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2022-01-19 00:51:21ASTRID
I have no business being this happy when there’s a war on its way, yet here I am, flitting around the ballroom of the lodge on Brock’s arm with a permanent smile etched on my face. I’m overwhelmed by the number of people that came out to celebrate with us tonight- not only from all six packs in the territory, but from Denver, too. Even my parents showed up, shockingly tearing themselves away from their vacation home in Arizona to make the trip here to meet Brock.
Hundreds of people are here in the ballroom tonight, and once dinner is over, Brock and I are constantly being tugged in different directions to chat with our guests. Brock gets pulled away by the guys for a while and I get distracted with the girls, sipping on too many glasses of champagne. The bubbles tickle my throat and go to my head, and I’m even more giggly than usual, lost in laughter as Quinn tells the story of when she and Jax were
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Alpha Brock 1
BROCK “Hey man, you good?” Jared asks me, furrowing his brow. “Yeah.” I scrub a hand over my face. “Just fucking exhausted.” Jared holds up a hand. “I’ll drive.” I give him a nod, tossing the keys to the Escalade toward his waiting palm before I head around to the passenger side of the vehicle, throwing the door open to climb in. I let my head fall back against the headrest as Jared gets into the drivers seat, firing up the engine. Wordlessly, he shifts the gear into drive, pulling away from the curb and down the street. I glance out the window as we make our way out of Norbury, the town quiet and the houses dark at this hour. It’s home to Alpha Vaughn’s pack and I’ve only ventured out this way a handful of times. It’s the last place I expected to be tonight. Norbury is a good twenty-minute drive from Riverton, where my own pack resides, and just a few hours ago, I was running with my pack under
Last Updated : 2021-12-01Alpha Brock 2
ASTRID I squint against the sunlight spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hallway as I step out of my bedroom, stretching my limbs. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day in Denver, but I can’t fully appreciate it until I get my morning coffee. And speaking of, I can already smell it brewing. I breathe deeply as I pad barefoot down the long hallway, following my nose to the packhouse kitchen. “Good morning!” I chirp as step through the doorway, finding my brother Cole and his beta Sam, perched in their usual seats at the table closest to the coffee pot. I reach up to sweep my unruly curls into a messy bun as I approach them, securing my hair atop my head with an elastic. Upon my entry, Sam shoots up from his chair, tossing a smile my way as he heads for the coffee pot on the counter and starts pouring me a cup. By the time I reach the table, he’s back, holding the mug out in my direction.
Last Updated : 2021-12-01Alpha Brock 3
BROCK“Is she gonna be here soon?” I ask, agitated, as I glance down at my watch.Jax looks my way, arching a brow. “Why, you in a hurry or somethin’?”I blow out a breath, kicking at the ground on the practice field where I’m waiting with Jax, Reid, Gray, and Fallon for the Denver Alpha’s sister to arrive. “I’ve gotta get back to Riverton. I’ve got shit to do.”“I’m sure it’ll still be waiting for you when you get there,” Reid chuckles, stepping up beside me and clapping me on the shoulder. “Besides, what could be more important than meeting…” he trails off, squinting, looking to Gray over his shoulder. “What’s her name again?”“Astrid,” Brooke supplies, approaching us with Quinn in tow. Quinn immediately makes a beeline for Jax, slipping under his arm and winding her own
Last Updated : 2021-12-02Alpha Brock 4
ASTRID When my brother said he was sending me up here, he conveniently forgot to mention how fucking hot the guys who run the security team are. I’m talking breath stealing, heart stopping, reality defying hotness- when I got dropped off here, I had no idea I was practically stepping into a Chippendale’s calendar. Sure, I might’ve been a little resistant about leaving Denver and missing out on battle preparations there, but now that I know I’m going to be shacking up with a Jason Momoa lookalike for the next few weeks? I’m suddenly okay with it. I just met Brock, but I can already tell that he’s the strong silent type. I try to make conversation on the ride over to Riverton, but all he gives me in return are grunts and one-word answers. It doesn’t bother me, though- we don’t really know each other yet, and I’m sure he’ll warm up eventually. I’ll just kill him with kindness until he does. We arrive at the packhouse in R
Last Updated : 2021-12-02Alpha Brock 5
BROCKI slept like shit last night. Something about that girl being here under my roof has both me and my wolf on edge, and I woke up with the sunrise to let him out for a run this morning. I feel marginally better when I return, pulling on a pair of grey sweatpants that I left hanging off of a tree branch behind the packhouse and tugging them on.When I walk into the packhouse through the door off the back patio, I immediately hear Astrid’s airy little giggle and I’m right back where I started. Annoyed. I take a couple of tentative steps forward so I can see into the kitchen, spotting her perched on a barstool at the kitchen island wearing a tiny pair of shorts, one bare leg crossed over the other. A baggy sweatshirt hides the rest of her slim physique, and her curly hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She’s clutching a steaming cup of coffee in both hands, still giggling softly.Br
