andra and Donovan run up the mountain so we can have a snowball fight. Cara

    wins, of

    course. And while we have a perfect time while we are there, it¡¯s over too soon.

    When we return, we¡¯re almost immediately back into fighting. Anders begins sending me to Shadow

    Falls

    and leaving Lily behind to ensure that Calista and Rik are safe. I don¡¯t like being away from Lily.

    Sometimes it¡¯s necessary, but we don¡¯t fight as well apart and I¡¯m always a bit distracted, trying to keep

    my mind link open to her to make sure that she is okay.

    One night after Donovan takes Cara out for a run, wee back to our room and Lily seems a bit off.

    *IS BONUS

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lily bud, are you okay?¡±

    She turns and smiles at me. ¡°I want to go away for a day, just you and me.¡±

    I walk over to her, pulling her against me. ¡°I like the sound of that. When?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow? Baby, I don¡¯t know if we can get away that quickly.¡±

    ¡°Please, Clint. I really want us to go away. Just us. Just for one night. Please.¡±

    ¡°Okay baby, let me talk to Anders.

    I turn to go find Anders, but she pulls me back. ¡°I love you so much, do you know that? Do you know

    how

    much I love you?¡±

    ¡°Baby, what¡¯s going on?¡± I cup her cheek. Something is definitely wrong.

    ¡°I just need some time with you. Things have been crazy and.and I want time with my mate. I need this.

    I really need this. I need you.¡±

    ¡°Okay baby. I¡¯ll let Anders know. Do you think Calista will watch Cara for us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her while you talk to Anders.¡±

    ¡°Okay Lily bud.¡±

    When I go to Anders, he originally denies me. But I told him something was up with Lily and he gave in.

    The next day, we went away, just my Lily bud and me.

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 592

    One night, not long after Cara¡¯s 5th birthday, I¡¯m in our room, cleaning up while Donovan takes Cara for a run. Suddenly, | feel a

    presence and | whip around, ready to fight, my wsing out. As soon as | see the woman, | gasp and my ws recede.

    She''s beautiful, almost glowing. She¡¯s wearing a floor¡ªlength white dress. She¡¯s barefoot and her hair falls long and straight

    down her back and over her arms.

    ¡°Mother.¡± Andra says, bowing our head in submission.

    ¡°Hello, my child. | see you recognize me.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are...are you the Moon Goddess?¡± | ask, not sure that I¡¯m seeing what | think I¡¯m seeing.

    She smiles at me kindly. ¡°Yes, but you may call me Selene.¡± That seems wildly inappropriate.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± | ask her.

    ¡°I''vee to speak to you. Come, sit with me.¡± She says as she walks to our couch and sits down,

    patting the seat beside her.

    I go to her and sit. When | do, she reaches out and caresses my hair, simr to how | do with Cara. ¡°

    You''ve been such a good Guardian for me. You have served me well. You have protected your pack, your

    Luna and your future Alpha. You have even been a loving influence on one of my children that lost both

    their parents, although only one has joined me.¡±

    ¡°You mean Liam?¡±

    She smiles again. ¡°Of course.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Anyone would have done the same.¡±

    She is shaking her head before | finish my sentence. ¡°No.¡±

    She is quiet for a moment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± | ask. Her presence feels ominious.

    ¡°| wanted to warn you. You have been such a great child of mine, | felt that | should tell you what is

    coming.¡±

    My hand flies to my mouth. ¡°Cara?¡±

    ¡°Cara will live a long and beautiful life. She will mate with an Alpha and be Luna of her pack.¡±

    ¡°Which Alpha?¡± | ask, momentarily distracted by the knowledge that my daughter will one day be a Luna.

    ¡°Can''t you guess? You more or less prophesied it before they were born.¡±

    ¡°Rik.¡± | say and the moment | say it, | know it¡¯s true.

    ¡°He will be a good mate to her, although, he will have to win her over. They will have a long, happy life

    together,¡±

    I smile, thinking of my daughter¡¯s future and how excited | am to see her one day be Luna of our

    pack. But then my smile fades.

    ¡°You haven''t answered my question. What have youe to tell me?¡±

    ¡°| know how much you love your mate. And | gave you as many years as | could, but it¡¯s time for another Guardian to take over,

    time for another to rise. I''m afraid Clint¡¯s time is over.¡±

    | feel like someone just punched me in the gut. No, it feels like someone just stabbed me in the gut and began ripping my insides

    out. The thought of a life without my mate is iprehensible to me. | know | can¡¯t live without him. I¡¯m not strong enough.

    But he is. He is strong enough to live without me. He is strong enough to survive for our daughter. I¡¯ve seen Alpha Christopher do

    it. It was hard at first, but over time it¡¯s gotten easier for him. | know Clint could do it. And he deserves it. He deserves to live.

    ¡°No. Take me instead. | can¡¯t survive

    without my mate. He is my

    everything. Please. If I''ve been a

    good. daughter to you, do this for me.

    Let him live. Take me in his ce.

    Clint is the strongest person | know.

    He can survive my death, but | will

    never survive his.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    Selene looks at me a moment. ¡°The

    wolf that was to take Donovan''s

    ce is set to be a Guardian. If they

    don''t get the Guardian spirit now, the

    child will have to wait to get her wolf.¡±

    | barely register that she says her,

    instead of him. That¡¯s not important,

    although it¡¯s odd. The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    ¡°But she will get her wolf, right, justter?¡±

    She looks thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Yes, she will.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. She won¡¯t have to live without a wolf forever.¡± Lots of people get their wolveste, it¡¯s not a big deal.

    ¡°And the wolf that was meant to get your spiritter in life, will get theirs early.¡± She says.

    ¡°That''s okay. I''m sure her family will help her, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they will help her.¡±

    ¡°Please, say you will spare him. He

    deserves to live. He is the most

    amazing mate, the most amazing

    father anyone could ever want. He¡¯s

    been exactly the person he promised

    me he would be and so much more.

    He''s been a perfect Guardian,

    watching over Anders since he was

    10 years old. I''ve only been a

    Guardian for 11 years. He¡¯s been

    doing it for almost 20 years. Please

    Selene. | would do anything to save

    my mate. Please. He deserves to

    live.¡± The content is on

    noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

 Chapter 593

    ¡°He will be injured.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    I cut her off. ¡°He can survive anything. He¡¯s so strong. So much stronger than I am. He will be okay.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure Lily? It means you will never be able to hold your daughter again.¡± She says to me kindly.

    ¡°Maybe it makes me selfish, but without Clint, I wouldn¡¯t survive, so I wouldn¡¯t be holding her anyway.

    This way, at least she¡¯ll have one parent.¡±

    She stands and I stand in front of her. She cups my face in her hand. ¡°Okay Lily. I will take your life in

    ce of his.¡±

    My entire body rxes. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She turns walking to the door. Before she walks out, she turns back to me. ¡°You have two days.¡±

    Two days. I only have two days.

    As soon as

    as Clintes back, I beg him to go away for one night. He finally agrees and gets Anders to agree. I

    get Calista to watch Cara. I just need one more day and night with my mate. I need him to remember

    what it was like for us when everything was good, when it was perfect.

    We leave early the next morning, driving until we find a ce that looks good enough to stop. We get a

    hotel and I convince him to splurge on a suite. The rest of the day and night, I make love to my mate. I

    show him in every way possible that he is the most precious thing in my life. I love our daughter, but

    Clint is everything to me.

    In between our love making. I reminisce about our happy times, our anniversaries and all the beautiful

    times we¡¯ve had with Cara. I need him to remember. I need him to have this memory and all the

    memories of our good times when I¡¯m gone.

    The next day when we get home, I spend the evening with our daughter. I watch her sleep, holding her

    hand and caressing her hair until Clintes to get me. It makes it easier knowing that she¡¯ll have a

    good life, even if I¡¯m not in it.

    That night, I don¡¯t sleep. I stay awake, watching Clint sleep. I breathe in his scent, relish the tingles of

    his. arms wrapped around me until the sun begins to shine in our room and I know our time is up.

    Today is. the day. The day I will die.

    I wake my precious mate early, wanting to have him inside me onest time. I give him everything, all

    my love, all my passion, everything that I am.

    When we get the call that we are under attack, I already have Cara in my arms. I¡¯ve hugged and kissed

    my sweet girl and all I can do now is hope that she will remember me. I take her to the safe room and I

    realize that Calista is not there.

    +15 BONUS

    I hear Anders panicked voice in my head. ¡°Lily! Calista had Rik out for a walk in the forest. She¡¯s

    outside.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find them.¡± I say. I give my baby girl one final kiss goodbye before I turn, shifting into Andra.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this my friend.¡± I say to Andra.

    ¡®For our mate, for our daughter and for our friends.¡± She replies.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lily, be careful. I¡¯ll see you when it¡¯s done.¡± Clint says to me as Donovan runs to get to Anders.

    ¡°I love you, Clint.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Lily bud. See you soon.¡±

    I run to where I smell Calista. She is surrounded by wolves. I can tell she is trying to cover Rik with her

    body. I immediately jump in and begin tearing into these wolves. I take out every bit of anger at having

    to leave my mate and daughter, every bit of heartache and sadness on these wolves. In my heart, I

    me them for taking me away from what I love most in this world.

    But, in the end, there are too many. I take out as many as I can. I can feel them tearing into me as I

    stand in front of Rik. Calista has shifted and is fighting to protect her son too.

    ¡°Lily! Lily, hold on, I¡¯ming.¡± Clint yells in our mind link.

    ¡°I love you, Clint. Never forget that.¡± I say as my injuries force Andra to shift back.

    I turn, seeing Rik. He¡¯s watching me, his blue eyes wide with terror and shock. He¡¯s so young. Only a

    couple of months older than Cara. But I need him to promise me that he¡¯ll take care of her, that he will

    love her.

    ¡°I¡¯m trusting you to watch out for her. Take care of her and keep her safe for me. Promise me Rik.

    Promise me you¡¯ll always look after my little girl.¡±

    I¡¯mying on my back, looking at him. My legs won¡¯t move because of my injuries and as I watch him, I

    feel the teeth sink into my throat..

    As the darkness surrounds me, I hear his whisper on the wind. ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter 594

    When the call came out, I realized Lily and I would once again be separated thate when we¡¯re

    separated. It¡¯s easier for me to fight when she¡¯s by my side. flut Calista and Pik were exposed and

    away from Anders. He couldn¡¯t get to them. When Donovan got to Anders, he was fighting off eight

    wolves at once. Without my help, he would most likely be killed. He¡¯s a strong Alpha, but eight is too

    many, even for

    1. me.

    I jump in, not thinking twice. This is what I do, it¡¯s what I¡¯ve always done. I protect my Alpha, my friend.

    Five of the wolvese after me, recognizing me as the bigger threat by the gold color of Donovan¡¯s

    eyes. I¡¯m fighting them, injuring them, but not able to take them down, when I feel Lily¡¯s pain. It¡¯s

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    everywhere. She¡¯s Injured and she¡¯s injured badly.

    ¡°Hold on Lily, I¡¯ming!¡± I say and I rip the throat of the first wolf I can get to. My mate is in trouble.

    She needs me.

    Donovan grabs the back of the neck of another woll and shakes his head violently, paralyzing him. ¡°I

    love

    you Clint, never forget that.¡± And I feel it. I feel the pain in her throat.

    NO! Oh, goddess, no! Lily! A moment after I think it, I feel the tether to my mate bond snap. In the

    instant. that it takes my brain to register that my mate is gone, Donovan throws his head back and

    howls his pain.

    Realizing my weakness, a wolf jumps on my back, sinking his teeth into Donovan¡¯s spine. I don¡¯t care.

    My mate is gone. She¡¯s gone and all that¡¯s left is a hollow aching emptiness in my heart and soul. She¡¯s

    gone and I¡¯m ready to go with her.

    But before the wolf can kill me, it¡¯s ripped off my back. Donovan forces the shift back, causing what

    should be a horrible pain, but nothing canpare to the pain in my heart. She¡¯s gone. She¡¯s gone

    and I¡¯m alone. My light, my Lily bud, is gone.

    I don¡¯t know how much time goes by, but I wake in the hospital. I hear Anders speaking to the doctors.¡±

    He¡¯ll never walk again, Alpha. I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s broken. It¡¯s not something we can fix.¡±

    I hear Anders snarl and the sound of things smashing and breaking, bu

    I i don¡¯t care. I¡¯m empty and I just want to die. I beg the Moon Goddess to take me before I fall back

    into my blissful unconsciousness.

    I¡¯m in a field with wildflowers blooming all around. I look up and see Lily walking towards me. ¡°Lily! Oh

    goddess, Lily! I thought you were dead.¡± I grab her and hold on to her. I¡¯ll never let her go again. I¡¯ll

    never let Anders split us up in a fight again. We¡¯re stronger together, we always have been.

    ¡°Oh, my love. I am dead. But you are not. You need to live for our daughter.¡±

    I¡¯m shaking my head before she finishes. ¡°Anders and Calista will raise her, they will take good care of

    her. I need to be with you.¡±

    ¡°You know I love you, right?¡±

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    ¡°Of course, and I love you.¡±

    ¡°Then, I need you to do something for me, Clint.¡±

    ¡°Anything Lily bud. You know I¡¯ll do anything for you.¡±

    She cups my face in her hands. ¡°I need you to live, Clint.¡± I start shaking my head.

    ¡°Not without you.¡±

    ¡°You need to live, for Cara. You¡¯re strong. Clint. You can do this. I love you and I will never stop loving

    you. But I need you to live and be a father to our daughter. Don¡¯t make her grow up without either

    parent. Do this for me. Please. Promise me you¡¯ll live for our daughter.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to live without you.¡±

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 Chapter 595

    ¡°I know, and I don¡¯t want to be away from you. But I¡¯ll always be here, in your heart.¡± She puts her hand

    on my heart. ¡°Whenever you miss me, think of all the wonderful times we had together, think of all the

    beautiful memories we shared. Tell those stories to Cara. Tell her of the beautiful romance that we had

    and how we loved each other more than any two people ever have. I will live on in your memories and

    in your heart.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me Lity. I can¡¯t do this without you.¡±

    ¡°You can, and you will. Do it for me and do it for Cara. Do it for your girls.¡±

    She leans in and kisses me. I reach out to pull her into me, to hold on to her, but she¡¯s gone. When I

    open my eyes, I¡¯m back in the hospital room, alone. I close my eyes, and sob until I¡¯m pulled under by

    exhaustion again.

    The next time I wake, Calista is sitting by my bed, holding my hand. When I look at her, her eyes are

    red- rimmed and puffy, and her nose looks raw from wiping it. As soon as she sees my eyes open, her

    tears

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    begin again.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Clint. She saved me and Rik. I tried to get to her, but I was toote. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She begins

    to sob, but I don¡¯t have it in me to try andfort her. I¡¯m so empty. I had no idea a person could feel

    this empty and still survive. I understand exactly what Leander has been going through. He¡¯s a shell of

    a person. He¡¯s a body with no heart or soul, and now, I am too.

    Anderses in, no doubt feeling his mate¡¯s heartache. I would do anything to feel Lily¡¯s heartache, to

    feel her anger at me, to feel anything from her again. When he walks in, he sees me awake.

    ¡°Clint, you¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Cara?

    ¡°She¡¯s safe, Calista and Donna have been taking turns looking after her. Although she¡¯s been crying a

    lot.

    asking for you.

    ¡°You should bring her here, let her see me.¡±

    I watch as Calista stands to leave. Anders runs his hand down her arm and kisses the top of her head.

    The pain of seeing their gentle intimacy is almost too much to bear. I had that a couple of days ago,

    and now, I¡¯ll never have it again.

    Anders waits until Calista leaves before sitting down in the seat she vacated. ¡°Clint. I know you¡¯re

    hurting, that you¡¯re in a bad ce, but I need to tell you something.¡±

    I don¡¯t look at him. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to see his pity. I already know what he¡¯s going to tell me. I can¡¯t

    feel anything from my waist to my toes. Nothing. I tried wiggling my toes, moving my legs, anything, but

    there is nothing.

    ¡°I already know I¡¯m paralyzed. You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡±

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    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. I¡¯ve already ordered the best wheelchair for you. Charles and I are researching

    every surgeon in the world. I won¡¯t give up.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± What else can I say. Lily wanted me to live for Cara, so I will. I will do that for the love of my

    life, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will be here. It doesn¡¯t mean that I can stay in this pack. I was the greatest

    warrior in the pack and now I¡¯m nothing.

    I¡¯ve heard them in the hallway outside my door. I may be a paraplegic, but my hearing is still that of a

    Guardian. I know what they are calling me. I¡¯ve gone from being the strongest warrior in pack, the Big

    Daddy Badass to nothing. No, I¡¯m worse than nothing. I¡¯m the Broken Warrior.

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 Chapter 596

    I wake up in a beautiful meadow. It feels like spring. The air is warm, but not hot. There¡¯s a stream

    gurgling nearby and birds are singing all around me. I sit up, looking around.

    ¡°Andra?¡®

    My head is empty. Andra is gone.

    Is this death? I¡¯m in a beautiful ce, but I¡¯m alone?

    ¡°Andra!¡± I yell, looking around.

    And that¡¯s when I see her. Selene. Beside her is a beautiful brown woll. ¡°Andra?¡±

    Shees bounding over to me, tackling me to the ground. ¡°Andra. Oh Andra!¡± I say, hugging her and

    running my fingers through her fur.

    I look up and stand as Selene walks up. ¡°Lily.¡± She says to me before looking around.

    ¡°Is this your realm?¡± I ask her, following her gaze.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It seems you Guardians continue to surprise me. You¡¯ve put yourself in a ce where it

    appears you can choose.¡±

    ¡°Choose?¡±

    ¡°Choose toe with me to my realm or stay and watch over your family and friends.¡± She gestures in

    a

    direction, and I see what looks like a pack gathering in the distance.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I hear Andra in my head?¡± I ask, looking back at my wolf.

    She turns back, running her fingers through Andra¡¯s fur. ¡°You were a Guardian. As such, the spirit of

    the

    Guardian must go to another. In order for that to happen, I have to separate you from your wolf. So, this

    is Andra, and she can understand you, but you will no longer be able to hear her in your head. You are

    now two beings, rather than one. She is the same, other than no longer being a Guardian.¡±

    I bend down, wrapping my arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here with me. For a moment. I thought

    you were gone too.¡±

    She chuffs at me. I smile, pulling back to look at her. ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure out a new way to

    communicate, although, having had you in my head for nearly 20 years, I think I know what you¡¯re

    thinking.¡±

    She rubs her face against me before I stand. I look at the pack gathering and then back to Selene.

    ¡°I can stay here?¡±

    She smiles at me. ¡°Apparently, you can. No other child of mine has ever ended up somewhere other

    than

    my realm when they passed, but here you are.¡±

    I turn back to the gathering in the distance, feeling drawn to it. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here. How long do I

    have?¡± I ask her.

    She looks around. ¡°Since you created this ne, I¡¯d say you have as long as you choose to stay here.¡±

    I take a step toward the gathering. ¡°How will I let you know when I¡¯m ready toe to your realm?¡±

    ¡°Something tells me I¡¯ll know.¡± She says.

    I look at Andra and in unison, we begin jogging to the gathering. As I get closer, I realize it¡¯s a funeral

    They areying someone to rest, and I can hear the gentle sobs of those watching the service. At the

    front is a pyre. This person is getting a warrior¡¯s send off.

    As we walk closer, I see Clint in a wheelchair and my heart aches at the sight. Selene said he¡¯d be

    injured. I hadn¡¯t considered that it might be permanent. He looks empty, haunted, devoid of all emotion.

    I suddenly have a sh of seeing him in this life, telling him he has to live for our daughter. I¡¯m thankful

    he

    has done this for me.

    Cara is sitting on hisp, his arms are wrapped around her and her head is buried in his neck as she

    cries. Beside him, Calista stands, looking almost as distraught as Clint. She is holding Rik¡¯s hand and

    tears are falling down his face as well. Beside Rik is Liam. He is standing stoically, but I can see the

    tension on his face. As I look, I see Alpha Christopher and Anastasia, Alpha Eric, Zoe and their children

    and many other pack representatives that I¡¯ve met over the years. Our entire pack is here, making this

    a

    huge event.

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    I turn back and see Anders standing above the pyre on a stage and suddenly I realize this is my My

    hand instantly reaches out for Andra and she is there, standing next to me. I look back at the hundreds

    of people who have gathered to say goodbye to me. All of them are in tears.

    funeral.

    I¡¯m suddenly reminded of something I heard years ago, called the ripple effect. You don¡¯t always realize

    the impact you have on other people¡¯s lives. One drop into a body of water sends ripples out in every

    direction. As I watch, I open my mind and I hear the voices, thanking me for saving them, saving their

    children, their mates, for being a friend when they had no one else, for being kind to them when they

    needed someone. I¡¯m overwhelmed at the outpouring of love.

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 Chapter 597

    As Anders finishes his speech, his voice breaking, he stands to light the pyre holding my physical body. | walk to Clint, putting my

    hand on his shoulder, Andra walks beside his wheelchair and leans against him. both of us lending him what strength we can.

    As the fire burns, everyone begins to move toward the packhouse. They will have a celebration of my life. That is what we do in

    our pack, we celebrate the life of the ones we''ve lost. As | look down, | can see that Clint will not be celebrating today. He stays,

    watching my body burn, long after everyone else has gone.

    Calistaes to take Cara and tries to get Clint toe too, but he just shakes his head. | stay with Clint. ¡°You can do this, my

    love. You''re so strong, | know you can do this.¡± | say to him, knowing he can¡¯t

    hear me.

    As we stand here, Alpha Christopheres to stand beside Clint. ¡°I know what you¡¯re feeling. And | know you want nothing

    more than toy down and hope the Moon Goddess takes you to join your mate. But you have to live for your daughter. She

    needs you.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°How?¡± Clint whispers, his voice sounding rough and raw.

    ¡°Everyday when you wake up, you get out of bed. Then you shower. Then you get your daughter up, make sure she¡¯s fed and

    get her off to school. Then you do it again in reverse in the evening when shees home. Eventually, you don¡¯t have to fight to

    do each step, you just start going through the motions. And then you start filling in the time when she¡¯s gone. At least, that¡¯s what

    | did. You''ll never get over it, never

    get over her, but it does get easier with time.¡±

    As the two of them stand together, watching the pyre burn. | turn to find my daughter. When | do, | see her sitting in a chair.

    Someone, probably Calista has brought her some food, but she¡¯s not eating. When no one is looking, she ducks away and

    climbs the stairs to our room. The room has been re-arranged. The bed is gone and so are most of our belongings. I¡¯m guessing

    they had to move Clint to the first floor

    since he couldn¡¯t get upstairs any longer.

    | watch as she pulls a nket from the closet and wraps it around herself. It¡¯s the nket that | had her wrapped in when | took

    her to the safe room. She takes a deep breath, sniffing my scent on the nket

    as tears slide down her cheeks.

    Behind me. | hear a noise and turn to see Liam. He doesn¡¯t say anything, he just goes and sits beside Lily, wrapping his arm

    around her and holding her while she cries.

    When she finally pulls away, she looks up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha. | shouldn¡¯t be crying on you like this.¡±

    ¡°How about, we make this our little secret? | won''t tell, if you won¡¯t tell. Okay?¡±

    My heart clenches as | hear my words to Liam all those years ago repeated to my daughter.

    She nods, leaning against him as the tears start again. ¡°My mommy is dead.¡±

    ¡°| know. She was my friend. I¡¯m going to miss her.¡± He rocks her back and forth as she cries.

    ¡°You know, | lost my mom when | was about your age.¡± He tells her.

    She looks up at him, her emerald eyes shining through her tears. ¡°You did?¡±

    ¡°| did. And you know what helped me?¡±

    She shakes her head at him.

    ¡°Your mom. She gave me her number and told me to call her anytime | needed to talk. And you know

    what? She always answered when | called.¡±

    ¡°| don¡¯t have anyone to call.¡± My sweet girl says tearfully.

    ¡°Sure you do. You have me. I''ll be your friend and any time you need to talk, no matter what time it is, you call me, and I''ll

    answer. Even if you just need to cry or tell me about your day. Whatever it is, I''ll always

    be here for you Cara.¡±

    | watch as he gets up and finds a pen and paper, writing his number down for Cara. ¡°You have a phone.

    right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is one in our room.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then anytime, Cara. | mean it. And, if you need to get out, Cyran can take you for a run. He¡¯d be happy to carry you or run

    with you, if you ever want to go.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± The content is on

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    ¡°Call me Liam.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Liam.¡± The content is on

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    And this is how the friendship

    between Cara and Liam started. And

    how Clint learned how to live without

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 Chapter 598

    When I returned to the packhouse after being in the hospital, Anders had moved most of my things to a

    room on the first floor. It was just another reminder of how far I had fallen. The name stuck and I could

    hear people whispering about the broken warrior¡°.

    I waited until after Lily¡¯s funeral before approaching Anders.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving Anders.¡±

    ¡°Where are you headed, Clint.¡± He asks me as we navigate through the packhouse. It was never meant

    to house a wheelchair. Anders has made amodations for me, but it¡¯s not how the packhouse was

    built.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking Cara and we¡¯re leaving. I can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    He stops, turning to look at me. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in it. I¡¯m no good to you anymore. I¡¯m not even capable of being your Guardian.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still a warrior in this pack.¡±

    ¡°But a broken warrior, right? Isn¡¯t that what everyone is calling me, the broken warrior? I can¡¯t live like

    this. I won¡¯t live like this.¡±

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    Anders snarls and he immediately sends out an Alphamand telling everyone that if they are heard

    calling me the broken warrior again, they will answer to him. His aura is so strong, I hear several

    omegas

    in the packhouse yelp.

    He turns back to me. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving. That¡¯s an order.¡± I see Zakai hase forward and I feel his

    Alpha aura pushing over me.

    I scoff at him. ¡°I may be broken, but I¡¯m still a Guardian. Your Alpha aura has no effect on me.¡± Even

    though Donovan is still suffering from the loss of our mate and can¡¯te forward, I¡¯m still not affected

    by the Alpha aura. Donovan wants to leave the pack too, and he¡¯s only harging on because of our pup.

    Calistaes running up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Clint thinks he¡¯s leaving our pack. He¡¯s not.¡± He snarls at me.

    Calista crouches in front of me. ¡°Clint. Please. We¡¯ve already lost Lily. We can¡¯t lose you and Cara too.¡±

    Calista has always been a gentle soul. Between that and her long¨Cterm friendship with Lily, I can¡¯t bring

    myself to be unkind to her, so my voice is gentler when I speak.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay here, Calista. I don¡¯t belong here anymore.¡±

    She puts her hand on mine. ¡°You do belong here. You are a Guardian of this pack, and you are my best

    friend¡¯s mate. But I understand if being in the packhouse isn¡¯tfortable for you any longer. Will you

    +15 BONUS

    give me a couple of months. Let me make other arrangements for you and Cara? Will you do that for

    me. please?¡±

    I nod, knowing I can¡¯t deny her. True to her word, two monthster, Calista and Anders take me and

    Cara to a house that they built on the edge of the pack territory. ¡°I¡¯ve told the patrols to give this ce a

    wide berth. You¡¯ll have privacy and no one will bother you here. If you see anyone breaching the

    borders, send up the rm. Otherwise, you won¡¯t see anyone you don¡¯t want to see.¡±

    They walk us inside. The house has been built for someone in a wheelchair. The counters are lower,

    the downstairs bedroom has wide doorways and rails in the shower so I can get myself in and out on

    my own. The bathroom sink is low enough for me to use without having to pull myself up and has an

    opening so I can slide my wheelchair underneath as I get ready in the morning.

    I can hear Cara upstairs. Calista took her up to show her her new bedroom. Anders showed me

    pictures and told me if I wanted to go see it, he¡¯d carry me up when Cara wasn¡¯t home. Calista

    decorated it for her but told her if she wanted to make any changes, she could. The only thing Cara

    asked for was a phone. I¡¯ve noticed that she calls Alpha Liam when she¡¯s feeling down. At first, I

    thought he would tell her to stop calling, but he never does, and he answers every time she calls. I¡¯ve

    even heard her call in the middle of the night when she couldn¡¯t sleep.

    The house is morefortable for me, and even though Cara is still young, Calista makes a point to

    check on her ande tuck her into bed every night. I begin to feel like I can breathe again. I

    understand what Alpha Christopher meant about fighting through and taking the necessary steps until

    you don¡¯t have to fight them anymore. Once we moved into the house, it was just me and Cara. She

    and I didn¡¯t have anyone else to help her get up and get ready, so I had to do it. Eventually, I get into a

    morning and evening routine and the days goes by.

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 Chapter 599

    About a month after we moved into the house, Calista had a ceremony in our memorial garden. We

    don¡¯t bury our dead, like some humans do, we burn them, sending them to the Moon Goddess. But that

    doesn¡¯t mean that we don¡¯t want a ce where we can go to spend time with the memory of our loved

    ones.

    Anderses to get me and Cara and drives us to the memorial. I think it was nned to be small, but

    the entire pack has shown up to honor my mate¡¯s memory. When the statute goes in, I know that

    Calista designed it herself. It¡¯s an angel looking down on her wolfpack. It¡¯s exactly what Lily did her

    entire life. She fought for the pack and died for the pack. I have Cara take the flowers that I bought for

    today and Calista helps her set them beside the statute. I¡¯ll have to find a way toe here and visit

    her. It¡¯s a bit of a ways from our house, but what else do I have to do every day while Cara is at school?

    As more time goes by, I begin to fill in the time while Cara is at school. In the mornings, I wheel myself

    to Lily¡¯s memorial, stopping to get flowers and leaving them for her. I talk to her, and it helps me.

    Sometimes, it even feels like she is there with me, and it brings me peace. I tell her about everything

    that is going on with Cara and how beautiful our daughter is. In the evenings, after Cara is asleep. I go

    to my room andy on my bed, looking at my guitar in the corner of the room or at the pictures of Lily

    and I in Maine and of the three of us in the same spot yearster. I¡¯ll close my eyes as I fall asleep and

    dream of the good times with my mate. It makes it hard to wake up in the morning when I¡¯m alone, but

    it helps me

    to get some sleep at night.

    Anders insists oning for dinner every Thursday night. Calistaes by several times a week,

    bringing food and making sure that Cara is doing okay. But I think she is checking up on me, too. I

    notice that Calista neveres on Thursdays and eventually, I ask Anders about it. He says he misses

    his

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    friend and so this is ¡®our¡® time.

    About a year after losing Lily, Calista and Anders show up at my house with a van. ¡°This is for you,

    Clint.¡±

    Anders says to me, gesturing at the van.

    I look at him a moment. I can¡¯t believe he would do something this callous. He knows I can¡¯t drive. I¡¯m

    about to turn around and go back inside when Calista puts her hand on my arm. ¡°Clint, we would never

    be so cruel as to offer you a gift you couldn¡¯t use. Before you turn away, let us show you what we¡¯ve

    done.¡±

    I find I still can¡¯t say no to Calista. So, I watch as Anders pushes a button on the side of the van. The

    door slides open, and a ramp unfolds. He gestures for me to go in. ¡°Take a look.¡± He says, smiling.

    I look from him to Calista who nods at me. I wheel myself inside the van and see that it has been

    modified to allow for me and my wheelchair. I wheel over to the driver¡¯s seat while Anders gets in the

    passenger seat. ¡°It will take some adjustment on your part, but the foot pedals have been shifted into

    hand pedals.¡± He points to two hand holds on the sides of the steering wheel.

    I look at him and back to Calista. ¡°You did this for me?¡±

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    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my best friend and it must be tiresome trying to go everywhere in your wheelchair. I

    know you¡¯re too stubborn to ever ask for help, so we got you this. At least now, if Cara needs to go

    somewhere, you don¡¯t have to ask anyone, you can take her yourself. But I¡¯d suggest you practice

    before bringing her along. Shall we give it a go?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Right now?¡±

    ¡°No time like the present.¡± He says and shows me where the button is to lift the ramp and close the

    side door on the van. I shift from my wheelchair to the driver¡¯s seat and adjust everything to fit me

    ¡°See youter, Cali.¡± He says before leaning back in his seat. I feel like I¡¯m learning to drive all over

    again. but a couple hourster, I think I¡¯ve got the general hang of it.

    ¡°Thank you, Anders.¡± I say to my friend.

    ¡°Anything for you, my friend.¡±

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    Clint is finding a life without Lily: What do you think of Anders and Calista¡¯s gift?

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 Chapter 600

    Time moves differently in this ce. At first, it moved slowly. I spent a lot of time with Cara and Clint as

    they were hurting so much. Most nights, I would sleep beside Clint. But if I heard Cara crying. I¡¯d goy

    down with her. Sometimes I would spend time with Calista who holds a lot of quilt for my death. No

    matter how many times Anders tells her it wasn¡¯t her fault, she still mes herself.

    I listen to my daughter when she calls Liam, crying on the phone, or telling him something funny that

    happened at school. She¡¯s afraid to tell her father, although he usually already knows. But she doesn¡¯t

    want to upset him because she is finding small moments of happiness. Liam is always a good friend to

    her, supporting her and validating her feelings. I¡¯m not sure I realized how important it was for him to

    have me, until I watch how valuable having him is to Cara.

    I watch as Clint slowly begins to live again. I like sitting with him at my memorial. It¡¯s like he¡¯s really

    talking to me. Andra really likes the memorial, too. She goes andys on it when Clint is there, almost

    like she¡¯s watching over the pack with me. And I guess she is. She and I have developed anguage of

    sorts. We shared headspace together long enough that we both usually know what the other is thinking

    but we have found ways tomunicate when we don¡¯t.

    I watch my beautiful daughter grow. And on her 10th birthday. I¡¯m there to see her get her wolf. The

    party had been wonderful, Calista had nned the party at Clint and Cara¡¯s house. She invited Cara¡¯s

    friends

    and even Liam was in attendance. Rik was at some event for Alphas that recently got their wolves, so

    he

    wasn¡¯t in attendance. What I, nor anyone else was expecting was that Artemis would have the golden

    eyes of a Guardian.

    When Artemis pushed forward, everyone, including me, gasped. I don¡¯t know if this is something that

    has ever happened before. Donovan recovered first, greeting his daughter and telling her how much he

    loves

    her. Liam was second, asking her if she¡¯d like to go for a run after her shift. I¡¯m d he¡¯s willing to do

    that for her. Since Andra and I aren¡¯t there, and Donovan is unable, having a friend who can also look

    after her on her first run is the next best thing.

    I watch that night as she shifts for the first time. Donovan shifts for the first time since his injury. I can

    tell it¡¯s extremely painful for both of them, but to their credit, no one says a word. After the shift,

    Donovan pulls himself over to Cara andys beside her as she shifts. Andra isying on her other side,

    lending her

    support as well. Calista, Anders and Liam are there to encourage her and help guide her through her

    first shift. As soon as she shifts, Andra howls her pleasure at our beautiful daughter, and I feel tears in

    my

    eyes.

    Liam shifts into Cyran and takes Artemis on her first run. Anders helps Clint shift back and then helps

    him into his wheelchair.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of this happening before?¡± Clint asks Anders and Cali when they are back inside

    and he has gotten dressed.

    ¡°No. Did you ever find that book you were looking for?¡±

    What book?

    ¡°No. I searched everywhere I knew to search after we realized that Lily,¡± his voice breaks for a moment

    before he recovers, ¡°when we first realized Lily was immune to wolfsbane. Then, when I became

    immune after our mating, I searched again, but never found it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look around again. But Clint, we need to be careful with her. She¡¯s definitely a Guardian and you

    that means that other Alphas wille looking for her.¡±

    know

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    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them get through me.¡± He snarls and I can hear Donovan¡¯s voice oveying on Clint¡¯s.

    And this is why I knew he was the better person to survive. He will keep our daughter safe and

    protected from others. I¡¯m even more thankful now that she has a friendship with Liam. He took over as

    Alpha a few months ago when his father finally passed into the Moon Goddess realm. He will help keep

    her safe.

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    Commentaires

 Chapter 601

    Cyran runs with Artemis for hours. Andra had gone to follow and watch over them and I joined her.

    watching as Cyran nipped at Artemis¡¯s heels and yed with her. He¡¯s really good with her.

    SO

    When they finally returned, Clint and Liam helped her shift back before Liam headed home. She

    excited that she chattered to Clint for a long time before she finally began to feel the fatigue of the day

    and went to bed.

    As much as I wanted to spend some time with Cara, I needed to try to connect to Clint tonight. I¡¯d never

    tried to push through to him. Sometimes, I¡¯d feel a connection, when I wasn¡¯t trying, but I needed to find

    a way to make the connection work. I need to speak to my mate.

    I waited until he was in bed beforeying down beside him. He does what he always does, he talks to

    me. telling me about Cara, remembering the good times before falling asleep. This time. I close my

    eyes and follow his thoughts, letting myself drift off with him.

    When I open my eyes, I see we¡¯re back in Maine. It¡¯s just the two of us and we¡¯re walking hand in hand

    beside the ocean. ¡°Clint, can you hear me?¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°Of course. Lily bud. I can always hear you.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember that our daughter had her first shift tonight?¡±

    I watch as he frowns. This is not part of the memory. When he looks back up at me, his frown

    disappears, and his eyes widen. ¡°Lily bud, is it really you?¡± He whispers, and his hand tentatively

    reaches.

    out to touch me.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really me.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just knew I needed to talk to you and so I followed you into your dream.¡±

    Tears begin falling down his cheeks. ¡°I miss you so much.¡±

    I

    ¡°Do you remember what I told you? That I¡¯m always here?¡± I say and put my hand over his heart.

    His hand covers mine. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I am always here. I¡¯ve been here all along, watching over you and Cara. Thank you for keeping your

    promise to me and raising our daughter. I know it¡¯s been hard, but I¡¯m so proud of you for fighting

    through it.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re always around.¡±

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    ¡°Mmmhmm. Iy with you almost every night unless Cara is upset. Then I go sleep with her. I¡¯ve

    watched you through your struggles and how you¡¯ve pushed yourself to be there for Cara. Which is

    why

    I¡¯m here. I need you to do something else for me, for her.¡±

    He¡¯s caressing my face, his hands in my hair, touching me like he still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m here in front of

    him.

    ¡°Whatever you need Lily bud, you know that. I would do anything for you.¡±

    ¡°I know. I need you to train Cara. She¡¯s a Guardian. She needs a Guardian to train her.¡±

    ¡°But. Lily. I¡¯m broken.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re in a wheelchair but that¡¯s different. You are still the strongest person I¡¯ve ever

    met. You made me stronger than I ever knew I could be. Cara has her wolf now, a Guardian. You need

    to make her strong. Make her into the Guardian she is meant to be.¡±

    Will you do this for mo?¡±

    I lean my forehead against his. ¡°Will you do this for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You know I could never tell you no. Plus, if I know you¡¯re watching me, I¡¯d never want you

    to

    be disappointed in me.¡±

    I rub my nose against his. ¡°I could never be disappointed in you. You make me so proud to have been

    your mate every day.¡±

    ¡°Will I see you again?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll try, but I¡¯m not exactly sure how I did this. But just know, I¡¯m always here, in your

    heart.¡± I put my hand on his heart again. ¡°And when you feel me beside you, it¡¯s because I¡¯m really

    there.¡±

    ¡°I love you Lily bud.¡±

    ¡°I love you too Clint, always.¡± I kiss him before the dream fades away and I¡¯mying beside him in bed

    His eyes open and he looks around. He taps his hand to his heart.

