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Chapter 134
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A Time for Strength Chapter 135
Justice’s POV My head throbs so hard that it wakes me up. Lenora feels like she’s still sleeping after the fever. The energy it took for her to fight it off was intense, especially with how difficult it was to protect Cordelia. It affected me as well. It was so powerful that I couldn’t block her from seeing my memories. I hope I can convince her it was a dream from the fever. Poor girl. I wish so badly I could tell her that the fever is the first sign. It doesn’t get easier from here. Cordelia will be born soon and our time together will be over. I will miss her tenacious spirit. I sit up with a groan and look around. I’m in the hospital wing. There are cool ice packs under my knees and the back of my neck. I run my hands over my belly. There’s a strap around my midsection. I assume it’s monitoring Cordelia. Technology still amazes me. Codi kicks one of my kidneys, trying to make room for herself. “Ah, take it easy there, Cordelia.” I rub my belly and smile. “We’ll be reunited soon
A Time for Strength Chapter 136
***TRIGGER WARNING - The next two chapters contain content related to pregnancy complications that could be upsetting to some readers. *** As a personal note, for those who have been personally affected by pregnancy compilations and/or loss of a child, I send my love to you and all of our angel babies. ’s POV “Leni, come on. Doctor Nolan said bed rest.” I turn her around to go back to the bedroom before she gets to the kitchen in our apartment. “That means you have to stay in bed unless someone is with you to help you get where you need to go.” “Milo, I feel fine.” She whines at me while she holds her belly as I lead her back to the bed. “I’m just a little achy. That’s all. I want a snack and I need to stretch my legs or something.” “If you need anything, I can get it for you. Including snacks.” I pull back the linens and help her back into the bed. “We can get Jorge up here to help you stretch while you stay in bed where you belong.” “This is so dumb.” She huffs and cro
A Time for Strength Chapter 137
“Milo! Oh my Goddess! Oh MY GODDESS!”Ghost jumps forward, swiping the air to defend us. Someone screams. There’s no one there. It’s just Leni and me and the thick metallic scent of liquid death.Blood? Why is there blood? I’m hallucinating. I grab my head to shake the feeling away. My hands are wet. What the fuck? I yank Ghost back and stumble forward, disoriented from the transition. “MILO! Help me!” Lenora screams.I turn on the light and look at Lenora. She’s covered in blood. I look down. I’m covered in blood, too. Oh Goddess. Did I do this?“MEDICAL TO THE BETA RESIDENCE!” I yell into a mindlink. “EMERGENCY MEDICAL EVAC!”“On the way, Beta!” A chorus of voices reply. “Leni, what happened?” I rip the covers off if her. The linens under Lenora are soaked through with deep red blood. I secure my arms to carry her while she writhes in pain.“Codi is dying!” She wails and grabs her stomach. “I can’t feel her! Justice is fading away! Milo! Help me, please!!”“Beta! Medical team is
A Time for Strength Chapter 138
Bronx’s POV I look up from my book when Leni tries to adjust her position in her sleep. I kneel by the side of the bed to check on her. “Hey, Leni.” I whisper. Part of me hopes she wakes up. Part of me wants her to get as much sleep as possible. “You feel okay?” She groans with a whine and squints her eyes open. “Where’s Milo?” “He was pacing a hole in the floor. I didn’t want him to wake you up, so I sent him to the living room. Last I checked, he burned through the nervous energy. He’s finally taking a nap.” “Oh.” She snuggles down into the pillow. “Thank you for helping while I’m on bed rest.” “Pshh. Please.” I sit on the bed next to her. “I’m your big brother. It’s like my job to make sure you’re good.” She moves from the pillow to rest her head on my leg instead. It reminds me of when we were little. She would come to my room when she was scared of monsters in her closet and I would sit up and read books until she fell asleep. “How do you feel?” I tug her ponytail when she
A Time for Strength Chapter 139