Last Updated : 2021-12-02Alpha Brock 6
ASTRID “So this is the hub,” Quinn says as she leads me into a large room full of desks and computers. “I’ve heard that ours is puny compared to Denver’s, but what we lack in size we make up for in heart.” She spins around, a goofy smile on her face. “That was really fucking corny, wasn’t it?” “Nah,” I laugh, waving her off. “I liked it.” “Astrid!” Brooke calls, beckoning me from the back of the room. Her glasses slide down the bridge of her nose and she pushes them up with a finger. “C’mon.” Quinn spins back around, leading me toward Brooke. I was grateful when she found me on the practice field this morning- as much as I’m enjoying this little push and pull with my broody roommate, it’s nice to talk to someone who will actually talk back. Training with the squad was a lot of fun, and I even learned a couple of new moves from Fallon. I’m no stranger to combat training; we start young in Denver, so I’ve
Last Updated : 2021-12-02Alpha Brock 7
BROCK I wake up panting, my body covered in a thin sheen of sweat that has the sheets sticking to my skin. The dream I was having felt so real- the shadow pack showed up without warning, ready for war. They outnumbered us four to one, and while we kept going down, they just kept coming. I was fighting off three wolves at once when I woke with a start, blinking into the darkness, realizing it was just a dream. I take a few deep breaths, throwing the sheet off of my body and staring up at the ceiling while my eyes to adjust to the dark. I bolt up in bed when I hear something downstairs, looking quickly to my alarm clock for the time. It’s the middle of the night- nobody should be awake right now. Is my mind playing tricks on me, or did I hear something? My wolf is on high alert and when I hear another sound, I’m out of bed in an instant, moving toward the door of my bedroom silently. Creeping through the hallway
Last Updated : 2021-12-02Alpha Brock 8
ASTRID “Good morning, Alpha!” I greet cheerfully as I spot Brock descending the stairs. He looks up at me as he hits the bottom step, grunting something muffled and barely audible in his typical response. It’s only my third morning at the Riverton packhouse, but one of these days I’m going to get a solid ‘good morning’ in response, damnit. I feel like I’ve already fallen into a routine here- instead of my morning coffee with Cole and Sam, it’s morning coffee with Jared and Brent every day before catching a ride with Brock up to the squad complex. Then it’s training with the six-pack’s security squad in the morning followed by afternoons with IT. That routine changes today, though, because the first evacuees from Denver are set to arrive and I’ll be welcoming them. “Coffee?” Jared asks as Brock enters the kitchen. “Please,” he growls, running his hands through his hair. The man’s ha
Last Updated : 2021-12-06
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Alpha Brock 44
ASTRIDI have no business being this happy when there’s a war on its way, yet here I am, flitting around the ballroom of the lodge on Brock’s arm with a permanent smile etched on my face. I’m overwhelmed by the number of people that came out to celebrate with us tonight- not only from all six packs in the territory, but from Denver, too. Even my parents showed up, shockingly tearing themselves away from their vacation home in Arizona to make the trip here to meet Brock.Hundreds of people are here in the ballroom tonight, and once dinner is over, Brock and I are constantly being tugged in different directions to chat with our guests. Brock gets pulled away by the guys for a while and I get distracted with the girls, sipping on too many glasses of champagne. The bubbles tickle my throat and go to my head, and I’m even more giggly than usual, lost in laughter as Quinn tells the story of when she and Jax were
Alpha Brock 43
BROCK “Don’t be nervous,” my dad mumbles under his breath, setting a hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Who says I’m nervous?” I grumble back to him. My old man’s right, though- I can’t stop fidgeting as I stand in front of him and my mother beneath the arbor behind the packhouse. It’s set atop the little hill by the treeline, and it’s dripping with greenery and florals, a perfect backdrop for Astrid to take her vows and seal herself to the pack. Being here right now feels a little fucking surreal, considering the messy path it took for me and Astrid to find each other and be together. Still, I wouldn’t trade a single day with her for anything. If these past weeks together have proven anything, it’s that fate doesn’t make mistakes- she’s truly my soulmate. Tonight, she becomes my pack’s official Luna, and I couldn’t be prouder. The whole pack is here for the ceremony, gathered on the lawn behind the
Alpha Brock 42
ASTRID Planning a Luna ceremony in the span of a few weeks is no easy feat. Well, I take that back- the ceremony itself is relatively simple; it’s just the pack gathering, me taking my vows, and performing the blood rites that bind me to the pack and their land. It’s an intimate event for pack members only. The celebration afterwards, however, takes a lot of planning and coordination, because it’s like a giant wedding reception complete with cocktails and dinner and dancing and a million little details. Invitations to the post-ceremony celebration are extended to other packs in the area, and my family and friends from Denver are traveling here to celebrate with us. Pulling together an event of this magnitude under a time crunch has been a challenge, to say the least. It’s not like our lives haven’t been crazy enough lately. Preparations for the war with the shadow pack have been nonstop at the squad complex, and it’s all hands