    ¡°You¡¯re always here, Lily bud.¡±

    +15

    BONUS

 Chapter 602

    My Lily bud is always here, watching over me and Cara. It changes things for me. It makes the days

    easier. I have no intention of letting my mate down, so I begin to n what needs to happen to train my

    daughter and make her the strongest Guardian alive.

    That does give me a moment of pause. Guardians are reborn, so where is Andra¡¯s Guardian spirit?!

    would look after her too, make sure she is safe. I need to talk to Anders about that, see if she¡¯s popped

    up somewhere and I¡¯ve just been so lost in my grief that I didn¡¯t pay attention.

    The next couple of days, I make a n to build a training ground for Cara. I make a list of all the

    materials I¡¯ll need and what I can do in the interim while I¡¯m building. When I go to the store for my

    dinner with Anders, I grab some steaks, potatoes and green beans. I pick Cara up from school and

    send her to the table to do her homework while I start dinner. It¡¯s Thursday and I have a lot to prepare

    before Anders

    arrives.

    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Cara says, watching me from the dining room table as I bustle around the

    kitchen.

    ¡°I have a lot to discuss with Anders tonight. I have some ideas for your training.¡± I stop and turn to her.¡±

    Are you and Artemis ready to begin your training, not only as a warrior of this pack but also as

    Guardians?¡±

    I watch as her face transitions from disbelief, to surprise to excitement. ¡°You and Donovan are going to

    train us?¡±

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    ¡°No one knows how to train a Guardian better than another Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± She says, jumping up and rushing to hug me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. I¡¯m going to work you hard, Cara. I¡¯ll push you harder than you knew you could

    be pushed.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t let you down, Dad.¡± She says, Artemis¡¯s voice oveying with my daughter¡¯s. Donovan

    pushes forward, goddess it¡¯s good to have him back, and we answer together. ¡°I know you won¡¯t. You

    are your mother¡¯s daughter, after all.¡±

    Cara pulls back, looking at me, a question in her eyes. ¡°And that reminds me of a promise I made your

    mother.¡± So, while I make dinner, I begin to tell Cara about Lily and about our life together. I know I¡¯ve

    been negligent in telling Cara about her mother. Now, she¡¯s like a sponge and my stories are the water

    she¡¯s soaking up.

    Anders is understandably shocked when he arrives, and dinner is almost ready. The meal he brought

    with him is put in the fridge and we have a nice dinner together, the three of us. I continue to ry

    stories. of Lily to Cara over dinner, with Anders telling some of his own about my mate. When we finish

    dinner, before Cara heads upstairs to finish her homework, shees over and wraps her arms

    around me.¡±

    +15 BONUS

    Thanks Dad. Tonight was great.¡± She kisses my cheek and heads upstairs. I watch her go, realizing

    how much I haven¡¯t been there for my little girl. That changes today.

    ¡°You want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Anders says to me. He clears the dessert tes, and we move

    into the living room. I grab my ns and take a seat across from him. ¡°Lily came to me in a dream this

    week. Besides telling me that she¡¯s always here.¡± I spread my arms to include this room, because

    maybe she is here right now. ¡°she told me I have to train Cara to be a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He nods his head in agreement. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re finally going toe back and

    participate in warrior training?¡±

    ¡°No. It means that I¡¯m going to need your help getting the foundation of an indoor and outdoor training

    facility started. I can¡¯t get it set into the ground, but I can do the rest.¡±

    He¡¯s looking at me like I¡¯ve lost my mind. ¡°And, just how to n to build not one, but two training

    facilities for your daughter? And why can¡¯t you juste train her with the other warriors?¡±

    ¡°To answer you first question, I¡¯m a Guardian and I¡¯m going to start rebuilding the strength in my upper

    body. I¡¯ll do that by building these two structures.¡± I hand him my ns. ¡°As to why I won¡¯t train her with

    your warriors? Eventually, she can start training with them, she¡¯ll need the sparring experience, but I¡¯m

    going to get her started for the first couple of years, and I¡¯ll always train her in the afternoons. She¡¯s a

    Guardian and she needs to be trained like a Guardian.¡±

    He looks over the ns I¡¯ve made and whistles, looking back up at me. ¡°Can I steal these when you¡¯re

    done?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Heughs, handing them back to me.

    ¡°When do you want to break ground?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    builders co

    He makes some calls and get the to be here on Monday after Cara goes to school.

    We also talk about Andra¡¯s Guardian spirit. Anders has never heard that another Guardian awakening.¡±

    She could still be underage, and being hidden, like we are with Cara.¡±

    He¡¯s right. It¡¯s only been five years since Lily¡¯s death. If the new Guardian was only 10 at the t still be a

    minor. ¡°Please just keep your ears open for me. If we find her, I want to meet her.¡±

    Before he leaves that night, he turns to me. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, my friend.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back. It¡¯s good to feel like I have a use again.¡±

    ¡°You have always had a use in this pack.¡±

    time, she

    I shake m

    my head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t be what I had been. As usual, it¡¯s Lily that helps me to see that I need

    to look at things differently. And now that I am, I intend to make her proud of me, every day.¡±

    I wheel myself to the front patio as he walks to his car. ¡°Is Thursday night going to be steak night.

    +15 BONUS

    every week? Because I¡¯ve got to tell you, you make a mean steak, Clint.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Tell Calista she can make dessert and I¡¯ll cook you a steak every week.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    That night, when I go to bed, I tell Lily all about my ns, what Cara¡¯s training schedule will look like,

    and I even remember a couple of things that I had forgotten that I used to do with Lily. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s

    because she¡¯s here with me that I remembered, but I¡¯m assuming it is. Maybe she¡¯s whispering in my

    ear, or maybe she¡¯s justying here like she used to, helping me to think. Either way, I fall asleep with a

    smile on my face for the first time in years. And the next morning when I wake up, my heart doesn¡¯t feel

    heavy. I have a lot of work to do, and the first part is making myself strong again.

    Cooper

    Author

    Clint is finally beginning to heal.

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 Chapter 603

    For the next few years, I get into a pattern of training Cara. We train early in the morning, then while

    she is at school, I work on my upper body strength by building and testing the training facilities I¡¯m

    building for her. It¡¯s a work in progress, but I feet closer to Lily while 1 build this for our daughter. In the

    afternoons, I train Cara again, sometimes joining her, and then it¡¯s dinner, homework and bed before

    we turn around

    and do it again.

    Cara is the absolute best daughter a parent could ever want. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because we had those

    years after Lily¡¯s death where I struggled to be present, but she never tests me. She is smart, and we

    talk about her schoolwork, her studies, and I give her extra Guardian studies during the weekends

    when she¡¯s

    training her endurance in the pool.

    The older Cara gets, the more she looks like Lily. She¡¯s gorgeous and I¡¯m thankful that she has listened

    to everything I¡¯ve told her about the mate bond and that she¡¯s waiting for her mate. I told her about the

    struggles Lily and I had when I first met her because of my ¡°loose¡± ways before we dated. And I also

    told

    her, as best I could to someone that hasn¡¯t experienced it, how amazing the mate bond is.

    We talked of her expectations of being a Guardian. Anders expects that she will be Rik¡¯s Guardian as I

    was his, but that has yet to be determined. She and Rik aren¡¯t close. That is partly my fault. I think, but

    it¡¯s also partly the need to keep her protected. I don¡¯t let her go torge pack events, especially when

    there are other Alphas visiting. I have no intention of letting what happened to Lily, happen to Cara. So,

    we train

    and talk about her mom most nights and she grows up before my eyes.

    When Cara turns 15, Anders pushes me to let her train with the other warriors. I knew it was time. She

    had sparred with Anders on asion and also her best friend Jason, but that was about it. I asked her

    if

    she wanted to train and it was her excitement and Anders saying he would take over the morning

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    training, that ended any reservations I had.

    Cara¡¯s friendship with Liam has continued, I was even more surprised after he took over as Alpha that

    he

    didn¡¯t stop her calls to him. They had be fewer but more consistent. It seems like she calls him on

    Sunday evenings before her week starts. She¡¯ll tell him about her week, training and school and from

    what I can hear, he¡¯ll listen. He makes herugh, and it sounds like she makes him taugh too.

    When she turns 17, she asks me about going out to the local club. She said Liam told her about it and

    she could go once she turned 17. It¡¯s a dance club and I asked Anders about it. He said a lot of the kids

    would go there, including Rik and Chase. So, I said yes. What I didn¡¯t realize was that this would be

    how

    Liam would make his move on my daughter.

    About three months after Cara started going dancing every week, Liam brought her home. He came up

    to

    the door and asked to speak to me. He told me that he was interested in my daughter as a potential

    mate, that he knew she was underage and that he would respect her, me and her desire to wait for her

    fated mate. I told him that, if he could be respectful of my daughter, I had no problems with him

    spending time with her. But I cautioned him that, regardless of him being an Alpha, I would not

    pressure Cara into

    any rtionship. It was her choice.

    +IS BONUS

    As she got closer to her 18th birthday, suddenly, Rik was in the picture. I¡¯m not sure how he went his

    entire life not knowing my daughter, but once he realized who she was, he went all¨Cin to win her over. I

    was thrilled and shocked when he got her The History of the Guardians. I had been searching for that

    book for years, and he got it for my daughter.

    Anders continued to push me to be involved in the training of his warriors and I started thinking it over.

    If it turned out that Cara was mated to either Liam or Rik, she would be Luna and I would lose the

    purpose I have gained by being her trainer.

    The only blight on this time was when Cara was kidnapped. I was so proud of my daughter. She

    handled herself well, fought like a Guardian and recovered like a champ. Even if I wanted her to take

    more time to heal, she showed me once again that she¡¯s her mother¡¯s daughter.

    After the attack that caused her kidnapping, and her quick healing. I agreed with Anders that I would

    begin training his warriors. Rik had told us that his wolf, Kai, recognized Cara as his mate. I warned him

    that it was Cara¡¯s decision who she took as a mate. I won¡¯t have an Alpha pressuring her to mate. He

    agreed.

    ?

    I think the warriors were shocked at how tough I was on them. I was impressed with Rik. He handled it

    like the Alpha he is and never onceined. He supported and encouraged his warriors while

    continued to try to beat them into the ground.

    Eventually, warriors from my time starteding to training. They were happy to see me back in a

    training role and battled to get their strength back. Anders made a point to tell me that having me back

    in warrior training not only strengthened the young warriors, it strengthened our older warriors,

    therefore strengthening the entire pack.

    I began spending more time in the packhouse. Anders still had it revised for me and while I didn¡¯t

    spend a ton of time there, I would go for meals and to spend time with Anders and the warriors. At night

    I would still talk to Lily and though she never showed herself to me again, I felt her presence from time

    to time and I knew she was there..

    IS BONUS

 Chapter 604

    I¡¯ve continued to watch the life of my family. I¡¯ve watched my daughter grow into a beautiful woman.

    She is not only beautiful on the outside, but she¡¯s also beautiful on the inside. Clint has done such a

    great job. raising her, as I knew he would. And I love that he still talks to me at night, as if I¡¯m right

    beside him.

    which, of course, I am.

    I¡¯ve watched as Cara developed a sweet romantic interest in Liam, watched while Rik finally realized

    who

    my daughter is and beganying his im to her and I never left her side when Eli kidnapped her.

    Andra

    had snarled and snapped at him every time he came in to try and mark our daughter. Not that it made a

    difference, but we were there, trying to protect her.

    So, I was there when they went to Araphyra. Donovan wasn¡¯t the only one that seemed to remember

    King

    Ailduin¡¯s name. Andra sat up when they mentioned him.

    ¡°Do you remember him, Andra?¡± She looks at me and chuffs. Her memory seems to be stronger than

    Donovan¡¯s.

    When they arrive, Andra immediately walked over to Ailduin. She definitely remembers him. When we

    hear the story of Jinelle and how she was mated to King Ailduin, it makes sense that Andra would

    remember him more than Donovan. She has a tie to him that Donovan never had.

    The night when Ailduin told everyone of Andra¡¯s history and Guardian line, I knew I wanted Clint to stay

    and get more information. The more we know about our Guardian lines the better he will be able to

    help Cara and hopefully, one day, the one that took over Andra¡¯s Guardian line.

    That night, I push to connect to him again. It¡¯s been so long. I can¡¯t actually reach him, but I think he

    hears me in his dreams. I feel even more confident that he heard me when he says he¡¯s going to stay.

    There is something magical here in Araphyra, so perhaps, I can connect again while we¡¯re here. Cara

    has Rik now and I know they will be mates, so I feel confident in staying with Clint.

    Our month with Ailduin goes by too quickly. We start with Clint¡¯s Guardian line. Sometimes when he¡¯s

    reading, he¡¯ll skim too fast for me to keep up and he¡¯ll turn the page. I realized identally that I could

    turn the page back. The first time it happened, Clint went totally still and so did I.

    ¡°Lily bud?¡±

    I reached out and turned the page again. His smile was brilliant. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here with me. If you

    need me to slow down, just turn the page back.¡±

    And so, we created our own type ofmunication while we were there. Clint asked Ailduin about it.

    telling him that he feels that I am here and that he knows that I have been watching over him and Cara.

    ¡°Fae magic is usually rted to the earth, not the afterlife. But.¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Clint asks him and I am waiting to hear as well

    +15 RGNUS

    ¡°But, maybe, she found a way to stay on both nes, this life and the afterlife.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Clint asks.

    Ailduin shrugs in the elegant way that only royalty can. ¡°With the Guardians, I¡¯d say anything is

    possible.¡±

    I love the time in Araphyra. Not only do we learn a huge amount about our histories, but the longer

    we¡¯re here, the closer I feel to Clint. I swear I even start to feel the heat of his body, and I know he can

    feel it too. He tells me that he keeps getting whiffs of his favorite scent, orange and ginger. My scent.

    When he finishes reading our histories, he sits with Ailduin and writes the story of our life and love. He

    asks Ailduin to make a copy to give to Cara. I love this idea. Now our love will live on forever in history.

    But, as with all good things, this too must end. Clint has to return for Cara¡¯s 18th birthday. I don¡¯t want

    to miss her momentous birthday either. I know she¡¯ll finally recognize Rik as her mate. And while I

    know it will devastate Liam, it¡¯s time for Cara to start moving forward with the life she was always

    meant to live.

    I get to watch my beautiful daughter find her mate, and thenter, I watch as she and Rik be

    Alpha and Luna of the Canyon Ridge pack.

    Thankfully, not too long after that, Angel found Liam. It took awhile for Alessia¡¯s Guardian spirit to return

    after all the trauma she experienced. I know it was tough for Clint to finally know that I took his ce

    that day on the battlefield. I watched him after his first meeting with Alessia and followed him into our

    room. I wrapped my arms around him until Anders came in to support him.

    As they walked out, I hear Clint whisper, ¡°We will be talking about thister, Lily bud.¡± Thankfully, by the

    time hees to bed that night, he is feeling better about everything. He still gives me quite a tongue

    lashing but then he begins reminiscing about our trip away right before my death.

    +15 BONUS

 Chapter 605

    ¡°That was a really good idea. Lily bud. I¡¯ve thought of thatst night away so many times over the years. | should have known. It

    wasn''t like you to suddenly be so stressed out. But hindsight is always 20/20,

    isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Clint begins training Angel and Alessia and it¡¯s like he has a renewed purpose in life. I''m happy watching

    them, but | miss my mate. It¡¯s been nearly 14 years since | died. The time in Araphyra only heightened my desire to be with him. |

    don¡¯t want him to die, | just wish | could touch him again.

    | watch my granddaughter¡¯s birth. | have to say, | didn¡¯t see iting that my granddaughter would be mated to the son of the

    man that my Guardian spirit was once mated to. But then, | didn¡¯t see iting. that my Guardian spirit would be mated to Liam

    either. | guess, in the end, everything thates around, goes around.

    Several months after Angel began training with Clint, Selene finds me.

    ¡°How are you doing Lily?¡±

    | don¡¯t turn my attention away from Clint. ¡°I miss him.¡± | say quietly.

    | feel her hand on my shoulder. ¡°His time ising to an end on earth.¡±

    That does get my attention. ¡°When? How?¡±

    ¡°It will be violent, during theing vampire war. You will need to be there.¡±

    ¡°Of course, | will always be there for him.¡±

    ¡°Not for him. For the pack. Cara will have an explosion of power when Clint dies. Her grief will send out a pulse of energy that will

    have the potential to kill everyone around her.¡±

    ¡°WHAT? What can | do?¡±

    ¡°Angel will be there, but she can only protect so many. You and Andra were Guardians once: | think you can use yourself as a

    shield to absorb some of her power and keep her from killing her pack and everyone around her.¡±

    I

    ¡°Of course, Andra and | will do whatever we can to protect the pack.¡±

    She smiles at me. ¡°I know you will, that¡¯s why you were chosen to be Guardians to begin with.¡±

    A few dayster, it¡¯s the day of the war. While I¡¯m excited to see my mate again, I¡¯m worried about Andra and | being able to

    control this power surge the Moon Goddess told us our daughter will push out.

    We stay close to Clint. He¡¯s beside Rik and Cara to begin with, but as the battle goes on, they get separated. | decide to stay

    with Clint. At least then I''ll know when it¡¯s time. Andra is snarling around me, snapping at the vampires when they get too close to

    us.

    +15 BONUS

    ¡°Be ready Andra, | need you to focus.¡± She snarls, angry at not being able to fight as these vampires kill our pack members.

    | see the vampire kinge up behind Clint. His eyes are full of bloodlust, and he grabs Clint and sinks. his teeth into his neck.

    Clint ils at first, but he¡¯s being drained of blood quickl

    As his arms fall to his side and the light begins to dim in his eyes, | hear him whisper. ¡°I¡¯ming, Lily.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    The vampire, Dimitri, is so lost in his ecstasy that he doesn¡¯t realize what he has just unleashed. | watch as Cara screams her

    pain and hear Angel scream Liam¡¯s name. Andra and | jump in front of the Canyon Ridge pack, my arms are spread wide, Andra

    taking a hard stand.

    The force of her pain blows through me. | feel it and it¡¯s such a bone-crushing pain that it brings tears to my eyes. ¡°You''ll be

    okay, my beautiful girl. You have a long, happy life ahead of you.¡± | tell her, knowing

    she can¡¯t hear me.

    Andra and | copse to the ground, and | see Rik moving tofort Cara. | look at where Clint isying

    lifeless on the ground.

    I stand, looking at Andra. ¡°Come on, Andra. We need to find our mates.¡±

    That gets her up quickly and we run

    into the forest. We find Donovan first.

    Andra runs to him, rubbing herself all

    over him. They jump and yip in

    happiness at finding each other

    again. | reach down, hugging

    Donovan. It''s good to see Donovan

    whole again. It¡¯s been too long since

    he¡¯s been able to run. The content is

    on noveldrama.org! Read thetest

    chapter there!

    | continue searching for Clint. When |

    do find him, he¡¯s looking around, like

    he¡¯s lost. The content is on

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    chapter there!

    | wait for him to look at me. Maybe it¡¯s corny, but he loves me this way.

    When his eyes finally find mine, | smile the smile that | gave him so many years ago.

    ¡°Mate.¡± | whisper, just as | did that first time.

    ¡°Mate!¡± He confirms and we run

    together, holding each other like we''ll

    never let the other go again. And |

    know we won''t The content is on

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 Chapter 606

    At first, when the vampire sank his teeth into my neck, I fought. I probably could have defeated him,

    even in my disadvantaged state. But then, I realized if I died, I¡¯d be with my Lily bud.

    I feel my tether to everyone in my life break and I tell Lily I¡¯ming as everything goes dark. When I

    open my eyes, I¡¯m back in the meadow that I found myself in right after Lily died. I sit up and look

    around.

    All I care about is finding my Lily bud. I¡¯m going to hold her and kiss her and remind her of what being

    my

    mate means.

    I¡¯m happy when I realize I can stand. It takes me a moment to readjust to being able to walk again.

    ¡°Look at this Donovan!¡± I say, wanting to share my excitement with my wolf.

    I¡¯m met with silence. ¡°Donovan?¡± I say, looking around like I¡¯m going to find him in the meadow.

    What I find instead is my heart, my soul, the love of my life.

    ¡°Mate.¡± She says and it makes my heart sing again. It¡¯s just like it was that day beside theke and I

    have to let her know that I still feel our mate bond, so I repeat it back to her before racing to her and

    taking her in my arms. My lips capture hers and I¡¯m surrounded by her scent, her delicious scent of

    orange and ginger. It feels so good to have her back in my arms that I can¡¯t help the whimper that

    escapes my lips.

    When I finally pull back, I see her azure blue eyes looking at me with so much love. I feel my heart and

    soul heal as I¡¯m reunited with my mate, my life, my love.

    She smiles at me. ¡°Are you missing something?¡±

    I frown. I have her, what am I missing? And then it hits me. ¡°Donovan.¡±

    As I say it, two beautiful brown wolvese out of the forest. I pull away from Lily as they walk toward

    us. One stops beside her and the other continues walking to me. I kneel down. ¡°Donovan?¡±

    He rubs his face against me, and I pull him against my chest, hugging him tight.

    I look up and see what must be Andra standing beside Lily. I open one arm and she runs up, licking my

    face, making meugh.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask Lily and she exins about the separation of us from our wolves so the

    Guardian spirit can reincarnate.

    I stand, pulling Lily to me again, and kissing her until I hear a throat clearing beside us. I pull away

    quickly, tugging Lily behind me. I just got her back, nothing in this or any life is taking her away from me

    again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Clint. I¡¯m not here to take your mate from you.¡± She says. Donovan walks up to her, and

    she bends down, sliding her fingers through his fur.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    ¡°Hello, Selene. Are you here to take us to your realm now?¡± Lily asks.

    Selene? As in the Moon Goddess? I look at Lily and she just smiles at me, nodding her head.

    Selene stands and smiles kindly at me. ¡°I¡¯m happy you are back with your mate. But we have a

    problem. And once the problem is corrected, you can decide if you are ready to follow me to my realm.¡±

    Lily steps around me. ¡°What problem?¡± She asks and I wrap my arm around her. I don¡¯t want her

    leaving

    me again so soon.

    ¡°It appears that your Guardian spirit followed you here. I guess it¡¯s something to do with being a

    Guardian or maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s your spirit and she got lost. Either way, Angel is here, and it¡¯s not

    her time.¡± Selene turns to me. ¡°Clint, I need you to help her find her way back to her ne. She trusts

    you and will follow you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I want to help Angel, but I just got Lily back.

    ¡°Lily can follow you, she¡¯ll never be far away. And this is her realm anyway, so I¡¯m sure she could find

    you no matter where you are. But Angel is lost and won¡¯t be able to find her way on her own. It¡¯s

    important that she return to Liam, especially now that she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    There is so much in that statement that I have questions about. Lily¡¯s realm? Angel¡¯s pregnant?

    ¡°Clint, we will always be Guardians in our heart. Go to her, help her find her way home and when you¡¯re

    done, you and I can be together. Then we¡¯ll decide if we¡¯re ready to go home to the Moon Goddess¡¯s

    realm. Oh, and tell Angel how proud we are with how she and Alessia are managing our Guardian

    spirit.¡±

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 Chapter 607

    I find Angel and I know that Selene was correct. She has no problem following me and I help her find

    her way back to Liam. Watching him on the hospital bed, begging for her to return to him, I¡¯m thankful

    that I could help him and Angel reunite. I know the pain of losing my mate, and I would never wish that

    on

    anyone.

    As soon as the door to the hospital room closes, I¡¯m back in the meadow with Lily. I waste no time

    taking my mate and reminding her of how special and important she is to me. I don¡¯t know how much

    time passes, and I don¡¯t care. Time could stand still, as long as I¡¯m with my Lily bud.

    Eventually, we talk about this being ¡°her realm¡± and what that means. ¡°Before we go back, I¡¯d like to

    make sure that everyone is safe and okay. Can we do that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°We can do whatever you want Clint, as long as you stay with me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing could make me leave you again, Lily bud.

    When we realize that my Guardian spirit had as many issues in her life as Angel, we decide to wait. We

    want to be here to support them if we can. We follow Grace and Eli and watch them develop an

    amazing. pack.

    ¡°You know, if Liam and Angel continue on as they are, we won¡¯t need anyone else producing any pups.

    they will popte the world with their children.¡± Seriously, who has children back¨Cto¨Cback like thats

    Lily justughs at me. ¡°Them? What about these prolific sprites?¡± She says, gesturing to the forest.

    Yeah, that¡¯s something that I was never exposed to in my life! I¡¯m with Eli, they¡¯d make me crazy.

    We watch as Grace takes out a bunch of hunters at the Tournament of the Moon Goddess and we

    watch as Ailduin trains the Guardians and teaches them how to be even stronger together.

    Because we are watching, we see when he meets Anastasia.

    ¡°Ailduin got a second chance mate?¡± Lily asks incredulously.

    ¡°He deserved a second chance mate after what happened with Jinelle. He has been a good friend to all

    the Guardians and to our packs.¡± I say.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    We watch as the hunter war gets closer and we watch as Grace hides her pregnancy from Eli.

    When the hunterse, we are there and we watch as our pack members die around us, one after

    another. Donovan and Andra are running around trying to kill the hunters, trying to protect the packs.

    ¡°Lily, what are we¡­¡± I stop as I turn to her. She¡¯s staring at Grace as she watches Eli die in front of her.

    ¡°CLINT! Get to Grace!¡± She yells and both of us take off to reach her. I wasn¡¯t paying attention, stunned

    as I watched so many of our pack members, so many of our friends and family, fall. But Lily was and

    whatever Grace is doing, it¡¯s going to be big.

    I watch as Lily takes a stand beside her in front of Cara, bowing her head in concentration. I move to

    stand in front of Angel on Grace¡¯s other side. I turn when I see the hunter take aim at my daughter and

    I

    see Kai take a bullet for her. Cara pulls away, holding Rik in her arms.

    ¡°Focus, Clint!¡± Lily barks at me, and she takes the hand that Cara just dropped. Just then Angel

    copses beside us, screaming for her mate. Andra and Donovan rush to our sides as I take Grace¡¯s

    other hand. I watch as Lily seems to push her strength into Grace through their connection, so I do the

    same. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing, but she seems to, and I trust her to figure it out.

    I bow my head, like she is, and concentrate. I feel the blow of power as it erupts from Grace. I feel Lily

    as she spins around the front of Grace grabbing my other hand, pulling from my strength and pushing it

    into Grace. ¡°Hold on, Grace.¡± Lily whispers as Grace screams.

    When Grace falls to the ground, Lily pulls us with her, continuing to give her whatever strength we can.

    When I look up, I realize that Grace has saved everyone. Everyone that was dead or dying on the field

    is waking up, as if they were merely unconscious.

    As Grace copses, Lily stands. ¡°We did it. We saved Grace and her baby. And she saved everyone

    else.¡±

    She says, hugging me.

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 Chapter 608

    We watch as Angel and Cara exin the best that they can what Grace did to save the packs. She

    probably could have done it on her own, but I was concerned for her child. Having whatever strength

    she pulled from everyone was great, but she wasn¡¯t reserving any for herself. She would have given

    everything to save them. That is something I understand very well. I would have done the same in her

    position. But Clint and I had the ability to save her, to make sure that she had enough reserves to

    survive.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°You were never meant to be this strong.¡± Selene says,ing up behind us as we watch everyone

    wakes up, or,e back to life, because that¡¯s really what they are doing. They were dead and now

    they are alive.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I created the Guardians to strengthen the packs. You were always meant to find your fated mates and

    birth a new generation of stronger wolves. I guess I should have known that the Alphas would not want

    to part with the strength and power that the Guardians possessed. And, of course, over time, that

    power increased beyond what even I expected it to be. Case in point.¡± She says, spreading her hands

    at my realm* and Grace raising the dead.

    ¡°It¡¯s why there were three male Guardians. I had hoped that the Guardians would be able to find each

    other and begin to give birth to a new generation of Guardians. Instead, you continued to gain in power

    with each reincarnation of the Guardian spirit, even absorbing some powers that were gifted to your

    line and carrying those with you to the future generations.

    Cara was

    the first Guardian as I meant them to be, and the two of you and your pack finally set the wheels in

    motion. Now we have a new generation of Guardians. The Guardian line will continue to flow through

    the females as long as they mate with their true, fated mates.¡±

    Selene smiles then looks thoughtful. ¡°This generation of reincarnated Guardians will be thest.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Clint asks, as shocked as I am. We both turn to give her our full attention.

    ¡°There is no need for the Guardian spirit to continue as it did. It will now continue as it was always

    meant. to, through the birth of a Guardian. The two of you have started the process that was always

    meant to be.¡±

    ¡°And what about our grandchildren?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Every female born in this generation will have the Guardian gene. Your grandchildren will all find their

    mates. Although, many of them will have a difficult timeing together. You Guardians are strong

    willed wolves and even though your male grandchildren won¡¯t carry the Guardian gene, they will still

    carry the strength of the Guardians. And so, the line will continue for generations toe.¡±

    Selene turns to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t take too much longer Lily. It¡¯s time for you and Clint toe home and

    find

    your peace.¡±

    ¡°Not much longer.¡± I say.

    Famousst words.

    I wanted to wait until Grace woke, ensuring she and the baby were okay. Then I wanted to wait while

    she had her baby. Then I wanted to wait while Cara and Angel had their babies. Then while Cara and

    Grace had their babies. Then Angel had her twins and nearly died. I wanted to help, but at that point, I

    think my tether to their world had severed. So, we watched and waited with them while she healed. And

    then I

    waited to see the birth of Angel¡¯sst baby.

    There was always a reason that I wasn¡¯t ready to go. Something important to witness, some reason I

    felt I needed to be here. It is ten years after the hunter war before Clint finally convinces me that we

    don¡¯t need to continue watching over our families.

    Hees up to me, gently tucking my hair behind my ear. ¡°Lily bud. Our daughter and her Guardian

    sisters are adults, and our grandchildren are living a life of peace. It¡¯s time.¡±

    I look at my mate. He has always been so patient with me, always been my rock, my foundation. ¡°Okay

    Clint. But can we say goodbye, onest time?¡±

    He kisses my forehead. This man. Even in the afterlife, he takes my breath away.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He takes my hand and leads me to the canyon, the one where Clint died, the same ce where Grace

    resurrected the packs. They have made the area a ce where pack members from all three packs

    cane and let their children y. It¡¯s a good way to turn a ce with terrible memories into a ce

    with

    positive ones.

    As we stand watching our family. Donovan and Andra walk up, standing on either side of us as we step

    out of the forest. We watch as our grandchildren and their friends y as our daughter and her sisters

    sit on their mates¡®ps enjoying the afternoon. I¡¯m so d they have finally gotten to have this life, the

    life they were all meant to have. We wait, knowing they will be able to see us on this, ourst time with

    them.

    It¡¯s Cara that sees us first. I have a moment to appreciate how right Selene was. My beautiful daughter

    is living a wonderful, happy life. She has a mate who adores her and three beautiful children.

    Then, we see that Angel and Grace recognize us as well. As Cara stands, like she is going to try to

    come to us, Clint and I raise our hands in a final farewell.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go home, Lily bud.¡±

    I smile up at my mate as he looks down at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Clint.¡±

    The end.

    Cooper

 Chapter 609

    +15 BONUS

    Hello everyone.

    Thank you for taking this journey with me. As many of you may have read, Lily was adamant that I tell

    her story. And while it took longer in the beginning than I expected, I hope you got to see what a great

    person she is.

    Many of you have asked for a continuation of the series and your wish is granted! My first book about

    the Guardian¡¯s children, Shattered Bonds, is out now. This is Richie and Emlyn¡¯s story but will touch on

    many. of the Guardian children as they have all grown up together. You will also get glimpses of Lily¡¯s

    story. which is scheduled to be the second book in the series and Alexander¡¯s, or Xander as he¡¯s called

    by his friends and family. Xander¡¯s book is scheduled to be third and Leana¡¯s book is scheduled to be

    fourth. I¡¯m trying not to get far ahead of myself, my brain starts writing books long before I¡¯m ready to

    put them on paper. But, I do have a tentative story line for Xander and Leana and Lily¡¯s book has

    already start writing itself in my head. Hopefully you¡¯ll enjoy the next generation of Guardians as much

    as you enjoyed

    the first trilogy.

    Also, if you haven¡¯t tried it, I have a book out called The Arena. It¡¯s the first in the Elemental Dragons

    series. It¡¯s very different from this world of the Guardians. That book is filled with shifters and, you

    guessed it, dragons. That series is intended to have four books, one for each dragon.

    I¡¯m still trying to figure out a posting schedule with the two books. Richie¡¯s story is written in my head

    and is ready to be put to paper, but The Arena is my husband¡¯s favorite. Writing 17-20 chapters a week

    is tough, but mostly manageable. So I may divide the number of chapters each book gets each week,

    rather than focusing on one while the other finishes. That would mean one possibly two chapters a day

    for both books, rather than two chapters a day for one and three chapters a week for the other. I¡¯d love

    your input and what your preference is.

    I have seen a couple ofments about whether or not my books are in paperback or avable on A

    n. Currently, I¡¯m exclusively on GoodNovel, but I am going to see about getting the trilogy published. If

    that happens, I will let you know. And, I do n to publish The Arena when it¡¯s done. Depending on

    how popr it is, I may publish all four books in that series as well.

    If you like my books, please leave me a review on the front page. That helps my ratings in the app and

    I

    need 25 for the star rating to actually be effective.

    Finally, I want to thank all of you. Yourments and positive feedback help motivate me to sit and

    write these stories when I¡¯m exhausted at the end of my day job. It really encourages me and, of

    course, these characters be real in my head and be demanding, taking up way too much of

    my head

    space.

    Thank you again! And happy reading.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610

    "That p is to treat your brain and eye problems. My brother runs a hospital, and I also have some

    medical knowledge. My judgment can''t be wrong," Harriet said.

    The security guard was furious.

    He had never seen such shameless people before.

    Irritated, he intended to p back.

    He had never hit any women, but women like Harriet deserved to be taught a lesson.

    He exerted all his strength.

    Harriet would suffer if she were to be hit.

    In the nick of time, arge hand grabbed the security guard''s arm, making it impossible for him to

    break free.

    Harriet, subconsciously stepping back, fell into Delbert''s arms.

    She looked up and saw the murderous intent in his eyes.

    He red at the security guard and said, "I don''t mind treating your brain and eyes as well. Will you

    get lost or what?"

    The security guard felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

    But he was not scared. On the contrary, he was defiant.

    He thought that Delbert was an employee just like him.

    Delbert was in no ce tomand him.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    "Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?" said the security guard, raising his hand to

    p Delbert.

    But when he met Delbert''s deep eyes, he felt a sense of oppression that he had only seen in people

    of high status.

    "You can''t scare me!" The security guard was frightened, trying to leave.

    He wondered who Delbert really was and how Harriet managed to find such an assistant.

    Delbert''s gaze was bone-chilling.

    Harrietzily held Delbert and threatened the security guard. "Now you''re scared, but I won''t let you

    get away."

    Harriet was bluffing, but it caused Delbert to soften his attitude.

    Delbert looked at Harriet with tenderness and a sense of pride.

    Harriet was beautiful and cool.

    The security guard was shocked by the change in Delbert''s attitude.

    It made him feel like Delbert was a proud husband.

    As Delbert''s attention was drawn by Harriet, the security guard came up with a n.

    He pretended to be a victim, struggling to break free from Delbert''s grip. He shouted, "Help!

    Someone help me! Harriet despises me for my upation and lets her assistant hit me."

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611

    His n worked.

    From not far away, the lobby manager, Lewis, hastened to the scene.

    His face was full of gloom.

    He had overseen this area for decades and had never encountered such a situation.

    He wanted to find out who the troublemaker was.

    It was outrageous that they made things difficult for his men.

    But when Lewis saw Harriet, he was dumbfounded.

    He couldn''t believe that Harriet was causing trouble there.

    After all, she was the sister of their boss, n.

    Lewis''s legs felt weak.

    He was willing to bow to Harriet if she could let the matter drop.

    He regretted having gone over.

    n had instructed the managers of the Gem Trading Center about Harriet''s presence in Imperium

    and emphasized that she must be treated with the highest courtesy when she arrived there.

    The managers hadn''t taken it seriously because Harriet could directly ask n for anything. How

    could she go to the trading center to choose gems in person?

    Harriet was the general manager of apany, so she did not have much free time.

    Therefore, the senior managers only informed the managerial staff without notifying all the

    employees.

    The security guard didn''t know Harriet''s identity or the consequences of offending her.

    But Lewis knew.

    Harriet looked at him meaningfully, and Lewis had toe up with a ttering smile.

    "Sir, this woman insulted me and let her assistant hit me. Look!"ined the security guard,

    happy about Lewis''s arrival.

    But what happened next shocked him.

    Lewis bowed to Harriet and spoke respectfully. "Ms. Munoz, did this security guard offend you just

    now? I will fire him immediately!"

    The security guard was stunned.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He stared nkly at Lewis, trying to say something, but Lewis''s stern demeanor deterred him.

    Harriet was full of doubt.

    When she noticed Lewis in a suiting up, she guessed that he was a manager.

    She had been prepared, thinking that Lewis would use her.

    But Lewis acted so humbly.

    She had been worried about nothing.

    Lewis looked uneasy, waiting for Harriet''s reply.

    After pondering for a moment, Harriet calmly said, "After this security guard apologizes to me, fire

    him."

    Lewis breathed a sigh of relief.

    n doted on Harriet, and they often talked about her in thepany.

    Discussions about her were often bizarre.

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612

    Even Wendell, president of the Johnson Group, yielded to Harriet.

    Anyone who opposed her didn''t have a good ending.

    These rumors became more and more bizarre, making everyone in the chat group both respect and

    fear Harriet.

    Lewis was no exception.

    He turned around with an indignant look and pointed at the security guard. "Apologize to Ms. Munoz

    and get out of here. Don''t make things ugly!"

    The security guard was shocked and furious.

    He had been working as a security guard here for decades. Why should he leave just because of

    Harriet''s words?

    Moreover, this matter was caused by Harriet.

    It was only right to bring this malicious woman to justice.

    But why didn''t Lewis, who usually treated the grassroot staff the best, understand him now?

    And Lewis even sided with the oppressor, asking him to leave thepany.

    The security guard fumed with rage.

    "Mr. Lewis, I''ve been here for over a decade, working hard every day. I''ve dedicated my life to this

    trading center. Can''t itpare to a few words from Harriet?" he said.

    Lewis decisively shook his head.

    The security guard had cked off many times.

    Even if he were a manager, he couldn''tpare to Harriet.

    Harriet raised an eyebrow.

    It had been a long time since she had seen someone with the same insight as Lewis, and she was

    a little unustomed.

    And the security guard seemed unhappy about the result.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    A cunning gleam shed in Harriet''s eyes.

    "If you don''t want to be fired, I can take back my order. I can let you stay and even give you a raise,"

    she said, innocently looking at the security guard.

    Delbert''s eyes were on her the entire time.

    Harriet was simply too adorable.

    The security guard was overjoyed to hear that.

    He looked up at Harriet, ignored his anger, and eagerly asked, "What should I do?"

    Just not being fired already made the security guard extremely happy, and upon hearing about a

    raise, he became even more ecstatic.

    This was something he had been dreaming of.

    Harriet was truly a God-sent.

    While the security guard was happy, Lewis felt uneasy.

    ''Doesn''t Harriet always seek revenge for any grievances?'' He thought.

    The security guard was lucky enough that Harriet decided to let him off, but Harriet even offered to

    give him a raise.

    That was fishy.

    Lewis was afraid that Harriet was going to deal with the security guard and him.

