“I can’t reach Duke. He mindlinked about Amanda and Mary, then nothing,” Bär complains.“He and Ada are marking each other,” Emma sighs. “I feel it.”Ingrid looks at Bär and smiles.“If she is letting him mark her,” Bär smiles.“She has no reason to want Caleb,” Ingrid finishes his sentence.Bär pulls Ingrid into a hug as everyone relaxes.“I was so afraid,” Ari melts into Anderson.Lewis comes out of Caleb’s room.“He is stable,” Lewis tells them.“Thank our goddess,” Ari collapses to a chair.“Duke and Ada were supposed to be looking into who could have done this, but the bond finally took over,” Bär explains.“Pan be praised,” Lewis sits down. “I was terrified it was Ada.”“You all really think she is capable of killing to win over Bär?” Emma asks.“Framing your mother, you, therefore hurting Duke to the point she has cause to reject him. If your mother is framed, Bär would have to reject her, freeing him. Heartbroken, Bär turns to her,” Anderson sighs. “Sadly, Ari and I have
“Nothing,” Rose declares as they finish Amanda’s room. “Can you check her hamper?” Duke asks his sister. “Because touching a woman’s bra is offensive to you?” Davis teases.“Dare you to touch it,” Duke teases back.“No,” Rose warns her mate harshly.Rose checks the hamper and finds nothing. “Mary’s room?” Davis asks as the three of them move down the hall.“I can’t believe in the first week of being here officially, I’m invading two Omega’s rooms,” Duke tells them.“I can’t believe my own brother is not respectful of the mate bond,” Rose hits Duke’s head again.“Look, if you had seen the way she reacted to me, you would understand my hesitation. She threw an actual tantrum. Ranting about having the ‘wrong’ brother. Then she found out about her mother actually being with Bär. Of course, Bär being all over Ingrid has not helped. Seriously, they are horrible. The first time they mated we ALL heard it. Ada cried. Actual tears.”Rose rolls her eyes. “Maybe if you had been more
“You did what?” Ada asks angrily.“It was at my direction,” Bär tells her.“So, you all thought I could attempt to kill the King?” Ada asks, looking around the room.Ari, Anderson, Duke, Emma, Ingrid, Bär, Rose and Davis all nod.“I can’t believe it,” Ada starts to cry. “So, am I cleared now.”“Yes,” Duke holds her close. “I’m so sorry.”Vixen- If you weren’t marked and mated, he would reject us.Ada- That is what I wanted!Vixen- It’s not what I wanted. Ada- I got out foxed by my wolf.Vixen- You will thank me later.Ada- Doubtful.“I know you are sorry,” Ada tells Duke, stepping away. “Mom, you thought it was me, too?”Ingrid steps forward.“Your behavior led me there,” Ingrid tells her. “I was relieved when you allowed Duke to mark you. But we had to rule you out and prove that Mary was not set up.”Vixen- Thank me, I told you to wipe it down.Ada stands with her arms crossed, looking angry at all of them.“Emma?” Ada asks.Emma nods. “You can’t blame them. I was there whe
Lewis gets dressed after his hot shower. His bed is calling him, but Caleb needs him more.“Hey,” Ari stops him in the foyer. “May I join you?“He would like that,” Lewis offers.They are walking back to the hospital, when Bär comes running behind them.“Mom,” Bär calls out. “Mom, I felt it.”Ari looks into her son’s eyes before closing hers, allowing a tear to fall.“Felt what?” Lewis asks.“Uncle,” Bär’s voice cracks. “Uncle Caleb is not alive.”Lewis takes a deep breath.“I turned off the monitors because the noise was bothering him. They could’ve saved him if I hadn’t,” Lewis hangs his head.Bär pulls him into a dynamic hug.“We are all here to support you,” Bär tells him. “Whatever you need.”“What do I do?” Lewis asks Ari. “How does your heart heal?”“It never does fully,” Ari admits. “But you can’t give up. You have to move forward.”“After 20 years by his side,” Lewis huffs. “I have nothing to more forward for.”Lewis walks away from them and toward the hospital.He
