Gunner’s POV All night long, I was on high alert, as I remained watching over Mila, along with Riley in the next-door room, while the pack doctor returned home, not wanting to draw attention to himself or us, by remaining in my room. Beta Ryker needed to continue to think that I was on my death bed until I made my move tomorrow surprising him with my recovery. Thankfully, Mila was healing quickly, but still remained unconscious, and I knew that it wouldn’t be long before she woke from her own induced coma, while her wolf healed her. My body though, was well rested, and I found myself pacing, just like Mila had been doing the previous night, as I knew what tomorrow was to bring, while the fate of not only my pack rested in my hands, but her fate as well. When late morning came, the pack doctor along with his nephew, Seth, knocked on my door, and as the pack doctor checked on Mila, Seth began to tell me that he was successful in ga
Gunner’s POV “You’re alive.” Shockingly came from his lips, as his eyes moved to behind me to see Seth and the group of men that he had formed, just in case things went south. There was no telling if Beta Ryker had his men here right now that had betrayed me, and I wasn’t taking any chances that he did.Hell, at this point, there could even be rogues among us, hidden within the pack members standing here now. But I didn’t move my eyes from him, knowing that Seth and my men behind me had my back.“Don’t look so surprised, I am of Alpha’s blood. It’s going to take more than a little silver poisoning to kill me.” I said to him, trying to maintain my poise, as my wolf continued to claw at my insides, wanting to put an end to Beta Ryker’s life for so many reasons, including touching our mate. But I had to put that aside at this moment, because I needed to get my pack back, so that I could ensure Mila’s safety and the rest of my loyal pack members.His eyes at that moment mo
Mila’s POV When the darkness had taken me, I was sure that I was dead and that I would be reunited with my family, but that never happened. Instead, I remained in pure darkness, but conscious enough to begin to hear a familiar voice, making me wonder if I was in a state of dream. As I listened to his voice, wondering what the heck he was saying, I realized quickly that he was reading where I had left off, from the book that I had placed on his bedside table from the night before. As I listened to his voice, something about it became soothing to my ears, and as I continued to listen to him read, I could feel my wolf within me stir, as if his voice was affecting her too. Unable to move or open my eyes, I was now a prisoner to my body, flipping the tables with him, as it was clear that he had made a recovery from the poisoning. What I didn’t understand was why he was here with me now, reading from my book, instead of taking his pack back, or had he already
Mila’s POV Stepping towards him, I stop when I am about a foot away before I say to him, “Look at me, please.” Slowly he raised his head, and those eyes of his that always seemed so cold, now had nothing but sadness in them, something I never thought that I would see in them. The monster that I had portrayed him as being, was clearly not who he was, and I could now see that his rough exterior was a facade. My heart began to break as I stared into his eyes, as if I was feeling the burden of his pain that he carried with him. Reaching, he took my hands in to his own, and now that I had my wolf, I could feel the bond pulsing between the two of us. His eyes now stared intently into my own, and I could see that he was battling his own emotions to speak, but then he swallows hard and says to me, “I know that I have failed you on so many levels, but I swear I was doing it all to protect you. Maybe I am the monster you portrayed me to be, but I
Mila’s POV Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to make Beta Ryker pay, but my wolf, she wanted blood. To be honest, she was more fearless than I ever could be, because there was no way in hell, I would think about going against a Beta yet alone take the first strike. It was clear that my wolf took him by surprise, as she easily took him to the ground in his human form, but as soon as the impact of the ground came, he shifted into his own wolf. His wolf wasn’t messing around, as he gave my wolf a hard kick to the ribs, making us fly off him, like we weighed nothing, which compared to the size of his wolf, my wolf probably felt like a feather to him. My body didn’t fly too far, as members of the pack helped stop it, but as I was flying in the air, I heard an all too familiar low growl. As soon as I got my bearings, I turned just in time to see Alpha Gunner shifting into his wolf, and without a second of hesitation, his wolf leaps in the air towar
Mila’s POV Shifting back to his human form, Alpha Gunner closed the distance between us in his human form, as he motioned to someone to get him something. Before I knew it, a pack member was handing him a shirt, and he instantly presented it to me, wanting me to shift back into my human form myself. But as I looked around at all the eyes now on me, I felt a bit uncomfortable. My wolf thankfully could feel my discomfort, so instead of doing as she was asked, she grabbed the shirt from his hands, before taking off behind the nearest building. The shift back into my human form was swift and without an ounce of pain, and I quickly threw the shirt over my head, while I looked around hoping no one seen me. I began to feel nervous, but it wasn’t because I was only in a tee shirt, ready to face the whole entire pack, but because I was going to face Alpha Gunner for the first time since I had gotten my wolf in our human form. This was definitel
Mila’s POV The feeling of the mate bond continues to grow stronger between the two of us, as he carries me now up the stairs to his room, while I continue to lay my head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. If I was being honest with myself, this was the first time since the attack that I have felt safe and secure, and it was crazy to think that it was in the arms of the man that had enslaved me. Thinking back to my first day here, and how I was thinking about ending my life or his own, I now realize there was an invisible force at play, washing those thoughts from my mind. My father used to tell me that everything happens for a reason, and I am now a firm believer in that, but I also believe that our Moon Goddess had a hand in making sure that I was delivered safely to my mate, even if it cost him a million dollars. When we finally got to the top floor, Alpha Gunner stepped into his room, and slowly lowered me to my fe