    Lewis''s knees went weak, and he spoke with a wry face. "Ms. Munoz, that''s not a good idea. How

    about..."

    Harriet interrupted him with a raised hand.

    She sized up the security guard and chuckled. "Being a security guard is truly a waste of talent.

    Why don''t you work as a shoe polisher?"

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613

    The security guard was devastated.

    Harriet was not a blessing. She was a curse.

    The security guard had been excited just now, and now he was dumbfounded.

    Harriet spoke slowly. "Mr. Lewis, pay him extra from this month onward. If he doesn''t polish one

    hundred pairs of shoes a day, do not pay him!"

    Lewis finally rxed.

    Amidst the cries of the security guard, the other staff dragged him away and sent him to polish the

    shoes.

    Harriet, after exining her intentions to Lewis, took Delbert''s hand and entered the gem trading

    center.

    That was just a small episode, and Harriet''s mood was not affected.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Harriet thought that Lewis had heard about her previous deeds, which was why he showed such

    respect toward her.

    She didn''t feel anything wrong about it.

    Since Harriet didn''t mention anything, Lewis thought that she knew that the gem trading center was

    run by n, so he didn''t say much more.

    Harriet and Delbert entered the trading center.

    The interior was even more astonishing.

    Harriet thought that the decorations outside were just for a show, while the interior should be

    normal.

    But unexpectedly, the interior was even more luxurious than the outside.

    Various expensive antiques were disyed, and even the counters were made of gold.

    The owner of this ce was really rich.

    This was absurd.

    Lewis diligently introduced the various facilities on the first floor to them.

    "Ms. Munoz, if you want to give gifts to someone, I rmend the various gem ornaments already

    made and sold in this area. There are hairpins, pendants, bracelets, and so on. All kinds of gem

    ornaments are avable here," he said.

    "We have official gem ornaments sold by our gem trading center and other stores. Even some

    master artisans from the folk craft world asionally appear."

    Lewis pointed to one side, where various gem ornaments were disyed on the counters.

    Many gorgeously dressed men and women were selecting from the various gem ornaments.

    Many couples appeared together in this area.

    Following that, Lewis pointed to the opposite side. "If you don''t mind the trouble, you can also

    choose to customize a gem ornament in this area. Here, you can buy gem embryos and stones for

    gambling. After handing them over to the staff for cutting, you can freely find craftsmen on-site to

    make gem ornaments.

    "Simrly, you can choose our official craftsmen here, craftsmen from other shops, or folk artisans."

    Compared to the previous area, this area seemed much quieter and had fewer people.

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614

    Judging by the attire of the people in this area, it was clear that most of them were gem experts or

    enthusiasts with knowledge of gems.

    When Lewis introduced the first area, Harriet seemed uninterested, but as soon as she heard about

    the stone gambling, her eyes lit up.

    Stone gambling was much more exciting than buying ready-made artifacts.

    Harriet cleared her throat and stopped Lewis, who was about to go toward the section selling gem

    artifacts.

    "I''m nning to go to the stone gambling area. Could you please show me the way?" she said.

    Lewis thought Harriet was going to buy gem artifacts, so he prepared to go in that direction.

    But upon hearing Harriet''s words, he was taken aback and quickly turned back.

    Noticing that Harriet didn''t pay much attention to this matter, he rxed and wiped the sweat off his

    forehead.

    He didn''t expect Harriet to be interested in stone gambling.

    As far as Lewis remembered, n loved stone gambling and was always urate in his

    predictions.

    While others searched for beautiful gems within raw stones, n effortlessly attracted beautiful

    gems to him, as if they were waiting to be picked up by him.

    In the world of stone gambling, whether it was luck or skill, n sat firmly in the first ce and was

    even hailed as a legend.

    Lewis wondered if Harriet could recreate n''s situation.

    Lewis suddenly got anxious again.

    ''What if Harriet fails to get any valuable stones and gets upset? What if she mes me for it?'' He

    thought.

    Lewis gasped at the thought, thinking about having some valuable gems prepared beforehand.

    That would save the situation.

    Lewis was on edge the whole way, leading Harriet forward.

    Harriet held hands with Delbert, feeling curious in the unfamiliar environment. She blinked and

    looked around at the various items disyed on the counters.

    Delbert stared at her, full of tenderness.

    The three of them, each with their own thoughts, strolled through the inner area of the gem trading

    center. Lewis led them toward the stone gambling area set up by the official organization of the gem

    trading center.

    Harriet noticed that Delbert had stopped walking.

    She turned back and looked at Delbert with a puzzled expression. "Delbert, what''s wrong?"

    Delbert raised a finger to his lips and smiled mysteriously.

    He strode to the right, where a disy cab was ced.

    Various high-quality and precious gemstones were showcased. They were excellent choices for

    decoration.

    On the other hand, there were raw stones used for gambling.

    These raw stones were different from ordinary ones. Even just by looking at them, one could see

    the valuable gem hidden beneath the surface.

    These gems inside the raw stones were more mysterious and alluring than the ones disyed on

    the other side.

    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

    The salesperson beamed at him. "Sir, may I ask which kind of gem you would like to purchase?"

    But then, her smile suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615

    Delbert walked forward, and the spot his finger pointed to was right next to thergest and most

    expensive raw stone. It looked like a waste piece.

    "How much is this stone?" he asked.

    The salesperson hesitated, reminding herself that the customer was the king and that Delbert might

    not understand the gem industry.

    She put on a smile and spoke politely. "Sir, this stone is not for sale."

    While the salesperson was feeling helpless, Harriet raised her eyebrows with interest and walked

    over before taking the stone from Delbert''s hand.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    At first nce, this small stone appeared to be just a leftover edge piece.

    It couldn''t contain any gems, as it was only slightlyrger than an egg.

    Harriet looked up at Delbert and suddenly understood why he had a mysterious smile when she

    asked earlier.

    Under n''s influence,bined with her keen senses from childhood, she could detect the gem

    hidden inside this small stone.

    It was crystal-clear and crimson.

    Its size should be slightly smaller than that of an egg.

    Although she couldn''t predict its type, she knew how valuable it was.

    It was unbelievable that this store mistook this small stone for a waste piece and inadvertently

    ced it next to the most expensive raw stone.

    Since the store didn''t recognize its value, she would take advantage of it.

    Harriet looked up at the salesperson and innocently spoke. "This stone feels very smooth. Miss, is it

    really not for sale? I want to buy it and collect it."

    The salesperson swayed at her cute look and replied, "If you like this stone, just take it. It''s not for

    sale, so giving it to you is fine."

    "Really?" Harriet was surprised.

    She thought that even if this stone was just a waste piece, it would be the waste piece of the most

    expensive raw stone.

    If that big stone was worth a million dors, this waste piece would cost thousands or tens of

    thousands.

    Harriet was already prepared to pay for it, but she didn''t expect the salesperson to give her this

    small stone for free.

    There was a pricey gem inside it.

    Harriet was sure that this gem was much more expensive than the one contained in the big stone.

    It might even be the best gem in this entire trade center.

    Her trip there was quite fruitful.

    Harriet smiled at the salesperson and said, "Thank you!"

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616

    Harriet took the gem and then left with Delbert.

    The salesperson was still immersed in Harriet''s lovely smile.

    She even picked up her phone and bragged about it to her colleagues.

    If she knew what she had just given away for free, she would probably regret it deeply.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Harriet led Delbert away from the scene and stopped at a ce far away.

    While Harriet was catching her breath, Delbert suddenly bent down and whispered in her ear, "The

    raw stone I just found has an excellent gem inside. Happy about it?"

    His voice was deep and seductive.

    His breath assailed Harriet''s ear, causing her earlobes to turn red.

    "Knock it off! Lewis is watching," she said, flinching.

    "Lewis?" Delbert grumbled, pressing Harriet against the wall.

    He gazed at Harriet with possessiveness filling his eyes.

    "You''re disobedient again. With me around, are you still thinking about other men?" he said.

    Harriet immediately surrendered to his dominant posture.

    She curled up and weakly said, "I''m not. It just doesn''t feel right if we''re so intimate in public."

    Only then did she realize that Lewis, who had been walking with them, had disappeared.

    Perhaps he had lost them when they went to the sales counter earlier.

    Probably, Lewis didn''t notice their absence, so he did not follow.

    At that moment, they were at the corner, with no one else around.

    It was quiet and empty.

    "What are you thinking again?" Delbert leaned closer, pressing his nose against hers.

    Except for annoyance, there was an inscrutable smile in his eyes.

    Harriet''s cheeks turned rosy, and her eyes shimmered.

    But Delbert had no intention of letting her go. His eyes were tinted with desire.

    He caressed her hand and arm.

    Harriet braced her hand against his chest.

    The atmosphere between them became more and more ambiguous.

    Harriet summoned her courage and kissed Delbert on the lips.

    Her voice was soft, with a hint of grievance. "I won''t think about anything again. Can you let me

    go?"

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617

    Delbert released Harriet''s hand.

    He rubbed his lips and teased her. "No."

    Then, under Harriet''s surprised gaze, he buried his head in her neck. "Call me honey, and I''ll let you

    go."

    His voice was hoarse, with a hint of indulgence.

    Harriet vaguely sensed a hint of coquetry.

    Delbert could be coquettish.

    He behaved like azy cat.

    If this got out, everyone would be shocked.

    In the eyes of others, Delbert waspletely indifferent to women, and there were even rumors that

    he was impotent.

    Yet he acted like a spoiled child in front of Harriet.

    It''s unbelievable.

    Harriet felt his hot breath and grasped her clothes.

    She couldn''t bear it whenever Delbert teased her.

    Harriet suppressed her coyness and spoke softly. "Honey, could you let me go?"

    Delbert lightly bit her neck.

    He raised his hand to rub her hair and spoke softly. "Okay, I''ll listen to you."

    Just then, a voice came. "Ms. Munoz, Darryl, what are you guys doing here?"

    Lewis rushed over, panting.

    Just now, he had been thinking about having some good raw stones brought over, unaware that

    Harriet and Delbert had slipped away.

    When he was about to reach his destination, Lewis suddenly realized that Harriet and Delbert were

    missing.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    He quickly asked the security guards to pull up the surveince video.

    Harriet was n''s beloved sister, and such negligence was uneptable.

    While waiting for the surveince video toe through, Lewis contacted the staff and asked them

    to purchase a batch of top-grade raw stones.

    The surveince footage then led him to Harriet and Delbert.

    Originally anxious, Lewis seemed to understand something when he saw Harriet blushing and

    Delbert looking meaningful.

    "Ms. Munoz, do you need me to leave?" he probed.

    It looked like the rumors online about Harriet and her assistant having an affair were true.

    Given their looks, something must have happened.

    The blush on Harriet''s face deepened.

    She cleared her throat and spoke sanctimoniously. "It''s alright. Just lead the way like before."

    Lewis quickly agreed.

    They walked to the gambling area set up in the trading center.

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618

    On the way, Harriet asked Lewis to find a professional who could cut the stones.

    When they arrived at the area for stone gambling, Lewis was about to guide Harriet to buy the raw

    stones he had prepared in advance.

    Each of these raw stones contained a gem worth millions of dors.

    Harriet would definitely be delighted.

    If Harriet mentioned him in front of n, he might get a raise.

    Lewis fantasized about his promotion and all the benefits.

    Just then, a sharp voice came. "Harriet? What are you doing here?"

    Harriet heard it and looked over.

    Lily was seen standing not far away.

    Lily was dressed in designer clothes and standing next to a table disying a raw stone. A

    salesperson was introducing her to the stone.

    Standing beside Lily''s friend, who had tried to frame Harriet at the family gathering hosted by Levi

    when Harriet first arrived in Imperium.

    Lily was surprised to see Harriet.

    She hade to the gem trading center to connect with her friends.

    Since that matter was exposed, her reputation in the upper ss had plummeted.

    Those who used to always surround her stopped contacting her and evenughed at her.

    Lily was upset, but to deal with Harriet, she needed as much help as she could get.

    So, she swallowed her pride and nned to win them over.

    Liam had stopped caring about her. She could only rely on herself.

    All of this was caused by Harriet.

    Because of the new topic online, many people started to forget about the incident of her framing

    Harriet.

    Harriet was now under severe criticism from the trolls.

    Even though they were trolls, Lily was still delighted to see those insultingments.

    In a good mood, she contacted her friends andvishly spent money in various luxury stores, trying

    to win them over through money.

    After buying several pieces of jewelry, Lily followed the suggestion of a friend and came to the stone

    gambling area to try her luck.

    There, she ran into Harriet and Delbert.

    Delbert frowned with displeasure.

    Unaware of it, Lily looked Harriet up and down and snorted when she saw the small stone in

    Harriet''s hand.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    She mocked, "Ms. Munoz, are you short of money? Why did you choose the worst stone to gamble

    on? It''s ridiculous if you try to maintain your reputation like that."

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619

    Harriet sneered in response. ''The worst raw stone?''

    If the stone in her hand was worthless, then what about the other raw stones in this trading center?

    Garbage?

    Besides, Lily was in no position to judge her financial situation.

    Harriet put the small stone away and approached Lily with disdain.

    "I am the general manager of apany, and I have eight brothers who dote on me. I also have a

    husband who is the richest man in Meawood City. Anyone with a bit of intelligence wouldn''t think I

    lack money, would they? Speaking of which, Miss Lynch, with all the trouble you caused recently,

    does your family still give you pocket money? Tsk-tsk, you''re really favored," she said.

    The girls around Lily realized what was going on.

    That exined Lily''s reluctance when she bought things for them.

    It turned out that the Lynch family had stopped giving Lily pocket money.

    Her spending probably came from her savings.

    To win them over, she had spent a lot.

    They wondered how much she still had.

    Lily had always been a spendthrift, but now she had to live like them. They couldn''t help but gloat.

    The Lynch family should have stopped giving Lily pocket money long ago.

    She was such a haughty person. If it were not for her money and status, no one would have wanted

    to do bad things for her.

    It was only reasonable for the Lynch family to stop giving Lily pocket money. After all, the trouble

    she causedst time was major.

    The punishment was too lenient.

    The exposure annoyed Lily, and her friends'' mocking expressions further irritated her.

    They had no right tough at her.

    She had bought them such expensive gifts, but they wouldn''t even speak up for her.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    She shouldn''t have treated them so well.

    Filled with anger, she looked at those chuckling women and shouted, "Be quiet!"

    After venting her anger, Lily calmed down and came up with a n.

    She looked provocatively at Harriet and snorted. "Harriet, you''re talking nonsense. Since we

    happen to be in the same ce, why don''t wepete in stone gambling and see whose luck is

    better?"

    Harriet raised her eyebrows and stroked her chin with interest.

    She wondered what Lily was up to.

    As far as she remembered, Lily didn''t know much about stone gambling.

    But since Lily wanted to be defeated, Harriet would grant her wish.

    "So be it!" Harriet agreed.

    Lily was delighted and added eagerly, "For the record, we''ll gamble in this area. However, just

    gambling on stones alone is too boring. How about this? If my stone is more valuable than yours,

    you will apologize to me and tell everyone that you provoked me first for thest incident."

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620

    Lily knew that once Harriet agreed to gamble on stones with her in this area, Harriet would definitely

    lose.

    Although both she and Harriet were not very familiar with gambling on stones, the salesperson in

    charge of this area had introduced her to all the raw stones that could produce precious gems.

    Even if Harriet was lucky, she could not win.

    Harriet didn''t even know that Lily had learned about every stone in this area.

    Harriet could only apologize to her in front of everyone.

    Lily would take the opportunity to humiliate Harriet and seek revenge.

    Pleased with herself, Lily didn''t notice the cunning look in Harriet''s eyes.

    Delbert, however, was not happy about Lily''s proposal. Harriet stopped him from stepping in.

    Otherwise, there would be no show to watch.

    Harriet had figured out why Lily insisted on gambling in this area.

    She had noticed the salesperson standing next to Lily.

    Presumably, Lily had learned about all the raw stones in this area from the salesperson.

    Lily was so delusional that she wanted Harriet to apologize to her in public.

    Even if Lily had already learned about the raw stones, Harriet didn''t think she would lose.

    After all, n was a top figure in the gem industry.

    Harriet narrowed her eyes and approached Lily without losing her momentum.

    "If my stone is more valuable than yours, you will apologize to me. How does it sound?" she said.

    Lily was overjoyed and quickly agreed to her request. "Okay, it''s a deal!"

    She didn''t care what kind of request Harriet had made.

    Lily firmly believed that she would win.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Harriet knew nothing about stone gambling, while she had learned about the best stones in this

    area. It would be her whoughed thest.

    Those women around Lily shared her thoughts and watched the fun.

    They saw it when the salesperson introduced the raw stones to Lily.

    Harriet had outdone Lily in the past, but she was going to lose this time.

    It was really fun to watch.

    Lily immediately began to select raw stones, while Harriet walked around, casually picking up

    several stones and putting them down after some thought.

    After a while, Harriet''s eyes suddenly lit up. She picked up a not-so-noticeable stone and signaled

    to everyone that she had made her choice.

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621

    Lily was still looking around, trying to find those fine stones introduced by the salesperson.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Besides Lily''s friends, many onlookers gathered in the area.

    They hade to watch the match.

    Seeing how quickly Harriet had chosen her raw stone, the onlookers and Lily''s friends stifled their

    laughter.

    Presumably, Harriet didn''t know a thing about stone gambling, so she simply chose one that caught

    her eye.

    ''Does she think that stone gambling is all about luck?'' They thought.

    Lily was still carefully selecting her stone. Clearly, she knew what she was doing.

    Harriet didn''t understand stone gambling at all. Yet she insisted on gambling with Lily.

    She would probably cry when she saw the results.

    The discussion among the people grew louder. Almost everyone was pessimistic about Harriet''s

    victory.

    After finally finding the raw stone introduced by the salesperson, Lily confidently walked toward

    Harriet.

    She couldn''t help but sneer when she saw the ordinary stone in Harriet''s hand.

    "Harriet, if you want to admit defeat, just say it. Why choose a raw stone that clearly won''t produce

    anything good? If you beg me, I can give you a chance to change it," she said.

    Harriet gave a mysterious smile.

    She seemedpletely indifferent to everyone''sments and remainedposed.

    Delbert believed in her ability, so he just silently watched.

    "It''s still early to draw conclusions. Let''s find out!" Harriet sneered.

    Lily believed that Harriet was just pretending to be calm.

    She snorted and walked to the stone cutter.

    Unperturbed, Harriet followed behind her with Delbert.

    Soon, Lily''s stone produced a gem.

    As she had expected, the gem was top-grade and valuable.

    With the gem in her hand, Lily proudly walked toward Harriet.

    The onlookers looked at Harriet with eager anticipation, expecting to see her make a fool of herself.

    Facing their doubtful gazes, Harriet walked over to the stone cutter and produced her stone.

    When the stone cutter made the first cut, everyone was stunned.

    Surprisingly, it was a top-grade agate.

    They hadn''t seen such a top-quality agate for more than ten years.

    Yet in this trading center, it appeared from within a stone randomly picked by Harriet.

    The stone looked so ordinary. By rights, it could produce a low-quality gem at most.

    To be able to produce top-grade agate was simply unbelievable.

    The stone cutter was astonished. Even his hands were shaking.

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622

    For a moment, the stone cutter hesitated to continue cutting the stone.

    After a while, he picked up a signal from Lewis and continued his work.

    His cutting movements were much more cautious than before.

    While the others were shocked, Harriet remained calm.

    She smiled at Lily and said, "Miss Lynch, I don''t think we''ll need an appraisal. Everyone here can

    tell whose stone is more valuable."

    Lily''s eyes glinted with malice, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.

    Although she didn''t know much about gems, judging by the expressions of those around her, she

    could guess that Harriet''s stone produced a better gem.

    Harriet won this bet.

    Lily had made all the necessary preparations, and the salesperson had introduced all the raw

    stones capable of producing precious gems to her.

    ''Why do I still lose in the end? Why is Harriet so lucky? It can''t be!'' She thought.

    She wondered why the salesperson hadn''t introduced the stone selected by Harriet to her earlier.

    If there were top-quality gems inside that stone, the salesperson should have introduced them to

    her.

    It must be a trap.

    Otherwise, Harriet wouldn''t have found such a good stone.

    Lily believed that Harriet didn''t know a thing about stone gambling.

    Apart from cheating, Harriet would never be able to find that stone.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    The salesperson and Harriet were wicked enough to deceive her. They deserved to die.

    Fuming with rage, Lily pointed at Harriet and shouted, "Harriet, you have no scruples to win against

    me. It''s shameful to cheat in front of so many people."

    Harrietughed in response.

    Lily had the nerve to say that.

    Did she forget that she hade to gamble in this area because the salesperson told her that the

    raw stones there could produce precious gems?

    Lily really had no sense of shame.

    She was supposed to be a fairdy, but she coveted Delbert and stopped at nothing.

    That was not decent at all.

    Harriet nned to make Lily face the music, but Lewis suddenly walked up to Lily and warned her.

    "Miss Lynch, are you suspecting that we helped Ms. Munoz cheat? You''d better be careful with your

    words."

    Lewis had informed those in charge to rece some of the raw stones with those that could

    produce valuable gems.

    He also knew which raw stones could produce gems.

    But unexpectedly, the stone chosen by Harriet produced a top-quality gem that hadn''t been seen in

    over a decade.

    He was astonished because the stone selected by Harriet was not among the ones arranged by his

    men.

    In other words, Harriet had eyes for the best stones.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623

    Lily''s heart tightened, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

    She suddenly remembered that this Gem Trading Center was thergest and oldest in Imperium.

    Its owner was said to be of high rank.

    Inparison, she was just the daughter of a fallen family. She couldn''t afford to offend the people

    in the trading center.

    If the owner of the trading center was annoyed, only her family could save her.

    But Liam had stopped caring about her.

    Lily quickly exined, "That''s not what I mean. I mean, Harriet and that salesperson are colluding.

    "This Gem Trading Center is the oldest and most reputable in Imperium. How could you possibly

    cheat with your customers?"

    Lily thought she had exined perfectly, but Lewis became angrier.

    He stared at Lily with coldness and disdain. "Here, every one of our employees has gone through

    strict screening, and each employee''s employment application is reviewed by our boss.

    "Since you''re not questioning our qualifications, are you questioning our boss''s judgment?"

    Lewis turned to look at Harriet and spoke sincerely. "Ms. Munoz, please rest assured. We will not let

    any of our customers'' reputations be damaged. We will clear your name!"

    Lily got even more anxious. She couldn''t possibly doubt the owner of this trading center.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She had made it so clear, but why was Lewis trying to escte it?

    He was making a fuss.

    Presumably, he was also colluding with Harriet.

    Otherwise, why would he speak up for her?

    Harriet''s nonchnt look annoyed Lily, but she needed to exin herself first.

    For now, she had to swallow her pride.

    Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Ms. Munoz, are you selling this rare emerald? I''m willing to pay

    500,000 dors for it."

    The speaker was a sleek man in his early forties.

    Lily raised her eyebrows, but she had no intention of selling it.

    500,000 dors was a lot for an ordinary emerald, but her emerald was not ordinary.

    The emerald in her hand was translucent and pure.

    500,000 dors was not enough for such a top-grade emerald.

    Presumably, the man made such a low offer because he saw her as ayman.

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624

    Just as Harriet was about to refuse, another person stepped forward.

    "Your offer is too low! Are you trying to take advantage of thisdy''s ignorance? Ms. Munoz, I''m

    willing to buy this gem for five million dors. If you''re willing to see, we can negotiate the price," he

    said.

    The venue then descended into chaos.

    The people started to make bids, each offering a higher price than the previous one.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    They acted as if they were in an auction house.

    The only difference was the absence of an auctioneer. It was noisier there, and the prices went up

    faster.

    In just a short while, the price had soared to 90 million dors.

    In the venue, the subordinates of many important figures started calling their bosses to inform them

    about the extraordinary gem that had appeared there.

    Everyone had only one thought in mind. To get the gem!

    They didn''t care if Harriet had cheated or about her bet with Lily.

    All they knew was that the gem they desired was in Harriet''s hands. As long as their offers were

    good enough, they would get it.

    To them, it was not just a gem.

    It represented reputation and prestige.

    It symbolized power and wealth.

    Even though Harriet had mentally prepared herself beforehand, her eyes couldn''t help but shimmer

    slightly.

    She had anticipated that this extraordinary gem would arouse people''s interest, but she hadn''t

    expected so many people to start bidding, with the price even reaching 90 million dors.

    She had just chosen a random stone.

    Yet the gem it produced was worth so much.

    She had no idea what kind of gem the worst stone, in Lily''s opinion, would produce.

    But it looked like the stone would produce a much more valuable gem than the emerald.

    Lily felt suffocated.

    Harriet had cheated, but these people were vying with each other to buy her gem.

    The one in Lily''s hand, however, was ignored.

    If the salesperson had introduced that stone to her, she would have been the winner.

    If she won, she wouldn''t have to endure Harriet''s and Lewis''s humiliation.

    Lily''s face twisted with jealousy, and she mmed the table next to her.

    The ce quieted down, and she said, "Harriet obtained this gem through cheating. Don''t you think

    it''s dirty?"

    Harriet handed the gem to Delbert and looked at Lily.

    If Lily hadn''t been so confrontational, she wouldn''t have bothered to expose the fact that Lily had

    been introduced to all the raw stones in the venue by the salesperson, knowing which ones could

    produce precious gems.

    But since Lily insisted on crossing the bottom line, she would show no mercy.

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625

    Harriet sneered and calmly looked at Lily. "You use me of cheating, but have you even checked

    if you are clean or not? When I first came to this area, a salesperson was standing next to you,

    right?"

    Lily didn''t understand what Harriet meant. She subconsciously nodded.

    Realizing it afterward, she stepped back with a wary look. "So what?"

    Harriet smirked and slowly approached Lily. "If so, whether I cheated or not has nothing to do with

    you. Did that salesperson introduce to you all the raw stones in this area that can produce precious

    gems?"

    Her voice grew colder, and Lily''s heart tightened.

    But there was no time for her to think about why Harriet knew about this matter.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    She pretended to be calm and snorted. "Are you suspecting me of cheating? Clearly, you are the

    one cheating, yet you suspect me. How ridiculous!"

    Harriet unhurriedly nced at the salesperson.

    Lily was rmed.

    Before she could even threaten the salesperson not to disclose what happened just now, the

    salesperson took a few steps forward.

    Facing the crowd, the salesperson confessed, "Ms. Munoz is right. When Miss Lynch wanted to buy

    raw stones before, I introduced all the raw stones in this area to her."

    The onlookers, who were originally focused on the exquisite gem, showed expressions of sudden

    realization.

    ording to their previous understanding of Lily, she had no knowledge of gambling on stones and

    gems at all.

    Originally, they thought Lily was secretly dabbling in this field and considered her a low-key yer.

    In fact, Lily knew nothing.

    The truly low-key yer was Harriet, who had kept appearing in the news recently.

    Many people started to reverse their rankings of Lily and Harriet.

    The Lynch family was just a declining noble family. How could theypare to Harriet, the rising

    star of Imperium?

    Besides, Lily was arrogant and spoiled. Without the support of her family, she was nothing.

    In contrast, Harriet was confident and capable.

    After bing the general manager of Levi''spany, she closed many deals and found herself a

    capable assistant. Darryl was quite a promising young man.

    If there was a chance, they must make friends with Harriet.

    If they could please her, they might get the gem at a lower price.

    As for how to please Harriet...

    Many people couldn''t help but turn their gaze toward Lily.

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626

    It seemed that Harriet and Lily held old grudges against each other and now they had more.

    ¡®If I could belittle Lily in front of Harriet, making Harriet''s enemy lose face, it¡¯ll definitely please

    Harriet!¡¯

    With that thought, the man who was the first to approach Harriet to buy the jewel instantly switched

    to a look of righteous indignation.

    He addressed Lily directly, "Miss Lily, you cheated first, and then falsely used others, even

    spouting malicious words. Is this the kind of upbringing befitting ady of the Lynch family? I never

    expected such a noble house could raise someone with such malevolent intentions! I wonder if the

    ancestors of the Lynch family can rest in peace seeing this scene!"

    As soon as the man finished speaking, other people around started to voice their criticism of Lily.

    In an instant, everyone in the venue looked at Lily with disdain and disgust.

    Lily was practically going mad with anger.

    She had never faced such universal contempt and public usation from everyone before!

    As the daughter of the Lynch family, Lily had been treated like a princess wherever she went.

    She was always the center of attention!

    Even in a sea of people, she was the most dazzling.

    Any request she made, especially from men, was never refused!

    But ever since Harriet arrived at Imperium,

    What princess?

    What center of attention?

    All of it became nothing but a mirage!

    Everything she once had was destroyed by Harriet.

    Not only had Delbert never given her a second nce, but even her brother, Liam, who had doted

    on her since childhood, started to speak to her coldly and even stopped her allowance over a trivial

    matter!

    And those friends?

    If she didn''t reach out to them first, they would even avoid her on the street.

    Wasn''t Harriet just an orphan with no one to rely on?

    She was lucky to have caught the attention of the Bass brothers and be their sister, but

    essentially she was just an uncultured and unimportant girl from another city.

    Lily believed that Harriet could never match up to her.

    So why did Harriet take away everything she once had as soon as she arrived at Imperium?

    Even the man Lily loved, Harriet refused to give him up and kept causing trouble for her.

    Harriet deserved to die!

    At this moment, in Lily''s eyes, Harriet seemed like an evil demon capable of all wickedness.

    Lily hadpletely forgotten that it was always she who initiated trouble with Harriet.

    As for Harriet? She never bothered with Lily.

    Now, consumed by rage, Lily''s malice seemed almost palpable, and jealousy grew rampantly in her

    heart.

    "Harriet, it was clearly you who cheated, clearly you who were in cahoots with that salesperson! The

    things that salesperson said must have been rehearsed with you! A woman as malicious as you

    doesn''t deserve to live in this world, let alone have Delbert!"

    "p!"

    A p resounded.

    Everyone''s gaze turned to the man who had pped Lily.

    After Delbert retracted his hand, he calmly took out a tissue and wiped where he had touched Lily

    with a look of disgust.

    He never hit women, but this time he couldn''t stand it any second longer.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    His voice was icy cold with a strong hint of disdain, "Yourst sentence, along with this p, I return

    them to you exactly as they were!"

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627

    The next moment, Delbert looked up at Lily, and a killing intent suddenly appeared in his eyes.

    "A malicious woman who doesn''t deserve to live is clearly you!"

    As Delbert''s next words were spoken, Lily''s face turned pale with shock and she stumbled

    backward several steps.

    Oh no!

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    She had forgotten that Delbert was also here when she uttered those words earlier.

    And now with his face darkened with anger, he was undoubtedly furious!

    Lily was both afraid and anxious at once but seeing Harriet raise an eyebrow and fold her arms with

    a look of watching a good show.

    Her face flushed with anger and she red viciously at Harriet.

    If Delbert''s impression of her worsened because of this drama, could Harriet bear the responsibility?

    She would never be done with Harriet!

    But no matter how much Lily wanted to settle scores with Harriet, Delbert was by her side now.

    She could forget settling scores. Delbert wouldn''t even let her touch Harriet!

    Lily nced at Harriet who seemed to enjoy the drama then turned her head towards Delbert with a

    dark expression.

    Gritting her teeth, she turned around to leave dejectedly.

    But just as Lily turned around and was about to walk forward, someone suddenly grabbed her

    shoulder.

    Lily instinctively turned back and saw that it was Harriet behind her.

    "Harriet, what are you doing?"

    Lily raised her hand to swat away Harriet''s hand!

    As Lily''s hand was about to touch her own, Harriet simply stepped back lightly and easily dodged

    Lily''s hand, a mischievous and wicked smile curving her lips as she stepped back.

    Lily''s sudden turn and attempt to hit Harriet''s hand had been forceful, and her bnce was surely

    off.

    When Harriet dodged, Lily immediately lost her bnce, and the consequences were likely...

    Only a "thump" was heard.

    Lily''s footing faltered, and she fell straight to the ground.

    Her body was slightly bruised at the elbows.

    But her face took the worst of it.

    Lily had fallen face-first.

    Her nose was bleeding from the knock, and her face was bruised with patches of blue and purple,

    looking painfully sore.

    Seeing Lily in such a state, Harriet, who had anticipated that, stepped forward with a clever smile.

    "I was simply kindly reminding Miss Lily not to forget about our bet before leaving, to remember to

    kneel and apologize to me. But I didn''t expect you to be somitted to your promise. Before I

    could even speak, you had already knelt down.

    "And then, you even performed such an earnest kowtow, truly living up to the noble name of the

    Lynch family with your honesty and integrity!"

    Lily, already somewhat angry from the fall, was now absolutely furious after hearing Harriet''s words!

    She slowly got up from the ground, propping herself up with her hands.

    Her disheveled appearance was far from that of ady of wealth. If one ignored her attire, mistaking

    her for a beggar wouldn''t be too far-fetched.

    Just as Lily steadied herself and was about to pounce on Harriet, she roared nearly madly, "Harriet,

    you''ve gone too far! I won¡¯t let this go!"

    Harriet simply moved slightly to the right, easily dodging Lily''s attack.

    Seeing Lily''s frantic state, Harriet feigned innocence with a shrug, her voice tinged with a hint of

    grievance,

    "Miss Lily, that''s not fair. Where have I gone too far? It was you who wanted to bet on stones, and

    you who cheated and got caught.

    "I was just kindly reminding you that you hadn''t fulfilled our bet. Now you''re trying to hit me. How

    can you say I''ve gone too far?"

    Lily, driven to madness by her fall, didn''t care who was actually at fault.

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628

    There was only one thought in her mind: revenge against Harriet, to make Harriet as embarrassed

    as she was.

    After missing her target, Lily steadied herself and lunged at Harriet again with renewed vigor.

    "Harriet, I''ll make sure to quell your arrogance today!"

    As Harriet was about to dodge again, Delbert, quick as lightning, extended his arm and pressed Lily

    down to the ground, signaling Lewis and the employees of the gems trading center to restrain her.

    Delbert looked at Lily with disdain, his brows slightly furrowed.

    The worry in his eyes seemed to be for his clothes that might get dirty from touching Lily.

    He had a thing about cleanliness. Especially towards fools like Lily, it was more pronounced.

    This cleanliness obsession only disappeared when he dealt with Harriet.

    Delbert looked up at Lily with disdain and scoffed coldly without any mercy,

    "Is this the daughter of the Lynch family in Imperium? What an eye-opener! The esteemed daughter

    of the Lynch family acting like a madwoman in public, causing a scene and attempting to throw

    herself at others?"

    Hearing Delbert''s words brought back thest shreds of rationality to Lily.

    When she noticed the contemptuous looks from the crowd around her, she wished she could just

    disappear.

    What had she done just now?

    How could she have lost her senses and recklessly lunged at Harriet?

    It must be Harriet''s fault. It had nothing to do with her!

    If it hadn''t been for Harriet provoking her on purpose, how could she possibly have lost her mind?

    It was all Harriet''s fault!

    At this moment, Lily''s resentment towards Harriet even surpassed that towards Harriet''s eight

    brothers.

    After all, it was suspected that when Harriet''s eight brothers came to Imperium, they did something

    unknown to their parents that led to their deaths and the downfall of their family.

    That was why she hated Harriet''s eight brothers so much.

    The Lynch family were supposed to be the emperors of Imperium, nobility of the highest order.

    And her status in all of Imperium was second to none.

    Calling her the princess of Imperium wouldn''t be an exaggeration.

    But now, even Harriet, that lowlife dared to defy her!

    Harriet and her eight brothers were all harbingers of disaster!

    Ever since they came to Imperium, her parents died one after another...

    Since Harriet came to Imperium, her reputation was ruined, and misfortune followed!

    Thinking that, Lily red furiously at Harriet. Her look could kill!

    Just as Lily was about to demand justice from Harriet, she heard Harriet say slowly, "Now that

    you¡¯ve regained yourposure. Miss Lily, it''s time to fulfill our previous bet and kneel down to

    apologize, isn''t it?"

    The bet?

    Lily was taken aback.

    After a brief moment of shock, she remembered the bet they had made.

    She had vowed that if she won, Harriet would immediately kneel and apologize.

    Likewise, if Harriet won, she would kneel and apologize to Harriet.

    She had been confident, with the help of a shopping guide and knowledge of all the stones in the

    venue that could produce precious jewel, she would win.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    But she never imagined Harriet would extract a top-quality jewel from an ordinary stone, which

    completely overshadowed her own superior jewel.

    She had thought that it would be Harriet kneeling and apologizing, that she couldn¡¯t possibly lose.

    But fate had other ns...

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629

    Lily looked around, taking in the circle of onlookers.

    When she saw that everyone was watching with a look of anticipation for the drama, and not a

    single person intended to speak up for her, her heart sank.

    Noticing Lily, the main party involved, looking at them, a hint of disdain shed in the eyes of the

    surrounding crowd.

    "What are you looking at us for, Miss Lily? Surely you don''t want to kneel and apologize to Miss

    Harriet, do you? After all, it was you who proposed the bet. Tsk tsk, you can''t afford to lose, right?"

    "Losing isn¡¯t an option for thedy of the Lynch family, is it? I think Miss Lily believes that Miss

    Harriet actually cheated and is still deluded into thinking she did nothing wrong. How shameless she

    is!"

    Listening to the sarcasticments from the crowd, Lily felt like crying.

    She bit her lower lip tightly, her hands clenched into fists, looking pitiful enough to evoke sympathy.

    But no one present felt anypassion for her.

    Lily was about to make another excuse to clear her name.

    But Delbert seemed to see right through Lily''s thoughts.

    His icy gaze, with a hint of threat, slowly shifted towards Lily.

    When Delbert saw that Lily still hadn''t knelt to apologize to Harriet, his cold voice came from not too

    far away.

    "Kneel and apologize or die, Lily, you choose!"

    Delbert''s deep, beautiful eyes seemed to tell Lily that he wouldn¡¯t show mercy because of her

    brother''s past friendship with him if she didn¡¯t apologize to Harriet.

    Remembering her brother''s mention of Delbert''s ruthless reputation in the business world, Lily was

    scared out of her wits.

    Delbert''s overpowering presence kept assaulting her, almost suffocating her.

    Unable to bear the pressure, Lily decisively knelt down and through gritted teeth eked out a few

    words.

    "I''m sorry, Miss Harriet. I was wrong."

    But even though she had knelt down to apologize, she was still very unwilling.

    Delbert, this noble and proud man, why would he fall for Harriet?

    And to be so infatuated with Harriet.

    Just because Harriet wanted her to kneel and apologize, Delbert threatened her with her life over

    his friendship with her brother, Liam, just to make her kneel!

    Such a noble and proud man like Delbert...

    Only she could possess him, and only she was worthy of him!

    She was determined to take Delbert back from Harriet''s hands!

    And she was determined to get revenge on Harriet!

    Wait a second...

    Lily suddenly seemed to remember something, a sinister and gloomy look shing in her eyes.

    With her head bowed low, no one saw the expression on her face, nor did anyone notice the slight

    curl of her lips.

    That smile from Lily was profound, filled with malice and venom.

    As long as she could seed in this matter.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Harriet would never have a chance to turn things around!

    But before she could aplish this task, she needed to contact a few more people.

    After apologizing and seeing that no one paid her any attention, Lily quickly stood up and left the

    gems trading center with her head down.

    No one tried to stop her.

    Everyone looked at her as if they were watching a joke.

    This drama was like a minor interlude, something that could help them get closer to Harriet.

    The real business was still getting their hands on that piece of jewel.