Bär allows Ingrid to lead him from the room and back to the Palace.“Where are you taking me?” Bär asks holding her hand.“Somewhere you need to be,” Ingrid tells him.She pulls him to Caleb’s office, where all of Caleb’s things are being packed.“What are you doing?” Bär asks the workers.“Continue,” Ingrid tells them before turning to her mate. “You are the King. Your office is being packed up and piece by piece it will replace a piece in here. The pieces from here will go to storage. These were King Caleb’s orders upon his death. You were to be moved in, crowned, and accepted within 24 hours of his death.”“Will Lewis want the autopsy?” Bär asks, focusing on her eyes to not see the movement around him.“I don’t know. Royal Protocol requires an Honorable King be buried untouched and unpreserved within 12 hours of his death. We know Mary was the one who caused his death. I doubt Lewis will want his mate abused in any way.”“If he does allow an autopsy, I don’t want to know un
“BABY!” Bär yells through the halls as he returns from morning training.“Stop shouting!” Ingrid laughs, leaning out of her office door. “I’m here where I always am.”“And you better be alone,” Bär breaks out into a run, making his mate giggle as he slams and locks her door. “Inner office, Baby.”Ingrid rolls her eyes and moves into the inner office.Bär doesn’t give her a chance to protest before he pins her against the door.“I need you,” Bär breaths into their kiss.“I can see that,” Ingrid says as she reaches between them and undoes his pants.Bär holds her hands above her head with one hand and pulls her thigh up to his hip with the other. Ingrid has learned wearing pants is pointless, Bär will rip them when the urge takes over. Her skirt pushes up as Bär lines up with her core.“May I take you?” Bär asks.“Please, Baby, I need you too,” Ingrid whimpers.Bär smashes his lips to hers as he enters her. He squeezes the thigh he is holding, supporting her as he moves. Ingrid pu
Ari and Anderson help Lewis get to the funeral. There isn’t time for old friends to join them. Since Bär wasn’t allowed to attend, Monty spoke about his uncle. Ada made sure to cry on cue, making Vixen gag. Jillian (Emma’s Wolf)- I can feel something is wrong.Vixen- I can’t tell you. It will hurt my human; you know our rules.Jillian- I do know the rules. We can’t hurt our humans. We can’t hurt our mates. We can’t hurt another living creature, unless it is to save our own lives. We must not give away the misdeeds of our humans. I know the rules. But I also know you are named Vixen for a reason. Vixen- If I break the rules, the goddess may not give me another human.Jillian- True. But if your human is a bad human.Vixen- Do not ask me to betray my human. I believe she can be fixed. I believe she can be helped. I believe I can help her.Jillian- May the goddess bless your endeavors.Vixen watches the Caster, Lewis, whom she loves like the father he tried to be for them.
“Mom and Bär are coming,” Emma tells Ada as they sit down for breakfast.“I think we need a spelling on that word,” Lewis sighs. “I love they love each other. Makes me miss Caleb, but only because they remind me of Caleb and I.”“I think they are trying for a pup,” Ada jokes. “Can you imagine?”“Why wouldn’t they be trying for a pup?” Duke asks her.“Come on,” Ada laughs. “Mom is old.”“She is younger than me and Ari,” Lewis says with a smirk. “Women can have babies into their late forties. Ingrid is only 37.”Ada’s jaw drops.“What?” Emma asks with a laugh.“You are okay with the idea of Mom having a baby?” Ada asks her sister.“Yeah. I’m hoping all three of us will be pregnant at once,” Emma smiles at Duke.“I’m wearing condoms for a while,” Duke reminds her.“Party pooper,” Emma rolls her eyes.“Thank you,” Ada kisses his cheek. “I know it’s for me. Thank you.”“I don’t want to bring a child into this until we are strong. I want you and I to be as strong as me and Emma,”
15 years later“Oliva,” Alexander calls after his daughter.“No Daddy,” Oliva yell back. “You will not take me to New York. I am staying here. You want to go back and be Mr. CEO, Mr. BigShot, Mr. Boss, GO! I’m staying with my family!”“I am your family too. I’m your father,” Alexander yells as she runs to Bär’s office.“Poppa,” Oliva yells not caring that Marya and Julia are there. “Don’t make me go.”Bär stands up and hugs Oliva. “What is going on?”“I want her to go with me back to New York,” Alexander tells them.“This is her home,” Marya says running to her Niece and hugging her.“You suck,” Julia says to Alexander.“Julia,” Bär calls her down. “Show a little respect.”“Sorry Uncle Alexander,” Julia says before sitting down.“I want to finish high school here with my friends,” Oliva tells him.“I know that,” Alexander rolls his eyes. “I mean for college.”“She is going to Conrad with us,” Marya says. “We are going to rule that school, with a Dear Friends and fellow Supernatur
