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Finn’s POV My mind was reeling from everything Lauren had revealed about her and Mason’s lives over the past four years. I wanted to be angry with her for her poor choices but who was I to judge? I had made plenty of my own regrettable mistakes. When faced with several bad options, I couldn’t fault her for taking the one that seemed to offer her the most stability. If Henry’s wolf hadn’t lost his shit, I still might not have known Mason existed. I still don’t understand why you are telling me all this?” It helped me understand Lauren’s choices, but ultimately it didn’t change anything. “I will explain that to you but I need you to promise to hear me out.” Her eyes locked with mine, urging me to agree. “I already told you, as long as it relates to Mason’s well-being, I am willing to listen.” I sighed in exasperation, running my hands through my hair against the urge to choke the information out of her. “I want you to take me as your chosen mate!” She blurted out in rapid-fire.
Sarah’s POV I knew I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes tonight as I lulled Finn to sleep with my touch. I forced all thought from my mind, working to take slow, even breaths and keep my heart rate low so my mates wouldn’t notice my wakeful state. Then, as soon as the tell-tale signs of their soft snores told me it was safe, I slipped out from between them, wrapped the silk of my robe tightly around my small frame, and fled the room. My feet knew my destination with no direction from my brain. Since the first night I met Zayne in the center of the rose garden, it had become my place of refuge, my place to think through life’s dilemmas surrounded by the peace and tranquility it offered. Maybe because of the connection to my mate I felt there or maybe it was just the rhythmic trickle of water from the fountain that shut out all other sound, but I found comfort in being there. And I needed comfort in that moment. The kind not even my mates could offer me. I knew they would want to, woul
Sarah’s POV “She’s threatening me!” Lauren shrieked first, anxious to control the narrative. “I came out for a walk and ran into her. I had hoped we could have a civil conversation about visitation with Mason but she started growling at me, saying she was going to take Mason from me, that she would be his mother and cut me out of his life. You saw her claws out. I thought she was going to kill me!” Zayne had already caught me around the waist and pulled me away while Finn had Lauren by the arm, yanking her back, both intent on putting distance between us. I didn’t bother refuting her claim, trusting neither of my mates would believe her story. And Finn’s next words proved me right. “Cut the crap Lauren! Nobody’s buying your bullshit!” Finn cursed at her. “What are you playing at?” “What are you talking about, Finnick?” Lauren yanked her arm from his grip. “You weren’t here! You didn’t hear what she said to me or see her try to attack me but you’re standing there calling me a liar?
(Mature Content) Sarah’s POV “Then you’ll have us.” Zayne’s sexy voice came out raspy with desire as he ran his nose along mine, his lips like a whisper on my skin. “You’ll always have us.” Finn’s words were a promise, breathed against the sensitive spot behind my ear where he was kissing me softly. “We’re yours, princess.” Zayne spoke against my lips now, sucking the air from my lungs. “And you are ours.” Finn’s voice was gravelly now as Callum came forward to claim me too. My arms were lifted above my head as Finn pulled his shirt from my body, leaving me completely bare. Zayne, snarling at the interruption, recaptured my lips the minute the offending fabric was gone. But Finn didn’t rush to touch me again, the heat of his eyes licking my naked skin like tiny flames. A growl rattled my chest, impatient with his lack of attention where I needed it. Finn responded by smacking my ass, taking the opportunity to deliver the spanking he’d threatened earlier. “Don’t growl at m
Lauren’s POV “Fuck!” I growled, throwing my head back a little too forcefully against the wall outside my assigned guestroom. Nothing was going my way. First, Finn refused to even consider my proposal that we give Mason a traditional family. Then, my attempts to persuade his precious mate to do the right thing and let him go turns into a near-brawl. One Finn just happened to walk in on. And of course he took her side. How could I be so ignorant of everything the mate bond entailed? It was just one more example of my father’s antiquated ideas, teaching us that the “magic” of the mate bond was only for those who’d been blessed by the Moon Goddess with a mate and not to be spoken of with unmated wolves. When in reality, it was just another way for him to exert control. Not knowing they would be able to extract the truth from Sarah’s mind had led me to get caught in a lie. One that only proved how far I was willing to go to get what I wanted. Any ground I might have gained with Fi
Sarah’s POV Kat left to help at the clinic as soon as our conversation ended. The thought of sneaking a sample of Mason and Finn’s DNA had me on edge and I was anxious to get it over with as soon as possible. But first, I had to find out where my boys were at the moment. “Hey, handsome! Are you still with the Alphas?” I linked Zayne before I chose a direction. “Hi princess! The fake meeting is actually over. I swear those two will do anything their Luna asks them to.” He linked back and I could sense the affectionate humor in his tone. “Speaking of Luna, how was your visit with Kat?” “It was good. She was just worried about me but I assured her I was fine. She had to run to the clinic. Where are you now? We can meet and go find Finn and Mason together.” I was hoping he had an idea where they might be, and I was hoping it wasn’t anywhere near Lauren! “Just come back to the room. We’re all here. Mason said his tummy was too full of pancakes and he needed to rest. He’s asleep in