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630

    Every person present had an eagerness in their eyes, almost unanimously asking, "Miss Harriet,

    who do you n to sell this piece of jewel to?"

    The price of that exquisite piece of jewel had now escted beyond 9 million and reached over 10

    million in the never-ending bidding war, with an upward trend still visible.

    The truth was that 10 million dors were almost equivalent to the annual ie of manypany

    bosses.

    And here was Harriet, a young girl who had earned it in less than an hour.

    Even they were envious of Harriet''s luck!

    They weren¡¯t at all worried that Harriet wouldn''t be able to sell this exquisite piece of jewel!

    With a fortune of 10 million close at hand, who wouldn''t take it?

    But the next second, Harriet''s response shocked everyone present.

    Harriet nonchntly took the jewel from Delbert''s hand, her lips parting slightly to utter a few words

    that instantly drove everyone into a frenzy, "Sorry, I''m not selling this jewel!"

    Not selling?

    What was all their earlier eager bidding for?

    What did their earlier actions mean when they humiliated Lily and offended the Lynch family just to

    please Harriet?

    They wereplete clowns!

    Seeing the crowd''s copse around her, Harriet spread her hands with a helpless look on her face.

    She didn¡¯t say she would sell the jewel.

    She wasn''t short on money. Not to mention that her eight brothers would transfer money to her bank

    ount from time to time, casually adding up to millions, making her wealth surpass that of most of

    the big bosses in Imperium.

    Moreover, she was nning to keep this piece of jewel as a gift for her eight brothers.

    But seeing the pitiful state of the crowd around her, she couldn''t help but feel a little sorry for them.

    She sighed helplessly and continued, "I have another use for this jewel stone. After this period is

    over, I¡¯lle here again. By then, the jewel I get may possibly be sold to others."

    Upon hearing Harriet''s words, the onlookers slightly reined in their disappointed expressions.

    Although they were internally falling apart, they still expressed understanding for Harriet''s decision

    to keep the exceptional piece of jewel.

    After all, Harriet was the beloved sister of the eight tycoons of Imperium.

    After getting such a piece of exceptional jewel, she would surely take it back to report to her

    brothers, using it to strengthen her own influence and carve out a share of the Bass family''s assets.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    These assets were far more valuable than mere numbers in a bank ount.

    If Harriet could hear the thoughts of those present, she would probably dieughing.

    To carve out more assets?

    To strengthen her influence?

    She didn¡¯t know when the family of her eight brothers became such a den of intrigue?

    The imagination of these onlookers was simply too wild!

    Seeing that the crowd had no intention of pestering her, Harriet breathed a sigh of relief.

    After giving a few instructions to Lewis, she once again entered the stones area, ready to pick out a

    few more rough stones.

    After cutting them open, she nned to take them along with the piece of jewel she already had.

    The crowd, which had been ready to disperse, paused their departure upon seeing Harriet head

    towards the stones area and stayed to watch.

    They were curious whether Harriet''s ability to produce exceptional jewel was due to sheer luck or

    solid skill.

    But it wasn''t long before the onlookers were stunned again!

 Chapter 631

    Chapter 631

    Not far away, a sales associate beside Harriet was carrying a pile of rough stones towards the stone

    cutter.

    Even the stone cutter couldn''t help but twitch at the sight of these stones.

    All the rough stones being carried were selected by Harriet!

    The crowd was astounded.

    After all, these rough stones appeared quite ordinary at first nce.

    Was Harriet overly confident in her luck?

    Or did she possess enough skill to be sure she could cut good stones from them?

    After all, this gems trading center was thergest and oldest in Imperium. Even the prices for rough

    stones weren¡¯t low!

    Cutting so many stones at once, the odds of not losing money were incredibly slim!

    Indeed, Harriet was still a girl with simple thoughts at heart.

    Having just cut an exceptional piece of jewel, she wanted to continue her luck and cut more fine

    jewel.

    It looked like she might lose money this time!

    Just as everyone felt pity for her and some even thought to advise Harriet not to cut so many

    stones,

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    The first rough stone selected by Harriet was finally cut by the stone cutter.

    At the sight of that piece of jewel, the onlookers were dumbfounded again.

    It was a purple sapphire!

    And its quality seemed much better than that of the piece Lily had just got!

    Just the fame of purple sapphire was enough to earn back the cost price of Harriet''s rough stone

    purchase.

    Not to mention that the purity of this piece of purple sapphire even rivaled that of the exceptional

    piece of jewel!

    How could this be?

    How could Harriet get such fine jewel twice in a row?

    Or were they dreaming right now?

    They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes!

    The entire venue erupted with the sound of pping.

    Continuous and unending.

    These ps weren''t because the onlookers were apuding.

    Instead, many thought they were dreaming and pped themselves, trying to wake up from this

    dream!

    Two exceptional pieces of jewel appearing at once.

    If this wasn''t a dream, then what was it?

    This event was shocking enough for the entire jewel industry!

    But how could it be possible?

    The stone cutter, upon cutting that piece of purple sapphire and at Harriet''s gesture, picked another

    rough stone and continued cutting.

    Before long, another piece of jewel emerged before everyone''s eyes.

    This piece turned out to be a blue diamond!

    The entire stone seemed as though it had been soaked in blue, its blue color shimmering with a hint

    of nobility amidst its in appearance, with a breath-taking beauty about it.

    This piece of blue diamond was so rare that its quality even surpassed that of the purple sapphire

    just cut!

    All the onlookers werepletely dumbfounded this time.

    First a pure purple sapphire, now a blue diamond...

    Was Harriet creating a pair of blue and purple jewels?

    Even the stone cutter''s hands were trembling slightly as he worked.

    He carefully set down the finished blue diamond and picked up another rough stone.

    The moment he made the first cut, his hands shook even more violently.

    A ruby?

    And top-quality ruby at that!

    Not seen once in ten years, let alone a hundred!

    This top-quality ruby was far more prestigious than the exceptional piece of jewel just cut!

    It was simply outrageous!

    Harriet had consecutively got a purple sapphire, a blue diamond, a ruby, and each piece was of

    extremely high quality!

    Once in a hundred years?

    No!

    This was once in ten thousand years!

    How did they not know about so many precious jewels in their gems trading center?

    And these were just the first three pieces.

    It was hard to imagine what kind of jewel would appear next with a pile of rough stones still waiting

    for her to cut out.

 Chapter 632

    Chapter 632

    The next second, after the stone cutter made another cut into a rough stone, the whole ce fell

    into a stunned silence.

    The stone cutter even fainted.

    Along with him, many of the onlookers and staff members of the gems trading center also passed

    out from shock.

    What kind of luck was this?

    Four times in a row, they had all been top-grade jewels.

    When they were betting on stones, why didn''t they ever see such jewels appear?

    It felt as if the jewels were hiding from them whenever they bet on stones!

    But when Harriet came to bet on stones, why did the jewels seem to jump into her hands?

    It was so unfair!

    What was even more infuriating was that everyone initially thought that Harriet''s streak of luck with

    four top-grade jewels would end there.

    But they werepletely wrong. This wasn¡¯t the end but just the beginning!

    In the next round, all of the remaining ten rough stones that Harriet had personally selected turned

    out to be top-grade jewels.

    If it hadn''t been witnessed with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a thing could

    happen in the world.

    Harriet''s luck was so good it couldn''t just be summed up as outrageous.

    Even if one were to bet everything on stone gambling, his luck wouldn''t normally be this good!

    Not only were the surrounding onlookers shocked, but Lewis was equally astonished.

    His shock was even more pronounced than that of the people around him.

    How could this be?

    Each rough stone that Harriet picked wasn''t pre-arranged by her to ensure precious jewel would be

    found. Each one was chosen by her own luck.

    No...

    That wasn¡¯t right!

    Getting one or two precious jewels could be called luck.

    But continuously producing over a dozen top-grade jewels? That was skill!

    Others might not know Harriet''s other background, but he did.

    One of Harriet''s brothers was the behind-the-scenes boss of this gems trading center!

    Who would have thought that the scene of n betting on stones years ago would be reyed at

    this moment with Harriet?

    And Harriet, seeing the shocked expressions around her, stood proudly with her hands on her hips,

    her clear and beautiful eyes carrying a hint of arrogance, as if she was asking for praise from

    Delbert by her side.

    These rough stones producing so many top-grade jewels was within her expectations.

    The only surprise for her was that there were so many top-grade jewel rough stones in this trading

    center.

    It seems that whenever she would need money in the future, she could just take a walk here and

    make a fortune?

    Standing beside her, Delbert looked at the proud woman with affection in his eyes and a slight curve

    on his lips.

    While everyone''s attention was focused on the few pieces of top-grade jewel, Delbert leaned down

    slightly and whispered in Harriet''s ear, "Both luck and skill coexist. I¡¯m so proud of you."

    The man''s voice was hoarse, deep with endless allure. The doting tone mixed with an unusual hint

    of pride merged with the warm breath he exhaled.

    Harriet instantly felt aroused, and her cheeks flushed red.

    Hearing the man''s words, Harriet blushed and quickly called Lewis to change the subject, "Mr.

    Lewis, do you have a private room for stone cutting? I''d like to cut a rough stone. Please find me a

    reliable stone cutter."Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 633

    Chapter 633

    Lewis was initially taken aback upon hearing her request but then nodded quickly as if he had

    thought of something.

    After processing Harriet''s words andbining it with the mysterious stone that had appeared in

    her hand earlier, Lewis understood that the stone probably had an extraordinary origin.

    Harriet likely wanted to cut open this stone as well to see what kind of jewel was inside.

    Before long, he arranged for a room for Harriet to use for stone cutting.

    The stone cutter he summoned was one of the most experienced in the entire jewel trading center.

    It was said that this stone cutter had witnessed the days when n ruled over the jewel world with

    his power and influence.

    Now he had be one of the most reliable stone cutters under n''smand.

    This stone cutter was loyal to n and was aware of Harriet''s background.

    Having him cut the stone was the safest bet!

    As he watched Harriet and her assistant, Delbert, along with the stone cutter following behind, enter

    the arranged room,

    Lewis stood at the door, guarding for the three inside.

    But it wasn''t long before a loud noise came from within the room!

    Worried, Lewis hurriedly pushed open the door and ran inside, only to see the stone cutter had

    fallen to the ground with stone-cutting tools in hand.

    The stone cutter''s face was full of shock, with a hint of excitement visible, and his hands were even

    trembling slightly.

    Seeing that, Lewis suddenly had an ominous premonition and quickly spoke up, "Miss Harriet, Mr.

    Darryl, are you alright?"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Lewis seemed to see something that made his face turn to shock,

    and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

    He quickly got up and shut the door.

    What the stone cutter had just revealed was none other than one of the rarest jewels, emerald!

    And this emerald was no ordinary piece.

    It wasn''t like themon ones found on the market.

    Top-grade green gemstones were extremely rare, even unheard of in many cases.

    To say nothing of the excellent quality green gemstones, top-grade emerald could just be a fantasy

    for many jewel enthusiasts.

    But who would have thought that this beautiful fantasy would one day be a reality?

    And now, this top-grade emerald was right before their eyes!

    Lewis finally understood why Harriet had specifically instructed him to prepare a room and a

    trustworthy stone cutter.

    The news of this emerald would send shock waves through the entire jewelmunity.

    If word got out, it could lead to dire consequences, with some potentially harboring ill intentions to

    forcibly take the jewel from Harriet''s hands.

    Suddenly, Lewis felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

    He had initially been somewhat afraid of Harriet being forcibly robbed due to the high-quality stones

    she had previously revealed.

    But the fact that Harriet had revealed these stones in their own gems trading center gave him some

    peace of mind.

    After all, there was an unwritten rule in the gems trading center that strictly prohibited anyone from

    snatching a customer''s jewel after they had bet on it!

    Viting that rule would result in a permanent ban from the gems trading center, as the center

    would consider the vitors enemies and even pursue legal action against them.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634

    It was the gems trading center''s mechanism to protect its customers.

    Under the protection, Lewis had thought Harriet would be safe.

    But now that Harriet had revealed top-grade emerald, the situation was different.

    Such top-grade emerald mightpel some to be enemies of the gems trading center just to

    take it from Harriet''s hands.

    Lewis''s expression immediately tensed as he stepped towards the stone cutter lying on the ground.

    He was about to confirm for the third time that the stone cutter wouldn''t leak this news when he

    heard Harriet say, "Is this green jewel very precious?"

    Harriet tilted her head, her face full of confusion as she looked at the rough stone on the table that

    had just been cut, which was now faintly revealing the emerald inside.

    Lewis, who had been tense, nearly dropped his jaw in shock upon hearing Harriet''s words.

    He had been wondering how Harriet could have revealed such fine jewel without any reaction and

    even stand quietly aside.

    He had thought she was being unppable.

    But it turned out she didn''t recognize this piece of top-grade green jewel at all!

    ¡°Miss Harriet, please let me introduce...¡±

    Lewis was about to introduce this piece of emerald to Harriet, but she raised her hand to stop him.

    She wasn''t unfamiliar with the jewel in front of her.

    She knew from the moment she got hold of this stone that the green jewel inside was pricey.

    But after all, it was just a stone.

    The stone cutter had fainted at the first cut, and Lewis had fallen over upon entering and seeing the

    jewel.

    Was it really that precious?

    Anyway, since this Harriet was extremely precious, then...

    A sly glint passed through Harriet''s eyes, her lips curling slightly.

    Underneath her veiled look towards Delbert, there seemed to be an unfathomable expression

    hidden.

    Not long after, the stone cutter who had been shocked to the ground calmed down for a moment

    and finally stood up to continue cutting the rough stone.

    After the entire piece of emerald was cut out, Lewis carefully packaged it before letting Harriet and

    Delbert leave with peace of mind.

    "Miss Harriet, have a good journey."

    Lewis even considered having bodyguards from the gems trading center apany Harriet to

    ensure her safety all the way.

    But since nobody knew about Harriet''s possession of emerald and considering the rules of the

    gems trading center as well as Harriet''s public identity as the treasured sister of the Bass family

    brothers, it seemed unlikely anyone would rob her.

    So he decided not to arrange for bodyguards to follow Harriet.

    The crowd that had just witnessed Harriet reveal more than a dozen pieces of exquisite jewel still

    had shocked expressions on their faces.

    They looked at the bags of stones carried by Delbert beside Harriet with almost drooling

    anticipation.

    They wondered how fine a jewel Harriet could reveal next time she came to sell at the gems trading

    center?

    Even if it couldn''tpare to what she had opened this time, it surely wouldn''t be far off.

    It seemed that next time, they would need to prepare quite a bit of money in advance!

    Harriet walked side by side with Delbert to the underground parking garage.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Delbert''s hands were still carrying various bags, all filled with the jewel Harriet had just revealed.

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635

    In the underground parking garage.

    It was unusually quiet since it was a workday, with few cars and even fewer people, leaving only the

    sound of Harriet and Delbert''s footsteps echoing.

    Unseen by them, several figures lurked in the shadows.

    Not long ago, Lily escaped from the gems trading center in embarrassment.

    She ran into her brother, Liam, on her way home, who had rushed over after hearing about the

    drama.

    Liam had been swamped at work because of Harriet and was both angry and resentful upon

    hearing that Lily had been dealt with by Harriet at n¡®s gems trading center.

    He didn¡¯t want to deal with his foolish sister.

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    But he realized that during this critical period, any slip-up by Lily could be exploited by Harriet in the

    court of public opinion. By then, the Lynch Group would be doomed.

    Without hesitation, Liam drove to the gems trading center to find Lily.

    When he saw her running out, disheveled, he knew she had been thrown out by Harriet.

    Liam was aware that Lily had instigated the situation and, after losing a bet, used Harriet of

    cheating before being forced to apologize.

    Liam was surprised to see the extent of Lily''s injuries.

    Her face was swollen and bruised. Her nose was bloodied and only just stopped bleeding.

    Despite that, he felt no sympathy for her¡ªher actions had turned the Lynch family into a

    laughingstock in Imperium.

    How could she expect his sympathy after such foolishness?

    Without further discussion, Liammanded, "Lily, go with me to apologize to Harriet at the jade

    trading center!"

    Lily was stunned by his words.

    She had been thrilled to see her brother because she needed his help with a n against Harriet¡ª

    a n best implemented sooner rather thanter.

    But before she could share it, he demanded she apologize.

    Why was her brother siding with Harriet just like Delbert and everyone else at the scene?

    With a pout and a reluctant expression, Lilyined, "Liam, whosest name do you carry¡ª

    Lynch or Munoz? It was Harriet who provoked me first. Why should I apologize to her? She doesn''t

    deserve my apology!"

    Hearing that, Liam knew of Lily''s stubbornness and didn''t waste words.

    "No more nonsense. You''re going to apologize today whether you like it or not!"

    After shouting angrily, he reached for Lily''s hand to drag her upstairs to apologize to Harriet.

    In the past, he would have indulged his willful sister''s every wish.

    But now, the Lynch family''s reputation in Imperium and thepany''s future were at stake.

    Lily had no say in this matter.

    At this moment, however, Lily suddenly grabbed Liam''s hand.

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636

    "Liam, haven''t you been troubledtely about how to deal with Harriet? I''ve just thought of a great

    way that will leave her with no chance to recover!

    "And this method won''t damage the reputation of the Lynch family even if it gets out!"

    Liam was swayed by Lily''s words. He indeed wanted to bring down Harriet to give the Lynch Group

    a chance to rise again in Imperium.

    He became curious about what n Lily had in mind.

    After all, his sister had been foolishly outmaneuvered by Harriet every time, each n more wed

    than thest, easily giving Harriet leverage.

    But now Lily imed her n would destroy Harriet without harming the Lynch family''s reputation.

    Postponing the apology wouldn''t hurt. He might as well hear her out.

    With that thought, Liam looked up at Lily, signaling her to continue.

    "Go on, what''s your n?"

    Seeing her brother not only willing to listen but also showing keen interest, Lily was overjoyed and

    eager to share.

    "Liam, haven''t you been conspiring with Garry and Wendell against Harriettely? Garry is the vice

    president of Harriet''spany, right?"

    Liam nodded, puzzled as to why Lily suddenly brought up Garry.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Lily continued excitedly, "Right now on the Inte, all the public opinion from your side is targeting

    Harriet for bullying. But almost everyone believes that even if Harriet is a bully, she bullies those

    who deserve it¡ªshe did well. So if we want to take down Harriet, we need another breakthrough

    soon!"

    Liam nodded, "Continue."

    Lily said, "Harriet and Garry are from the samepany. If there''s a slip-up in a project under

    Harriet''s responsibility¡ªlike leaking key information.

    "At that time, if apanyes to talk business with Harriet¡ªseen as the only beneficiary after

    such a leak¡ªwhat would that look like under online scrutiny?"

    As soon as Lily finished speaking, a malicious expression crept onto her face, contorted with envy.

    Seeing Liam hadn''t responded yet, she continued summarizing on her own.

    "My n is for you to contact Garry first. Have him extract key information from one of Harriet''s

    projects and leak it to otherpanies as one of her subordinates.

    "Remember, this information can''t be fake; its leak must cause real harm to Garry''spany for

    authenticity!"

    Lily spoke convincingly but failed to notice Liam''s expression darkening.

    "After leaking the information, have Garry continue acting as Harriet''s subordinate to facilitate deals

    with thosepanies as payback for leaking key information.

    "When all thosepanies have negotiated with Harriet, we''ll expose the news. Harriet''s reputation

    will bepletely ruined!"

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637

    At this moment, Lily''s eyes were filled with jealousy and malice.

    The seeds of jealousy had long been nted in her heart, taking root and growing into a towering

    tree that bore bitter fruit.

    She wished for Harriet''s death!

    If this n seeded, Harriet would be ruined, and no one would dare to work with her again.

    With no progress in her work and being shunned by the public, Harriet would have no way out.

    Lily was certain that Liam had recently suffered a loss because of Harriet and must also dislike her.

    Therefore, he had forced her to apologize to Harriet due to public pressure.

    As long as Liam was willing to cooperate, the n would definitely seed!

    Then, she wouldn''t have to endure Harriet''s presence or suffer her insults.

    From then on, Imperium would only have one distinguisheddy¡ªthe Lynch family''s Miss Lily!

    Lily was feeling triumphant about her perfect n.

    But the next moment, Liam grabbed her wrist with great force, not considering whether she felt pain,

    and dragged her towards the gems trading center.

    As he pulled her along, he said harshly, "Lily, I should have known you wouldn''t change your ways. I

    shouldn''t have wasted time listening to your ridiculous ns!"

    It was crazy that he had shown some interest in her absurd n just because of a few words from

    his useless sister.

    What had hee here for today?

    To prevent Harriet from finding any evidence that would ruin their previous n.

    But now, he was being pressured to give up their original npletely!

    Was she joking?

    Even if he wanted to give up their previous n, Wendell and Garry would never agree!

    Not to mention that Lily''s n required Garry''s cooperation.

    Besides, how could Garry ept giving up their original n?

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    Lily still didn''t realize what she had done in their previous n with Garry and Wendell!

    She had used their n to threaten Harriet!

    Although Wendell and Garry hadn''t said much to her on the surface, Liam didn''t know what they

    thought of them and the Lynch family behind their back!

    Lily not only failed to repent but also continued to propose absurd ns one after another.

    She had caused such a bigmotion just then and was still thinking of causing more trouble.

    Upon hearing Liam''s words, Lily was dumbfounded.

    Weren''t they just having a good conversation?

    Liam had seemed curious.

    She had even thought victory was within reach and he would surely agree to cooperate with her.

    But why did he suddenly be angry after she finished exining the n?

    And why did he grab her hand and insist that she apologize to Harriet?

    Lily couldn''t bear this treatment.

    She forcefully pulled her hand away from Liam and pushed him away.

    "Liam, I can see that you''ve suffered a loss because of Harriet. I wanted to help you deal with her.

    But you not only fail to appreciate it but also force me to apologize to Harriet!

    ¡°I''ve been bullied by Harriet. Look at my nose and my face¡ªshe did this. It''s still swollen! How can

    you take Harriet''s side? Who are you even a brother to?"

    Liam was already furious and became even more breathless after hearing Lily''s words.

    He couldn''t believe how thick-skinned his sister was.

    It was clear that she had been mistreated by Harriet herself and wanted to deal with her!

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638

    Lily imed to help Liam because she saw him suffering a loss but he rejected her ridiculous n.

    Yet she questioned whether he was her brother.

    How could such a person be his sister?

    And how could he have pampered his own sister since birth?

    Lily seemed oblivious to Liam''s changing expression and continued toin bitterly about Liam,

    even bringing up past events.

    As Lily continued toin about Liam, Liam¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim.

    Just as Lily brought up a recent event and continued toin about Liam, Liam released his grip

    on Lily''s wrist.

    Just as Lily was puzzled by that, the next moment, with a loud "smack!" Lily''s face swelled up

    completely red.

    She couldn''t believe it and covered her left cheek which was now red with swelling.

    She looked at the hand that her brother had just let go of in disbelief.

    Her own brother who had doted on her for over a decade had hit her?

    And he had hit her on the face!

    Lily looked at Liam with an expression of near-copse on her face.

    She tried to tell herself that the person who had just hit her wasn''t her own brother or one of the few

    people who had been kind to her.

    But the pain on her face and her brother''s indifferent expression told her otherwise.

    She had been hit!

    Her own brother who had been by her side for over ten years had hit her!

    Thest defense in Lily''s heart waspletely shattered by the betrayal of her own family.

    Tears streamed down her face, "Liam, I hate you!"

    With that, she turned and ran away.

    When Liam watched Lily''s distraught figure, his expression remained as cold as ever, without a hint

    of concern in his eyes.

    It would serve her right to learn a lesson!

    He remembered the first time he hit Lily, which was shortly after the banquet held by Harriet''s

    second brother, Levi.

    At that time, he had felt a twinge of guilt when he saw Lily leave in distress.

    But now, he felt no guilt, but only disappointment and anger towards Lily.

    If he had the chance, he would go back to when Lily was born and give himself a good p.

    Why had he pampered Lily so much?

    He had spoiled her to the point where she dared to confront him and lecture him!

    She didn''t know her ce!

    However...

    For some reason, Liam suddenly remembered the n Lily had just told him.

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    A glint appeared in his eyes, and he involuntarily picked up his phone and dialed Garry''s number.

    He seemed to be hesitating about something.

    Several minutester, on a bench by the roadside, Lily''s eyes were no longer filled with tears, only a

    faint redness around her eyes.

    As Lily looked at the contact information she had bought at great cost on her phone screen, her lips

    curled up slightly, forming a sly smile.

    She didn¡¯t expect her brother to refuse to help her.

    In the end, she could only rely on herself.

    Without hesitation, Lily dialed the number.

    As soon as the call connected, an impatient voice came from the other end, "Who¡¯s this? Why are

    you calling me? If you don''t say anything, I''ll hang up..."

    Hearing the man threatening to hang up, Lily quickly said to stop him, "Wait a sec! I have an

    important matter to discuss with you! Isn''t your boss currently searching for precious jade in various

    ces?

    "At thergest gems trading center in Imperium, someone has just revealed a rare piece of jewel

    that only appears once every ten years!"

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639

    The man on the other end of the phone was none other than Benjamin Walker, a trusted lieutenant

    in the underworld of Imperium, who worked under a prominent figure.

    The news about Benjamin''s boss searching for jewels had been overheard by Lily during a

    shopping trip with her female friends.

    She didn''t want to contact Benjamin directly, but there was very little information avable about his

    boss.

    Even after spending a lot of money, she only managed to obtain Benjamin''s phone number.

    Fearful that Benjamin would find out that Harriet was the one who had found the exceptional jewel,

    and out of concern for Harriet¡¯s status as Arthur and Levi''s sister, Lily had concealed the name of

    the person who had found the exceptional jewel when she spoke to Benjamin.

    Upon hearing Lily''s words, Benjamin on the other end of the line became instantly anxious, followed

    by an uncontroble sense of joy and excitement.

    "What do you mean by this? We arew-abiding citizens. How could we possibly engage in

    robbery?"

    Lily was speechless at Benjamin''s words.

    She didn¡¯t ask them to engage in robbery.

    Wasn''t this a case of protesting too much?

    Although she was exasperated, Lily still quickly added, "Someone has targeted the person who

    found the exceptional jewel. If you don''t act now, someone else will beat you to it!"

    Upon hearing that, Benjamin couldn''t sit still.

    After expressing his thanks, he quickly hung up the phone.

    Even through the phone, Lily could feel Benjamin''s anxiety.

    Seeing Benjamin, as she had expected, preparing to snatch the jewelsite from Harriet''s hands filled

    Lily with glee.

    Although this n wouldn''t cause as much substantial harm to Harriet as the previous one, it would

    certainly lead to Benjamin taking harsh action against Harriet whilepeting for the jewel.

    In the end, Harriet would suffer just as much as she had.

    The thought of Harriet being beaten and bloodied, looking even more wretched than herself, filled

    Lily with satisfaction.

    ...

    Benjamin and a few of his men were currently hiding in the shadows of the underground parking

    garage, unseen by Harriet and Delbert.

    When Benjamin saw Harriet approaching, he became visibly excited.

    The bag carried by the man beside this young woman definitely contained the exceptional jewel that

    Lily had mentioned.

    As long as he could get his hands on this jewel, he could have anything he wanted!

    Money, reputation, prestige, or status¡ªeverything depended on this exceptional jewel!

    He had also inquired with the woman who had provided him with information.

    The two people before him were just ordinary people with rtively good luck and no background.

    Even if they were robbed of the exceptional jewel, they wouldn''t dare to do anything about it.

    However, just as Benjamin was about to make his move, he was caught off guard by an unexpected

    interruption.

    Harriet took Delbert''s hand and walked towards the car they hade in.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    When they reached the car, Harriet''s lips curved into a sly and sweet smile.

    As Delbert walked to the driver''s seat and prepared to open the door, Harriet suddenly lifted her leg

    and pushed Delbert against the car, resting her heel on his shoulder.

    She deliberately lowered her voice and imitated Delbert''s previous teasing manner, speaking softly,

    "Darling, did I look handsome after pping Lily today and consecutively revealing over a dozen

    precious jewels?"

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640

    As soon as his woman pushed her leg against him, Delbert raised his eyebrows with interest.

    His deep-set eyes showed a hint of indulgence.

    He allowed Harriet to push her leg against him while holding the bag containing the jewel in his left

    hand and putting his right hand in his pocket.

    With his eyes lowered and his long eyshes fluttering, his voice was openly affectionate.

    "Yes, my babe looks handsome no matter what she does. She looks even more handsome now. So

    handsome that I can''t resist¡­"

    His voice was so deep that it was almost hoarse.

    His beautiful eyes looked at Harriet with a hint of desire flickering within them.

    After hearing Delbert''s words, a blush instantly rose to Harriet''s cheeks.

    She had intended to imitate Delbert and tease him in return.

    But she didn''t expect that after being pushed by her leg, Delbert would still respond so flirtatiously

    that it made her heart race!

    She had tried to steal a kiss but ended up being kissed instead!

    Delbert was too bad!

    Blushing with anger, Harriet puffed up her cheeks like a little hamster.

    She changed the subject and brought up the main issue, "Delbert, how did you manage to notice

    that small stone on the disy cab that seemed like scrap but contained a top-grade jewel?"

    After finishing her sentence, she pushed her leg against Delbert again and moved closer to him.

    Her doe eyes held a hint of threatening yfulness as if she were coaxing Delbert to tell the truth

    and not lie.

    Delbert was immediately amused by the cute look on his woman''s face, and he affectionately

    rubbed Harriet''s head.

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    "Where is my beautiful and sassy babe? How did you turn from handsome to a cute and soft little

    hamster in just three seconds?"

    Upon hearing Delbert''s words, Harriet became even more annoyed, and her puffed-up cheeks didn''t

    subside at all.

    What did he mean by "turning cute in three seconds"?

    When she pushed her leg against Delbert, it had definitely been more than three seconds!

    And what did he mean by "cute and soft little hamster"?

    She wasn''t small at all, let alone like a hamster!

    With a hint of yful threat in her eyes as she looked at Delbert, Harriet responded with

    dissatisfaction, "I''m not a little hamster. Tell me quickly, how did you notice that small stone with the

    jewel?"

    When Delbert saw his woman looking stubborn and cute, his eyes shed with cunning.

    He raised his eyebrows, slightly lowered his head, and said to Harriet''s eyes filled with yfulness,

    "Call me ''darling,'' and I''ll tell you."

    After hearing Delbert''s slightly sinister and seductive words, Harriet''s blush spread to her ears.

    Delbert had be increasingly mischievous sinceing to Imperium.

    If that continued, she would get used to his mischief.

    However, curiosity got the better of her, so she had to obey his order.

    Harriet looked up at Delbert with curiosity, preparing to call him "darling."

    But at this moment, an unfamiliar voice suddenly interrupted them.

    "You lovebirds are flirting in broad daylight! Have you considered the feelings of us single people?"

    Almost instantly, along with the man''s voice, the sound of a de cutting through the air rang out!

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641

    The next second, Harriet felt a sudden movement and was pulled aside by Delbert, narrowly

    avoiding a dagger that had flown unexpectedly from behind her.

    Harriet quickly withdrew her leg and turned around with a serious expression furrowing her brow,

    only to see a bulky figure with an ugly scarred face¡ªthe likely source of the thrown dagger.

    Beside this man were several underling-looking thugs, their faces less scarred than his.

    When the man noticed Harriet turning to look at him, his face showed no sign of guilt.

    Instead, he seemed defiant.

    "What are you looking at? Scared by that knife? The one I threw just now wasn''t even aimed at you,

    so what are you afraid of?"

    This man was Benjamin, who had been lying in wait with his gang.

    He had nned to strike as soon as Harriet and Delbert passed by but didn''t expect the couple to

    start getting cozy next to the car, which was torturous for a single man like him!

    Benjamin became instantly enraged and, in a fit of anger, threw the dagger he held.

    He was about to state his purpose when he was contradicted by one of his own men.

    "Benjamin, it looked like if this couple hadn''t dodged, they would have been hit directly by the flying

    knife. You may not have aimed at them, but your shot was off..."

    Hearing his manr''s voice made Benjamin feel embarrassed.

    He coughed lightly, pretending as if nothing had happened, and mentally noted the man who had

    spoken up, nning to settle the scoreter.

    Benjamin then tried to act nonchnt as he addressed Harriet.

    "Did you just find an exceptional jewel at the gems trading center? If you know what''s good for you,

    hand it over quickly. I might just spare your lives."

    Upon hearing that, Harriet immediately understood Benjamin''s intentions.

    This man referred to by his subordinates as Benjamin had heard about her exceptional jewel and

    hade specifically to rob her.

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    Was he unaware of her background?

    It was indeed brave of him!

    Harriet''s lips curved into a dangerous smile.

    "Do you even know who I am to dare try taking the jewel from my hands?"

    Benjamin continued to look fierce and didn¡¯t show Harriet any kindness.

    "I don''t care who you are. Hand over the jewel quickly. I might consider sparing your life!"

    Where did this woman get her courage?

    Surely she didn''t think that Benjamin had heard from Lily that she was just amoner from a

    small rural area pretending to be some important personage!

    But Benjamin had to admit she yed the part well.

    He looked up at Harriet, who smiled mysteriously at him without any intention of handing over the

    jewel.

    A wave of irritation surged within Benjamin, triggering his underlying unease and making him more

    aggressive.

    "So you refuse to hand over the exceptional jewel? Then I''ll take it myself!"

    With that, he stepped forward, reaching out to snatch the bag containing the precious stones from

    Delbert''s hands.

    As Benjamin''s hand neared the bag, Delbert''s brows were deeply furrowed.

    "You¡¯re digging your own grave!"

    He kicked out, striking Benjamin in the abdomen and sending him flying back a considerable

    distance.

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642

    Benjamin clearly didn¡¯t expect Delbert''s martial prowess to be so formidable.

    Before he could react further, Delbert handed the bag he was carrying to Harriet.

    With a cold demeanor, Delbert slowly approached Benjamin.

    The murderous aura emanating from him made Benjamin''s cronies wish they could abandon him

    and run away.

    After that kick, Benjamin realized the man before him was no ordinary person.

    Noticing the murderous intent radiating from Delbert made him panic.

    He propped himself up on his hands and kept scooting backward on the floor.

    "What do you want to do? Don''te any closer! I¡¯m warning you, my boss is a big shot in the

    underworld of Imperium. If you mess with me, neither you nor your girlfriend can survive!"

    Seeing that things were going south, Benjamin resorted to unting his boss''s status in an attempt

    to intimidate Delbert into leaving.

    But it was all in vain.

    Delbert showed no fear and kept advancing without any pause in his step.

    Step by step, Delbert walked towards Benjamin lying on the ground, looking down at him from

    above with eyes full of icy resolve, like the King of Terrors descending.

    "I''m asking you, who sent you? And where did you get the news that we found an exceptional

    jewel? You''d better not lie, or face the consequences!"

    Benjamin appeared tough on the surface, but he actually was scared.

    Although he had promised Lily not to expose her identity, in such a situation, he didn''t know what

    inhumane treatment he might face if he didn''t reveal her identity.

    After making a decision, Benjamin no longer hesitated and promptly confessed, "I learned about

    that from a woman named Lily! As for my boss, I only know that his surname is Vinson.

    ¡°He operates in the underworld of Imperium. Although he may not be as prominent as those elder

    figures, he¡¯s still a significant figure. I''ve answered all your questions. Now, can you let me go?"

    After Benjamin finished speaking, he nervously looked at Delbert.

    Delbert showed a pensive expression and exchanged a nce with Harriet.

    Benjamin''s anxiety multiplied several times as he feared that Delbert might attack him directly,

    which he couldn''t withstand.

    While Delbert was lost in thought, Benjamin boldly signaled to his men to seize the opportunity and

    subdue Delbert.

    After all, they outnumbered him.

    He still didn''t believe it.

    Could their group not handle the two people in front of them?

    As long as they caught the man, the woman would be like amb to the ughter, obediently

    handing over the exceptional jewel!

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Seeing that several of his men had caught on to his thoughts, Benjamin immediately made a

    decision and stood up from the ground, throwing a punch at Delbert''s face.

    Although Delbert was pondering who Mr. Vinson was in Benjamin''s words, he was still on guard

    against Benjamin.

    When he saw Benjamin make a move, the fist was about to strike his face.

    Prepared in advance, Delbert immediately stepped back, easily avoiding Benjamin''s punch!

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643

    Benjamin didn''t dare to have any unnecessary reaction.

    He quickly retracted his fist, preparing for the next attack.

    After all, from the moves and techniques disyed by Delbert just now, it was clear that Delbert¡¯s

    skills weren¡¯t simple.

    Delbert might even rival the elite group under his boss.

    He didn¡¯t expect that the ordinary person mentioned by Lily would have such good skills!

    Benjamin''s heart was in turmoil and he was shocked beyond measure, unable to calm down for a

    long time.

    As he was about to retract his hand, his wrist was suddenly tightly grasped.

    Looking up, he saw Delbert firmly holding his wrist and rendering him unable to move!

    Before he could react further, Delbert exerted force, directly twisting Benjamin''s entire arm and

    forcing him to turn around.

    In an instant of pain, Benjamin clenched his teeth and continued to struggle, hoping to break free.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Unfortunately, his attack didn¡¯t seed...

    Right at this moment, several of his men had also rushed towards Delbert, ready to attack directly.

    Just as they were about to pounce on Delbert, several loud noises rang out, and their footsteps

    disappeared instantly!

    Upon hearing the loud noises, Benjamin quickly looked up in the direction of the sound of footsteps.

    He saw several of his burly men lying on the ground in disarray!

    And beside his men, a twenty-year-old woman rubbed her fists, her eyes disdainful as she stood

    there with a faint smile on her lips¡ªwicked and arrogant yet full of pride.

    "Sorry, I got carried away."

    That scene left Benjaminpletely stunned.

    What was going on?

    How had all his men ended up lying on the ground?

    Benjamin waspletely dumbfounded.

    His group of men had followed him through life and death for many years and were very strong and

    resilient.

    How could they all be defeated by a young woman?

    And the expression on the woman''s face at the moment seemed to be mocking him, mocking his

    ignorance and foolishness, mocking him for being nothing more than a clown!

    As for his men, they weren¡¯t feeling much better than Benjamin at the moment.

    Being knocked down by a young woman and unable to get up from the ground for a long time was

    such a disgrace for them!

    How could they still have the face to continue mixing in Imperium after this?

    Harriet paid no attention to how people around her saw her and walked step by step toward

    Benjamin.

    Delbert smiled gently when he saw Harriet.

    Harriet raised an eyebrow and taunted Benjamin with a mocking tone in her voice, "What? Do you

    want to try what it feels like to be defeated by me?"

    Seeing his men writhing on the ground in pain and being pinned down by Delbert, Benjamin

    desperately shook his head with all his might.

    The confident demeanor he had disyed just now vanished in an instant.

    "No, no! I absolutely don''t want to! Ma¡¯am, we were blind and ignorant. I beg you both to let us go!"

    Harriet assumed the demeanor of a boss interrogating her subordinate and said, "Since you said

    that Lily provided you with the information about the exceptional jewel in my possession, did she tell

    you any other information apart from that?"

    When she heard Benjamin say that Lily had informed him about the exceptional jewel, Harriet

    wasn¡¯t surprised at all.

    After all, with Lily''s narrow-mindedness, it would be strange if she didn''t n to retaliate against her

    or find someone to deal with her after being humiliated by her!

    Upon hearing that, Benjamin didn''t dare to lie and quickly recounted everything Lily had told him

    over the phone to Harriet.

    After listening, Delbert''s expression grew even darker.