Alpha Brock 41
BROCK “Damn, we must be the first ones here,” I say as I pull up to the curb in front of the Stillwater packhouse and cut the engine. True to his word, Gray called a council meeting the day after I returned from Denver. This time, though, we’ve got a few others joining us in addition to the council- Brooke and Quinn, because they’re leading the charge with IT these days, Astrid, because she’s our connection to our Denver allies and has the most information about the shadow pack through her visions, and Fallon, because she wasn’t about to sit this one out while everyone else’s mates participated. Jared’s on the council as my beta, but he had some business to attend to, so he told Astrid and I to go ahead and that he’d meet us here. “Didn’t Gray say six?” Astrid asks, unbuckling her seatbelt. I glance down at the clock on the dashboard, which reads 5:45 p.m. “Yeah, which is more like six thirty in alpha time. Can
Alpha Brock 40
ASTRID Brock’s closet is definitely not big enough for the both of us. I started moving my things in today, and I’ve basically taken over most of the space already. I already knew I owned an exorbitant amount of clothing, but next to Brock’s minimalistic wardrobe, the sheer volume of what I have is a little embarrassing. He hasn’t teased me about it, but I caught a few raised eyebrows and sly glances pass between him and the guys as they lugged all my stuff upstairs. Something I didn’t expect upon returning to the Riverton packhouse is that it already kinda feels like home. I really settled in here over the past month; I’m comfortable in the space and I have a good groove going with all of the guys. That’s not to say I won’t get homesick for Denver at some point, but for now, it has definitely eased the transition. That, and being with Brock- because as long as I’m with him, I’m home. After unpacking, we have dinner wi
Alpha Brock 39
BROCK“You glad to be back?” Astrid asks from the passenger seat as we roll back into the six-pack territory a few days later.“Yeah,” I admit, blowing out a breath. ‘Glad’ is an understatement- I’m fucking ecstatic. Relieved. Eager to return to some semblance of normalcy after the roller coaster ride I’ve been strapped into since leaving this place over a week ago. After experiencing the highest highs and the lowest lows, I’ll happily settle into something more mundane.“How about you?” I ask, flicking her a sideways glance. She’s wearing black leggings and her white Estes Park sweatshirt, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. As much as I love when she’s all dressed up, I swear she’s prettiest when she’s casual like this. Her natural beauty is beyond compare.Astrid turns to look at me, her face lighting up with her smile.
Alpha Brock 38
ASTRIDI’m sure Brock’s friends will be anxious to hear that he’s awake and well, but for right now, I want to keep him all to myself for a little while longer. I’ve been waiting all my life for my mate, so I feel like it’s okay to be a bit selfish… and besides, he isn’t exactly clamoring to leave this bed right now, either. Not when we’re both basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking and fresh markings. I can’t remember ever being this happy.Brock holds me close and we both doze off, and by the time I wake again the sun has gone down. I lift my head to see that he’s already awake, just watching me. It would be creepy if it wasn’t for the unbridled adoration in his eyes. Swoon. What is it about a tough guy softening for you that’s just so damn irresistible?When he sees that I’m awake, Brock angles his body toward me, running his han
Alpha Brock 37
BROCKDarkness. It’s all-consuming, and it keeps pulling me under. Every time I start to come back into myself, it sucks me into its depths again. Fuck, maybe I’m dying. Maybe this is it for me. Nothing has ever come easily to me, so it’d make sense that death wouldn’t, either. She’s the only thing keeping me anchored. Some part of me can sense that she’s near, and I keep reaching out to tug on the bond between us, trying to pull myself back to her somehow.Peaches. The scent tickles my nose, along with something else- strands of hair, as soft as spun silk. I bury my nose deeper, inhaling her into my lungs, into my soul. My eyes fight to adjust to the light as I blink them open. My limbs feel heavy. I wiggle my fingers and toes, testing their dexterity as my mind slowly clears out the fog, waking up.My left side is cloaked in warmth- Astrid is curled into my side tightly with her head r
Alpha Brock 36
BROCK The corners of the room are dark; only the floor in the center is bathed in moonlight. That’s where I find her, lying there in wolf form, honey brown fur soaked in blood. She raises her head weakly, her eyes colliding with mine, and I feel it- the mate bond snaps into place, the strength of it nearly knocking the wind out of me. My adrenaline surges, my hair stands on end- all of my endorphins seem to release at once, bathing me in a feeling of pure euphoria. I found her. My mate. Both of our wolves tuck away almost simultaneously, the air shimmering as we both shift to our human forms- me, still standing on top of the door I knocked down, and Astrid, lying on the concrete floor, struggling to push up on her arms. She’s bleeding, badly injured, but her lips draw into a weak smile as she gazes back at me. “You came,” she whispers hoarsely, and my heart swells in my chest, feeling like it coul