Milo's POV“You just have to rock back and forth. It should help relieve pressure on your pelvic area and your tailbone.” Jorge takes Leni’s hands and makes sure she’s stable sitting on the ball. “You can also slide forward and let the ball support your back.” He shows her how to slide forward, then sits her up again. “Oh wow. That feels… amazing.” A look of relief washes over her face as she rocks. “Mm hmm. Most of my patients say that.” He chuckles. She nods with a smile and rubs her belly. I tilt my head and smile at her. “Looking at you compared to a few days ago, it seems like the baby’s starting to drop. She ain’t sitting as high as she was. We should see you in Labor and Delivery any day now.” “Jorge, you’re a Goddess send.” Leni coos at him, still rocking on the ball. “This is perfect. Thank you.” “You’re welcome, Beta.” He gives her a little salute. “I’ll catch up with you after your pup is born to see how you’re feeling. Beta Milo, just stay close while she’s on the ba
A Time for Strength Chapter140
Lenora’s POV“Oh, Lenora, I can’t get over how beautiful she is. Those eyes. Just like yours when you were a baby. They’re going to be the most gorgeous green.” Milo’s mom gushes over Codi. “She has Milo’s cheeks, though.” She coos at her granddaughter and nuzzles her chubby cheek. Her gray eyes sparkle with joy. There are crinkles in the corners of her eyes that never used to be there and the tone of her skin has changed from the time she’s spent outdoors since she and Ron were forced to leave the pack. She says they’ve taken up hiking and love it, but miss Blood River.They came home yesterday, a few hours before Codi and I were released from the hospital. She and Ron have settled in, but this is the first time she has really spent quality time with Codi. We sent our mates to the kitchen to get lunch for us. Becca mindlinked Mrs. Miller and asked her to take her time preparing the meal for us.“Yeah. I think her nose looks like Milo’s, too. And her hair is his color, but I think it
A Time for Strength Chapter 141
It feels like someone has thrown ice water at me. I hold Codi closer and try to calm my mind. The door opens and closes. Milo comes in and wraps his arms around me from behind the sofa, kissing my cheek.“How are my favorite girls?” He squeezes me.“She’s so special, Milo.” I feel a tear fall down my cheek. “Codi is so, so special.”“Leni?” He hurries to the other side of the sofa. I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t tell him. I can’t tell him anything Justice just told me. Codi cries when she feels me getting upset. I rock her in my arms, but it doesn’t help. The sound of her cries makes me cry harder creating a vicious cycle between us. “Lenora?” Becca squats next to Milo. “What happened, dear?”“It’s too much.” I stifle a sob, but my composure quickly falls apart. “I- how can we protect her? Wh-what do I do? I’m her mother. How can I be her… her mother? How can we be parents to such a special little girl? How will she know how much I love her and how much she means to me? Is it
A Time for Strength Chapter 142
“Hey Leni, I just spoke to Reggie.” Milo comes into the bedroom after taking a phone call.I pat Codi gently on the back, rocking her back and forth, trying to get her to burp after feeding her. It’s really late, almost one in the morning. “Reggie? I thought he was out of town for work.”“He was. There was an incident. One of my guys got fucked up pretty bad. They got back a few hours ago.”“Oh, Goddess.” I turn to look at him. “No one died? Right?”“No,” Milo presses his lips together and rubs the back of his neck, “but he talked to Bronx. It’s go time, Leni.”My heart sinks. I look at the date on my phone. Shit. I had almost forgotten. A part of me hoped it wouldn’t come to fruition.“When do they leave?” I hold Codi closer.“Six a.m.” He frowns. “I can’t believe it’s really happening.”“Yeah. Me either. Um, I-I guess, you go get Ashley and go to the hospital wing. Check on your guy. See if his family needs anything. She’ll help with all those details. You know the drill. All the p