    It was obvious that he was extremely displeased.

    Under the pressure, Benjamin had a shiver.

    Delbert''s thin lips parted as he uttered a few chilling words, "Take out your phone!"

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644

    Benjamin dared not resist and quickly handed over his phone to Delbert.

    After taking the phone, Delbert immediately dialed Lily''s number using Benjamin''s phone.

    It didn''t take long for the call to be answered.

    In the moment of connection, without waiting for a response from Lily, Delbert said directly, "Lily, I

    advise you to put away your dirty thoughts! I still don''t want to harm you, considering your

    rtionship with Liam!"

    Suddenly!

    There was a loud bang!

    It sounded like the phone at the other end had fallen to the ground.

    On Lily''s end, the phone she had been clutching moments ago suddenly dropped to the ground.

    The screen shattered, but Lily had no thoughts to spare for the phone.

    She stared nkly ahead, feeling a sudden chill in her limbs and a buzzing in her brain.

    When Lily received Benjamin''s call, she had been overjoyed, thinking it was to inform her of the

    sess of Benjamin''s n.

    However, she heard Delbert''s voice on the other end.

    And he had advised her to put away her dirty thoughts.

    Lily almost instantly realized that her n had probably failed.

    Since Delbert had been able to get hold of Benjamin''s phone, Benjamin''s situation was probably not

    good either.

    Moreover, from Delbert''s tone, he had likely already learned from Benjamin that it was her who had

    informed Benjamin about the jewel.

    Her n hadpletely failed.

    Even the identity of her behind-the-scenes maniptor was thoroughly exposed!

    After standing in a daze for a while, Lily picked up the phone again, pretending to look pitiful and

    wanting to argue, "Delbert, I don''t understand what you''re talking about. Didn''t I already apologize

    to Harriet for what happened at the gems trading center?"

    Hearing Lily''s evasive words, Delbert couldn''t be bothered to continue arguing with her.

    "You know what you''ve done. I don''t want to talk more about that. Lily, behave yourself!

    "If there''s a next time, I won''t show any mercy!"

    Afterwards, Delbert hung up the phone directly.

    After sending a photo of Benjamin and his men lying on the ground to Lily, he returned the phone to

    Benjamin.

    "Since the problem is resolved, let''s go, Delbert!"

    Harriet smiled and took Delbert''s hand directly, getting into the car and leaving swiftly.

    Only a trail of dust was left behind for Benjamin and his men.

    After Delbert and Harriet left, Benjamin hurriedly stood up, pretending as if nothing had happened,

    coughing awkwardly a few times.

    This time, he had lost face in front of his men.

    Thinking about that, Benjamin had a sinister look.

    He stared at the car as it drove away and picked up his tightly clenched phone to dial a number.

    "Mr. Vinson, I remember you''ve been actively seeking various precious gem stones recently? I just

    happened toe across an exceptional jewel, but there was a little ident in the middle of it..."

    Mr. Vinson was Benjamin''s immediate superior.

    He was also the person who could hold his own in Imperium''s illegal trading area and had quite a

    reputation.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    If anyone dared to provoke him, they would have to pay the price!

    The couple just now might have been able to handle him, but once they encountered his boss, apart

    from obediently handing over the exceptional jewel in their hands, there would be no way out!

    With great anticipation, Benjamin ryed all the details to Mr. Vinson over the phone.

    On the other end of the call, Mr. Vinson twirled the diamond ring on his finger as if pondering

    something.

    He lowered his head, and no one could see the expression on his face under the shadow.

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645

    After a moment, Mr. Vinson said slowly, his voice filled with malicious intent, "Didn¡¯t they know who¡¯s

    behind your back? You said you had already redeemed the ount in my name and purchased that

    exceptional jewel.

    "It''s just that those two didn''t give you a chance to exin and directly took it from you, right?"

    Upon hearing Mr. Vinson''s words, although Benjamin felt a bit uneasy about the first sentence, he

    quickly responded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    In order to seek revenge from Mr. Vinson for himself, he even distorted the truth.

    In his ount, he had originally possessed the jewel, and it was Harriet and Delbert who took it

    from him by force.

    After hearing Benjamin''s response, Mr. Vinson stopped twirling the ring on his finger and leaned

    back in his chair, revealing an unexpectedly young and handsome face.

    "Since the exceptional jewel is in the hands of that couple, and you have had dealings with them

    before, you can select a few of my men to deal with them. I want to see results within a week."

    Upon hearing that, Benjamin was delighted.

    Mr. Vinson¡¯s men were all elite fighters, capable of taking on a hundred opponents, far superior to

    his own men.

    With Mr. Vinson¡¯s help, he wanted to see if that couple from before could still hold their ground

    against them!

    "Thank you, Mr. Vinson!" Benjamin was about to hang up after achieving his goal.

    But right at this moment, Mr. Vinson on the other end suddenly said, "Benjamin, do you know why I

    suddenly started searching extensively for jewels?"

    Benjamin didn¡¯t expect Mr. Vinson to suddenly ask him that question and found himself momentarily

    at a loss for words.

    Mr. Vinson had indeed recently ordered an extensive search for precious jewels, and had instructed

    his men to join in the search.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    It had all happened not long ago.

    At the time, his men had been bewildered by Mr. Vinson''s sudden decision.

    After all, Mr. Vinson had never shown any interest in jewelsite before, nor had he demonstrated any

    knowledge of it.

    After some spection among the core members, they could onlye up with one rtively

    reasonable conclusion.

    It was likely that their boss, Mr. Vinson, was in love, and the woman he was involved with liked

    jewels, so he had been purchasing jewels extravagantly for his girlfriend.

    After all, that conclusion seemed much more reasonablepared to other possibilities such as

    "experiencing the extravagant life of the rich," "having too much money to spend," or "looking for

    something to do out of boredom."

    When Mr. Vinson asked about it, Benjamin subconsciously blurted out the conclusion he and the

    other core members had gossiped about.

    It wasn''t until he heard Mr. Vinson''s sneer that he realized that he had made a big mistake.

    The sneer was chilling and devoid of any warmth.

    It sent a shiver down Benjamin''s spine, and he knew that he had revealed too much information.

    Having followed Mr. Vinson for quite some time, he knew his temperament.

    He had never seen anyone who angered Mr. Vinson and lived to tell the tale!

    Fortunately, Mr. Vinson didn''t pay too much attention to what had just happened and continued,

    "ording to a reliable source, there will be a national jewels appreciation conference in the near

    future.

    ¡°My superior has instructed me to pay more attention to any good jewels recently. As long as you

    can bring back that exceptional jewel, I¡¯ll reward you generously."

    After saying that, Mr. Vinson hung up the phone directly, leaving Benjamin staring in shock, his face

    filled with amazement.

    What?

    Howe he never heard about another boss behind Mr. Vinson?

    Moreover, from Mr. Vinson''s tone, it seemed like he held that person in high regard.

    When informing him of this matter, Mr. Vinson didn''t even dare to mention that person''s name.

    The mysterious figure behind a prominent figure like Mr. Vinson was probably a person standing at

    the pinnacle of Imperium and even the entire world.

    The thought of having to find jewels for such a prominent figure left Benjamin both thrilled and

    apprehensive¡ªexcited at being favored and fearful of the consequences of his n failing and

    offending that influential figure.

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646

    It couldn¡¯t be easier for such a figure of high stature to ruin him!

    With that in mind, Benjamin didn¡¯t dare to dy.

    He quickly turned around and briefly exined the situation to his subordinates behind him.

    Meanwhile, after Harriet and Delbert left the gems trading center, the shocked onlookers had long

    since departed, preparing the money needed to purchase gem stones for the next time Harriet

    visited the gems trading center.

    Lewis promptly found his immediate superior, informed him of the situation, and obtained n''s

    phone number.

    As soon as n answered his call, Lewis couldn''t wait to say, "Mr. n, Harriet just visited our

    gems trading center!"

    Without hesitation, Lewis directly recounted every detail of Harriet''s experience at the gems trading

    center to n.

    At thismoment, n on the other end of the phone was still at Levi''s vi, arguing with his other

    brothers about which brother Harriet preferred.

    Just as they were getting into it, he suddenly received a call from one of his employees.

    What?

    His beloved sister went to his gems trading center and was bullied by the security guards and Lily,

    but then turned the tables and left?

    What?

    His beloved sister had produced over a dozen exquisite jewels in a single day, each one capable of

    astonishing the entire jewel industry when presented individually!

    Moreover, the piece of jewel that Yvonne finally produced could even spark a frenzy in the entire

    jewel industry!

    After all, even he had only seen a small piece of top-quality jewel in an ancient family with a history

    of thousands of years.

    ording to Lewis'' description, the jewel in Yvonne''s possession was even better in quality than

    that of the ancient family.

    He had originally nned to search for gem stones and bring Yvonne to the uing jewels

    exhibition event to see if she was interested in jewels and if she wanted to inherit his legacy.

    But now, if this news got out, not to mention inheriting the legacy, whether he could maintain his

    position as the top figure in the jewel industry was uncertain!

    To his astonishement, Harriet was better than him!

    He, who was once at the forefront, had been surpassed so quickly by Yvonne, who came after him?

    The look of shock on n''s face didn¡¯tst long.

    After the shock in his heart subsided, a strong sense of unease instantly struck him.

    n''s expression turned serious, and he stood up abruptly.

    "I remember that there are always many people at the gems trading center. Yvonne producing

    exquisite gem stones and consecutively producing over a dozen is significant! Have you sent

    people to protect her? What if someone targets her..."

    Upon hearing n''s words, Lewis, who initially thought the situation wasn¡¯t serious, also became

    nervous.

    Lewis'' voice became somewhat stuttered due to nervousness as he said, "Mr. n, I thought that

    with our rule at the gems trading center to protect customers, coupled with Miss Harriet''s public

    identity as your sister, no one would dare harm Miss Harriet, so I didn''t send anyone to protect

    her..."

    Lewis''s voice grew quieter.

    After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence.

    Even over the phone, he could feel the pressure emanating from n on the other end of the line.

    This standoff couldn''t continue.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Lewis gritted his teeth as if making a determined decision and said, "Mr. n, I¡¯ll go find Miss

    Harriet now.

    ¡°If anything bad happens to Miss Harriet, I¡¯m willing to take full responsibility even at the cost of my

    life!"

    ...

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647

    Harriet and Delbert finally returned to their vi.

    At nightfall, in the vi.

    After dinner, Harriet sat at her desk holding the pile of precious gem stones she had just bought.

    Looking at these dozen or so valuable gem stones in front of her, Harriet held a carving knife but

    hesitated on how to start.

    She had already decided on the way to give each of her eight brothers a carved jewel pendant.

    She had even recalled all the carving knowledge she recently learned from n''s grandfather on

    her way here.

    But when it came time to start, she felt lost.

    After several unsessful attempts, Harriet scratched her head in frustration, looking utterly

    defeated.

    If she couldn''t even carve jewel pendants for her eight brothers properly, how could sheter carve

    that piece of blood jewel well and present it to Delbert?

    Just then, Harriet heard the study door suddenly being pushed open.

    Before she could turn around, a man approached her from behind and leaned down slightly beside

    her.

    The hoarse and deep voice almost made Harriet unable to resist.

    "Can''t figure out where to start?"

    Upon hearing Delbert''s question, Harriet instinctively nodded.

    She heard a light chuckle from the man behind her.

    Before Harriet could react, Delbert walked over to her, stretched out his long arm, and directly lifted

    Harriet from the chair.

    Without giving Harriet a chance to struggle, he sat down while holding her.

    Harriet sat right on hisp!

    She was stunned at first, but then a faint blush appeared uncontrobly on her fair cheeks.

    Wasn''t this posture too embarrassing?

    At this moment, she almost wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in it!

    Unable to escape while being held by the man, she could barely move.

    Harriet had no choice but to shrink into the only ce she could hide - Delbert''s arms.

    Delbert had clearly nned his sudden visit to her room.

    She hoped that Delbert woulde to the rescue and help her figure out what to do with these gem

    stones.

    But now it seemed that Delbert wasn¡¯t here to help at all.

    He was clearly like a hungry wolf returning to steal a bite!

    Delbert looked at the shy woman in his arms with indulgence, and a hint of desire crept into his

    deep-set eyes.

    He gently held Harriet''s hands, rested his chin on her shoulder, and almost whispered in a low voice

    near her ear, "Harriet, my dear, would you like me to teach you how to carve jewel pendants?"

    The man''s already deep and hoarse voice,bined with this whisper, increased the charm several

    times over.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It was incredibly seductive and irresistibly alluring.

    Harriet became even more shy and without a word, she burrowed deeper into Delbert''s embrace.

    In this situation, how could she refuse?

    Being held by this satyr of hers was simply a deliberate provocation!

    With Delbert''s suggestive help, Harriet miraculously carved eight jewel pendants overnight.

    However, by the time all the carvings were done, it was already 8 am the next day.

    Just as Delbert suggested giving all these jewel pendants to the eight brothers, Harriet refused.

    She insisted that the carved jewel pendants needed further polishing.

    So it wasn''t until the following weekend that Harriet arranged to meet Delbert and a few brothers at

    Levi''s house.

    On that day, as soon as Harriet entered the vi, she was surrounded by the eight brothers.

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648

    Among the eight brothers, except for n, the other Bass brothers, including the usually cold and

    indifferent Levi, all looked curious and puzzled, wondering why Harriet had suddenly called them

    together.

    "Yvonne, did you call us together for something? Did someone bully you again? We¡¯ll help you seek

    revenge!"

    Henry, the doting brother, was the first to speak.

    n''s gaze towards Harriet was unexpectedly deep, his expression inscrutable but showing a hint

    of curiosity simr to the rest of his brothers''.

    "Yes, Yvonne, please tell us."

    Harriet sat with Delbert in the center of the eight brothers, smiled mysteriously, then took a bag

    containing jewel pendants from Delbert''s hands.

    Skipping the pleasantries, she took out nine pieces of jewel pendants carved from precious gem

    stones from the bag.

    The carvings were no less exquisite than those of top-notch master carvers.

    Seeing the surprised expressions on all eight brothers'' faces, Harriet proudly handed each of them

    one of the jewel pendants.

    "Brothers, from purchasing the gem stones to the final carving and polishing, Delbert and I

    personallypleted all of these."

    At this point, Harriet''s expression suddenly became very serious.

    "Since I arrived at Imperium, you¡¯ve always taken care of me. Recently at the family banquet, you

    gave me the most precious gift.

    "After receiving a precious gift, I also want to give you something in return. Although I know that no

    matter how valuable the gift is, it cannot repay your help and care for me at Imperium."

    She raised her head slowly, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

    Seeing their beloved sister suddenly in tears, the Bass brothers felt a pang in their hearts.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "Yvonne, don''t cry. You''re our sister. It''s our duty to protect you!"

    "Yes, we¡¯re even willing to protect you for a lifetime!"

    Seeing that, Justin and Oliver quicklyforted Harriet, followed by the others.

    Even Levi, who usually didn''t say much, was somewhat at a loss this time.

    As they tried to console her, Harriet''s tears continued to fall uncontrobly.

    As a result, the brothers became flustered and scrambled tofort her.

    Watching from the side, Delbert sighed resignedly because he knew that Harriet was crying out of

    joy and would soon beforted.

    This situation allowed the Bass brothers to experience what it felt like to be at a loss when faced

    with Harriet''s tears.

    "Harriet, dear, please don''t cry."

    Delbert gently rubbed Harriet''s head with tenderness in his eyes.

    Finally, it was Arthur who spoke up and gradually calmed down the chaotic scene.

    Clutching tightly onto the jewel pendant in his hand, Arthur looked different from his usual aloofness.

    He said earnestly, "Yvonne, you¡¯re our only and unique sister, our only family. Our help and care are

    what you deserve. And I owe you an apology. I failed to protect you properly when you were young

    in Agral City."

    Harriet was stunned.

    Although she had learned from her brothers that she was born in Agral City and grew up there, she

    couldn''t remember anything about her childhood.

    Why would her brothers say they didn''t protect her well in Agral City?

    What exactly happened back then in Agral City?

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649

    Harriet was about to ask, but Arthur changed the subject abruptly with happiness, "However, with us

    brothers here, you¡¯ll never be bullied in Imperium again!"

    With that, Arthur turned on the television.

    A news report happened to be airing.

    The content included: thepany managed by Wendell copsed overnight, and Wendell was

    imprisoned!

    Garry''s plot against Harriet was exposed, and he was also imprisoned!

    Furthermore, the shareholders of the Lynch Group underwent a major reshuffle overnight, with all

    shareholders within it now under Arthur and Levi''s control.

    As for Liam and Lily, without the Lynch Group, their future seemed even bleaker than that of Garry

    and Wendell in prison!

    Was it an overnight upheaval in the business world?

    Harriet''s beautiful eyes were full of shock.

    She had thought her brothers were unaware of the conflicts between her and these four people, and

    even if they knew, they wouldn''t bother to intervene.

    But to her surprise, her brothers had already seized crucial evidence while she wasn''t paying

    attention and had sent the despicable scoundrels Garry and Wendell to prison.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    During the time, they had also gradually acquired shares of Liam''spany through their

    subordinates.

    Harriet looked at Arthur, incredulous, "Arthur, did you do all of these things?"

    "Of course!" Arthur lightly smiled and changed the subject again, "By the way, Yvonne, when are

    you going to have a child with Delbert so we can cuddle our little nephew or niece?"

    With Arthur''s words, the other Bass brothers immediately expressed their agreement and turned

    their gaze towards Harriet.

    "Yes, Yvonne, we can''t wait to give your child gifts."

    "Yvonne''s child will surely be as lovely as her. It would be even better if it''s a girl."

    Each of the Bass brothers began teasing Harriet with a sentence each.

    Seeing Harriet still looking shy, Delbert couldn''t help but caress her head again with a smile,

    "Harriet, what do you think?"

    The next moment, as if realizing something, Harriet reached into her seemingly empty bag and

    pulled out a jewel pendant carved from the best jewel she got.

    This jewel pendant was different from the others, with intricate patterns and a high level of

    complexity.

    Under Delbert''s puzzled gaze, Harriet beamed and handed the jewel pendant to him.

    "Delbert, this¡¯s specially carved for you by me. Surprised?"

    She had long prepared to secretly carve a jewel pendant for Delbert.

    After all, when she proposed to give hand-carved jewel pendants to her eight brothers as gifts, she

    couldn''t miss the envy that flickered in Delbert''s eyes.

    Her man must be pampered!

    Harriet decisively decided to use the best jewel to carve a jewel pendant for Delbert.

    Carving a jewel pendant with a different meaning from those given to her brothers.

    When the Bass brothers saw the unique jewel pendant in Harriet''s hand, it was now their turn to feel

    jealous.

    Just as Harriet was about to say something, Delbert suddenly sealed her soft lips with his own.

    After about a dozen minutes, under the shocked gazes of the eight Bass brothers, Delbert held

    Harriet and said, "A year from now, I promise you¡¯ll have a nephew or a niece!"

    ...

    The Lynch family disappeared. Wendell and Garry were all imprisoned.

    The tense rtionship among the Bass brothers gradually became peaceful.

    With Delbert''s help, Harriet managed thepany in an orderly manner.

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650

    During leisure time, apart from being close to Delbert, Harriet learned about the knowledge in

    various fields of her eight brothers and tried to inherit their legacy.

    One day, everyone gathered at Delbert''s rented private vi in Imperium.

    Delbert himself was cooking.

    They were having a great time when suddenly a cell phone rang and broke the peaceful

    atmosphere.

    As everyone looked towards the sound, Levi picked up the phone ced on the table and answered

    it.

    "Hello, Mr. Levi, this¡¯s Imperium City Hospital."

    Upon hearing that, everyone fell silent.

    "What''s the matter?" Levi asked coldly.

    On the other end, it was said, "Mr. Levi, Ms. Miriam has fully regained consciousness and wants to

    see you. Pleasee over quickly."

    Upon hearing that, Levi quickly responded and then looked around at everyone with a joyful

    expression.

    "It''s a call from the hospital, saying that our godmother has woken up."

    "Really? Godmother has really woken up?"

    The Bass brothers were overjoyed.

    "Yes, godmother has fully regained her senses and wants to see us. The doctor asked us toe

    quickly."

    After Levi finished speaking, he looked at Harriet sitting beside him, who was now in utter

    astonishment.

    She couldn¡¯t believe her ears!

    It was wonderful!

    Her mother had finally fully regained consciousness, and they could finally have a conversation.

    With that thought, a mist of tears welled up in Harriet''s eyes.

    "It''s good that she woke up. Let''s go quickly."

    With joy in their hearts, they didn''t even bother to eat and hurriedly grabbed their clothes to leave.

    In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the hospital.

    Harriet walked to the front.

    With trembling hands, she pushed open the door of the ward, then saw the woman lying on the

    hospital bed, who had been there for a long time, now sitting up with a bit of liveliness.

    Before Harriet could call out, the woman seemed to sense something, slowly turned her head, and

    met the gaze of everyone.

    Immediately, she burst into tears, "Harriet, is it you!"

    At first nce, she recognized her daughter.

    It was Harriet!

    "Mom!"

    As soon as Harriet opened her mouth, she almost broke down.

    The two immediately embraced each other, crying tears of joy.

    "Harriet, who are they..."

    Miriam hesitated a bit.

    The people in front of her looked somewhat familiar but also somewhat unfamiliar, as if memories

    were buried under dust and couldn''t be recalled no matter how hard she tried.

    Harriet was taken aback and was about to exin when the Bass brothers proactively stepped

    forward and introduced themselves one by one.

    After listening, Miriam pondered for a moment and then remembered something.

    Her eyes welled up with tears again.

    "Great, if you all are doing well, I can be at ease too."

    Miriam was relieved. She never expected that the eight adopted sons she raised in Agral City had

    be top talents in various industries and had found Harriet.

    She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with joy.

    "By the way, mom, can you tell me what really happened after you faked your death and returned to

    Imperium all those years ago?"

    Harriet quickly asked what was on her mind.

    Miriam was momentarily surprised and then lowered her gaze, seemingly contemting something.

    Thinking her mother was deeply troubled and unwilling to speak, Harriet was about to change the

    subject.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    However, after a struggle, Miriam finally spoke up.

    "It was... it was your childhood friend, Sadie, who caused me to end up like this!"

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651

    Although Harriet and the Bass brothers already knew that Sadie was the one who harmed Miriam,

    hearing it directly from Miriam still made them extremely angry.

    After a pause, Miriam continued, "After I faked my death and escaped from your father, Clifton, I

    returned to Imperium. I had nned to ask your grandfather to save you, but I saw your good friend

    holding your token and bing the daughter of the Bass family.

    "When she saw me return, feeling guilty, she took advantage of theck of people around and

    pushed me down the stairs. It resulted in me lying here unconscious..."

    As Miriam told the story, tears streamed down her face.

    When she mentioned the name of her enemy, her tone noticeably intensified.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Then, her eyes momentarily lost focus, as if a scene shed through her mind.

    She recalled the reason she had left in the first ce¡ªher husband''s infidelity.

    She gave birth to Harriet in Agral City, hoping for a peaceful life.

    Unexpectedly, Clifton''spany faced a sudden crisis.

    He came to Agral City to find her for money.

    She refused because she was struggling as a single mother and had financial pressures

    everywhere.

    Moreover, she felt that he deserved his financial troubles. She naturally rejected his demands.

    To her astonishment, he heartlessly kidnapped his own daughter and took her to Meawood City.

    Upon learning that, she hurriedly followed but didn''t expect him to have murderous intentions

    towards her.

    If she hadn''t reacted quickly, she might have ended up dead.

    "And your father, Clifton, that heartless man..."

    At this point, Miriam couldn''t continue. She didn''t want to tell Harriet about the cruel truth.

    Harriet held Miriam''s hand tenderly, "Mom, it''s all my fault."

    "Silly girl, how could this be your fault? Besides, I''m fine now, right? Before I lost consciousness, I

    was worried about you living alone. But seeing your brothers find you, I¡¯m relieved."

    Miriam sighed deeply but suddenly remembered something.

    Her eyes widened, and she asked anxiously, "How is your father now? Is he still causing trouble for

    you?"

    Before Harriet could answer, Miriam hurriedly checked her up and down.

    "Mom, don''t worry, I''m fine."

    Harriet reassured her promptly.

    "I''ve dealt with father. He¡¯s now repenting in prison. He did wrong and deserves punishment."

    Surprised by this information, Miriam asked, "Really?"

    But she didn''t sympathize with Clifton. He deserved what he got.

    "Ms. Miriam, it''s all true. Don''t worry, the person who hurt you won''t escape punishment, just like the

    one who hurt Yvonne!"

    "Clifton has been taken care of. It''s Sadie''s turn next!"

    Arthur gritted his teeth, a hint of ruthlessness shing in his eyes.

    As the leader of the world''s top assassination organization, dealing with such people was like

    second nature to him.

    "But thinking about it now, Clifton got off too easily," Lucas stood by feeling somewhat displeased.

    If he hadn''t arrived a stepte, he would have imprisoned that man and given him a good beating.

    After all, he was a famous doctor in Imperium.

    As long as a person had a breath left, he could keep them alive. Not giving Clifton a taste of

    suffering was truly hard to dispel his hatred.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652

    At this moment, the expressions on the faces of the Bass brothers varied, but most of them were

    filled with determination against those few individuals.

    "Don''t worry, Ms. Miriam. Leave this matter to us. You can stay here for a full recovery. Once you''re

    better, we''ll move away from this ce of trouble."

    "Everything that belongs to Yvonne will be reimed by us!"

    Upon hearing that, Miriam had a faint smile on her pale face. She was relieved and delighted.

    She didn¡¯t expect her adopted sons to be so outstanding. Seeing them united filled her with joy.

    She was about to say something more when her mouth opened but her eyes suddenly noticed a

    man standing silently in the corner.

    She squinted her eyes to make out his features and eximed in surprise, "You... Aren''t you the

    little boy who lived next door to us when you were young?"

    The woman''s son hadn''t changed at all. Even as an adult, he still wore that indifferent expression.

    Fearful of being mistaken, Miriam looked at him closely for a moment.

    "Yes, Ms. Miriam. It''s me."

    Delbert stepped out from the corner and nodded towards Miriam.

    Harriet was puzzled by this revtion.

    Delbert had grown up in Agral City and lived next door?

    When did that happen?

    Why didn''t she remember anything?

    Although she was curious, Harriet conscientiously introduced Delbert to Miriam.

    "Mom, he¡¯s Delbert, my husband now."

    "Delbert? Yes, Delbert, the Carlson family''s eldest son. I know him."

    Seeing Harriet nodding, Miriam smiled, "I didn''t expect this. What a twist of fate!"

    "Harriet, when you were young, you always said you wanted to marry Delbert. It''s amazing that you

    finally got your wish. Isn''t this destiny?"

    As Miriam said, she pointed at Harriet''s nose with her finger.

    Seeing Harriet looking bewildered, she couldn''t help butugh, "How could you forget all that?"

    Seeing that her mother wasn''t joking, Harriet furrowed her brows and turned to look at Delbert.

    After scrutinizing his face for a while, she still couldn''t recall anything from her childhood.

    She felt puzzled, wondering why she couldn''t remember anything.

    At this moment, Miriam hadn''t noticed anything unusual and thought Harriet had simply forgotten.

    "Mom, what''s going on? Why can''t I remember anything?"

    Harriet rubbed her head. The nkness in her mind made her feel a moment of panic.

    Once Miriam heard that, her smile froze on her face.

    She remembered how Harriet witnessed Clifton killing her, which caused severe mental trauma.

    Later, she and another person conspired to seal Harriet''s memory, leading to her amnesia.

    Thankfully, this was the case. Otherwise, Harriet might not be able to grow up safely.

    Seeing Miriam''s unusual reaction, Harriet quickly grabbed her hand to inquire further about the

    reason.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Before she could say anything, Miriam opened her mouth first, "Harriet, you were little back then, so

    it''s normal to forget. But it''s okay. I remember everything for you. Didn''t I just tell you? As long as I

    remember it, it''s fine."

    After hearing that, Harriet pursed her lips and didn''t continue questioning.

    She could sense from her mother''s tone that she didn''t want to reveal the truth.

    She nced at her brothers and Delbert, who all remained silent but had a serious expression.

    It was evident that they were all aware of the situation. Only she was kept in the dark.

    Feeling helpless, she could only sigh inwardly.

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653

    Seeing Harriet''s disappointment, the Bass brothers and Delbert felt a pang in their hearts.

    Their mouths remained slightly open for a while before closing again.

    It would be best not to let Harriet know about what happened in the past.

    After all, it was something no one could bear.

    Miriam reached out and ruffled Harriet''s hair, "Silly girl, there''s really nothing wrong. You were young

    at that time. Forgetting things is quite normal."

    Upon hearing that, Harriet let go of many doubts in her heart and smiled lightly.

    "Alright, mom, I understand."

    Then everyone gathered around the hospital bed, exchanging heartwarming words that made

    Miriamugh joyfully.

    "Alright, alright, all of you are so sweet and good kids!"

    Miriam smiled at everyone and then patted Harriet''s hand.

    After a sigh, she said, "I''m fine now. It''s gettingte. You should all go back. I need some rest too. I

    just woke up, and my body still feels ufortable. Maybe a good night''s sleep will help."

    Upon hearing that, everyone noticed that the sky outside was gradually darkening.

    However, Harriet felt uneasy, "Mom, I''ll stay here with you tonight. You''ll be lonely here by yourself."

    "Yes, Ms. Miriam, since we have nothing to do, we might as well stay."

    The Bass brothers chimed in.

    "Nonsense! This ward is so small. Where will all of you sleep? On the floor?"

    Miriam thought this would deter them, but unexpectedly...

    "Indeed, this ce is a bit small. Let''s switch to a deluxe ward."

    The room Miriam was in was a VIP single ward.

    For a patient, it was spacious with ample room to move around.

    However, with ten additional people crowding in, it felt a bit cramped.

    When one suggested it, the others all agreed.

    They were all influential figures in various fields with a worth in the billions.

    Changing the ward wasn¡¯t a problem at all.

    "Change the ward? Let''s just change the hospital," Lucas scanned around and was somewhat

    dissatisfied with this hospital.

    As the top doctor of Imperium, he wouldn''t set foot in a medium-sized hospital like this.

    If Miriam''s condition hadn''t been severe, preventing multiple transfers, he would have taken her to

    the most advanced hospital in Imperium for treatment long ago.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Perhaps if he had treated her earlier, things wouldn''t have dragged on until now, which gave those

    troublemakers a few more days to cause chaos.

    "You guys..." Miriam was at a loss for words, looking at them with a resigned look.

    After some persuasion, she finally managed to send them away.

    However, before she could even close her eyes, Harriet returned from home.

    Initially, Harriet had already gone home with Delbert, but lying in bed, unable to sleep due to the

    nkness in her mind, she grew increasingly restless.

    Finally, unable to bear it, she nced at Delbert sleeping beside her.

    She gently touched his handsome face and then got up from the bed, intending to go to the hospital

    to inquire about her mother''s truth.

    As she made her move, Delbert suddenly opened his eyes.

    As he stared in the direction she had left in the darkness, his expression was clouded with concern.

    "Harriet, do you really need to know the truth?

    "It might not be a good thing for you."

    Following her, he also got up, but Harriet was unaware of it.

    Quietly entering the hospital, she found Miriam awake so she walked in directly.

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654

    "Mom... please, just tell me the truth about what happened back then. I know you''ve been hiding

    something from me."

    "Harriet, you..." Miriam was taken aback.

    She was about to offer some excuses but saw her daughter frowning with an urgent expression.

    "Mom, please tell me. These are my memories after all. Losing them feels terrible. I have the right to

    know the truth, don''t I?"

    After hearing that, Miriam was somewhat hesitant.

    She really didn''t want Harriet to suffer another blow, but...

    Harriet was right. She had the right to know the truth.

    Miriam sighed, and the tight grip of her teeth eventually loosened.

    "You should have the silver needles I gave you. Take them out."

    Harriet breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled out a few short but delicate silver needles from

    her belt.

    "One is enough. Extend your hand."

    Miriam then used the silver needle to help Harriet unlock her memories.

    As the memories flooded back, it felt like a dam bursting open, crashing fiercely onto the ground.

    The impact caused Harriet to furrow her brow immediately.

    Her face contorted in pain as she tried to alleviate it by massaging her temples, but the pain only

    intensified.

    The flood of memories was overwhelming. She couldn''t bear the sudden rush of restored memories.

    Her body trembled uncontrobly.

    She gradually recalled her childhood meeting with Delbert and the scene of Clifton stabbing her

    mother before her very eyes.

    The jumble of memories caused unbearable pain and anguish for her.

    "Harriet, are you alright?"

    Miriam was extremely anxious seeing her struggle to recover. She couldn''t help but feel uneasy.

    But at this moment, Harriet couldn''t hear anything.

    Scenes from the past shed through her mind like a movie reel.

    Her head throbbed unbearably.

    These memories were like knives piercing her heart one after another.

    The pain of recollection outweighed the headache.

    She couldn''t ept that she had witnessed her father stabbing her mother in front of her eyes.

    Although her mother didn''t die, she couldn''te to terms with it.

    She couldn''t bear seeing everything happen before her eyes and feeling powerless to stop it.

    "Mom, I''m sorry. I need some air."

    Harriet rushed out of the ward without any obstruction, tears falling like broken beads.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    This was still a hospital. Although she was heartbroken, she maintainedposure.

    She wiped away her tears, left her mother''s room, turned away, then saw Delbert standing in the

    corridor.

    "Harriet, what''s wrong?"

    Delbert smiled slightly at her but seeing her tear-streaked face, his eyes filled with concern.

    He opened his arms towards her.

    Harriet instinctively threw herself into them.

    As she caught a whiff of his familiar scent, tears flowed uncontrobly.

    "Delbert, tell me why that happened? And I forgot everything. I''m such a fool!"

    The woman in his arms trembled continuously, breaking into tears without reservation.

    Delbert knew what had happened and furrowed his brows.

    He felt deeply sorry for Harriet''s suffering but couldn''t share it with her.

    He gently patted her back to soothe her emotions.

    "Harriet, it''s okay. I''m here for you!"

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655

    Harriet cried as she said, "Delbert, do you know? I actually saw my father kill my mother in front of

    me. I witnessed such a scene...

    "But I couldn''t do anything. My mother''s despairing eyes are still fresh in my memory, but I couldn''t

    do anything..."

    Harriet''s voice trembled with each word, evoking deep sympathy.

    Delbert clenched his teeth, understanding Harriet''s sense of helplessness.

    He had experienced a simr feeling when his brother was swept away by the river in front of him,

    and he couldn''t save him.

    The pain of being unable to act in such situations was something he understood all too well.

    However, with many years having passed since then, he was unsure how tofort Harriet in this

    moment.

    Perhaps what mattered most now was for Harriet to realize that she was never alone, and she could

    always confide in him.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    As long as Harriet was willing, he would always be there to listen to her.

    Harriet tightly held onto Delbert''s clothes, crying in his arms for quite some time before gradually

    calming her emotions.

    The hospital wasn''t the ce for words.

    Delbert gently wiped away her tears and then led her to the rooftop.

    Taking a deep breath, Harriet adjusted her disheveled hair affected by the wind, her voice sounding

    particrly weary.

    "I never thought that such a significant event could slip my mind after all these years. After losing

    my memory, it''s as if nothing ever happened.

    "I shouldn''t have forgotten all these things. Clifton''s grave mistakes shouldn¡¯t have been

    overlooked."

    In just a few words, it was evident how much regret Harriet felt.

    However, everything had already passed, and it was beyond her power to change it.

    She was just a victim in this matter.

    Delbert softly reassured, "Harriet, it''s not your fault.

    "You were young back then. Life doesn''t always go as nned. You did your best."

    After these words, Delbert reached out and gently ruffled Harriet''s hair before pulling her into his

    embrace, continuing to console her.

    "Now your mother is fine. She wouldn''t want you to suffer like this. I''ll be by your side on the road

    ahead. Your tears pain me."

    With these words, Delbert lowered his head and lightly kissed away the tear tracks on Harriet''s face.

    Harriet''s eyshes fluttered slightly.

    She warmth in her heart as she leaned closer into Delbert''s embrace.

    Meanwhile, Miriam was worried about Harriet''s unstable emotions and feared she might do

    something foolish.

    She followed them all the way to the rooftop and.

    Upon opening the door, she discovered Harriet beingforted by Delbert.

    Seeing the tender scene between the two of them, Miriam couldn''t help but smile faintly.

    The heavy burden in her heart finally lifted at this moment.

    The scars of the past had healed.

    With someone like Delbert willing to apany Harriet now, it was a good ending.

    She could finally rest assured.

    Thinking that, Miriam smiled and decided not to disturb the two of them.

    She quietly turned around and left.

    "Harriet, don''t be sad. I heard some jokes recently. Let me tell you."

    Suddenly, Delbert spoke up.

    Harriet looked up.

    She had never heard Delbert tell jokes before.

    Moreover, Delbert wasn¡¯t known for his humor in others'' eyes.

    Curious, she nodded.

    Expecting to hear some funny anecdotes from Delbert, she was instead surprised by the dark

    humor that came out of his mouth.

    Awkwardly describing them, Delbert seemed a bit embarrassed after finishing.

    Seeing him like this, Harriet couldn''t help but smile.

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656

    "Delbert, you goof."

    At her words, Delbert''s eyes lit up instantly.

    He had finally managed to make his belovedugh.

    The two of them remained quietly nestled together for a while.

    After some time passed, Harriet suddenly remembered something and asked, "Delbert, why have

    we been married for so long, yet you''ve never told me that I''m Yvonne?

    "Do you know that I haven''t been able to sleep well because of this name?"

    With these words, Delbert became intrigued.

    He nced down at Harriet in his arms and suddenly felt curious about what she had been thinking

    at that time.

    "Then tell me the reason. I''m quite curious. Why couldn''t you sleep well because of this?"

    Delbert knowingly asked, just teasing Harriet.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Blushing slightly, Harriet appeared somewhat embarrassed.

    Delbert''s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

    He wanted Harriet to willingly reveal it herself.

    "You clearly know the reason. Why are you asking me?"

    "I don''t know everything, Harriet. I''m not as clever as you. If you don''t tell me, how could I figure it

    out?"

    Delbert continued to yfully prod her.

    Harriet was somewhat annoyed, but she found herself unable to be angry with the man in front of

    her.

    Pinching the man''s waist, Harriet pouted slightly andined, "I used to think that Yvonne was

    your first love you could never forget, but now I realize that Yvonne is actually me.

    ¡°It''s a bit embarrassing. It seems like you deliberately want to see me jealous.

    "You''ve been keeping this secret until now. Humph! You did that on purpose, Delbert!"

    Seeing Harriet''s adorable expression, Delbert couldn''t help but shake his head.

    His concealment was only to prevent Harriet from recalling those sad memories.

    But now that everything was out in the open, there was no need for him to hide anything anymore.

    "Why are you silent? Could it be that you''re really doing this on purpose, intentionally trying to make

    me jealous?"

    Harriet propped herself up, her eyes showing some reluctance.

    She crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving off a hint of a scolding tone.

    Delbert saw her like this and pinched her cheek.

    Then, he lifted Harriet sideways and nted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

    "Silly girl, what are you talking about? How could I bear to make my wife jealous? The vows we

    made at our wedding weren¡¯t just empty words. How could you doubt that my heart belongs to

    someone else?"

    This teasingpletely embarrassed Harriet, causing her face to flush.

    She buried her head deep into Delbert''s embrace and fell silent.