Zayne’s POV Sarah and I returned to our room to pack while Finn took Mason to find his mother. The fact that the Light Fae Queen was willing to meet us and hear our concerns was a small victory and I knew I should be excited about it but my heart was heavy. By the way Sarah dragged along silently beside me, it was easy to see she felt the same. It was just terrible timing. Not that there is ever a good time to have your entire existence threatened. And I knew I should feel grateful that the Queen was even entertaining us. But we still didn’t have answers on Mason’s paternity and we were just beginning to bond with him. It wasn’t a good time for any of us to be leaving, but thinking about Finn having to walk away from his son right now was making me sick to my stomach. “Do you think Finn should stay here?” Sarah’s question echoed my unspoken thoughts. “I’m not sure.” I shook my head, as if it would clear my warring ideas and present a definitive solution. “I absolutely detest t
Lauren’s POV I couldn’t believe my luck. It had to be a sign from the Goddess that things were meant to work out in my favor. It was like Selene was handing me Finn on a Silver platter. Finding the lab tech responsible for the paternity test results had been a bit of a challenge. But once I did, convincing him to ensure the results I wanted was easy. As fate would have it, he was slightly overweight with a pot belly and an unfortunate case of adult acne. A bit of flirting and a promise of more when the results were delivered were all it took to secure his cooperation. By the time I’d returned to the packhouse, I was on cloud nine. Even Finn’s cold attitude towards me couldn’t ruin my good mood. But that was before he’d shown up at my door, asking for Mason to spend the night with him, stating that he didn’t want to sleep alone. Apparently his mates had been called away and would be gone for Goddess only knew how long, leaving Finn behind to continue bonding with Mason. I could
To all my lovely readers, Thank you so much for the love and loyalty you've shown the Celtic Wolf series so far! I am so thankful to each and every one of you for sharing this journey with me! I will be taking a little time to do some more writing and editing on book 3 before I begin publishing but it will be coming soon! The final book in the series will follow Dillon and Zoe's story. It will begin a little earlier in the timeline from where book 2 ended, taking us to the currrent time and beyond, culminating in the final showdown between the wolves, Light and Dark Fae. Stay tuned to find out what fate has in store for Dillon and Zoe, and all wolf kind! Much love to you all, Cara Update: The title for book 3 is A Cruel Fate: Her Gamma's Regret. I plan to begin publishing in early July. Hope you will all join me for the final book in the series!
(Four Months Later) Sarah’s POV “Aaagh! I can’t do this anymore!” I cried, falling back into Zayne’s arms, totally spent. “Yes, you can, princess! You’re almost there.” he encouraged, brushing my hair back out of my face and wiping the sweat off my forehead. “You’ve got this, kitten. Just keep thinking about holding our pup in your arms.” Finn added. “Why is it taking so long? Kat pushed out two babies in less than an hour.” I complained at the unfairness of my situation. “My babies were smaller because there were two of them, sweetie.” Kat explained. “”But I had to do this part twice and it hurt like a bitch both times if that makes you feel any better.” “It doesn’t!” I pouted. “I’m so tired. And Sadie is pacing in my mind, worried about the pup. It’s too much!” Finn pressed his forehead to mine. “Callum and Triton will calm Sadie. Just try to relax until the next contraction.” I’d gone into labor nearly twelve hours ago and our stubborn little pup was still refusing to
Sarah’s POV Reaching the exit of the goddess forsaken prison we were being held in was easier than expected. The arrogance of the Dark Fae in thinking themselves too superior to wolves, even gifted wolves, to even consider we might be capable of such a thing made our work that much easier. Only three creatures stood in our way as we ran through the barren corridors and Kat easily took them down. It was only once we actually made it outside that the real obstacles appeared. Nearly running smack into the back of the colossal Dark Fae army could have easily ended our bid for freedom. Miraculously, Kat was able to create an invisible wall of air between us and them, Zoe and I bouncing off of it and falling back on our assess. Still, we somehow went unnoticed. The Moon Goddess was definitely with us. Kat quickly helped me to my feet and we both lifted Zoe from the ground. My sister-in-law was shaking so violently, she could barely force her legs to move. Kat was already heading for cover
