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Chapter 41
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2023-07-25 10:24:14
Bab terkait
A Time for Strength Chapter 42
Milo’s POV—Flashback—“An abandoned warehouse?” Bronx rolls his eyes. “Bro, this is by far the worst birthday present of all time.”“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I open the door to my Jeep and sniff the air. We’re in the right place. “Come on.”Reggie, Arnie, Archie, and James hop out and turn their noses in the air.“Hell yeah.” Reggie claps his hands and rubs them together.A burly looking werebear opens a door on the side of the building and whistles to us. “Stone! Get your asses in here. We’re locking the doors in three minutes.”“Locking the doors?” Bronx grabs my arm. “What the fuck is this?”“Bro, trust me.” I clap his back and jog to the door.“Hi, Ghost.” The werefox vixen at a table inside the door coos at me. She looks like she’s ten years old, but she’s actually nineteen. “Haven’t seen you around.”“I’ve been busy with special ops training, Dina.” I lean across the table and kiss her cheek. “I told you I’d get him to come. Sup, Ryuu?”The tall ancient dragon looks un
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-25A Time for Strength Chapter 43
—Current Day— “You’re suggesting we just… sneak out?” I set the dumbbells down and look at my friends. “You’re fucking with me, right?” “Technically, we can do whatever we want. We’re not prisoners and we aren’t acting ranked wolves yet. Bronx is the only one who isn’t supposed to leave pack territory.” Reggie explains. “We’ve been cooped up in the packhouse for a month except for the supervised wolf runs. We need your help, because you know the best paths through the territory to avoid being caught by guards who think we should be in bed by nine p.m.” “Archie says it’s gonna be a good time.” Marco raises his eyebrow. “Katsh is back from the war, too. Maybe I can get in on that.” “You’re sure Dina and Ryuu are the ones still running shit?” I look around, but we’re the only ones in this corner. “Yeah, Hector said he’s gone a couple times to watch. The crowd is rougher… a lot more dark creatures.” Reggie lowers his voice. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to get intel on Sin’s locatio
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-26A Time for Strength Chapter 44
“I need to track the rogues!” I push through the crowd, trying not to lose the guy who was sitting behind me. “Forget about ‘em! Get everyone home! NOW!” Bronx snarls. “That’s an order!” “What about you, Alpha?” Marco yells. I see him in front of me, looking back. “I can hold my own.” He barks back and cuts the link. “Rendezvous at the Southern border!” “Go after the rogues.” Ghost insists. “No, Ghost. You heard Bronx.” “We’ll never find them again.” “We have our orders, bro. We saw what they looked like. That will have to do.” “GHOST!” Dina dodges between people’s legs. “HELP!” I reach out so I can pick her up. I need to get her outside, but a warrior in wolf form snatches her up by the neck and crushes his jaws down on her throat. She squeals until her head turns at an unnatural angle. Blood drips from his jaws as the warrior drops her lifeless body and moves on to the next creature. “Dina! NO!” My body runs cold. I think my heart just stopped. Panic, anger, and despair
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-27A Time for Strength Chapter 45
Lenora’s POV “Luna, we need you at the front gate.” A guard knocks on my office door. “It’s urgent.” I look up at the clock. It’s almost midnight. Why the Hell do they need me to go to the gate? “Urgent?” I close my laptop and go to the door. “What happened?” “There’s four uniformed Council warriors asking for entry. They have, um, prisoners?” The guard looks like he’s not too sure about the word prisoners. “Council warriors?” I furrow my brow. “Do you know why they’re in our jurisdiction? They’re bringing rogues they caught?” “N-no, Luna,” he stammers while I close and lock my office door, “not rogues. They have the Beta, Marco Sanchez, and Arnie Ikeda.” I stop on the spot. “Excuse me?” “Leni? Sugar, I’m sure you’re mad, but please don’t be mad.” Milo’s voice comes through a mindlink. “This entire thing is bullshit. I swear.” “Milo, what the Hell happened?” “Is Randall there yet?” “Randall?” I stop again. “No, why would he be here?” “These dipshits let it slip that he’s o
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-27A Time for Strength Chapter 46