    Yes, she should trust Delbert. In any case, she should trust him.

    Afterward, Delbert took Harriet back to the car and headed home.

    As theyy facing each other in bed, for some reason, they began reminiscing about their

    childhood.

    "How time flies. When we first met, it feels like just yesterday."

    Delbert couldn''t help but sigh deeply.

    He then reached out and gently touched Harriet''s cheek.

    Harriet smiled, her lips curling up slightly.

    She rubbed her cheek against Delbert''s palm and joined him in reminiscing.

    "Yes, I never thought that when I was young and insisted on marrying you, my wish woulde

    true. It seemed that destiny brought us back together. Delbert, thank you for always being willing to

    be by my side."

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657

    Harriet and Delbert locked eyes and smiled at each other.

    "Harriet, since you say this¡¯s a destined matter, there''s no need for you to thank me. We still have a

    long journey ahead of us. I¡¯ll be with you for a lifetime, apanying you in all that you wish to do."

    Though short, that statement moved Harriet more than any grand deration of love could have

    done.

    Delbert wasn¡¯t one for eloquence, but every word he spoke stirred waves in her heart.

    His actions proved hismitment to her, showing that his love was genuine.

    Whether in the past or now, it remained unchanged.

    Harriet smiled and thought that was enough.

    Delbert turned his head and suddenly ced his hand on Harriet''s lips.

    He gently caressed them for a while.

    When she least expected it, he seized the opportunity and kissed her.

    This sudden kiss didn''t startle Harriet. The atmosphere was ripe for such intimacy.

    Yet in the midst of their kiss, Delbert suddenly pressed closer and pinned Harriet beneath him.

    As their breaths grew erratic, Harriet blushed slightly, her eyes already a bit hazy.

    Delbert kissed down her neck and then whispered in her ear.

    "Harriet, our ns for the future are so perfect, but we overlooked one thing.

    "Our future is missing one thing¡ªa baby."

    The mention of a baby was quite provocative.

    Harriet smiled faintly as the room filled with a romantic ambiance.

    ...

    The next day, Harriet woke up with the sunlight shining on her face.

    Seeing Harriet sleeping so peacefully, Delbert smiled as he got up to freshen up but couldn''t bring

    himself to wake her.

    Seeing that time was running out, he gently shook Harriet''s shoulder and softly called out in her ear.

    "Harriet, it''s time to get up."

    Harriet rubbed her groggy eyes and then reached out, hooking her arm around Delbert''s neck.

    Delbert lifted Harriet into his arms and led her to the washbasin.

    Under Delbert''s urging, Harriet slowly opened her eyes.

    "Don''t fall asleep again. We have things to do today, Harriet. Don''t forget."

    After this reminder from Delbert, Harriet suddenly remembered that she was now the general

    manager of Levi''spany.

    If she dyed any longer, she might bete for work.

    She hurriedly washed up and changed into formal attire.

    "Why didn''t you wake me up earlier? I almost overslept."

    At her words, Delbert couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "I saw you sleeping so peacefully. I didn''t have the heart to wake you up. But it''s okay. There''s still

    plenty of time. Even if we head to thepany now, we''ll make it on time."

    Delbert personally drove Harriet to thepany that day.

    After getting out of the car, Harriet quickly tidied herself up.

    Everything was in order as she confidently entered thepany.

    Now serving as Harriet''s assistant, Delbert conducted himself as a true gentleman and always had

    Harriet''s best interests at heart.

    Upon entering thepany, many people greeted Harriet with respect.

    The absence of Garry had changed how others treated Harriet with more deference.

    However, just as she stepped out of the elevator doors, the secretary brought a stack of documents

    over.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Ms. Harriet, these are the documents you need to review today. The representatives for the

    coboration are already waiting in the conference room."

    Harriet nodded and opened the documents.

    It suddenly dawned on her that today was the day to sign a contract with the Bass Group

    represented by Sadie.

    With all the recentmotion involving Garry and Wendell, she had forgotten about Sadie''s

    involvement.

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658

    Sadie''s face suddenly appeared in Harriet''s mind, and she furrowed her brow, feeling a surge of

    hatred.

    It was Sadie, her childhood best friend who, after Harriet lost her memory, secretly took away her

    token and her life.

    Despite all that, Sadie remained unrepentant.

    In order to secure her position, she heartlessly pushed Harriet¡¯s mother down the stairs, causing

    Harriet¡¯s mother to remain unconscious for so many years.

    Harriet would never let her get away with it.

    Even though she didn''t particrly want to see Sadie at the moment, this was a coboration

    between twopanies.

    Harriet couldn''t make decisions unterally.

    Hurriedly entering the meeting room, Harriet apologized to everyone before taking her seat.

    Sadie sat in a prominent position, watching Harriet arrivete.

    She couldn''t help but make a few sarcastic remarks.

    "Who do we have here? The esteemed Ms. Harriet, showing upte for a coboration meeting is

    quite disrespectful, don''t you think?"

    Now that the Lynch family had gone bankrupt and Lily had be a useless pawn, Sadie felt it

    was time for her to step forward and personally deal with Harriet.

    Harriet knew that Sadie was deliberately trying to embarrass her, but she wasn''t angry.

    In fact, she even smiled slightly.

    "Sorry for beingte. I believe my proposal will surely satisfy you, Miss Sadie."

    Harriet had confidence in her proposal.

    Sadie snorted disdainfully.

    Although she felt dissatisfied, she restrained herself because they were at Levi''spany.

    She couldn''t target Harriet here and could only suppress her resentment until after the negotiations.

    In the end, the coboration was sessful.

    Regardless of how much Sadie disliked Harriet, she had to admit that Harriet''s proposal was indeed

    excellent.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    However, as they were leaving, Sadie deliberately lingered behind to show her dominance over

    Harriet.

    No matter how many years had passed, she couldn''t let go of Delbert in her heart.

    Even though Delbert and Harriet were now married, she didn''t care.

    She didn''t think there was anything sheckedpared to Harriet.

    She believed that with her abilities, she would one day win Delbert back from Harriet.

    She had taken away Harriet''s life. Why couldn''t she take away Harriet''s man as well?

    "Darryl, long time no see. You look quite dashing today."

    Seeing Delbert and Harriet about to leave, Sadie immediately spoke up and stopped Delbert.

    Her alluring smile was truly captivating.

    Sadie was the representative of the coboration partner after all, so out of politeness, Delbert still

    responded.

    "Thank you. If there''s nothing else, we''ll be on our way."

    With that said, Delbert purposely took Harriet''s hand and they turned to leave.

    However, Sadie smiled and followed them.

    "Wait a sec, Darryl."

    She deliberately stepped forward and directly linked arms with Delbert in public.

    She even casually pressed Delbert''s arm against her chest.

    Delbert frowned slightly and awkwardly pulled his arm back.

    Seeing that, Harriet was mad.

    She narrowed her eyes and questioned, "Sadie, as a representative of the Bass Group, isn''t it

    inappropriate to do such things in public?"

    Sadie smiled and replied, "So what? Harriet, others may not know, but you and I do. Delbert and I

    grew up together and were close. It shouldn''t matter.

    "Right, Delbert? Have you forgotten what happened in Agral City back then?"

    With a yful smile, Sadie questioned Delbert.

    Delbert''s face instantly darkened.

    He took a few steps back from Sadie to maintain a proper distance.

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659

    Delbert lowered his gaze.

    He would never allow anyone to interfere with his rtionship with Harriet.

    He knew Sadie''s intentions but had always only had Harriet in his heart since childhood.

    He didn''t care about others'' feelings and would never make Harriet ufortable for the sake of

    others.

    "Sadie, if you continue to pester us, I won''t hesitate to ruin your reputation. You know me¡ªI always

    say what I mean."

    Delbert''s words were straightforward and clear.

    Sadie frowned and was about to say something else.

    But unexpectedly, Harriet turned Delbert''s face towards her and kissed him directly in front of

    everyone.

    Seeing Delbert and Harriet publicly disy such affectionate behavior left Sadie infuriated.

    She gritted her teeth and her pupils constricted suddenly.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    However, with so many people present, she could only try to remain calm.

    After the kiss, Harriet proudly leaned into Delbert''s embrace and gave Sadie a triumphant look.

    "Excuse me, this¡¯s my man, Miss Sadie. Please show some restraint!"

    Once Sadie heard that, her breathing suddenly elerated.

    She coldly smirked and then nodded repeatedly.

    "Fine, Harriet, I want to see how long you can remain smug. I won''t let today''s incident go so

    easily!"

    With that, Sadie waved to her male assistant beside her, who quickly followed her as they briskly

    entered the elevator.

    Asserting dominance?

    She wanted to see how long Harriet could hold out!

    As the elevator doors slowly closed, Sadie''s expression turned cold, but a hint of satisfaction yed

    at the corners of her mouth.

    She then reached out to her male assistant and took his phone.

    "Did you capture everything?"

    The male assistant nodded repeatedly and handed over the phone.

    Although the angle of the photos wasn''t perfect, they clearly showed Delbert and Harriet kissing,

    with Delbert''s face out of view.

    Backing up all the photos, Sadie coldly stated, "I want these photos to be on all the headlines

    tomorrow. You know what to do."

    The assistant nodded in response and immediately began working on the photos.

    Sitting in the car, Sadie let out a sneer.

    The most terrifying power in the world was public opinion.

    Once these photos spread, regardless of whether the person in the pictures was truly Delbert or

    not, Harriet wouldn¡¯t be able to shake off the usation of infidelity.

    After all, no one in Imperium knew that Harriet''s assistant was actually her husband Delbert from

    Meawood City.

    ...

    Harriet and Delbert returned to the office.

    As soon as they entered, Harriet suddenly heard the sound of the door closing behind her.

    Before she could react, Delbert had already grabbed her wrist.

    Delbert smoothly pressed Harriet against the wall.

    Harriet blushed, looking at Delbert with a puzzled expression.

    "Delbert, what are you doing?"

    Delbert smirked and seemed to be reminiscing about their previous kiss.

    He gently traced Harriet''s lips with his finger and then whispered in her ear, "Harriet, you''re rarely

    this bold. If I don''t seize this opportunity now, who knows when the next one wille."

    Listening to this teasing remark, Harriet started to feel nervous.

    She shook her head repeatedly and said, "Delbert, this¡¯s the office. Let''s talk about this at home."

    However, Delbert paid no heed.

    He was already unable to contain himself.

    His eyes were filled with desire as he began to caress Harriet.

    Harriet''s breathing gradually intensified, her eyes starting to cloud with desire.

    Seizing the moment, Delbert kissed her again, enveloping her in a sweet and passionate embrace.

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660

    Just when their passion was escting, they suddenly heard a knocking at the door from outside.

    It turned out that the documents had been processed, and the specific details of their coboration

    needed Harriet''s approval before signing.

    The secretary knocked on the door for a while, thinking that perhaps Harriet hadn''t heard her.

    She knocked a few more times.

    "Ms. Harriet, I have organized the documents. I need you to review them before signing. Are you

    in?"

    The secretary wasn''t sure if Harriet was in the office or not.

    However, as Harriet was the general manager, the secretary couldn''t simply barge in.

    There was a knock on the door.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Harriet appeared somewhat flustered.

    Feeling even more nervous inside, she flushed again.

    "Delbert, let go of me quickly. There''s someone outside!"

    Harriet whispered softly as a reminder, but Delbert didn''t release his grip.

    Instead, he continued his actions without paying any attention to Harriet''s increasingly heavy

    breathing.

    After waiting outside for a while and receiving no response from Harriet, the secretary assumed that

    Harriet wasn''t in the office and left.

    With no further disturbance outside the door, Harriet tried to push Delbert away.

    However, before she could react, Delbert rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered

    seductively, "Don''t worry, I''ve locked the door. Since she¡¯s knocked on it for so long but didn¡¯te

    in, she must have left. Don''t be afraid."

    By now, Harriet''s face had turned crimson to her ears.

    Both of them were breathing heavily.

    It wasn''t until Harriet''s phone rang with a message that they snapped back to reality.

    "Alright, Delbert, let''s stop fooling around now. I might really get angry."

    Although it was a questioning statement, Harriet didn''t sound like she was ming him.

    Her yful annoyance made Delbert feel even sweeter.

    He lifted Harriet onto a chair by the desk and smiled.

    "Alright, alright, I won''t tease you anymore. Don''t be angry, my dear."

    After releasing her, Harriet adjusted her clothes and checked herself in the mirror for any signs of

    disturbance from their interaction before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

    She didn¡¯t expect Delbert to be so bold as to flirt with her openly in the office.

    After a nce at Delbert, Harriet¡¯s face still held a flush of excitement.

    She recalled their recent activities and felt even more overwhelmed by them.

    Seeing her adorable expression, Delbert couldn''t help but lightly pinch her cheek.

    "Harriet, why are you so adorable?"

    Harriet furrowed her brows slightly and sighed before yfully scolding him, "Delbert, I warn you not

    to do this again in the future. The secretary clearly had something important to discuss with me.

    "And what if you forget to lock the door one day and someone sees? After all, you''re currently

    appearing as my assistant."

    Understanding Harriet''s meaning, Delbert apologetically smiled but still leaned in close to Harriet

    and nted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

    Reflecting on their recent actions, Harriet still felt a bit shaken by them.

    She subconsciously tried to move away but was pulled into Delbert''s embrace.

    "Rx. I won''t tease you anymore. Harriet, please don''t be mad at me."

    Pretending to be angry, Harriet turned her head away.

    Delbert brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and could feel the warmth radiating from her

    cheeks.

    Realizing that he may have gone too far with their yful antics earlier, Delbert crouched down and

    tightly held Harriet''s hand with a pleading expression.

    "I know I was wrong, Harriet. Please don''t be mad at me, alright?"

    ...

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661

    After leaving thepany, Sadie immediately rushed back home.

    She looked at the photos she had backed up, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

    She had already instructed her assistant to contact the entertainment news reporters.

    With these photos in hand, she could easily frame Harriet with a scandalous reputation overnight.

    Thinking that, she inquired about the current situation from her assistant at once.

    The assistant made the call. They had already arranged for the news to be released.

    All articles were edited and ready for her review.

    "No need to show me. The more sensational, the better!"

    She instructed, "Keep it confidential. No one must know it was me."

    After these brief instructions, the call was disconnected.

    The news spread rapidly, with Sadie even hiring online influencers to stir up the controversy.

    Within an hour, photos of Harriet and Delbert had be explosive news.

    Negative public opinion quickly shifted towards Harriet, using her of betraying her husband and

    engaging in an affair with her assistant in Imperium.

    Women who had previously admired Delbert now turned against Harriet upon learning of her

    alleged misconduct.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    They even went to great lengths to find her residence and spread even bigger lies.

    Public opinion didn''t require any cost.

    A few words were enough to strip a person of their innocence.

    The scandal erupted swiftly, catching Harriet and Delbert unaware as they were immersed in their

    own blissful world.

    The next morning, as they opened the door to leave for work, they were met with a crowd of angry

    people demanding an apology from Harriet.

    "Harriet, you deceitful woman, you finally show your face! We''ve been waiting here for you!

    "I can''t believe you''re actually cohabitating with your assistant behind Mr. Delbert''s back. That''s

    really shameless!"

    The lead woman shouted, using Harriet of infidelity with her assistant while being married to

    Delbert.

    Upon hearing that, Harriet was stunned.

    Could it be that they had mistaken her for someone else?

    She had never done anything to betray Delbert.

    "Is there a misunderstanding? This¡¯s my husband. We have a good rtionship. I¡¯ve never..."

    "Harriet, you¡¯re a liar. The evidence is clear. How dare you lie! You were publicly intimate with your

    assistant in thepany. There is evidence online. Do you still want to argue?"

    Before Harriet could respond, she was interrupted.

    She finally realized that she had been set up.

    Recalling Sadie''s harsh words from the day before, she was certain Sadie was behind it all.

    Delbert and Harriet exchanged a nce, falling into silence as people raised their phones to record.

    Some even livestreamed the confrontation, demanding Harriet apologize publicly and admit her

    wrongdoing.

    "If you apologize in front of everyone today, leave Delbert, and run off with your assistant, we''ll let

    this go!" they demanded.

    "You are not worthy of Mr. Delbert! Hiding behind this facade, you¡®re actually a fickle woman at

    heart!"

    The insults grew harsher, prompting Delbert to intervene.

    "Shut up!" he roared, protecting Harriet and leading her back inside.

    As he turned around, Delbert''s gaze swept through the crowd and happened to catch a glimpse of a

    very familiar figure in the corner.

    The person wore a hat and sunsses, covering up well, but couldn''t escape Delbert''s eyes.

    It was Sadie, the real maniptor behind the scenes of public opinion!

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662

    Delbert gritted his teeth and immediately dispatched security guards to remove the troublemakers

    causing a scene for money.

    Unable to tolerate Sadie''s continuous harassment of Harriet, Delbert was about to confront her, but

    suddenly he received a call from her.

    Not wanting Harriet to suffer further harm, Delbert reluctantly backed down.

    He closed himself in the study before answering her call.

    "Sadie, do you want to die? I can make it happen!"

    Delbert coldly threatened before Sadie could say anything.

    Shrugging nonchntly, Sadie didn''t directly answer his question.

    "I''ve booked a hotel, Delbert. I''m inviting you for dinner tonight. I''ll send you the location."

    Although her invitation seemed irresistible, Delbert had no patience to entertain her and bluntly

    stated, "I won''t give you another chance, Sadie. This time, you¡¯ll have to make amends to Harriet."

    Knowing that Delbert wouldn''t agree to meet her, Sadie held a trump card and wasn''t afraid of his

    refusal.

    "Delbert, if you don''te, it would be a shame. I happen to have information about your brother.

    But it seems I can''t tell you in person. Forget it then."

    Once Delbert heard the words "your brother," his pupils suddenly contracted.

    His own brother had been missing for years. How could Sadie possibly know about him?

    After all these years of searching, he hadn''t found his brother who had gone missing after falling

    into water due to his mistake.

    "Don¡¯t you want to see your brother?"

    Since childhood, his brother had disappeared into the river because of him, and his parents had

    never treated him well since then.

    It had been so many years since that ident, but it still lingered like a thorn in Delbert¡¯s heart.

    Regardless of whether Sadie was using this to deceive him or not, he had to go on this journey

    today.

    If his brother could really be found, he couldn''t miss this opportunity.

    If his brother could be found, perhaps his mother wouldn''t hate him so much anymore?

    After some hesitation, Delbert finally agreed.

    "Fine, I promise you, we''ll meetter."

    "OK, I''ll wait for you!"

    Sadie sneered and hung up the phone.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Reading the popr search terms about Harriet, Sadie couldn''t help but snort.

    She had lost patience by now.

    Her feelings for Delbert were no less than Harriet''s, and she believed she was more than suitable

    for Delbert in terms of looks, background, and abilities.

    But what was it about Harriet that she couldn''t measure up to?

    She had given her heart to Delbert, but he never even nced at her.

    After all these years, Delbert and Harriet had gotten married and seemed even happier.

    But how about her?

    She was always an outsider.

    She refused to continue like this.

    If she couldn''t have Delbert, then Harriet shouldn''t either!

    Anything Sadie didn''t want, she would ruin it and wouldn''t let anyone else have it.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in the vi.

    Delbert embraced Harriet, kissed her forehead, andforted her softly.

    "It''s alright, Harriet. I''ve taken care of everything. Just rest at home and don''t worry, alright?"

    Harriet nodded and sighed deeply.

    "Delbert, I''m feeling tired. Can you take me upstairs to rest?"

    Delbert gently carried Harriet up andid her on the bed, then covered her with a nket.

    He stayed by her side until he heard her breathing evenly, then quietly closed the door and

    immediately rushed out to meet Sadie.

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663

    Driving away quickly, Delbert furrowed his brows deeply.

    He was consumed with thoughts about his missing brother and pondered numerous possibilities.

    But what intrigued him the most was why Sadie knew the whereabouts of his long-lost brother.

    He had to rify the cause and effect of the situation today.

    If she dared to deceive him?

    He would never let her get away with it!

    With that thought in mind, he stepped on the gas pedal, increasing the speed of his car.

    However, at a corner ahead, several ck cars suddenly appeared and headed straight towards

    Delbert.

    With quick reflexes, Delbert managed to avoid a collision by turning the direction of his car in time.

    Initially thinking the other party was drunk, upon closer observation, Delbert realized they were

    clearly after him.

    When the n foiled, the ck cars restarted and aggressively approached Delbert''s car.

    Realizing the danger, Delbert immediately elerated and tried to escape.

    Despite his efforts, the cars behind him kept chasing relentlessly.

    Delbert had no choice but to elerate even more.

    Soon enough, they surrounded Delbert''s car from all sides.

    Facing the imminent danger, Delbert was about to elerate again, but a car beside him suddenly

    collided with his.

    Delbert''s own car was speeding on the highway.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Now, with such an impact, it was difficult to adjust the direction for a moment, and it crashed through

    the fence.

    With a loud "bang"!

    The car instantly fell into the sea, disappearing in an instant.

    Those ck sedans quickly left the scene once their goal was achieved.

    ...

    The next morning, Harriet woke up but couldn''t find Delbert anywhere.

    ¡°Delbert!¡±

    Panicked, she searched the house but found no trace of him.

    She called but no one answered.

    Remembering Delbert''s troubled expression from the day before, Harriet realized something was

    wrong.

    Just then, there was a frantic knock on the door, and she opened it to find Ben standing there.

    Ben, out of breath, leaned against the door and said anxiously, "Miss Harriet, something''s wrong.

    Mr. Delbert has gone missing since yesterday and there''s been no news."

    Upon hearing Ben''s words, Harriet immediately froze, her pupils shrinking abruptly.

    Her body staggered back a few steps.

    "What happened?"

    How could Delbert suddenly disappear out of the blue?

    Ben quickly took out his phone and showed Harriet the text message Delbert had sent himst

    night.

    Delbert specifically instructed Ben to take good care of Harriet.

    Harriet suddenly came to her senses.

    Something must have happened yesterday, so after Delbert hadforted her to sleep, he

    immediately left the vi.

    The two of them took turns calling, but no one could reach Delbert.

    Harriet was extremely anxious and could only let Ben take her to Levi¡¯s vi.

    Now only Levi could help her find Delbert.

    Seeing her sister in such a hurry, Levi asked at once, "Yvonne, what''s wrong?"

    After calming her emotions, he inquired about the situation.

    It turned out that Delbert had gone missing.

    This wasn¡¯t like the man they knew.

    After listening, Levi patted Harriet''s shoulder and immediately reassured her.

    "Don''t worry, Yvonne, I¡¯ll send people out to find Delbert. Don''t be too anxious. He¡¯ll definitely be

    fine. That brat is always very lucky."

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664

    Even though Delbert was several years older than him, Levi felt ufortable looking at that face

    that bore some resemnce to his own.

    That was why he always referred to him as "that brat."

    But now that Delbert was missing, it was unsettling for Yvonne, so he had to help find him.

    "Thank you, Levi. I appreciate your help in finding Delbert."

    Harriet nodded anxiously, sitting on the sofa looking extremely uneasy.

    Levi immediately took out his phone and called his other brothers, instructing them to use their

    connections and resources to search for Delbert.

    Even if they had to turn the whole city upside down, they must find Delbert.

    Since it wasn¡¯t yet time to file a missing person report, Harriet had to apany Levi to utilize their

    resources in the search for Delbert.

    During the search, Harriet''s heart beat faster and faster.

    Without news of Delbert, every moment felt like an eternity.

    In the afternoon, Arthur finally had some news.

    He hurriedly came to the vi and told Harriet, "Yvonne, there''s news about Delbert. Last night, he

    was seen on a secluded road near the sea in Imperium.

    ¡°The road is rarely used as a new road has been constructed. There are no surveince cameras."

    This news shocked Harriet.

    She feared that it might be a trap set up by someone to harm Delbert.

    "Arthur, I need to go there and have a look!"

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Harriet stood up immediately.

    She couldn''t wait any longer and had to go to that road right away.

    Upon receiving the message sent by Arthur, Harriet''s other brothers gathered as well.

    They apanied Harriet to the road without surveince where they saw the fence destroyed by

    a car collision.

    Harriet covered her mouth in shock and couldn''t help but gasp.

    She rushed down the car and followed the broken fence all the way down to the sea.

    She frantically searched around but found nothing until she saw a pillow thrown out of the car on the

    shore.

    She recognized that pillow.

    It was specially bought by Delbert for herfort in the car!

    The car had overturned, causing items inside to spill out.

    The changing tides had washed away the traces on the beach, making it difficult to determine

    immediately.

    Tears welled up in Harriet''s eyes as she tightly hugged the pillow, crying uncontrobly.

    She was terrified that Delbert might have fallen into the sea.

    How could they find him in the vast ocean?

    Seeing that, Levi gave a signal, and his men quickly began salvaging.

    However, even they couldn''t be sure if Delbert''s car was still nearby.

    With the changing tides, the car could have been carried elsewhere.

    If they couldn''t salvage it, what would they do then?

    Everyone was deeply concerned, especially Harriet.

    Her eyes were fixed on the sea.

    She refused to believe that anything bad had happened to Delbert but was also terrified at the

    thought.

    As time passed by, the manpower brought by the Bass brothers finally salvaged a car from the sea.

    It was a silver-gray car.

    Harriet''s pupils suddenly shrank.

    Although there was no license te, it was unmistakably Delbert''s favorite car.

    She recognized it at a nce!

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665

    The henchmen of the Bass brothers moved the wreckage of the car to the shore.

    The car windows and windshield were smashed to pieces, and the vehicle was severely deformed.

    If it were someone else, it would be hard to determine whose car it was at first sight.

    However, Harriet recognized it at a nce and ran forward frantically.

    "This¡¯s Delbert''s car. It must be. I can tell it¡¯s his!"

    "Yvonne, calm down a bit. Things may not be as bad as they seem!"

    Arthur and Levi quickly stopped her to prevent her from getting hurt.

    What if Delbert''s body was really inside the car?

    Levi gave a signal.

    His people hurriedly approached, immediately trying to remove the deformed car door.

    But as they reached the windshield, everyone''s faces quickly darkened.

    They hesitated and nced at Harriet, biting their tongues, unable to say a word.

    The person in charge of the salvage slowly approached Bass brothers and Harriet.

    Harriet, with tears in her eyes and extremely emotional, looked at him.

    "Miss Harriet, there is a body in the car..."

    "A body?" Harriet kept murmuring these two words, finding it hard to believe.

    The air was filled with an unpleasant smell, and Harriet felt like she was suffocating as she looked at

    the gruesome scene.

    An ufortable feeling spread in her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

    A body?

    Whose body could it be?

    She had never imagined such a thing happening.

    Harriet could barely stand on her feet, almost stumbling, but Arthur and Levi were there to support

    her.

    She took a deep breath, her right eyelid twitching incessantly.

    She had a terrible premonition.

    Arthur had already dialed 911, and the police quickly arrived, cordoning off the scene with caution

    tape.

    A group of onlookers gathered by the roadside, and the police calmly dispersed the crowd.

    "Move back. Everyone, move back!"

    Harriet stepped back but kept staring ahead, breathing lightly.

    In her mind, she kept repeating that the body couldn''t be Delbert''s.

    It just couldn''t be!

    At this moment, a forensic doctor in a white coat stepped forward to examine the body, and Harriet

    felt the tension in her heart increasing.

    After a while, the forensic doctor stood up, removed his blood-stained gloves, and said to them,

    "After preliminary assessment, the person suffered severe head injuries from a significant impact in

    the car and then drowned in the water."

    Once Harriet heard that, her head buzzed with disbelief.

    But deep inside, she still had a voice denying it.

    "Who¡¯s this person? Can you identify it?"

    Her voice was trembling.

    "Further examination is needed at the identification center."

    The forensic doctor replied calmly.

    Harriet suddenly couldn''t control her emotions, "I want you to tell me now who this body is right

    now!"

    Levi sensed her unusually agitated state and quickly reassured her, "Alright, Yvonne, calm down

    first. This body may not necessarily be Delbert."

    He then turned to the forensic doctor, "Thank you."

    "It''s okay."

    Subsequently, the police carried the body to the identification center, and the onlookers gradually

    dispersed.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Levi and others drove Harriet to the identification center to check the results.

    Harriet still felt dazed and her heart ached.

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666

    No!

    That body couldn''t be Delbert!

    Harriet waited quietly in the examination room, feeling unbearable pain and anxiety.

    After half an hour, the forensic doctor came out and said, "Through examination, we can confirm

    that the deceased is Mr. Delbert."

    That sentence was like a bolt from the blue, causing Harriet''s head to ache terribly.

    "It''s impossible! Absolutely impossible! I don''t believe it. Delbert can''t be dead!"

    Harriet couldn''t ept this result and broke down into tears.

    The painful feeling grew stronger.

    She felt her brain going nk as tears flowed uncontrobly.

    "Delbert promised to be with me forever. We were just together for such a short time. How could he

    abandon me like this? It''s impossible! I don''t believe it!"

    At this moment, she was on the verge of copsing and fainted directly.

    "Yvonne, Yvonne!"

    Her brothers were shocked and quickly supported her.

    "Doctor! Is there a doctor? Come quickly. My sister has fainted!"

    Several nurses rushed over and immediately helped Harriet up and away.

    The Bass brothers followed closely behind, extremely nervous.

    As the night grewte, the hospital fell silent, devoid of any sound.

    Meanwhile, in avishly decorated private apartment, Sadie sat on arge pristine bed, wearing a

    satin nightgown, her long hair cascading down, looking enchanting.

    In front of hery a man, his breath already weak, with many bandaged areas on his body.

    That man was Delbert.

    When Sadie gazed at the unconscious Delbert, a look of infatuation appeared on her face.

    A meaningful smile slowly crept up on her lips.

    She stared nkly at his handsome face, her eyes revealing a hint of unattainable greed.

    Her gaze swept over Delbert''s exquisite and handsome face inch by inch, the smile on her lips

    deepening, her voice alluring, "Delbert, look, you''re still lying next to me, aren''t you? I am the

    ultimate winner."

    After saying that, she smiled foolishly, as if her obsession had deepened.

    The TV was ying noisy news in the background, and Sadie turned up the volume to hear the

    report.

    "At 2:15 this afternoon at location ¡Á¡Á, a major ident urred. An adult male died after falling into

    theke by car. Upon confirmation, the man was a male assistant to Ms. Harriet."

    Listening to these brutal reports, Sadie sneered.

    Her expression turned sinister between her brows, and the smile on her lips grew more

    pronounced.

    She reached over and gently covered Delbert with a thin nket.

    No one would know that she orchestrated that car ident.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Originally, she had everything nned out, and it should have gone smoothly ording to her

    arrangements.

    However, as things progressed, she became increasingly uneasy and regretful.

    She thought of Delbert''s bloody appearance, which filled her with fear.

    In that moment, all thoughts of destroying Delbert and preventing Harriet from getting him were

    dispelled.

    She rushed to the highway to stop everything from happening and save Delbert.

    By that time, the car ident had already urred. It seemed as if it was irreversible.

    She was hit heavily while searching for Delbert, wanting to see him alive or see his body.

    Luckily, when she found Delbert in the wrecked car, he still had a faint pulse.

    It wasn''t toote.

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667

    Sadie felt extremely fortunate and quickly brought Delbert back home to receive the best medical

    care.

    Fortunately, he was out of danger.

    Sadie breathed a long sigh of relief.

    After that, another evil thought crept into her mind¡ªto imprison Delbert so he would always be by

    her side and never see Harriet again.

    Perhaps over time, he would fall in love with her.

    There was a possibility.

    Sadie sighed deeply at this thought.

    Originally, this step wasn¡¯t part of her n, but her desires were driving her madly, leading her to

    where she was today.

    She didn''t regret it.

    Looking at Delbert peacefully sleeping on the bed, she smiled faintly.

    As for the body salvaged by the Bass brothers, it was a fake body arranged by Sadie when she

    brought Delbert back.

    She changed the clothes and disfigured the face of the body to match Delbert''s appearance.

    She had gone this far and had to cover up everything meticulously.

    She even bribed the forensic doctor to conduct a false examination promptly.

    Luckily, everything went smoothly.

    Even if it was discovered one day, she wouldn''t regret it as long as Delbert was by her side.

    Sadie adjusted the nket covering Delbert and leaned close to his ear, then said softly, "Delbert,

    how could I bear to let you die like this? Don''t worry, you¡¯ll always be by my side in the future. We¡¯ll

    be together forever!"

    Her eyes were filled with paranoia, her possessiveness towards Delbert exceeding imagination.

    Even she didn¡¯t expect herself to reach this level of possessing Delbert.

    And she had him by her side right now.

    At this moment, Delbert slowly regained consciousness.

    Rubbing his throbbing head in pain, he looked around in confusion.

    "Where... where am I?"

    Sadie''s lips curved into a smile as she moved closer to him without saying a word.

    Delbert''s gaze shifted back to her face with utter confusion.

    "Who are you again?"

    Upon hearing that, Sadie was momentarily stunned.

    What was going on?

    Could it be that Delbert... had lost his memories?

    Delbert frowned and continued with a puzzled expression, "Who am I? Why can''t I remember

    anything? Ah! My head hurts!"

    Rubbing his temples in pain, he looked around with extreme emptiness in his eyes.

    "Where exactly am I?"

    He stood up in confusion and focused his gaze on Sadie before asking again.

    Surprised, Sadie quickly realized the situation and felt delighted.

    Without waiting for him to assess the situation further, she hurriedly spoke up, "This¡¯s our home. I¡¯m

    your fianc¨¦e, Sadie. Your name is Delbert Jackson. You were being chased by enemies before

    which led to your amnesia.

    "Fortunately, I managed to save you."

    Saying that, Sadie looked upset and pitied him deeply.

    She took a step forward to approach Delbert but he instinctively took two steps back, staring at her

    with hesitation.

    "Is that so?"

    "Do you... not believe me?"

    Sadie''s breath tightened as she feared he might remember something, so she nervously watched

    for any changes in Delbert''s expression.

    After staring at him for a while and seeing him still confused, she suppressed her anxiety and

    continued, "I didn''t lie to you. You really are my fianc¨¦. If you don''t believe me, why would I bring

    you here?

    "This¡¯s my house. If you don''t trust me, I can show you your identification or something simr, but

    you''ll have to wait a few days."

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    "Why?" Delbert asked.

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668

    Upon hearing that, Sadie became anxious.

    "What else could it be? You were in danger. Your belongings were destroyed. Now you have to start

    over. Doesn''t it take time to do all these things? Am I supposed to conjure them up for you now?"

    Sadie frowned slightly. Although she wanted Delbert, looking at the foolish man in front of her, she

    felt inexplicably annoyed.

    In reality, she still preferred the cold and rational Delbert, not this man who couldn''t remember

    anything.

    She also felt guilty, fearing that he might remember something.

    Delbert squinted slightly, intending to say something, but Sadie impatiently took out a jewel pendant

    from the side and handed it to him.

    "Delbert, don''t you recognize this? This¡®s the token of love you gave me when we were kids."

    This jewel pendant was the token of love that Delbert gave to Harriet when they were young, but

    Sadie stole it.

    Now it coulde in handy.

    As soon as it appeared, Delbert''s eyes widened, and he involuntarily shouted, "Yvonne!"

    Before Sadie could say anything else, he immediately embraced her, murmuring "Yvonne"

    repeatedly.

    Sadie was stunned.

    She didn¡¯t expect that even with amnesia, Delbert still remembered Harriet.

    The jewel pendant she brought out was the token of love he had given to Harriet years ago.

    She gritted her teeth. Although she received the embrace she had longed for, she felt extremely

    restless at that moment.

    Her brow furrowed deeply, especially when she heard him repeatedly calling Harriet''s nickname.

    She felt like wing her nails into his flesh.

    However, she refrained from doing so because she knew that her hatred was still directed towards

    Harriet.

    "Delbert, I didn''t expect you to remember me even with amnesia!"

    Sadie forced a smile, emphasizing thest few words.

    "Of course, I remember you now. You¡¯re my love, Yvonne."

    Delbert gently released Sadie and smiled warmly at her.

    At the moment his smile appeared, Sadie was once again stunned.

    The hatred that had been festering in her heart vanished in an instant.

    She stared at his upturned lips,pletely captivated by his smile.

    "Delbert, can you hug me again? I really like your tenderness!"

    Sadie''s heart trembled continuously.

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    Delbert used to be unweing to strangers but showed warmth only in front of Harriet.

    However, with her, he was either indifferent or filled with disgust.

    But now things were different. He treated her like he treated Harriet.

    Regardless of whether his amnesia was real or feigned, she wanted him to stay by her side.

    His smile was too dazzling, causing her to be lost in it.

    Shepletely forgot what she ought to do.

    "Sure!"

    Delbert agreed without hesitation and immediately hugged her.

    However, as his face turned away in an instant, his gentle eyes turned sharp, as if the previous

    tenderness was a prelude to his brutality.

    Sadie, although convinced that Delbert had amnesia, still paid close attention to him.

    "Delbert, your room is ahead. You shouldn''t go out recently. If you must go out, take my people with

    you.

    "There are too many enemies outside. Another ident might happen. Besides, you just survived a

    life-threatening situation. Your body hasn''t fully recovered. Going out frequently could be risky. It

    would be more reassuring if you have people with you.

    "You are so considerate. You wouldn''t want to make me worry, right?"

    Sadie squinted, smiling yfully at him, observing the ever-changing expressions on his face.

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669

    Delbert nodded without hesitation.

    "Okay, I understand."

    Sadie smiled and said, "I have some things to attend to, so I''ll leave for a while. Rest well at home."

    Delbert simply nodded.

    After Sadie left, she instructed the butler, "Keep an eye on him more closely recently. If there are

    any strange behaviors, inform me."

    "Miss Sadie, are you nning to restrict his freedom?"

    The butler standing nearby bowed and asked with lowered brows.

    Sadie waved her hand.

    "No need for that. If he''s kept too tightly, it might backfire. Just have more people follow him

    discreetly."

    "Understood."

    After the butler left, Sadie stood in ce for a moment, gazing at the door of Delbert''s room.

    In the end, she still felt unsettled in her heart.

    She was like a parent of a mischievous child, always keeping a close watch, afraid that the child

    might run off when she wasn''t looking.

    Sadie sighed lightly, rubbed her temples, turned around, and left.

    Meanwhile, on the other side, Harriety in bed, crying loudly for half the day until she finally fell into

    a deep sleep.

    In her dream-like state, she felt particrly restless.

    Her head kept shaking as she tried to break free from the dream but only sank deeper into it.

    "Delbert... Delbert..."

    She kept murmuring in her sleep, her hands involuntarily trembling.

    She tried desperately to grasp onto something but found nothing.

    Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked her hair.

    In her dream, she saw herself ying and frolicking with Delbert in Agral City when they were

    young.

    As she looked at the young Delbert''s innocent face, she tried to get closer to him, but he seemed to

    move further away.

    She called out desperately and reached out to grab him, wanting to stop him from leaving, but her

    efforts were in vain.

    "Delbert!"

    Just as she felt disappointed, the distant figure suddenly approached her again.

    As she was about to embrace him, the child in front of her, who was slightly shorter than her,

    suddenly grew taller than her by a lot.

    His innocent face became remarkably mature.

    She thought her Delbert had returned, but to her surprise, as she joyfully reached out to him,

    Delbert copsed in front of her.

    Then a pile of blood mysteriously flowed out from him, staining his clothes red.

    Her man took hisst breath in front of her...

    "No! Don''t leave me, Delbert!"

    A scream echoed as Harriet sat up abruptly in bed.