Zayne’s POV As we pulled away from Glass Lake territory, an entire cavalcade of vehicles trailed behind us, all filled with our best fighters. But knowing what the Dark Fae could do, I wasn’t sure it would be enough. At most, a wolf attack would provide a distraction, but that distraction could mean the difference between success and failure. Guilt slithered through my veins at the thought we were leading them like lambs to a slaughter. “How many Light Fae do you think will come?” I asked Finn for the hundredth time, my leg bouncing nervously and bumping into his. “Enough, I hope.” Finn answered vaguely, placing a steadying hand on my knee. Finn slid his hand into mine, lacing our fingers together. It was comforting to feel his warm body pressed into my side and his strong hand gripping mine. But even so, the fear and uncertainty passing back and forth between us through the bond was like an elephant on my chest, crushing me. My free hand slipped inside my jacket pocket, feelin
Sarah’s POV I woke with a start and immediately missed the coolness of the stone my face had been pressed against. My stomach roiled and bile burned in my throat. I tried to breathe through my nose but it didn’t help and before I knew it, dry heaves wracked my body. I tried to brush my hair out of my face but the motion produced a loud clanking sound and a searing pain in my wrists as my arms were yanked back. It was then I realized I was sitting on a dirt floor, my arms bound in silver and chained to the wall. Suddenly it all came rushing back. Attempting to clear the grogginess, I shook my head but that only made the nausea return. I rested my cheek against the cool stone wall and waited for the churning in my gut to subside. And while I waited, I tried to make sense of my surroundings. Where the fuck was I? I had no idea how far we’d run when the Dark Fae found us. And we’d covered our scent so wherever we were, no one would be able to track us here. We were just going to h
Finn’s POV Hours passed while we ran in circles, chasing scents that had somehow ceased to exist. Zayne and I felt nothing through the bond. No fear, no pain. It was as if our mate had disappeared completely, along with her scent. Dillon and Zoe had not sealed their bond so he couldn’t tell, but the Alphas said their connection with Kat felt the same. Simply empty. None of us wanted to admit defeat but it was painfully clear we were getting nowhere. Finally Reegan and Ryan suggested we return to the packhouse to regroup and gather reinforcements. The rest of us reluctantly agreed, having no better options. “We are too far to reach the pack through mindlink, but I will call Elder Alma on our way home and ask her to contact the Fae Queen. Maybe she will know how we can find them.” Ryan offered up what seemed to be our only remaining option. Reegan nodded curtly, acknowledging his brother, but otherwise he hadn’t spoken a word in the last hour. I knew he was trying to maintain the o
A few hours earlier at the Karaoke Lounge Reegan’s POV I loved listening to Kat sing. I could still remember that first night I’d heard her beautiful voice. I was already desperately in love with her at the time but hearing her sing only enchanted me further. I’d even dreamed about the day she would sing to our children and now that dream had come true. When the emcee called her on stage, indicating it was her turn to perform, I knew what had already been a good night so far was about to get even better. Ryan and I both watched in awe as she picked up the mic and sung the first few lines in that sexy, sultry voice of hers. I stole a glance at the rest of our table to find they were all equally entranced. But as the song went on, I became more and more distracted. My eyes never left my gorgeous Luna but my mind drifted. My gut twisted nervously as the feeling that I was missing something kept growing stronger. I tried to shake it off, determined not to ruin the evening for my brothe
Sarah’s POV I quickly pushed through the door behind me and walked around the back of the building until I came to another door. As I predicted, Kat came bursting through it, nearly bowling me over in her haste. “Fuck!” She cried out when she slammed into me. “Sorry!” “What for?” My voice was hard, perturbed that she hadn’t let me in on her plan. “Are you sorry for nearly running me over or for trying to leave without me?” Before she could answer, footsteps were heard running up behind us. I turned, my claws out to attack our intruder. “Damn it Zoe! You scared the shit out of me!” I growled when she came into view. “I was ready to rip you apart. What are you doing here?” “The better question is, what are the two of you doing here?” She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. “It doesn’t matter, Zoe. You have to go back. Both of you do.” Kat growled at us. “You might not know it yet, but the Moon Goddess chose me as your Gamma Female. So whether you like it or not, where my
Sarah’s POV I couldn’t shake the nausea that had settled in my gut like an unwelcome houseguest. I was excited for a night out with my mates and our friends but the feeling that something bad would happen just wouldn’t leave me alone. Maybe I really did have PTSD. After the last attack, maybe I was no longer capable of believing we could celebrate together without the Dark Fae coming along to destroy our happiness. No matter what, I wouldn’t let my apprehension show on my face. We deserved an opportunity to let loose and have fun. I wasn’t about to ruin that for everyone else, especially Kat. If anyone had earned a reprieve, it was her. Determined to have a good time, I shoved all negativity aside and focused on perfecting my make-up. I hadn’t been getting much sleep or eating much lately and it was beginning to show on my face. My skin looked pale and my eyes looked tired and drawn. I had my work cut out for me. But no matter how hard I tried to divert my attention, the nausea