“Lenora, if these men don’t get their hands off of me-” “First of all, it’s LUNA Lenora. And you’ll do what, Elder Randall?” I spin around and put my hands on my hips, glaring at him. The guards holding him by the arms stop and stand tall, trying to avoid eye contact. “Thanks to you and the rogues you let onto my territory, we’re on lockdown. As much as I’d love to have my guards unhand you, I can’t. No one can come on to or leave pack territory. Besides, your actions are an act of treason against the Elder Council until they convene and decide your fate.” “I told you, they were chasing me!” He snarls. “If they were chasing you, how come they were in front?” I challenge his lie. “And how come you didn’t signal the guards? Sam from Security showed it to you the last time you were here.” Randall’s face turns dark. If he wasn’t being restrained, I’m certain he’d lunge at me. He looks around for help, but there is none. The rogues who he was with were all killed by our guards. “I pan
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-29A Time for Strength Chapter 47
“Traitor?! Randall, your wolf literally attacked Justice on our own territory and you’re going to stand here and call ME a traitor?” I’m trying to hold my temper, but my grip is getting weak. “Since I became Luna I have accommodated every single one of your requests from the mundane to the ridiculous. I have complied with every stupid, fake, pompous order you mandated. You haven’t found a single flaw in our operations, because there are none. Blood River has done exactly what the Council has requested every time we’re asked. And for what? To be chastised by you? To be accused of treason?! I would say I’m insulted, but that would be a gross understatement.”“She’s deflecting from the fact that she could have killed Basalt! She held him down until guards came to my rescue.” He snarls in return. “We need to start with the head of this pack to cut out the poison. Lenora needs to be removed as Luna and the Blood River pack needs to be seized by the Council immediately. Bronx Mason needs to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-07-30A Time for Strength Chapter 48
Milo and Reggie leap forward to pull Bronx off Randall. Saint roars and fights against them. “Get this maniac off of me!” Randall whimpers. The Elders wedge themselves between the angry Alpha and their peer. I think calling him a peer is an exaggeration. The Elders seem to take pleasure in punishing him. I wonder what happens behind closed doors. Orderlies burst into the crowded room to help Milo and Reggie. They push past me, knocking me off balance. Ashley catches me from falling and looks at me with concern. “Lenora, are you alright? You look pale.” She murmurs in my ear. “I’m fine.” I stand and collect myself. “Just a little overwhelmed.” “Sit down.” She squeezes my hand. “I'll get the doctor.” “Take her advice, child. Something’s wrong.” Justice sounds far away. “I won’t show these dickheads any weakness.” I say out loud. “I’ll give the cue. You get them out of here, Ashley.” “Promise to sit down?” “Sure.” My head swims as I clap my hands to get everyone’s attention.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-08-02A Time for Strength Chapter 49
Milo’s POV—Flashback—One day, I wanna own a flower shop so I can give Mom flowers all the time. Fancy ones like Dad gets for her. I’m only ten, though. I gotta be older and have money for that, though. It only takes twenty minutes to get to the top of the mountain where the meadow is. I’ll get her flowers from there for now.Today is like a movie. The sky is so blue, and the air is like… it’s like when the teacher lets us go outside for recess. Like that. Oh waaaooooowwww!!! Check it out! The meadow is so pretty! There're red flowers and yellow and orange, purple and pink too. There are, like, millions of them! And a girl? I squint my eyes. Yeah. A girl, sitting in the middle of the field. I sniff the air. I can’t tell what she smells like.“Hello?” I yell at her. Her hair looks more red when the sun shines on it. She has blue eyes and as many freckles as the meadow has flowers. Her nose is kinda pointy and her mouth is dirty from eating wild berries. At first, she looks happy, bu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2023-08-03
Bab terbaru
A Time for Strength Chapter 162