    Sweat and tears mixed together, wetting her face.

    As she opened her eyes, she saw her mother, Miriam, and brothers looking at her with concern.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Mom!" Harriet rushed into her mother''s arms with sadness.

    "Good girl, don''t be sad. Delbert..."

    At this point, Miriam found it difficult to continue.

    After all, she could see Harriet''s affection for Delbert.

    "No! Delbert will be fine. He couldn''t just leave me like that easily. It''s impossible! Impossible..."

    Harriet covered her ears, shaking her head and crying again.

    Her eyes were already swollen and red from crying earlier.

    Now she looked even more pitiful.

    "Yvonne, don''t do this!¡±

    "If Delbert were still alive, he wouldn''t want you to be this sad for him."

    At this moment, all eight brothers surrounded her,forting her with words of sce.

    But Harriet didn''t seem to hear any of it.

    She kept muttering that Delbert wasn''t dead.

    Seeing Harriet like this made Miriam''s heart ache even more.

    Apart from others'' opinions, seeing her daughter in such a state was heartbreaking for her.

    Moreover, Delbert had been like a son to her since childhood.

    After finally seeing them together just a few days ago and now losing him so suddenly, being an

    elderly person herself, she couldn''t bear it and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670

    "Mom, Delbert isn''t dead, right? He can''t die. We made ns for the future together. He wouldn''t

    break his promise. Mom, tell me, Delbert isn''t dead, is he?"

    "Yvonne, I know you can''t ept this fact, but the forensic doctor has already confirmed..." Miriam

    sighed heavily.

    "You''re all lying to me. All of you are lying to me. I don''t believe it!"

    Harriet directly shook off Miriam''s hand, suffering a mental breakdown.

    Lucas couldn''t bear to see this and discreetly inserted a silver needle into Harriet''s head while she

    wasn''t paying attention.

    Harriet''s crying halted abruptly, and her tired eyelids struggled to stay open.

    After blinking a few times, they eventually closed.

    "Will this be okay?" Miriam asked with some concern.

    "Don''t worry, Ms. Miriam. There won''t be any side effects. Yvonne will wake up after a while, and by

    then, she should be more lucid," Lucas assured.

    Seeing that, everyone sighed helplessly, hoping she would recover soon.

    No one expected such a thing to happen!

    ...

    In a blink of an eye, Harriet woke up again, but this time she didn''t cry or make a scene.

    Instead, she gazed calmly at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts, making everyone hesitant to disturb

    her.

    The atmosphere was briefly quiet until a series of footsteps interrupted it.

    Arthur cautiously entered the room, intending to speak.

    However, upon seeing Harriet awake, he hesitated to say a word, unsure of what to say.

    After much hesitation, he finally spoke up, "The police just notified us to... im the body."

    At these words, Harriet''s vacant eyes trembled slightly.

    Arthur cleared his throat.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "How about this, Yvonne? You stay here and rest. We''ll go im it."

    "Yeah, we should..." Henry chimed in.

    "No need."

    Before anyone could say more, Harriet threw off the covers and got out of bed.

    Even though her clothes were wrinkled, she paid no attention to them.

    Her eyes were unfocused.

    Seeing that, the Bass brothers were particrly worried.

    Arthur intended to say something again but was cut off by Harriet.

    "He¡¯s my husband. I¡¯m his wife. Now that he''s dead, I should be the one to im the body."

    "But you..." Arthur still felt uneasy.

    "Arthur, trust me, I''ll be fine."

    Harriet forced a smile to reassure Arthur, leaving him with no choice but to lead her to the police

    station.

    Later on, Harriet followed the Bass brothers into the police station in a daze.

    They were led into a morgue by the policerades, where they saw a covered bodyid out on

    the mortuary table.

    "Please ept our condolences," a police officer said before intending to give them some privacy.

    Just as he turned away, a cold voice rang out.

    "He isn¡¯t Delbert!"

    The police officer turned back to see Harriet uncovering the white sheet and carefully examining the

    body.

    Having shared a bed with Delbert for so long, she was intimately familiar with every inch of his body.

    Even though the man in front of her was unrecognizable, she was sure he wasn¡¯t Delbert!

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671

    Harriet''s attitude made the police office feel helpless.

    "Ms. Munoz, please ept my condolences. The dead cannot be brought back to life. You should

    let go. The body in front of you is indeed your husband, Delbert," he said.

    "No, he feels unfamiliar to me. My intuition tells me that he is not my husband," Harriet argued,

    turning to face the police officer.

    The police officer was at a loss. He didn''t know how tofort Harriet. He was about to seek help

    from others when he saw Harriet''s brothers looking at him with doubt. Helplessly, he exined, "Ms.

    Munoz, your husband''s DNA test reports were all handled by our police forensic experts. They have

    handled many cases without mistakes, so this report cannot be wrong.

    "Moreover, it''s impossible for this situation to be a coincidence. Your husband mysteriously

    disappeared, and then a person who looked exactly like your husband appeared. Even if that''s the

    case, their DNA can''t be the same."

    Harriet refused to give up. She said, "Officer, can you let us see the forensic expert? Maybe there

    was some mistake in the process."

    Harriet''s brothers echoed, "Take us to the forensic expert!"

    The police officer had a headache. He wanted to excuse the fact that the forensic expert was busy,

    but seeing Harriet like that, he couldn''t bear to say it. Besides, her brothers were all staring at him

    with narrowed eyes, so he had to relent.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Okay, I''ll take you there," he said before taking them to the forensic expert.

    "Here he is. I have to go back to work," said the police officer.

    Harriet gritted her teeth and walked in.

    "That body is not Delbert. I demand a reevaluation," she said.

    "Are you kidding me? I am a professional forensic expert. How dare youe here to question my

    skills!" sulked the forensic expert, looking incredulously at Harriet. "I''m telling you, that body is

    Delbert."

    His tone was serious, but there was a fleeting hint of guilt in his eyes.

    Harriet keenly caught it, making her more certain that the body was not Delbert.

    "Brothers, he''s lying!" Harriet pointed.

    Levi nodded and gave a signal to Oliver.

    Then Oliver grabbed the cor of the forensic expert and pinned him against the wall.

    The forensic expert grunted, feeling dizzy. After recovering, he red at Oliver and barked, "What

    are you doing?"

    "Forcing you to tell the truth, of course," said Lucas with a sly smile, waving a silver needle in his

    hand. "You''d better confess honestly. Otherwise, I don''t know where this needle will end up."

    The smile on Lucas''s face made the forensic expert shiver.

    He knew that these people were powerful and meant their words.

    "I..." The forensic expert hesitated because he didn''t want to offend Sadie either.

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672

    "Not speaking, huh? Fine, then don''t me me for being ruthless!" Lucas sneered, sticking the

    silver needle into the forensic expert''s body, causing a scream to ring out in the room.

    "Alright, I''ll talk. It was Sadie who asked me to do this," he confessed.

    Compared with keeping secrets, life was more important.

    "That body wasn''t Delbert''s. She found another body and had me disguise it as Delbert''s," he said.

    "Sadie!" Harriet gritted her teeth but felt relieved.

    "If she''s behind this, then Delbert must be alive," Harriet muttered, hopefully looking at her brothers.

    But amid her joy, anger surged within her. "How dare Sadie get her hands on Delbert? I will not let

    her get away with this!"

    Harriet fumed with anger, thinking of all the things Sadie did to Miriam. Determined to get her

    revenge, Harriet started to head outside.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Yvonne, where are you going?" The Bass brothers asked, following behind her.

    "I''m going to settle the score with Sadie and bring Delbert back," Harriet said.

    "It''s indeed necessary, but Yvonne, have you thought about it? The Bass family''s house is a

    dangerous ce. You should get well prepared before you go," Arthur reasoned.

    "No matter how dangerous it is, I must bring Delbert back. I won''t let Sadie have her way!" Harriet

    gritted her teeth, ignoring the advice.

    She quickened her pace, got into the car, and drove straight to the Bass family''s house, leaving her

    brothers far behind.

    When she arrived at her destination, she gasped in shock.

    "What''s going on?" she said, trembling.

    ''Why does it look like there is a funeral? What happened? Who passed away?'' She wondered.

    She pushed open the door and was about to ask the servants when she suddenly saw Miriam''s

    photo ced on the memorial tablet in the center of the hall.

    "What are you doing?" Harriet shouted.

    Miriam was alive and well, yet someone held a funeral for her. Harriet couldn''t ept it.

    Losing her mind, she cut through the crowd and smashed the photo onto the ground.

    "Who are you? What the hell are you doing?" someone shouted after the initial shock.

    "Can''t you see that the Bass family is holding a funeral? This is disrespectful to the deceased!

    Where is the person in charge? How can he let her in?" said the crowd, pointing at Harriet.

    Harriet paid no attention to them. Her gaze was fixed on Sadie, who was standing in the crowd with

    a smug smile on her face.

    Harriet knew that Sadie was ying a trick. Harriet would not let Sadie get her way.

    "Miriam is not dead. She''s alive and well. Why did the Bass family hold a funeral for her? What are

    you up to?" Harriet said.

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673

    "Where did this madwomane from? Get her out of here!" Not believing it, the people urged the

    servants to drive Harriet away.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Harriet gritted her teeth and nned to continue when she heard a snort from a middle-aged man.

    "Miriam is my sister. I know her situation better than anyone else. Why are you spreading rumors

    and causing trouble at her funeral? What are you up to?" he said.

    Harriet sneered and shot back, "Miriam is my mother. I know her situation better than you. She is

    alive and well. What are you up to by holding a funeral for her?

    "Ask Sadie about what she did to make Miriam lie in bed like a vegetable for many years. Ask her

    about how she made everyone believe that she was the daughter of the Bass family."

    Harriet looked coldly at everyone present, especially at Sadie, who stood out in the crowd.

    The crowd was stunned, but Sadie reacted quickly.

    "Uncles, you have to stand up for me," she said. "Miriam is my mother, not hers. She is talking

    nonsense."

    "Besides, don''t you know Miriam''s situation better than me? Harriet, you''re deliberately causing

    trouble here. You don''t want Miriam to rest in peace, right?

    "Do you have to settle your grudges against me at the funeral?" Sadie said tearfully.

    The others felt sorry for her, but Harriet detected provocation in her gaze. Harriet itched to rush over

    and tear her face off.

    If it were not for Sadie, Harriet wouldn''t have been doubted by her family.

    Sadie intended to nder Harriet again when amotion broke out in the crowd.

    Harriet looked over and saw the middle-aged man approaching with a sullen face.

    He was Miriam''s brother, Felipe Bass.

    "Someone,e and get her out of here!" Felipe ordered sternly.

    No one objected to his decision.

    "Bring more people and drive her away!"

    "Yeah, this woman is rude and disrespectful to the deceased!"

    Sarcastic voices came one after another.

    Harriet frowned, trying to exin.

    Suddenly, a figure appeared. It was none other than Lucas. Holding a silver needle in his hand, he

    shouted, "I dare you to touch Yvonne!"

    His threat was not heeded. Lucas knew that no one would listen to him if he didn''t reveal his

    identity.

    "Get lost! Stop causing trouble!" the servants barked.

    Lucas gritted his teeth, ready to fight them, but they had the numbers.

    Lucas made a quick decision, leading Harriet to rush toward a side door. But just as they were

    about to get out, their path was blocked.

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674

    "Hmph! Bring it on! I''d like to try my new skills!" Lucas snorted. "Yvonne, find an opportunity to

    leave."

    Harriet was worried. "I can''t. What if they catch you?"

    "So what? I don''t care," Lucas said indifferently.

    "But Felipe is a ruthless man. Even Sadie bes his puppet," Harriet said.

    Lucas''s eyes dimmed. He was about to say something when a loud noise came from the door.

    The door copsed, and someone shouted, "See? I told you they were here."

    The familiar voice brought hope to Lucas and Harriet.

    On the other hand, the servants lost their momentum.

    Harriet realized how reckless her actions were. She was about to apologize to her brothers, but a

    figure shed past not far from the door.

    Harriet narrowed her eyes, trying to focus, but the figure disappeared too quickly. She felt like it was

    Delbert.

    "Delbert?" she called out, rushing over.

    "Where is Yvonne?" The Bass brothers looked around and noticed that Harriet was missing. They

    looked outside and saw a figure going away.

    "Where is Yvonne going?" Everyone was puzzled once again, even more so than before.

    They chased after her, ignoring the mor behind them.

    "Delbert, Delbert..." Harriet lost sight of him. She didn''t know where to go and felt desperate, calling

    out to Delbert.

    But no one answered her.

    "Delbert, I know you''re not dead. Where did you go? Come out and see me!" she said, unable to

    hold back her tears.

    Her brothers arrived and bumped into the scene. "Yvonne, what''s wrong? Tell us, did anyone bully

    you just now?"

    Harriet raised her head, saw their worried faces, and smiled bitterly. "I''m okay. Let''s go."

    She stood up and suddenly felt dizzy. Luckily, Levi caught her in time.

    They were all worried about her.

    Just then, Felipe came up with a group of people.

    "I thought they had fled. I didn''t expect them to still be here." The mocking voices came again.

    "Leave and don''t set foot here again. You''re not wee here!"

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Felipe stood at the forefront, looking arrogantly at Harriet and her brothers.

    "Why should we listen to you?" Arthur stepped forward, towering in front of Felipe. He was the

    leader of the world''s number-one assassin organization, and his aura was intimidating.

    Everyone gasped in awe, and those defiant ones immediately shut their mouths, showing signs of

    backing up.

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675

    Arthur was not happy to see Felipe''s face.

    If it weren''t for Felipe''s indifference, Miriam wouldn''t have been harmed by Sadie.

    "Felipe, you are truly a cunning fox. You knew all along that Sadie was not the daughter of the Bass

    family, yet you insisted on protecting her. When faced with Harriet, the real Ms. Bass, you ignored

    her. Are you nning to control all the assets?" Arthur said.

    "Why do you care? I call the shots in the Bass family. What can you do?" Felipe provocatively

    stared at Arthur.

    He didn''t care how powerful Arthur was. He was now the head of the Bass family. If he disagreed,

    Harriet would never be able to enter the house, unless something unexpected happened to the

    Bass family, which was unlikely.

    Arthur was not bothered by his remarks. "Do as you please. You reap what you sow."

    Arthur nced at him and left with the others.

    "Yvonne, you can''t be so reckless again. If we weren''t here, Felipe might have acted against you."

    Arthur cautioned Harriet.

    Harriet nodded, thinking of that figure just now.

    Since Felipe dared to keep a fake Ms. Bass by his side, it meant he could harm Harriet to prevent

    her from exposing Sadie''s identity. They had to be cautious.

    Arthur led the group toward where the car was parked when suddenly, a voice rang out behind

    them. "Harriet!"

    Harriet turned around and asked nkly, "Anything?"

    The Bass brothers were not happy to see the neer. Andy Bass was Felipe''s son and Harriet''s

    cousin.

    But Harriet didn''t know him.

    Andy nodded and said, "Harriet, I believe what you said."

    Harriet raised an eyebrow, but her surprise was soon reced by doubt. Andy was a member of the

    Bass family. Why would he believe her without any reason? She smelled a rat.

    "Why?" she asked.

    "I have seen you before, and I remember you. I also believe that Miriam is not dead. If something

    happened to her, there would have been traces left behind," Andy exined.

    Harriet narrowed her eyes, feeling the sincerity in his words. She sighed lightly and decided to trust

    him.

    "Okay, I believe you. Come with me. Let''s find a quieter ce to talk," she said.

    Andy followed them to a high-end caf¨¦ nearby.

    Harriet told Andy about Miriam''s situation, and Andy got angry.

    "That exins Sadie''s strange actions. Turns out she is not my cousin. No wonder she was in such

    a hurry to hold Miriam''s funeral. Perhaps she was afraid of something being exposed or nning

    something," he said.

    "Felipe is likely involved in her ns." Harriet nced at Andy, lifted her coffee cup, and took a sip.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "I see. I will pay more attention," Andy said sincerely. "I''ll help you. I''ll bring both you and Miriam

    back."

    Harriet believed Andy''s words. Perhaps blood ties were indeed peculiar.

    Sadie wandered around the vi, searching for Delbert.

    ''Where did Delbert go?'' She wondered, feeling upset. ''Has he restored his memory and gone to find

    Harriet?''

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676

    Sadie stomped her feet in annoyance. Just then, a big figure approached her, and she found that it

    was Delbert.

    She hurried over and questioned, "Where did you go?"

    She was afraid that Delbert would regain his memory and go find Harriet.

    Her harsh words startled Delbert.

    He shivered, full of grievances. He looked in the direction where Harriet had just left and spoke.

    "Didn''t you say this was my home? I went around and lost my way because this ce was too

    large.

    "I couldn''t find you, and I didn''t know what to do."

    Sadie softened up and put on a smile.

    It was good that he hadn''t regained his memory.

    She intended tofort him, but Delbert held her in his arms. She was stunned and then felt

    pleased.

    "Don''t be angry, okay?" Delbert pleaded.

    Sadie looked at him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

    "Delbert, you are so silly. Why didn''t you ask the servants for the way?" she said.

    "I only remember you, and I only want to talk to you," Delbert said.

    Sadie held her breath, her heart racing. She blushed and tightened her grip on Delbert''s waist.

    Sadie was pleased and forgot about the trouble Harriet had caused her just now.

    Originally, what happened put her in a bad mood, but Delbert''s hug cheered her up.

    Immersed in it, she failed to detect the disgust in Delbert''s eyes.

    The conversation in the caf¨¦ continued.

    "You said that you saw me before, but I don''t remember you," Harriet said.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Andy smiled shyly. "When I was young, I secretly asked my mother to take me to Agral City. I saw

    you there. Although we were both little at that time, I could immediately tell that you were my

    cousin."

    Harriet was touched by this revtion.

    "I never expected that after so many years, you could still recognize me. It really moves me!" she

    said.

    Even Felipe didn''t expect him to recognize Harriet. That might be the power of blood ties.

    Andy took another sip of coffee and spoke to the Bass brothers. "Perhaps this is the power of family

    bonds. Even though we haven''t seen each other for so many years, I can still recognize her among

    the crowd. Don''t you feel the same way?"

    The Bass brothers nodded in agreement.

    Then Andy continued, "Actually, I have long sensed that Sadie is not part of the Bass family. I have

    even brought this up with Felipe. Sadly, he didn''t believe me. He has no suspicion of Sadie at all."

    Andy paused and added, "And I remember that he got mad at me and warned me not to mention

    this matter again."

    Harriet was surprised and then understood the situation.

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677

    After taking a sip of coffee, Andy continued, "I can probably understand why my father did this. He

    was adopted by the Bass family and couldn''t inherit the family''s business.

    "So, when Sadie showed up with the token, even though he knew that she wasn''t Miriam''s

    daughter, he still acknowledged her for the sake of the family fortune.

    "He wants to groom Sadie into a puppet, using her to control the Bass family."

    Harriet finally understood Felipe''s intention.

    That was why he stuck to his statement despite knowing that Sadie was a fake.

    But Harriet couldn''t ept his indifference when Sadie was harming Miriam.

    "Andy, thank you for telling the truth. I will take care of the rest," Harriet said.

    Andy smiled. "No worries. I don''t want my father to keep making mistakes."

    Then he added, "Harriet, where is Miriam now? Can I go see her?"

    Harriet smiled, "Let''s go together. We''re going to the hospital. I''m sure she''ll be very happy to see

    you."

    Soon, Harriet led Andy to the hospital where Miriam was.

    Harriet gently pushed open the door, and Andy followed her inside.

    Miriam was kind to him when he was little, and he was eager to see her.

    "Mom, I''m here to see you," Harriet said.

    "Come over, darling!" Miriam smiled, waving at Harriet.

    "I brought someone to see you today," Harriet said, stepping aside.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Andy slowly came up.

    "Who is he?" Miriam asked in confusion, failing to recognize Andy.

    Harriet smiled faintly, "Don''t you recognize Andy? He is Felipe''s son."

    "Oh, I remember now. You''re Andy. It has been so many years, and you''ve grown up. Come over

    and let me have a good look at you," Miriam said happily.

    "Miriam, I miss you so much," Andy said, happy that Miriam still remembered him.

    He knew that Miriam would not forget him.

    Andy stepped forward to hold Miriam''s hand. "I''m sorry. I should have protected you."

    "Silly child, you were little back then, and this matter has nothing to do with you. Don''t beat yourself

    up!" Miriamforted him, patting his head.

    Harriet remembered that the Bass family had held a funeral for Miriam and revealed, "Felipe is

    despicable. He knew that Sadie was not your daughter, yet he resolutely acknowledged her, just to

    use Sadie''s identity to control the Bass family.

    "And when I broke into their house today, I found that he was working with Sadie to hold a funeral

    for you. They are heartless!"

    Harriet was filled with anger, and Miriam''s face fell.

    "So, Felipe knew all along that Sadie was not my daughter. I thought he was kept in the dark all

    these years," she said.

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678

    "Miriam, Yvonne, we absolutely cannot let this matter rest!" Levi chimed in.

    Miriam nodded. "I have given Felipe and Sadie many chances already. Since they don''t appreciate

    it, I won''t be lenient anymore."

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Harriet''s eyes glinted with coldness. "Sadie took my identity and stole my life. I will make sure she

    returns everything to me."

    "It seems I have to go out and dispel this rumor about my death," Miriam mused. "They held my

    funeral, didn''t they? When they bury my body, I will appear in person to prove that I am not dead,

    exposing their conspiracy."

    "I will try to gather evidence that Sadie is not my cousin and help you in secret," Andy said.

    The Bass brothers agreed with Miriam''s n and prepared to ensure her safety.

    ...

    Soon, it was the day when the Bass family was going to bury Miriam.

    Sadie walked in front, holding Miriam''s memorial tablet and crying sorrowfully.

    Harriet hid in the crowd, feeling disgusted at her hypocritical appearance.

    She must have been blind when she treated Sadie as her best friend when she was little, only to

    have her identity stolen in the end.

    Harriet had invited arge group of reporters to expose the events of the past and ensure that

    Felipe and Sadie had no chance of escaping.

    The Bass family showed no signs of suspicion. Felipe and Sadie stood in front of Miriam''s grave,

    observing a moment of silence.

    They were waiting for Miriam''s coffin to be buried. Then this matter could finallye to an end.

    Just then, Miriam stood up and sneered. "Whose funeral is being held here, mine? But I am alive

    and well. Felipe, why did you tell everyone that I died?"

    The reporters from all over Imperium swarmed over, snapping pictures.

    All eyes turned toward Miriam.

    The atmosphere became tense. Both Felipe and Sadie panicked, not expecting Miriam to suddenly

    appear.

    "Yeah, Miriam is alive and well. Why did you say she was dead? What are your intentions?" Harriet

    questioned, helping a pale-faced Miriam walk toward them.

    Sadie and Felipe wanted to argue, but words failed them.

    Miriam nced at them and turned to face the reporters. "Today, I want to tell everyone the truth

    here. Sadie is not my daughter. Harriet is!

    "I was seriously injured and fell into aa in the hospital because Sadie pushed me down the

    stairs.

    "Felipe knew all this but chose to ignore my life and death. He even brought Sadie back and raised

    her as my daughter. It shows his sinister intentions!"

 Chapter 679

    Chapter 679

    After hearing Miriam''s words, everyone present began to whisper and nce at Sadie and Felipe.

    Felipe red at Miriam. His anger was in to see.

    "Nonsense!" he shouted. "Don''t listen to her. Miriam is already dead. She is an impostor!"

    Sadie reacted quickly and walked to the reporters.

    "Sorry, I don''t know who this woman is. She is not Miriam at all. Miriam is already dead!" she said,

    turning to face Miriam. "Madam, it''s a lie that you''re Miriam, and it''s a false usation that I''m not

    the daughter of the Bass family. I can totally sue you.

    "If you leave now, I can let the matter drop."

    "Sadie, you really disappoint me. I shouldn''t have saved you in Agral City back then, and you

    wouldn''t have stolen Harriet''s life," Miriam said, looking at Sadie with deep disappointment.

    "Mom, it''s not worth being sad for such a person!" Harrietforted her, patting her on the

    shoulder.

    Even though the evidence was already in front of her, Sadie still showed no remorse.

    She was beyond salvation.

    Felipe walked to the reporters and echoed, "What Sadie said is true. We don''t know this woman,

    and we don''t know who instigated her toe and pretend to be Miriam. Please don''t believe her

    words.

    "I can vouch for my integrity that Miriam is dead and Sadie is her daughter."

    Miriam felt disheartened.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Integrity? Do you think you have any integrity?" Harriet sneered, staring at Felipe.

    Felipe was annoyed and ordered the bodyguards, "What are you waiting for? Get these people out

    of here. Don''t let them disturb Miriam from resting in peace!"

    "Yes, sir!" The bodyguards were ready to act.

    The Bass brothers immediately stepped forward to shield Miriam and Harriet.

    "I dare you!" Their aura intimidated Felipe''s men.

    Miriam was thoroughly disappointed in Felipe.

    "Felipe, you really disappoint me!" she said.

    Harriet spoke up. "Felipe, this is thest time I call you uncle. We''ll be enemies when we meet

    again."

    "You used us first, and yet you still act so arrogantly," Sadie barked, unwilling to be outdone.

    "You say I''m not the daughter of the Bass family. Do you have evidence to prove it?"

    Harriet sneered, "If I can''t show evidence, would I be standing here confronting you for so long?"

    "Then show it!" Sadie red at her.

    "It will be here soon," Harriet said calmly, waiting for Andy to bring the evidence.

    Sadie scoffed, "As I see it, you can''t produce evidence and are just stalling."

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680

    Harriet ignored her and, inadvertently, noticed a familiar figure in the crowd.

    ''Delbert?'' She wondered.

    "Delbert!" Harriet ran away, as if she had lost her mind.

    Before Miriam and the Bass brothers could react, she had run far away.

    "Yvonne is gone. Chase after her!" Arthur said, leading the others to chase after Harriet.

    Harriet believed she couldn''t have been mistaken. That person was Delbert.

    He was still alive.

    Sadie saw it and groaned in her heart, ''Did Harriet see Delbert?''

    She wouldn''t allow them to meet.

    Sadie immediately followed.

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    If Delbert saw Harriet and recovered his memory, then all her ns would fall apart.

    "Delbert, wait!"

    Harriet caught up with Delbert and grabbed his wrist.

    Delbert turned slowly, revealing his handsome face, but the look in his eyes was distant.

    Harriet didn''t notice it, and she said, "I knew you weren''t dead. Why didn''t youe find me? Do

    you know how worried I''ve been about you?"

    Then she sensed Delbert''s abnormality.

    He was looking at her like a stranger.

    "Do we know each other?" Delbert asked with a puzzled look.

    "Do we know each other?" Harriet murmured in disbelief. "Delbert, do you not recognize me? I''m

    Harriet!"

    Delbert shook his head. "I''m sorry, miss. I don''t know you. Is there a misunderstanding between us?

    Or maybe you''ve got the wrong person, but how do you know my name?"

    Harriet was struck dumb.

    Her excitement, which had just been kindled, was extinguished. "Delbert, what are you saying? We

    are husband and wife. How can you not recognize me?"

    But Delbert remained puzzled.

    Just then, Sadie came up andughed at Harriet''s sorry state.

    ''Harriet, oh Harriet, the man you love no longer remembers you. He only has me in his heart. The

    man who used to dote on you is mine now,'' she thought triumphantly.

    Sadie pushed Harriet aside and smirked at her. "What are you doing? Haven''t you caused enough

    trouble today? Now you''re still clinging to my fianc¨¦?"

    Harriet was even more surprised. "What do you mean by your fianc¨¦? Stop joking!"

 Chapter 681

    Chapter 681

    But Delbert didn''t push Sadie away. Instead, he clung to her. A premonition rose from the bottom of

    Harriet''s heart.

    She wondered if Delbert really didn''t remember her.

    Unwilling to ept it, she asked Delbert, "Are you sure this woman is your fianc¨¦e? Do you not

    remember anything, including our past?"

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    Delbert took a step forward and said affirmatively, "Miss, there may be some misunderstanding

    between us. Thedy is indeed my fianc¨¦e! As for our past... I''m sorry. I can''t remember anything."

    Harriet staggered. ''Delbert has forgotten me. What should I do?''

    The Bass brothers came up and saw Delbert.

    ''He is fine?'' They wondered.

    "Delbert, it turns out you''re fine!" Oliver said, patting Delbert''s shoulder.

    If Delbert had really died, Yvonne would have been sad for the rest of her life. That was not what

    they wanted to see.

    However, Delbert looked confused. "I''m sorry, may I ask who you are?"

    Oliver felt helpless. "Come on! It hasn''t been long since we met."

    Oliver was joking with Delbert, but Delbert remained puzzled.

    He moved close to Sadie and whispered, "Sadie, who are these people? Why do they all say they

    know me?"

    Sadie patted Delbert''s shoulder and reassured him, "They are the ones who harmed you back then.

    Don''t mind them. I''ll take care of everything!"

    Delbert nodded and stepped aside.

    Oliver and the others understood the situation.

    "Yvonne, has Delbert lost his memory?" Oliver asked.

    Harriet didn''t say anything, not knowing what to say.

    She couldn''t believe that Delbert would forget her.

    They had been through so much together. How could Delbert forget everything just like that?

    And now he was siding with Sadie.

    Harriet couldn''t ept it.

    She looked at Delbert and gently spoke. "Delbert, did you really forget everything and our promises

    to each other?

    "Do you remember what you promised me before? You said you would stay by my side for a

    lifetime. You said you would face the future with me. How can you forget?"

    Tears welled up in her eyes, and Delbert felt heartbroken.

    But he couldn''t reveal the truth at that point.

    ''Harriet, just wait for a while longer. My n is about to seed!'' He thought.

    Delbert endured the pain in his heart and said, "I''m sorry. I don''t remember anything you said. There

    may be some misunderstanding, and with my fianc¨¦e here, I advise you to mind your speech."

    His tone was heavy and carried a hint of anger.

    Harriet felt a pricking pain in her heart.

    Delbert used to speak to her so softly. How could he be so serious now?

    He was cold to her and imed that Sadie was his fianc¨¦e.

    Harriet was in unbearable agony.

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682

    Harriet stared at Delbert.

    Oliver was annoyed and punched him in the face.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    He snapped, "Delbert, are you still a man? Do you not remember what you said before? Do you not

    remember the woman you once liked? Are you intentionally breaking Yvonne''s heart?"

    "It''s okay, Oliver!" Harriet stopped Oliver, wiping away her tears.

    Regardless, she didn''t want Delbert to get hurt.

    Sadie quickly went up to protect Delbert. "Are you all right?"

    Seeing Delbert''s mouth bleeding, Sadie cursed furiously, "Are you people insane? As he said, he is

    my fianc¨¦ and does not know Harriet. What else do you want? Haven''t you caused enough trouble

    today? Now you even want to take away my fianc¨¦?

    "You''d better leave now, or I''ll have you driven away!"

    Her tone was filled with threats.

    "Miss, please stop saying misleading things. My fianc¨¦e is upset, so please leave as soon as

    possible!" Delbert said with a hint of sadness.

    Oliver pointed at Delbert''s nose and cursed, "You scum! I was so blind that I entrusted Harriet to

    you!"

    "Let it go, Oliver! He just lost his memory. Calm down," Harriet soothed Oliver despite her pain.

    But the indifference in Delbert''s eyes was something she had never seen before.

    Yet she knew she needed to figure out first when Delbert became Sadie''s fianc¨¦ and how he ended

    up by Sadie''s side after the car ident.

    Harriet wanted to say something, but Delbert was annoyed at Oliver''s usations.

    "Are you done? Leave before I call the security guards!" he said.

    "How dare you?" Oliver raged again.

    Sadie smirked triumphantly. "You are the ones causing trouble here and distorting the truth. It''s kind

    of me to ask you to just leave!"

    When she turned to look at Harriet, her gaze became malicious. "Take your brothers and leave.

    Don''t bark like dogs here. Leave before I call the police!"

    Oliver fumed with rage and shot back, "Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Are you worthy of

    calling us dogs?

    "Think about what you''ve done. It''s disgusting. You''re not worthy of bearing the Bass family name.

    Stop tarnishing its reputation!"

    Sadie''s face fell, and she gasped in anger.

    Delbert''s eyes flickered, and he stepped forward to protect Sadie.

    "She is my fianc¨¦e, and you shouldn''t insult her. Leave here immediately. You are not wee

    here!" he said, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Miss, I have never seen you before, and I will not have

    any dealings with you in the future. You allowed your family to insult my fianc¨¦e. I won''t hold you

    ountable this time, but there won''t be a second chance!"

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683

    Harriet was deeply hurt and heartbroken.

    Every little detail of their past shed before her eyes, and the sweet memories now tasted bitter.

    Harriet felt as if her heart had been ripped apart, and the coldness made her unable to breathe.

    Delbert''s eyes darkened, but he fought back the urge to hold Harriet andfort her.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    "Leave! I won''t let you hurt my fianc¨¦e again!" he said.

    Sadie smirked, raising her eyebrows. "Did you hear that? Do I have to call security and the police to

    make you leave?"

    Oliver gritted his teeth and pulled Harriet away. "Let''s go. There''s no point in talking to him anymore.

    He will regret it!"

    He grumbled as he led Harriet away, not wanting to see Delbert''s face.

    Besides, they had more important things to do. They would deal with Delbertter.

    "Yvonne, don''t be sad. I''ll help you get justice!" Oliver said, noticing the red rims of Harriet''s eyes.

    He wiped away her tears and gentlyforted her.

    Worried about Harriet, her other brothers gathered around her. "Yvonne, who bullied you? Tell us,

    and we''ll make it right for you.

    "Who did you meet just now? We''ll find him and make him apologize to you!"

    They had been worried since Harriet left in a hurry. upied, they had to wait for her to return.

    Since their reunion, they had rarely seen her cry.

    But Harriet cried so sadly that day, indicating that she had suffered great injustice.

    Harriet couldn''t help but burst into tears, unable to utter a word.

    The Bass brothers were anxious, but they didn''t dare press her.

    When they saw Olivering back with Harriet, they gathered around him and asked, "What

    happened? Who did Yvonne meet? Is she this sad because someone bullied her?

    "Tell us, who bullied Yvonne? I''ll go and settle the score with them!"

    Oliver sighed and told them about the encounter with Delbert, unable to hide his anger.

    "I don''t know how Sadie managed to manipte Delbert. Now, he doesn''t remember Yvonne at all.

    He even spoke harshly to her, saying that Sadie was his fianc¨¦e. It''s really infuriating!"

    The Bass brothers looked at each other in dismay.

    "It''s unfair to Yvonne. Do they think we don''t exist?"

    "He lost his memory, so what? If he mistreats Yvonne, we will not let him off the hook."

    They condemned Delbert and sympathized with Harriet.

    Since Delbert had an ident, Harriet had been upset. When she finally found him, he had

    forgotten about her.

 Chapter 684

    Chapter 684

    It was ridiculous and heartbreaking.

    "Yvonne, don''t cry. We will help you get justice and teach those who bully you a lesson!"

    "Yeah, we''ll find a way to restore Delbert''s memory."

    "If he can''t remember you, we''ll beat him until he does!"

    Harriet stopped crying, but her spirit was still low.

    At the funeral, the reporters were puzzled by the situation.

    Each side had their points.

    And then, someone suddenly stood up.

    "Please quiet down and listen to me. I have something important to tell everyone," said Andy,

    stepping out of the crowd.

    The noise quieted down, and all eyes focused on Andy, waiting for what was about to be revealed.

    "Actually, Sadie is not the daughter of the Bass family. Harriet is," he announced.

    The whole ce quieted down, and then the people started discussing among themselves.

    Before Felipe could react, Andy produced the files of his investigation.

    "Here is the evidence I found, enough to prove Sadie''s false identity. Miriam is not dead. She is right

    in front of you," he added.

    No one knew how Andy obtained this evidence, but Andy''s action in turning against Felipe was

    bold.

    And the information he revealed was shocking.

    Sadie''s anger surged up, and she red at Andy. "You''re talking nonsense. How am I not the

    daughter of the Bass family? Do you prefer to believe a stranger to your family? Don''t you believe

    Felipe and me?"

    In contrast to her serious tone, her heart was in turmoil, and her face showed anxiety.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    She had fought so hard to take over Harriet''s identity. There was no way she would give it back.

    "How could you join forces with outsiders to nder me? How can you question my identity based

    on this forged evidence?" she argued.

    Felipe frowned and snapped, "What the hell are you doing? Apologize to Sadie immediately!"

    Andy nced at Sadie and spoke confidently. "I am not lying. Sadie is indeed not a member of the

    Bass family. I can''t let her take Harriet''s ce. Father, you know all this. Why don''t you tell everyone

    the truth?"

    "Are you determined to turn against me?" Felipe gasped in anger.

    Tears welled up in Sadie''s eyes, and she said, "Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me, so

    you want to turn against me here?"

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685

    "I am not turning against you!" Andy sneered, his eyes full of disgust. "I am just stating the facts.

    Dad, you shouldn''t keep making mistakes and treating Miriam like this!"

    Unable to hold back his anger anymore, Felipe shouted, "Someone, take him back. Unless I give

    the order, do not let hime out."

    The bodyguards acted quickly, intending to catch Andy.

    Andy looked around, trying to escape, but there were too many people around. There was no way

    out.

    As the bodyguards closed in, he pursed his lips and looked at Felipe with deep disappointment.

    "Dad, you''ll regret your actions in siding with this imposter."

    "Take him back!" Felipe roared.

    The bodyguards surrounded Andy, trying to take him away by force.

    Andy struggled, trying to break free, but his strength was no match for theirs.

    Harriet came to her senses and pulled at Arthur. "We can''t let them take Andy away!"

    Felipe might harm Andy, even though Andy was his son. Felipe was a person who stopped at

    nothing.

    "Don''t worry, Yvonne. I''ll save him," Arthur said, narrowing his eyes.

    He signaled to his bodyguards and said, "Go save him!"

    They walked through the crowd toward Andy, who was in a standoff with Felipe''s bodyguards.

    Arthur''s men soon subdued those bodyguards.

    Andy breathed a long sigh of relief.

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    Felipe saw it and looked at Andy with disappointment. "Are you dead on turning against me today?"

    Andy red back. "I have never wanted to oppose you. I just want to advise you to wake up and

    stop making mistakes."

    "Shut up!" Felipe wouldn''t listen or admit his mistakes.

    Andy smiled bitterly and then made up his mind. "Well, since you refuse to acknowledge Miriam and

    Cousin, then I have nothing to say. From now on, I have no rtionship with you!"

    Felipe was furious. "Don''t even think about entering the Bass family''s house again. I don''t have a

    son like you."

    Without looking back, Andy walked to Miriam and Harriet. "Miriam, I can''t persuade my father, you

    will always be my aunt. Harriet is my cousin. Even if others do not recognize you, I will."

    Miriam forced a smile. "Thank you, Andy."

    "Harriet and you are mistreated. I will find a way to bring you back to the Bass family and rify all

    these absurdities!" Andy shook his head, looking guilty.

    With things escting to this point, there was no point in staying here any longer.

    Although Miriam was disappointed in Felipe, she had nothing more to say as he insisted on siding

    with Sadie.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686

    "Harriet, let''s go!" Miriam called out, ready to leave with Andy.

    Harriet, unwilling to give up, found Delbert.

    "Delbert, do you really not remember me? We''ve been together for so long. Have you really

    forgotten everything?" She gazed fixedly at him.

    But Delbert replied coldly, "Miss, I''ve made it clear enough. I have never met you. Please don''t say

    things that might cause misunderstanding again."