“Duke?” Emma walks into the office an hour before the Royal Pack will honor Ariella. “My Duke, are you in here?”The lights are off and curtain is drawn. Duke is sitting behind his desk and holding a picture of his family. “I’m here,” Duke crocks out. “I just needed a minute before going in there and everyone talking about Mom.”“I remember Dad’s Funeral. All these people talked about what a loving gentle man he was. I was too young then to understand it was a bunch of bitches rubbing in my Mom’s face that they had slept with Dad. At least you won’t have any of that,” Emma sides into his lap.“That will be good,” Duke holds her. “But my concern is all the housekeepers and warriors who knew she was being abused and did nothing. What are they going to say to defend themselves. The ones who went to school with her and saw everyday what was happening but didn’t stand up. I don’t know how to face them. Luanne was one of them. So was the head chef, the several who work here. What
2 Years and 6 Months Later“Baby!” Bär screams as he runs toward Ingrid’s office after training. The new Omegas still giggle at him. The ones who have been there since the beginning smile at him with pride. Seeing the example the King sets for mates, makes all the kingdom happy.“Daddy,” Marya runs full force toward him.Bär smiles and kneels to hug her. She smiles as she throws her tiny arms around his neck. “Are you being helpful to Mommy?” Bär asks his daughter.“No,” Marya answers honestly. “Poppa!” Oliva runs to join them and Bär scoops her up as well.“Are you being helpful to Oma?” Bär asks Oliva.“No,” Oliva is also honest. “Poppa!” Julia runs to him too.“Hey,” Duke calls her attention making Julia change directions.“Daddy!” Julia hugs her father. “I help Mommy!”Bär looks at both Marya and Oliva. “So one of the girls is helping and the other two are doing what?”“Playing,” the girls say in unison. “Terrorizing everyone,” Luanne, the head housekeeper, tells him. “
Duke is standing next to Emma as she lays on the table.“You look funny with that mask,” Emma tells him making him laugh.“You feel better with the drugs?” Duke asks.“Better? I’m not feeling anything,” Emma smiles. “We will have our pup soon. If it’s a boy I want to name him something that has nothing to do with either family. Like Brian or Julian. Hell, Felix or Claus are fine too. ““I like it. Julian Felix Conrad,” Duke smiles.“For a girl Amalia or Hannah,” Emma tells him.“Or Jane, Alice, Julia,” Duke offers.“Julia Amalia Conrad,” Emma says with a smile. “I love it,” Duke kisses her head as a baby’s cries fill the silence. Duke looks at Emma who is smiling. “You okay?”“I really don’t feel anything,” Emma tells him. “If we do this everytime you can keep me pupped.”“Let’s see how you feel about this after the drugs wear off,” Duke kiss her again.“Lady Julia,” A nurse presents a baby girl to Duke.Emma starts laughing. “Bet you are regretting your playboy ways now.”“Not
“Your Grace if you don’t let her go, we can’t hook up the monitors,” The nurse tries to explain to Duke. “Please we will let you back in the bed with her once we have the monitors on. She can move around and do whatever, but she needs the monitor so we can make sure the new pup is safe.”“I’m okay My Duke,” Emma touches his pale face. “I promise I’m okay. You have to let them prep me. The contractions just started we are going to be here a while. We need to know our pup is okay. Just breathe.”Duke finally lets the nurse start their work. He is breathing heavily and looks ill to the nurses. He hears them but it sounds like they are in a tunnel. He stumbles a little. The head nurse calls for another team to come in to look after Duke.“Your Grace please sit down,” a nurse tells him. She takes his blood pressure and other vitals. “Your Grace you are having a panic attack. You need to take deep breathes.”Another nurse turns to Emma. “Do you know is he allergic to anything?”“
