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2024-10-29 19:42:56BROCK
The first members of Astrid’s pack arrive in Stillwater around 9 a.m., and she immediately snaps into action, greeting them on the packhouse lawn. I hang back inside the packhouse and just watch her work. I’m not sure what I expected, but I quickly see that Astrid’s a natural leader and she’s good with her pack- really good. It’s clear from the moment they arrive that they all respect and adore her.
Not that I’ve changed my mind about her, but it does strike me how Astrid basically acts like she’s her pack’s Luna, and her pack responds to her like that’s what she is. One of the little kids actually slips up and calls her Luna at one point, but she just laughs it off and ruffles their hair, leading them inside. She glances my way as she makes her way back in, eyes searching mine like she’s still trying to figure me out.
Good luck with that one, s
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