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“Good Morning, Beta.” Sondi Eklund pokes her head into my office. “Would you be able to review these retirement package updates I’m proposing to the Alpha?”I look up from my spreadsheet and try to smile at her. “Of course, Sondi. Please come in.”“I already highlighted the sections in question.” Sondi comes in with her staccato, bird-like movements. “Oh, Beta Lenora, are you ill? Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but you look exhausted.”“I’m alright, Sondi. Being a new mom is exhausting.” I’m careful not to go into too much detail. Sondi and Scott still haven’t found their daughter. I don’t want to be insensitive. I quickly change the subject. “That and I feel like I’m running in circles trying to decipher some of the information on this spreadsheet. They’re supposed to be client names, but I can’t figure out how they’re coded.”“Would you like a fresh set of eyes?” She looks eternally hopeful. “I’m happy to help.”“Um, sure.” I turn the laptop to her. “I’ll look at these updates whil
A Time for Strength Chapter 150
“Kaaas?! Are you sure you and Codi will be okay?” I yell into the living room. “I can call the daycare and see if they have someone who can come up.”“No, we’re fine.” Kas’s voice sounds strangled.Milo peeks his head into the living room and pulls back quickly. He doubles over in a silent laugh, pointing to the living room. I look out to see Codi had a handful of Kas’s hair in a death grip. Kas’s mouth is open in a restrained cry of pain, trying to untangle the chubby fingers from her sparkly locks of hair. I nudge Milo who’s on the floor in tears with his hand over his mouth. “Knock it off, Milo. She’s trying her best.” I pull him off the floor. “Kas, give her the rattle that’s on the coffee table. The one that looks like a tiger's face. She’ll let go in a heartbeat.”After a pause, Kas calls back. “Oh my Goddess, it worked! Thank you!”“Okay. We won’t be gone long. Mindlink if you need ANYTHING.” I walk to the living room and kiss Codi on her chubby cheek, then kiss Kas on her for
A Time for Strength Chapter 149
“And this is the Alpha’s private archival library.” I hold up a slip of paper for Musu to read. “Memorize this number. It’s your personal access code and don’t share it. Understand?”“Yes, Beta.” She stares at the paper. “I got it.”“Good.” I punch in my code and let the door slide open. I step inside, motioning for Musu to follow. She steps in and looks around in awe.“The Goddess has truly blessed our Alpha.” She takes a few more steps trying to take in the library's beauty. “I’ve never seen a private collection this large.”“Well, he’s been collecting them since he was a child, and it has proved useful.” I clasp my hands behind my back and look around, then point to a book on a pedestal covered with a glass case. The page is open to the painting of The Moon Goddess with the Menae. “This is how we found out Kas is a goddess.”Musu looks down on the image and chuckles. “Is it inappropriate to say The Moon Goddess and Endymion were more like rabbits than wolves?”Justice lets out a wh
A Time for Strength Chapter 148
Lenora’s POV“Delilah, if anyone asks, your family is from France. You went to culinary school there. That’s how you met James. Bronx gifted Kas private lessons. James was a security guard for Kas while she attended the school. You’re twenty-three-”“But, no, Carly Ann Miller, I am one hundred and-”“You. Are. Twenty-THREE. Delilah.” Ashley interrupts. “No arguing.”“You expect me to just LIE?!” Delilah holds her hands to her chest and looks mortified at the thought.“Yes.” Ashley, Carly, and I all say in unison.Delilah falls back in her seat, distraught.“It’s not that we want you to be dishonest, Delilah.” Ashley softens her tone. “It’s a matter of self preservation. For all of us. You included. Whatever technique you’ve used in the past to deflect attention won’t cut it anymore. You and Kas are going to be approached by paparazzi all the time now. They need to believe you’re human. We’ve given both of you believable, respectable human profiles. The fewer people trying to dig into
A Time for Strength Chapter 147
“Alright, Big Guy.” I toss the plastic gun on the arcade game. “You win. I’ll never beat you at Duck Hunt. I’m out of cash to feed the machine anyway.”“I mean, you tried. I’ll give you some props, man.” Marco blows into the barrel of the plastic gun and looks at his watch. “It’s been two hours. That’s gotta be a good sign. Right? Musu woulda called me if Lenora chased her out.”“Yeah.” I pout my lip. “No mindlinks either. Down your beer. Let’s check on them.”Marco raises his pint glass and chugs the remaining beer. “Rita! Thanks, darlin’!” I hold up more than enough cash for our tab and toss it on the table. She gives me a thumbs up from across the restaurant. “Don’t be strangers!”“Ah man, that fresh air.” Marco takes a deep breath when we step outside. “Nothing beats summer in Montana except maybe spring in the Coven’s realm.”“Did you hear that?” Ghost gasps, suddenly at attention.“Huh? Hear what?” I shorten my stride and look around.“A warbler.”“Okay… and?”“They leave afte