Lenora’s POV“You see?” Musu puts her hands on her knees and pants. “A few hard workouts every week are all you need. No?”I lower myself to the floor with a groan and roll onto my back. “I don’t know about that, but I’m definitely too tired to worry anymore. I guess now that my back doesn’t hurt, I have to make up for lost time.”It’s been over a month since I tried to explain to Milo why Randall criticizing me was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Between Justice trying to stop me and Ghost… Well, I don’t know if Ghost was trying to protect our secret from Milo or if he truly doesn’t understand the gravity of the continuation of my life, but I failed miserably at trying to explain. Justice has even resorted to ignoring me unless she absolutely has to engage with me.When I got back from checking on Musu, Milo began to treat me differently. It’s like he was actually noticing me for the first time in a long time. He has been extra sweet and thoughtful. More than usual, I mean. He
A Time for Strength Chapter 161
Milo’s POV“I expect better from you, Bronx.” I let Ghost snarl at him. “Fuck off.” He murmurs with glazed eyes from the gurney.I don’t care that we had to drag him down to the hospital wing to be sedated. He’s gonna get an earful from me. He hasn’t been taking care of himself. He’s gotten angry with MasonCo employees for no reason and handing down unnecessary write ups to directors for various departments in the pack. The past few weeks, he has been more and more irritable. I know for a fact he’s been making excuses and dodging his therapy appointments. I bet he hasn’t been taking his medications either.He even left Codi’s birthday party early when his mom mentioned she was looking forward to Bronx and Kas giving Codi cousins to be best friends with. Kas laughed it off about it not being the right time for them to start a family because Bronx is so busy he couldn’t even stay for the entire party, but you could see how much it upset her that he walked out. I’ve also seen him brush
A Time for Strength Chapter 160
“As you know, the Goddess Project is funded with Council historical research funds and a MasonCo private client project. From a business aspect, what we have found so far, we consider a success. From a personal aspect, I cannot begin to express my disappointment in what we have found.” Bronx lowers his chin and looks around the room.“Disappointment?” Elder Karthik picks up his folder. “What do you mean?”“When you see the footage, you’ll understand.” I make eye contact with as many Elders that will look at me. I make a mental note that the ones who won’t make eye contact also happen to be on one of Randall’s ledgers.“We’ve included dossiers on the women we have confirmed in your folders. The details that we cannot confirm are from new individuals or the women we have found already are on a separate punch list. We are working on either matching them up to one of our suspects or identifying a new one.” Bronx looks around the room at the Council and motions to Elder Henri. “My Betas an
A Time for Strength Chapter 159
Lenora’s POV“Milo, get the camera!” I gasp. “Hurry! Come on, Codi. You can do it, my big girl!”“Mamamama mmmama!” She squeals and lets go of the side of the sofa.I want to reach out and grab her before she falls, but her pediatrician says to let her try to do things on her own.Doctor Berra told me she understands why it’s so hard to let our children become independent, but I don’t think she understands at all. She says bumps and bruises are a part of our pups growing up. I thought I wouldn’t be around to kiss every one of them.Ghost, Justice, and I are the only ones who know that I shouldn’t even be here to watch my baby girl wobbling next to the coffee table. He doesn’t seem to understand the significance of my presence after her birth, though. He’s just grateful that I didn’t die. I’m not supposed to be alive to watch her gripping onto the tiger rattle and flailing her arms with a huge smile while her daddy cheers her on as she takes her first step… and her next… and her next…
A Time for Strength Chapter 158
Musu’s POV“If you have photos or videos-” I tap my fingers on the keyboard.His muffled voice sounds like he’s speaking to someone else.“Ilya, I will hang up and remove you from my call list if you don’t take this seriously.”“My apologies, Miss Goba.” His gruff voice is thick with phlegm. The sound of it makes my stomach churn. “I just got another tip for you.”I roll my eyes in frustration. I hate this part of my job. Greedy, underhanded, low life creatures. That’s who I have to work with to get what I need. I suppose it could be because he’s part warthog, but I believe it is more because he’s a chauvinist pig. If Marco ever found out the things Ilya had proposed to me, he would find himself squealing, not me. That much I am certain of.“This man is a fraud, Musu.” My wolf Mercy is ready to hang up. “Move on.”“I need to know you are good for the money.” Ilya snorts.“I’m done with these games, Ilya. You already know my employer has deep pockets for useful information.” I let my a