    "I don''t believe you''ve forgotten what happened between us. Even if there''s a hint of familiarity, you

    should be able to remember!" Harriet said sadly.

    A car ident had turned them into strangers. All the beautiful moments they shared were

    overturned, and they could never go back.

    Harriet felt heartbroken.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Sadie rushed over and snapped, "Harriet, have you no sense of shame? How dare you flirt with my

    fianc¨¦ in front of so many people?"

    "Shut up! You took him away by dirty means, yet you have the nerve to unt it!" Harriet shot back.

    Sadie shouted in anger, "Your jealousy is useless. He is my fianc¨¦, and soon we will get married

    and live a happy life. You have no chance of taking him away from me!"

    "You despicable person!" Harriet snapped, pping Sadie across the face.

    The sound drew the attention of everyone around.

    Harriet had exerted all her strength in that p, and Sadie''s face swelled immediately.

    Sadie felt a burning pain and looked incredulously at Harriet.

    "How dare you hit me?" She stomped her feet in anger.

    The p had brought tears to her eyes, and her face was surely swollen.

    Harriet, feeling a bit of pain in her hand, sneered, "It serves you right!"

    "Someone,e and grab her. She will not get away with this!" Sadie was furious and ordered the

    bodyguards to capture Harriet.

    She wanted to teach Harriet a lesson.

    Facing the aggressive bodyguards, Harriet showed no fear. "If you dare touch me today, tomorrow

    will be your doomsday. Don''te crying then!"

    Sadie, even more enraged, shouted, "Shut her up! I don''t want to hear her voice again!"

    She didn''t care how powerful Harriet might be. She nned to take action and get rid of Harriet.

    Even if she couldn''t take Harriet away, she would at least p back.

    The Bass brothers rushed over to protect Harriet.

    "I dare you!"

    "If anyoneys a finger on her, I''ll break his arms!"

 Chapter 687

    Chapter 687

    The eight men worked together to protect Harriet.

    "Yvonne, don''t be afraid. We won''t let anyone harm you," Arthur reassured her.

    "Thank you!" Harriet smiled.

    "You are our sister. If we don''t protect you, who will?" Arthur shook his head.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    They all genuinely cared for Harriet. With Delbert''s situation uncertain and he mixed up with Sadie,

    Harriet felt wronged.

    If they couldn''t protect her now, they would feel guilty.

    The bodyguards nced at each other. None of them dared to approach.

    The Bass brothers were not to be trifled with.

    Sadie widened her eyes and angrily shouted, "What are you all standing there for, you useless

    people?"

    Harriet sneered, "Weren''t you so arrogant just now? Come and get me. I''ll be standing here. Do you

    have guts?"

    "Do you think I can''t do anything for you?" Sadie was furious.

    She had hoped to mock Harriet, but ended up being mocked.

    She had been pped, but there was nothing she could do.

    Harriet came out from behind Arthur and said slowly, "Sadie, take this as a warning. Sooner orter,

    I will take back what belongs to me. The fake can never be real."

    Sadie raised her head and took two steps forward, intending to lunge at Harriet.

    Levi saw through her intentions and shielded Harriet. "If you dare touch Harriet, I''ll make you suffer

    like hell."

    Sadie came to her senses, but she didn''t dare challenge Levi.

    She could only re at Harriet.

    "I remember all the things you''ve done. We will settle this score sooner orter!" Harriet sneered.

    "Let''s go. Don''t bother with this crazy woman!"

    She nced at Delbert again before leaving gracefully.

    The Bass brothers followed her and guarded against everyone.

    Feeling so wronged and insulted, Sadie was extremely angry.

    She turned to look at Delbert and felt a surge of grievance in her heart.

    ying the victim, she said, "Delbert, you are my fianc¨¦. I will never let anyone take you away. No

    matter how despicable that woman is, I will protect you!"

    Only when Delbert was by her side could she feel a hint of reassurance. At least for now, Delbert

    belonged to her.

    "You should stay away from Harriet. She is malicious and always finds trouble with me. Don''t let her

    sweet talk deceive you," she said.

    Delbert''s eyes flickered, and he nodded absently. "Let''s avoid her and not engage with her."

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688

    He seemed to beforting Sadie, but his eyes unconsciously looked in the direction where Harriet

    had just left.

    Harriet was already out of sight, and it made him feel sad.

    If it weren''t for finding evidence, he would have rushed out and punched those people.

    He had to ensure it and keep all his thoughts to himself.

    But Sadie sensed his perfunctory attitude.

    She couldn''t help feeling a little jealous. Delbert had forgotten about the past, but he still couldn''t let

    go of Harriet.

    It was ironic and a harsh blow to her.

    But to prevent Delbert from suspecting anything, she had to reluctantly agree, "She is targeting both

    of us. You should stay away from her and don''t let yourself get hurt because of me."

    She pulled at Delbert, feeling a little uneasy.

    Delbertposed himself and hummed, "Okay, I''ll remember."

    Just getting Delbert''s promise was not enough. Sadie still felt uneasy. She decided to do something

    to keep him forever by her side.

    Otherwise, even if Delbert didn''t regain his memory, relying on the familiarity he had developed with

    Harriet over time, he would eventually see through her lies.

    Now that she had finally won him over, she naturally would not let go or allow Harriet to take him

    back.

    ...

    At night.

    To celebrate the reunion of Miriam, Harriet, and Andy, Levi hosted a family banquet.

    The vi was brightly lit.

    Everyone looked up eagerly upstairs.

    They all seemed a little at a loss, looking at each other nervously.

    "It took Yvonne so long to dress up," Henry said impatiently.

    "Girls always take more time to dress up. It''s normal," Justin said, his gaze fixed on the upper floor.

    Before long, the sound of the door opening came from upstairs. Miriam then came out with Harriet,

    who was wearing a white dress and a crown.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    The Bass brothers and Andy were amazed.

    "Yvonne is gorgeous!"

    "She truly is our little princess!"

    "Yvonne, here is a gift for you." n stepped forward and handed her a box. "This is a set of jewelry

    customized for you."

    The others exchanged looks and swarmed over.

    "Yvonne, here is my gift for you. Although I''m not as capable as n, I prepared a unique set of

    jewelry for you."

    "Yvonne, I don''t have anything impressive to give, so I''ll give you my credit card. Spend as much as

    you like."

    Harriet looked helplessly at them and pressed down on their hands.

    "Alright, brothers, I know your good intentions. Today, we''re just having a family banquet, not my

    birthday. There is no need to give such expensive gifts. You can keep them for now."

    Deep down, she knew that they wanted to make her happy because Delbert had forgotten about

    her.

    She was blessed to have such sweet brothers.

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689

    "How can that be?" Levi frowned. "You deserve to be pampered by us."

    "That''s right! Yvonne, you are our treasure!"

    Arthur nodded and quickly stuffed the credit card in her hand.

    Harriet was caught off guard, her hands full of gifts.

    "How am I supposed to go downstairs with all these things?" she smiled helplessly.

    "Let me handle it!" Henry helped lift the hem of her dress and escorted her downstairs.

    "Today is just a family banquet. There''s no need to be so grand. I''m happy enough to be with Mom

    and you guys," Harriet said, putting the gifts aside.

    "Silly girl, you''ve been through too much over the years," Miriam said, rubbing Harriet''s head.

    She had already learned about Delbert''s amnesia from the Bass brothers and felt worried about

    Harriet.

    "Alright, let''s not mention those unhappy things. We rarely get together. Today should be a happy

    day," Arthur said, pulling up a chair for her.

    Harriet sat down, and Arthur proposed a toast. "To Yvonne, our little princess. Wish her happiness

    forever!"

    The others echoed, and Harriet was touched.

    Henry livened up the atmosphere by performing a magic trick, leading the mood to a climax.

    Laughter filled the room as they sat at the round table.

    Harriet smiled, feeling warm, as her brothers tried their best to make her happy.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    She tossed off her wine and looked into the distance. Her thoughts drifted away.

    Delbert was notably absent.

    He no longer remembered anything about her.

    Harriet felt sad and wondered how Delbert ended up being with Sadie after losing his memory.

    ''Is our past unimportant to him? Does he really not remember anything?'' she thought.

    She sighed, finished her drink, and then left the hall.

    She walked onto the balcony and swayed the ss in her hand. A flicker of sadness shed across

    her eyes.

    A cool breeze blew over, dispersing some of the alcohol intoxication.

    "Harriet, why are you alone here?"

    A voice suddenly came from behind, and Harriet turned around, forcing a smile. "I drank too much,

    so I came out to sober up."

    Andy''s gaze fell on her wine ss, but he didn''ty it bare.

    The wine Harriet drank was brought by Arthur. It was not strong and would not make her drunk.

    "Silly girl!" Andy shook his head and came to her side. "Are you thinking about Delbert?"

    Harriet stiffened, about to exin, but Andy added, "I know about your past, so don''t try to hide it

    from me."

    Harriet looked at him in shock. Andy smiled and patted her head. "How can our little princess be

    wronged?

    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll help you figure out everything and bring Delbert back to you."

    Harriet sniffed and threw herself into Andy''s arms. "Andy..."

    "Don''t cry. Those eight people inside are watching. If you cry, they will hold me ountable."

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690

    Harriet burst intoughter, and Andyughed along.

    "Okay, wipe away your tears. Your brothers are entertaining Miriam inside. You can''t miss this

    opportunity.

    "Take ugly photos of them and post them online. You might make a fortune!" he joked.

    Harriet chuckled, and Oliver''s voice suddenly came from behind them. "Andy, you''re making

    nonsense. Are you instigating Harriet to do something bad? I''ll teach you a lesson."

    Oliver grabbed Andy by the neck and tried to pull him inside. Harriet couldn''t help but shake her

    head andugh.

    "Yvonne came here to whisper to Andy. What''s going on? Are you guys keeping anything from us?"

    n said jealously.

    "What secret? I just drank too much and came out to sober up. Andy then joined me," Harriet said,

    refusing to admit that she had been sad because of Delbert.

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "I will sober up with you." Oliver let go of Andy and trapped Harriet on the balcony, pretending to be

    serious. "How do you want to sober up? Do you want tea, soft drinks, or something to eat? I''ll get

    them for you."

    Arthur came over and nced at Oliver. "Don''t lead Yvonne astray."

    Oliver stiffened and forced a smile.

    Arthur turned to Harriet and asked, "Yvonne, are you drunk? Should I go buy you some sobering

    medicine?"

    "I''ll go!" n volunteered, but Arthur''s nce silenced him.

    Lucas came up and took Harriet''s hand. "Come with me. I have the best sobering medicine."

    Andy stood on the side, looking at Harriet with a smirk.

    He would like to see how Harriet handled the situation.

    Harriet looked at them and quickly said, "No need! Your enthusiasm has dispelled the intoxication.

    Let''s go back and have another round of drinks."

    Their vi was filled withughter. In contrast, the dining room where Sadie and Delbert sat was

    somewhat deste.

    Sadie prepared Delbert''s favorite dishes, but she felt uneasy about the encounter between Harriet

    and Delbert.

    Her position was now unstable, and she didn''t want to lose Delbert.

    She had to do something to keep Delbert by her side forever.

    "Delbert, have a crab leg. It was just airlifted here today, and the servants got it from the hotel. It''s

    still fresh," she said.

    Delbert smiled and picked up dishes for her.

    Sadie absentmindedly took a few bites before putting down her fork and knife.

    Delbert noticed her hesitance and wiped his mouth. "What''s wrong?"

    "Delbert, let''s get engaged," she said.

    "Engaged?" Delbert eximed. "Why so sudden?"

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691

    Sadie shook her head and reached out to grab him. "Delbert, it''s not sudden. I''m afraid of losing

    you. I''ve already lost Miriam, and now you''re my only support. I cannot lose you either."

    The rims of her eyes reddened.

    Delbert sighed heavily and patted her hand. "What are you talking about? How could you lose me?"

    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "I''m just scared, Delbert. Will you marry me?" Sadie pleaded.

    Delbert frowned and thought for a moment. "But your mother just passed away. Wouldn''t it be

    inappropriate for us to get engaged immediately?"

    Sadie hesitated for a moment and forced a smile. "If Miriam knew that we were engaged, she would

    be happy. All she wanted was to see me happy.

    "Delbert, I am happy with you. I believe Miriam would be pleased in heaven."

    Delbert forced a smile. "If so, let''s get engaged. Miriam would be happy for us."

    "Delbert, thank you." Sadie leaned against his chest, unaware of the glint in Delbert''s eyes.

    Sadie had already decided on the timing and set the wedding date for a monthter.

    Now, she was certain that Delbert had really lost his memory.

    Otherwise, he would never agree to marry her.

    Delbert looked at her confident appearance and smirked.

    ...

    After a night of revelry, the Bass brothers were still fast asleep. Harriet woke up early the next

    morning and saw Miriam preparing breakfast.

    "Mom!" she called out.

    "You''re up. Come and have breakfast." Miriam pointed to the table and smiled. "Arthur and Andy

    stayed up all night. They probably won''t wake up this morning."

    Harriet thought of what happenedst night andughed. Her usually strict brothers seemed to have

    let loose after returning home, just like a group of three-year-old children.

    "Mom, it''s just the two of us today. Let me take you out for a walk," Harriet suggested.

    "Okay, I haven''t been out for a walk in a long time," Miriam said happily.

    After they finished breakfast, they set off, taking a walk around the vicinity of the vi. Miriam

    suggested going to the nearby supermarket to see if there was anything they could buy.

    "Oh, are those Ms. Bass and her mother?"

    "Why do they lower themselves toe to a ce like this?"

    A mocking voice came from behind them. Miriam and Harriet turned around, only to see a middle-

    aged woman.

    Harriet frowned, about to confront the woman, but her friendughed, taking out her phone. "Don''t

    you know? They are fake.

    "Haven''t you read the news? Felipe has announced Miriam''s death. This woman is an imposter who

    wants her daughter to enter the Bass family.

    "They are delusional and shameless."

    The people gathered around them, joining in the criticism of Harriet and Miriam.

    Miriam turned pale and clutched her bag.

    Harriet turned livid and red at the woman.

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692

    "Why do you think I''m not Ms. Bass? How much did Sadie give you to nder us?" Harriet

    questioned her.

    The woman changed colors and pointed at Harriet. "You''re uncultured. How can you possibly be

    Ms. Bass?

    "As I see it, you''re just a lowly peasant."

    "That''s right! They are shameless!"

    The people around them came up, cursing at the mother and daughter.

    Someone threw vegetables at them, but Harriet quickly protected Miriam.

    Something hard hit her back, causing her immense pain.

    "Harriet!" Miriam felt distressed.

    "Mom, don''t be afraid! I''m okay!" Harriet reassured her, turning around to grab that person''s wrist.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Startled, the woman stammered, "What? Do you want to hit me?"

    "What if I do?" Harriet sneered.

    The woman panicked and shoved Harriet with all her might.

    The ground was littered with vegetables. Harriet slipped and fell into a warm embrace.

    A familiar scent greeted her.

    Before she could react, the person helped her up, holding up the phone in his hand. "You were the

    ones who started it. I''ve recorded everything.

    "This is mayhem, and Ms. Bass can sue you."

    The people present were immediately thrown into chaos.

    "What? We didn''t hit her. Call the police as you like. I don''t believe the police will detain us."

    The man sneered, "Alright then. This is a mob assault, and you will be detained for fifteen days.

    "And what do other people''s family matters have to do with you? Do you have the right to meddle

    here?"

    At his words, the crowd looked at each other and dispersed.

    The man''s deep voice carried unquestionable dominance. Harriet stared at him and thought of

    Delbert.

    "Delbert, is it you?"

    Harriet grabbed the man''s hand, but he frowned and shook off her hand.

    "You''ve mistaken me for someone else," he said before walking away.

    Flustered, Harriet chased after him, but the man''s steps were too fast.

    He turned around the corner, and when Harriet reached the ce, the man was already gone.

    Harriet gazed ahead, thinking about his familiar scent and deliberately lowered voice.

    It was clearly Delbert.

    Harriet looked at the bustling street ahead and couldn''t snap out of it.

    Miriam nced at Harriet and detected a thoughtful look in her eyes.

    Seeing her dazed look, Miriam asked with concern. "What''s wrong? Do you know that man?"

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693

    Miriam''s voice brought Harriet back to reality. She hid her thoughts and turned around with a smile.

    "I don''t know him. How could I know? His face was covered. Even if I knew him, I wouldn''t recognize him," she said.

    Miriam looked at Harriet''s unnatural expression and tried to figure out whether she was telling the truth, but in the end, she didn''t say anything.

    "I just feel it''s strange that someone suddenly helped us. Maybe we encountered a kind-hearted person," Harriet said. "Let''s go home. It''s chilly on the street. Look, even my hair is standing up."

    Miriam smiled and went home with her.

    Once inside the house, Harriet took a shower first. She thought about what happened earlier, feeling that the matter was not that simple. There must be something that she didn''t know.

    Wrapped in a towel, she came out of the bathroom and sat on the sofa, furrowing her brows.

    It was getting dark, and thest sunlight was reced by the cold moonlight.

    Miriam came over and turned on the lights. The room brightened, and the white light shone on Harriet''s arms.

    "Harriet, what are you thinking about here?" Miriam asked, sitting next to her.

    Not wanting to worry Miriam, Harriet decided to investigate this matter on her own.

    "It''s nothing, Mom. You should go to sleep. I have something to do," Harriet said, dismissing further questions.

    Then she began to investigate the matter, knowing that things were not as simple as they appeared.

    A few dayster, she finally found out the truth. Everything was just as she suspected. It was Sadie, all along, who was behind all this, spreading false information online.

    Sadie even went to great lengths to boost the poprity of this fake news, making it widely known to everyone and even inciting public anger through trolls.

    Now the whole inte was talking about this incident, with the me continuously falling on Harriet and Miriam.

    Harriet looked at the content and frowned. She never expected that Sadie could stoop so low ande up with such methods. She couldn''t think of anyone more malicious than Sadie.

    Harriet felt frustrated. She hadn''t been targeted like this in her life.

    She sat there, contemting a strategy, until her eyes lit up.

    Previously, Andy had given her evidence that could prove she was the true heiress of the Bass family. It was time to put it to good use. Originally, Harriet didn''t want to reveal this matter so soon, but now, with Sadie forcing her hand, she had no choice.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Sadie asked for it.

    Harriet sorted out the evidence and issued a statement online that she was the real Ms. Bass and that her mother was Miriam.

    The strong evidence immediately caught the public''s attention. Countless people liked the post. Some raised doubts, but they were quickly refuted. Such things Could not be fabricated.

    [Oh my God, is it real? The twist is too sudden, isn''t it?]

    [I can''t believe it. Turns out Harriet is really the heiress of the Bass family, and Sadie is just a fake.]

    [This is horrible. What means did

    Sadie use to keep the real Ms. Bass wandering outside all this time and make Miriam lie unconscious in the hospital? When Miriam finally woke up, Sadie held a funeral for her.]

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    Chapter 694

    [If I were Miriam, I would definitely hate Sadie.]

    [Yeah, that''s horrible.]

    Suchments surged after the statement. Harriet calmly read them.

    Everyone knew that Harriet was dering war on Sadie.

    Public opinion had changed dramatically. Those who used to curse Harriet now started to support her, while the curses on Sadie grew more and

    more.

    In her apartment, Sadie turned on her phone and received notifications with titles like ''Sadie is a fake, and the real Ms. Bass is someone else''. Sadie''s pupils shook.

    She opened the article and saw the evidence provided by Harriet.

    Sadie was furious. She thought things would go ording to her n, but they went south.

    ''How could Harriet provide evidence? Doesn''t it mean I''m going to lose everything?'' she thought.

    With her identity exposed, what would be left for her?

    Would she even lose Delbert in the end?

    Sadie''s heart was flustered, but she forced herself to calm down.

    Just then, the door opened, and Delbert came in.

    "Sadie, what''s wrong? You look upset." Delbert looked at her calmly.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Sadie deliberately spoke ill of Harriet. "Harriet is terrible. For the sake of fame and fortune, she. provided fake evidence, iming that she was the real Ms. Bass and I was an impostor."

    Delbert scrolled through his phone and smiled meaningfully at the news.

    Harriet had be clever.

    "Delbert, are you with me? Why are you smiling?" Sadie frowned.

    Delbert put away his smile and began tofort Sadie, "It''s okay The truth wille out sooner orter. If you don''t do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. We don''t need to be afraid."

    But Sadie was feeling guilty.

    In the afternoon, she left the vi. She couldn''t sit there and wait for her doom.

    She met with Felipe, trying to find a solution.

    When she arrived, Felipe was sipping his coffee, looking rxed.

    "Have you read the news online?" Sadie asked anxiously.

    Felipe nodded. "It''s hard to notice the big fuss."

    Sadie pulled at his sleeve. "Help mee up with a solution."

    Felipe heaved a deep sigh. "This matter has stirred up discussions across the inte. The power of public opinion is immense, and I don''t have any solution."  S

    Sadie was annoyed by his indifference. She snatched the cup and poured the coffee on the floor.

    "Can''t you be serious?" she sulked.

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695

    "I am serious." Felipe looked at Sadie in confusion, feeling that her anger was inexplicable.

    In fact, he understood that Sadie was already at the end of her rope. There was no way she could remain calm.

    "Don''t forget that we''re on the same boat!" Sadie said, feeling that Felipe had a solution.

    Most importantly, he was the only person she could seek help from. Felipe''s attitude indicated that he was unwilling to help her.

    In her mind, since Felipe acknowledged her, he should protect her.

    "How so?" Felipe found it funny.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Sadie''s makeup was smudged, and she looked messy.

    How did he end up choosing such a fool to be Ms. Bass?

    Sadie calmed down and sat down with a smirk.

    "Have you forgotten that many years ago, when I was little, I took Harriet''s ce and became Ms. Bass? They had been searching for Harriet, and I went to them with Harriet''s pendant," she said.

    Felipe initially did not understand why she suddenly brought up these things. But slowly, he felt that something was wrong, and his brows furrowed. "However, you saw through that pendant at a nce," Sadie continued. "Although many years have passed, I don''t believe you have forgotten." Felipe was displeased, but Sadie was satisfied with his reaction.

    She added, "You imed that I was not Miriam''s daughter. No matter how I exined, you still believed so, thinking I was a fake. But what happenedter? You helped me be Ms. Bass."

    Felipe turned pale, not expecting Sadie to dig up these old events.

    "Why did you make me Ms. Bass? Do you think I don''t know?

    "I was young, but I was not ignorant. You helped me deceive others and were indifferent when I pushed Miriam down the stairs.

    "Then you used to control the Bass family after Joshua passed away. I kept quiet because I coveted the glory and wealth. It doesn''t mean I didn''t know anything."

    "Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!

    None of this is true! The Bass family

    was leaderless at that time, so what''s wrong with me managing it? I am also a member of the Bass family," Felipe said angrily

    Sadie was satisfied with his strong emotions.

    She sneered, "What''s the use of being anxious now? Can you deny what you have done? Without me, you wouldn''t have obtained your position today. If Harriet hade back would you have had this opportunity?"

    Felipe stared at her andpromised. "What do you want?"

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696

    Sadieughed, "I made it clear just now. I helped you before, and now it''s time for you to help me. If you don''t help me get through this crisis, I will have to reveal everything that happened back then. Even if everything falls apart, I''m not afraid. I just wonder if you are afraid."

    Felipe''s chest heaved. He never expected to be threatened in his lifetime. But now, what choice did he have? Everything was beyond his control. "Sadie, you really y a good conspiracy, calcting me to this extent," he said.

    "Well, will you help me or not?" Sadie said.

    "Do I have a choice?" Felipe calmed down and said, "Don''t worry. I will figure out a way. This is a tricky matter, and I need time to think about it."

    Sadie nodded. "The sooner, the better. I have to go."

    She turned around and left the room.

    Felipe lingered for a moment before getting up. He nned to go to Harriet''s vi.

    In this matter, Miriam was the breakthrough.

    If he couldn''t solve the problem, he could get rid of the person who raised it.

    When he arrived, only Miriam and Andy were at home. He saw the two sitting on the sofa through the window and walked over.

    At this time, Harriet should still be working at Levi''spany.

    "Miriam, my father is here," Andy said, noticing the figure.

    Miriam followed him to look over, but neither of them had the intention of opening the door for Felipe.

    Aware of their anger, Felipe apologized at the door and even prepared valuable gifts for them.

    "This is a token of my sincerity. Please ept it."

    However, Andy pushed his hand

    away, saying, "We won''t ept your gifts. Come in if you have something to say. We don''t want the neighbors to gossip."

    Felipe agreed and poured water for them. "Miriam, Andy, I was wrong, and I regret it. I was threatened by Sadie and became temporarily enchanted by the Bass family'' wealth, so I chose to help her if

    given another chance, I will never do it again!"

    Met with their indifference, he sighed and continued regretfully, "I really regret it. I made a mistake, and I hope that you''ll forgive me."

    He looked at Miriam, who remained indifferent, and knelt in front of her.

    "Miriam, please forgive me!" he said.

    His words broke through Miriam''s defenses, reminding her of Felipe''s kindness to her when she was little.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Miriam and Andy nced at each

    other. They were both simple people and believed what Felipe said, thinking that he must have realized Sadie''s conspiracy and knew he was wrong.

    Little did they know that Felipe was the one pulling the strings.

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697

    "Felipe, we believe you. Don''t beat yourself up," Miriam said.

    Andy sighed and also expressed his forgiveness to Felipe.

    Relieved, Felipe said, "By the way, three dayster, I want to invite you, Harriet, Miriam, and your eight adopted sons to attend the Bass family banquet. At that time, I will reveal the truth and personally send Sadie to prison."

    Miriam and Andy were pleased with Felipe''s change of heart.

    Once they dealt with Sadie, they could live harmoniously.

    "She deserves it! I won''t let her off the hook, and I will return everything to Harriet," Felipe added.

    In fact, he wanted to take them all down in one fell swoop.

    ...

    When the sky was adorned with twinkling stars, Harriet returned home from work.

    She opened the door, changed into slippers, andy down on the sofa.

    Miriam brought over a fruit te. Harriet took it and sweetly said, "Thank you, Mom."

    Andy also came to the sofa. They exchanged looks, and Miriam finally mentioned the matter. "Felipe visited us today," she said.

    She winked at Andy, and he picked up the conversation. "My father said that the Bass family would hold a

    banquet three days. He hoped et

    in

    that we could attend and deal with Sadie. He would send her to prison and restore your identity as Ms. Bass."

    Naturally, Harriet did not believe that Felipe would suddenly be so kind.

    "Mom, Andy, you can''t trust him. There must be a trick in this!" Harriet said.

    Miriam tried to persuade her. "I think we can trust Felipe. His attitude was quite sincere."

    "Mom, you must not be deceived by his show Think about it! Why didn''t he help us before, and now, how could he suddenly want to help us? There must be some conspiracy

    waiting for us," Harriet said Content

    belongs to NovelDrama.Org

    However, Miriam didn''t believe Felipe could be so heartless. After all, they were family.

    "Harriet, trust me. Felipe won''t deceive us. He is not harboring any other motives this time. He just wants to restore our family bond," Miriam tried again.

    Harriet had to agree. "Okay, Mom, I''ll attend with my brothers."

    At bedtime, Harriet returned to her room and made a call.

    Arthur answered the phone and blurted out, "What''s up, Yvonne?"

    "Arthur, there is something I want to tell you," Harriet said.

    "Go ahead!" Arthur said.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Today after work, Miriam told me that Felipe invited us all to the Bass family banquet in three days. I always feel there is a conspiracy, but Miriam and Andy trust him," Harriet revealed.

    "Yvonne, your feelings are correct.

    Felipe must have ulterior motives Miriam is too sentimental. Unfortunately, people''s hearts are unpredictable," Arthur said, agreeing with Harriet''s opinion.  S

    Felipe''s sudden invitation couldn''t be anything good.

 Chapter 698

    Chapter 698

    "What should we do?" Harriet was worried about the situation.

    "We will attend the banquet, but everyone must be cautious. Let''s see what tricks Felipe is ying," Arthur said.

    "Okay!" Harriet readily agreed.

    Soon, it was the day of the banquet. Harriet took her brother, mother, and Andy to attend it.

    They got out of the car and saw Felipe waiting at the entrance.

    "Harriet, you''re here," he said warmly.

    Felipe''s affectionate words gave Harriet goosebumps.

    ''When did Felipe be so slick?'' she thought.

    His smiling face only made her feel insincere.

    After greeting Harriet, Felipe greeted the others.

    Although Felipe appeared very friendly and seemed to have no ill intentions, Harriet became more convinced that he was orchestrating something big.

    Harriet remained vignt, wary of everything present.

    At the banquet, Harriet stood elegantly, swaying the wine in her ss while surveying the surroundings. She didn''t drink at all. The wine ss was just her disguise.

    Sadie arrived in a beautiful dress. If Harriet weren''t there, she would have been the most beautiful girl there.

    As soon as Sadie entered the house, Harriet noticed her because Delbert was with her.

    Sadie also noticed Harriet. In the

    warm

    causin

    jealousy to burn in here

    cat, Harriet looked .  equs,

    swno

    Sadie and Harriet locked eyes. The atmosphere between them became tense.

    Sadie provocatively linked arms with Delbert and smiled triumphantly at Harriet.

    She was like saying, "You may be

    pretty

    family, b

    come from a wealthy

    but so what? Everything you have now belongs to me!"  S

    M

    She failed to notice the fleeting disgust in Delbert''s eyes.

    Harriet felt resentful. That was her husband.

    Why did Sadie want to possess her things?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Sadie walked gracefully with Delbert, eventually reaching the dessert table near Harriet.

    "Delbert, I want that one." Sadie pointed at a dessert, putting on a show for Harriet to watch.

    Delbert picked it up for her, lest she suspect anything.

    Sadie''s intimate tone made Harriet sick. Sadie was such an imposter.

    Sadie opened her mouth, signaling for Delbert to feed her.

    Delbert understood her meaning and did as she wished.

    He scooped a piece of dessert and ced it in Sadie''s mouth.

    Sadie chewed slowly and smiled sweetly. With one hand linked

    Delbert''s and the other holdin

    wine ss, she looked very happy.

    Harriet felt sad, but she didn''t show it.

    She was unwilling to reveal any weakness in front of Sadie, no matter how painful it was.

 Chapter 699

    Chapter 699

    Holding her goblet, Harriet scoffed, "Things stolen from others won''tst long!"

    With that, she picked up a piece of cake with a spoon and put it in her mouth.

    But when Delbert was so intimate with another woman, she felt a pricking pain in her heart.

    She put her hands on her chest, unwilling to let anyone see her difort.

    ''After we deal with Sadie, Delbert wille back to me,'' she reminded herself.

    Sadie nced at Harriet in the distance and went up with Delbert.

    Intentionally, she said to Harriet, "This is the Bass family''s banquet. What are you, an outsider, doing here? It''s funny."

    She covered her mouth and sarcastically chuckled.

    Harriet shot back, "Where do you get the nerve to say such things? I thought you were talking about yourself. Isn''t this just pping yourself in the face?"

    Annoyed, Sadie pointed at Harriet''s nose.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    The Bass brothers heard themotion and quickly walked over.

    Oliver was annoyed by Sadie''s arrogant attitude and grabbed her finger.

    "How dare you treat Yvonne like this? Take your dirty hands off her. If you point at her again, I''ll chop off your finger!" Oliver snapped, intimidating Sadie.

    Unwilling to be outdone, she

    continued to provoke Harriet.

    "Delbert and I are getting married

    soon You didn''t know, ar

    right? Remember toe."  S

    Harriet looked at her in the eye.

    "Don''t call him that!" Harriet said, gritting her teeth.

    Sadie ignored her, smiled at Delbert, and interlocked fingers with him.

    Delbert returned a gentle smile to her.

    Harriet clenched her fists and

    sneered, "Copycat! Disgusting! He is

    not yours. He will never be, and I''ll

    take back everything that

    belongs to

    me."

    As if hearing a funny joke, Sadie scoffed, "But now that they belong to me, you will never get them back."

    Harriet furiously shouted, "He is not a thing! He is Delbert, someone you will never be worthy of!

    "That''s all you''ve got, stealing someone else''s life and thening to unt in front of the person who was stolen from."

    Harriet mocked and continued,

    "Sadie, do you have a psychological defect? Do you want to find inner peace through showing off? The more you act like this, the more I look down on you."

    Delbert heard their conversation and smiled.

    Harriet''s skill in arguing with people was still formidable.

    Sadie was annoyed and tried to p Harriet.

    Arthur quickly reacted, grabbing her wrist.

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700

    "It seems that you don''t want your hands anymore," Arthur sneered. "Get lost! Don''t disgust us."

    Sadie wanted to argue, but Levi chimed in, "Shut it! If I hear one more insult toward Harrieting out of your mouth, I''ll kill you right now. You know I have the power to do so!"

    Sadie was daunted, fully aware of Levi''s power.

    Andy saw them arguing and went to find Felipe.

    "Father, why haven''t you taken care of Sadie yet? You promised to personally send her to prison, give her the punishment she deserves, and return the power to Harriet and Miriam."

    Felipe sneered, "Son, that''s na?ve of you."

    Andy understood his meaning.

    Sure enough, Felipe was scheming against them.

    Andy yed dumb and asked with a puzzled look, "What do you mean by that?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? I was deceiving you all," Felipeughed. "You''re silly, son."

    "What is your purpose in bringing us here?" Andy said incredulously.

    Felipe did not reply, just pping his hands.

    Soon, the hotel was crowded with men dressed as waiters.

    They surrounded Harriet, Miriam, Andy, and the Bass brothers.

    Andy angrily questioned Felipe, "Father, is this your purpose? Dov want to silence us? Do you want kill your family?" Content NovelDrama.Org SW wongs to

    Now they realized what Felipe was up to.

    to

    Arthur sneered, looking around with disdaine "Is this all you''ve got? Don you think you can trap us?" Content

    s to NovelDrama.Org swinconto &

    He nced at Felipe. "You underestimated us."

    Felipe ignored him and ordered, "Do it!"

    He sat down in a chair, ready to watch the show.

    His men were ready for action.

    Arthur reminded Oliver, "You''re the best fighter among us. Take care of Yvonne and Miriam."

    "Rest assured!" Oliver nodded.

    The Bass brothers didn''t even consider these few men a threat and immediately took action.

    Amid screams, Felipe''s men were overpowered.

    The Bass brothers, on the other hand, were unscathed. Full of disgust, they dusted off their hands.

    Felipe was shocked to see all his men wiped out.

    Miriam and Andy realized they had been deceived.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "Felipe, how can you be so

    heartless? For your benefit, do you want to harm your family? Do you have no humanity left?" Miriam coldly questioned him. "We''re sister and son. This is so

    disappointing. I don''t have a brother like you."

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701

    Felipe had no choice but to answer their questions. After all, he had lost all his subordinates.

    He spoke slowly, "I never said I would harm you."

    "Father, I am truly disappointed in you," Andy said bitterly.

    Miriam was even more disappointed. "Felipe, we trust you so much,ing to participate in the family banquet, and this is how you treat us? I don''t have a brother like you."

    Felipe remained indifferent. No matter what they said, he didn''t care. All he cared about was the power of the Bass family.

    "I will spare you this time for the sake of when you saved me in my childhood. But the next time we meet, we will be enemies. Harriet, let''s go."

    With that, Miriam led Harriet, Andy, and the Bass brothers to leave.

    Harriet took a deep look at Delbert.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    But he wasforting Sadie, who was frightened by the scene.

    ''Would Sadie be afraid? She is pretending.'' Harriet thought bitterly.

    When Harriet returned to the vi, her face was very grim and pale.

    Miriam felt guilty about this. She regretted trusting Felipe so easily, almost putting Harriet in danger.

    She walked to Harriet, her face full of self-me and anxiety.

    "Harriet, are you okay? I shouldn''t have believed what Felipe said. If I hadn''t believed him, you wouldn''t have been in danger today. I''m so sorry."

    Harriet reassured her, "It''s okay, Mom. It''s not your fault. Felipe is too cunning, and he deceived you.

    "We were deceived and suffered losses this time, but it won''t happen again," Miriam said.

    Andy felt equally guilty.

    He shouldn''t have trusted Felipe.

    The Bass brothers, however, felt that this matter could not be easily forgiven.

    "This is not over. We''ll make them

    pay the price," Arthur said. "We have been making concessions, showing them kindness, but all we got in return was this result, which@s not worth it."

    Harriet nodded. "I will let Felipe know that hurting my familyes with a price."

    Her patience had reached its limit long ago, and she no longer wanted to endure.

    If it weren''t for Miriam''s sake, she would never have born with Felipe.

    So, they quickly reached an agreement.

    Led by Arthur and Levi, they started to strike at the Bass Group.

    They made a call and demanded, "I want to see the stock price of the Bass Group plummet tomorrow morning."

    The next day, Felipe and Sadie received the news.

    "Mr. Bass, since this morning, our stock price has been falling, with no sign of recovery."

    Felipe''s and Sadie''s faces changed.

    Felipe coldly questioned, "How could

    this happen? Hasn''t our stock |

    always been stable? Why did prics

    suddenly plummet like this

    Sadie followed up, "Have the financial statistics of our losses been calcted?"

    Foet

    The employee replied anxiously, "The finance department is on it, if things go on like this, we may g pt."

    go

 Chapter 702

    Chapter 702

    Sadie broke down all at once.

    She slumped onto the nearby chair, unsure of what to do.

    "How could this happen?" she muttered.

    If the Bass family went bankrupt, what would be the point of her being Ms. Bass?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Felipe quickly told the employee, "Notify all departments. No matter what means they use and no matter the cost, they must stop the current situation."

    But his tonecked confidence.

    He had a faint idea of who was behind this.

    It must be the Bass brothers.

    Felipe turned to look at Sadie and scoffed, "We''re in trouble. Satisfied now? If it weren''t for you insisting on dealing with Harriet, we wouldn''t have ended up like this."

    Sadie was provoked by his words.

    She stood up and red at him. "What do you mean by that? You sound like the plummeting stock price has something to do with me. Thepany is losing money, and I am just as anxious. Besides, dealing with Harriet was also what you wanted, wasn''t it? Why do you me it all on me?"

    Felipe snorted, "You''re anxious, but how many tricks have you kept up your sleeve? Don''t think I don''t know."

    Sadie lost her temper all at once. "Do you think I know nothing about your scheming mind? Can you even bear to mention the things you''ve done?" "Do you think those things can have a significant impact on me?" Felipe snorted.

    Sadie sneered, "I didn''t expect you to be like this, so I''ll just say it straight. Why didt enter the Bass family? You wanted to groom me into your puppet, didn''t you? It was you who invited me to be Ms. Bass."

    Her words struck a nerve.

    Felipe rushed forward and grabbed Sadie by the neck.

    "How dare you threaten me with this? Do you want us to perish together?" he growled.

    Despite the pain, Sadie shot back, "So what? What can you do about it? Kill me if you can."

    She went all out.

    Felipe came to his senses, loosening his grip and pushing Sadie to the ground.

    .ne

    It took Felipe a while to calm down. "Now is not the time for internal strife. We must present a united frontand deal with Harriet after the stock price issue is resolved."

    Sadie slowly stood up and said, "Alright! But everything I said just now is the truth."

    Felipe red at her. "True, but if you work against me, what will you gain?"

    Sadie thought for a moment and said,

    Whether I can reveal t

    wh

    not depends on

    Felipe was daunted and said nothing.

    During their argument, they revealed everything.

    Little did they know that Delbert had recorded it all.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!