A Time for Strength Chapter 146
There’s a quiet knock on my office door. Instinctively, I look down at Codi. She’s still fast asleep. I set down the report explaining there were absolutely zero useful bits of information on Randall’s tape recorder other than rambling about a trip to Portland to see a warehouse or something.We still haven’t been able to determine the identities of the girls in the photos other than Evie. There was no rhyme or reason to the codes associated with each one. The unusual names don’t exist anywhere either. The team is still looking into it, but I’m not very hopeful. Randall sneaks under the radar on everything.“Come in.” I say in a hoarse whisper.Milo peeks his head in with a huge smile on his face. I put a finger to my lips and point to the travel bassinet next to my desk. He tiptoes in and silently closes the door behind him.“Hey Sugar.” Milo whispers. “Is this a bad time? Are you busy?”“I always have a minute for you, Milo.” I blush when he hands me a bouquet of wildflowers. “They’
A Time for Strength Chapter 145
“Tyree, have you finished the sweep of Randall’s suite?” Milo paces behind his desk.“Just about Beta.” Tyree’s voice comes through the speakerphone. “He took most of his stuff, but there were a few things left on the kitchenette counter. A folder with some paperwork, an envelope, like one of those ones you mail photos in. Ya know? Feels like there’s something inside. And a voice recorder.”“A voice recorder?” Milo asks, confused.“Yeah. I don’t want to open anything or push play in case it’s booby trapped.” Tyree replies. “Fool me once.”“Good call. Bring everything to my office.” Milo pushes his finger into the desk. “I’ll get a forensics team to take it off our hands.”“Yes, Beta.”“Don’t let anyone in that room until they get a deeper sweep.”“Yes, Beta. Marco will stand guard. I’ll be up in ten minutes.” Tyree confirms and hangs up.“Milo, what do you think he was up to?” I bounce Codi gently in my arms. It’s not because she needs it. I have too much nervous energy to hold still.
A Time for Strength Chapter 144
“An apartment in Paris? Who would have ever pegged your brother as a hopeless romantic?” Mom swipes through images of the apartment Bronx bought for Kas as a wedding present. “It’s absolutely gorgeous!”“Yep. She needs to sign some paperwork, but I don’t think she understands enough about real est-” I bite my lip and point at Dad who’s making wolf faces at Codi on the other end of the sofa. Mace tests out a growl to see if it will startle her. She makes a sound that could be a growl back at him.“So sweet.” Mom places a hand on her heart. “Meeting codi is all he’s talked about since we got the news that you were pregnant. So what's next? Have you thought about a little brother for Codi, maybe?”My heart squeezes. “Justice, what do I say?”“As much of the truth as you can.” She sounds unsettled. “We don’t really know anymore. Do we?”“You know how hard it was for me to get pregnant, Mom. Let alone survive Codi’s pregnancy. We haven’t really talked about having more yet. If the Goddess
A Time for Strength Chapter 143
It’s been two days. Kas has isolated herself in her apartment, still convinced that she needs to hide herself away. I brought Codi up so she could snuggle with her niece in hopes it would lift her spirits. I let her take Codi to the bedroom while I go talk to Marco.“Hey, Beta. Everything okay?” He salutes me.“She’s not handling it well. Maybe I should invite her to go to the meadow?”“I wasn’t talkin’ about the Luna.” He lowers his chin. “You been avoiding me?”I immediately feel my face flush. “Wh-what? I-”“Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like that. I know you’re busy with your pup.” His tone softens. “I need to stay in my lane.”“I mean, I-I guess I kinda thought, um, your mate wouldn’t want me talking to you.” I confess. “So… yeah. I guess I have been avoiding you?”“Ah, Leni, come on. I’m fuckin with you… kinda.” He looks sheepish. “Me and Musu was talking about our ranked members. I didn’t tell her about US, but I told her you and me grew up together and that we still close frie