A Time for Strength Chapter 157
Kas turns on the nightstand lights in my bedroom and turns off the overhead light while I wait impatiently for her to be ready. Her movements remind me of a bird who can’t decide which branch to sit on. When the lighting is just right, she looks around the room and breathes a sigh of relief.“Okay, Lenora. I’m just going to place one hand by your tailbone and the other on the middle of your back. All you need to do is close your eyes and clear your mind.” She smiles at me with shining violet eyes as she mimics the placement of her hands in the air. “It won’t take long. Fifteen minutes tops.”I take a deep breath and shake my hands out. “Okay. So, just sit cross-legged on the floor?”“If that’s the most comfortable position for you. I just need to put my hands on your back.” Kas gently pulls me down. “This won’t be like when I helped you and Codi. It should feel… relaxing. Some people say they feel a warmth spread out from my hands, so that’s not unusual, but if you feel any pain say s
A Time for Strength Chapter 156
“Oh! That must be my mom. She’s bringing snacks.” Carly hops up to open the door.I roll my eyes, but deep down I appreciate the effort she’s put into making me feel comfortable while Milo is out of town. I groan as I stand up, feeling the strain on my lower back. Justice slipped when we were conducting perimeter inspections earlier in the day. Even with as fast as she can heal me, aggravating the old injury takes longer for the pain to subside.“Sorry, child.” Justice frowns. “I should have been more careful.”“It’s alright, Justice. Neither of us could have known how easily that bit of river bank would give way.” I secure Codi in her bouncy chair and let her kick her legs happily so I can greet people.“Hello Beta!” Mrs. Miller comes in with one of her employees, carrying several giant platters covered with lids. “I put a little of everything for you ladies. Hot wings, salami, cheese, crackers, fruit and dip, chips, salsa, guacamole… Oh, popcorn. Extra butter, salt, and garlic. Just
A Time for Strength Chapter 155
“I think I cracked it, Sugar!” Milo bursts into my office with his arms raised in victory.Musu turns to look at him and tilts her head. “Good morning, Beta.”“Oh. Sorry.” He drops his arms. “I didn’t realize you ladies were meeting right now.”“It’s alright, Milo. We were just talking about Paars. Musu is going to look through Bronx’s library and see if she can find anything helpful.”“Look for Paars in the history books?” He stops short and tilts his head. “You think she has something to do with the Menae?”“I think a female wolf who makes people sick just by being around them is something to consider. Oh, Alpha Lowe left me a voicemail. She skipped town like she said she would. Gone with the wind.” I sit back in my seat and fold my arms over myself. Having to keep everything Justice has told me a secret is so frustrating. “Musu, I think we’re done for the day. If you come up with anything, please let me know.”“Of course, Beta.” She stands and bows. “Beta Milo, it was good to see y
A Time for Strength Chapter 154
“Hi Alpha Lowe!” I wave to him from under the beach umbrella.“Beta Lenora!” He waves and makes his way across the pebble beach.“Please sit with us.” I motion to the spot next to me in the shade.He lowers himself to the ground with a groan and props his arms on his knees. “Beta Milo is at my sister-in-law’s house looking around Brianna’s room now. It was making me too nervous. I had to show myself out.”“Yeah. A lot of our clients feel that way. It’s a necessary intrusion, unfortunately.” I frown. “We’re going to do everything we can to find her. I can’t think of better trackers than Milo and our Gamma Reggie. We’ll find her. We’ll bring her home to you.”“Thank you.” He looks out into the calm ocean. “She has the most beautiful blue eyes. They’re so full of hope and innocence and her smile lights up the room. It’s been so hard on everyone to not know what happened to her.”I nod silently and look out into the distance with him. “Alpha, are you aware of my past with Elder Randall?”