Ingrid spends her day in her room with the babies. Bär tries to keep his head above water in the office. Emma is running, eating and begging Duke to have sex again and again.Alexander tries to work from the suite but finds he needs an office to keep himself for turning on the TV or crawling into bed. He heads down to the offices to see Bär and runs into Emma in the hallway.“Every time I see you, I see her,” Alexander says. He looks at Emma’s round belly. “Did her belly get like this with Oliva?”Emma gives him a tight smile. “Yeah, it did. I never saw her eat as much as she did when she was pregnant. She wanted Oliva to be as healthy as possible. She loved you and Oliva very much.”Alexander scoffs. “I know that is not completely true. You and Ada have the same tell when you lie. The tips of your ears turn pink. The bigger the lie the deeper the color.”“Really?” Duke asks coming into the hallway from the stairs. “I never knew that.”“I never lie to you,” Emma tells him.“
After a long night of tears, Emma has one goal. Get this baby out. She wakes up Duke to fuck her hard, then she runs on the treadmill for three miles, after which she drinks a bottle of hot sauce. “Emma calm down,” Ingrid tells her. “Mom, I need this baby out. I need to replace Duke’s memories,” Emma sighs. Ingrid looks at her daughter with sympathy. “I didn’t know you were feeling that way,” Ingrid tells her. “I don’t want to feel this way,” Emma sits at the breakfast table waiting on Duke and Bär. “I don’t want to resent Bär, but I do,” Ingrid admits sitting across from her. “He could have left Ada and Alexander alone and just let them be happy. But he and his mother couldn’t leave her alone.” Emma looks at her mother in shock. “Mom, Ada murdered a King and brought about the deaths of two others. You can’t be serious about expecting anyone to overlook that.” Ingrid sighs but stands when Bär enters the dining hall. Emma also stands, waiting for Bär and Marya. When they arriv
Ingrid stands at her window looking out over the back garden. The moon is high now and the beams of moonlight hit her face. She looks back into the room with a heavy sigh. Her daughter is sleeping in a basket next to the bed. Her granddaughter is squirming in the basket next to Marya. Bär is asleep with one arm over his head and the other hand is resting on his dick. That makes her laugh.When she turns back to the moon, she believes she sees a face in the moon and her breath hitches.“Selene, if you have mercy in your heart, find a way to accept my daughter. I know she did horrible things to those I love most. She even treated the man who loved her like garbage. But Selene she is my child. You have blessed me so richly so completely. How can I be so blessed and my daughter so cursed? I don’t understand and my heart is both full and broken. Selene, help me understand why. I can’t stop the burn of my heart for my child. She was troubled so young. Was that my fault? Did I mak
“Do we give her a funeral?” Ingrid asks as she melts into Bär. “I feel like the answer is no. I feel like we need to let this all go and try raising her daughter to the best of our abilities.”“My daughter,” Alexander reminds them. “As her husband I get a say in the next steps. I get to decide what happens with my daughter. I know you think you can bully me because technically you are monsters. But I am a father now and nothing will come between me and her.”Bär holds Ingrid close to him as he answers Alexander.“Alexander, you know the agreement. Our granddaughter stays with us. You can visit anytime you want. She stays here with her wolf family. She will need a support system without her mother. You can’t provide that for her, but we can. I know she is your daughter. And 16 days ago, I would have told you, you are nuts. But today I can understand what you are saying. If anyone said to me what I am saying to you about Marya, I would tear them apart,” Bär rubs Ingrid’s back.