Mila’s POV As my lips crashed against his lips, sparks erupted throughout the entirety of my body, as fireworks exploded behind my closed eyes, while the bond between the two of us began to tie itself together. At first, he resisted, but with the bond now humming between us at full force, it didn’t take long for him to give in to its pull. Within seconds, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me even tighter into him, not leaving a fraction of a space between us, as his lips softened and began to move against my own. His tongue now glided acrost my bottom lip, making my lips part slightly, as a moan slowly slipped from my lips, and butterflies began to flutter in my stomach. With my lips now slightly parted, I felt his tongue begging for access, as he now slid it between my parted lips. Unlike the kiss I had shared with Beta Ryker that now felt so forced, this kiss felt so right and natural that I couldn’t help but allow him the access he
Mila’s POV “Do you like it?” He asks, making me turn the rest of the way around, as I took in the newly remodeled room, that was painted in the most perfect shade of purple, with up-to-date furnishings, suited for a princess. “Like it?” I asked him, as I continued to look around, wondering when he decided to do all of this, as my eyes landed on the walk-in closet, and I could see from here that it had been freshly restocked with new clothes. “Gunner.” Whispers from my lips, as I turned around to look at him, overjoyed with happiness that he had done all this for me. “If you don’t like it, we can change it.” He now said to me with the look of worry on his face, but I quickly closed the distance between us, before I said back to him, “No, I love it. I’m just in shock.” “I promised you that I would buy you clothes, but I never had the chance to do that while you were here, and well, it was time for this room
Mila’s POV The drive back to Red Moon was done in silence, just like most of the first drive had been when he had purchased me as his slave, but this time he held my hand in his, as he grieved silently to himself. My heart ached from the pain he was feeling, and I could only pray that time would heal his heart from all the damage that Trina had done to it. As the gates to the estate opened, a sense of being home filled me, especially as we drove up the lane and the house came into view. Outside stood many members of the pack, awaiting the arrival of their Alpha back home, as I was sure they were all curious about what fate Trina had received. While the vehicle came to a stop, my attention turned from the members of the pack to Alpha Gunner, as he sat there with his head looking straight forward, like he was lost in his thoughts. I was sure that he knew that a statement needed to be made to his pack, to insure them of their safety and tha
Mila’s POV I felt more at ease, as we took our seats once again at Trina’s trial, as I knew that even with her best efforts to keep us apart, she had failed, and in return opened a window for the two of us to truly open our hearts to one another. The conversation that Alpha Gunner and I had at the café was one full of mixed emotions, as we laid everything out on that table between us, leaving nothing for either of us to question. Her actions may have initially driven us apart, but her moment of conviction had brought us back together. Now as the council entered the room for the second time, I didn’t have the same grave feeling in my heart as I had the first time, because whatever the outcome of this trial was, I knew that nothing could come between us. But as Trina entered the room, her demeanor, and the look on her face was so different from the first time she had, telling me that a decision had been made on her punishment for her crimes committed.
Mila’s POV As we walked outside the front door to the building, I found myself taking in the late morning sun, while my lungs took in the fresh crisp air. Fall was fully upon us, and in its wake the mountain ranges surrounding the small town were an array of vast warm colors. Although I was welcoming the fresh air into my lungs, its crispness sent a chill down my spine, as I pulled my coat tighter around me. Alpha Gunner must have noticed my actions, and he quickly moved to put his arm around me, as he guided me to a small café across the road. The smell of fresh hot brewed coffee tickled my nose, along with the sweet scent of chocolate as he opened the door for me, and my stomach instantly growled in protest, as I had skipped breakfast this morning, nervous about seeing him today. A booth in the back of the café sat empty, and he quickly guided me to it, before he excused himself, making his way to the counter to place an order.
Mila’s POV There was nothing left that could come from Trina’s mouth that would shock me, but it was clear that she was trying to get under Alpha Gunner’s skin, and it was clearly working, as he let go of my hand and stood, calling her a liar, while a growl came from deep within him. Scared that he was going to lose it here, like he had lost it back at the auction, I quickly stood up by his side, as everyone’s eyes were now on us, as I placed my hand on his arm, begging him to regain control. Thankfully, his head turned in my direction, and in his eyes, I could see the anger that he now had towards Trina, but also, I could see that he was somehow maintaining his cool, before he nodded his head to me, telling me he was okay. “Order! Order! We must have order.” The leader of the council said, as he got to his feet once again. But his command of order didn’t phase my mate, as he remained standing and so did I, by his side. “
Gunner’s POV As Trina stared at me, I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Even with all the evidence piled up against her that I had found, I still saw the little scared girl that my father had brought home. But the more I stared into her eyes today, the more I realized that little girl was no longer, and in her place stood a cold-blooded killer with no remorse for what she had done. I was never more thankful in my life for Mila’s presence today, as I needed her to calm my wolf stirring inside of me with the rage he had towards Trina. Not only was he irate about my parents’ murders, but he also blamed Trina for our mate leaving us, but I knew the truth that it was me that had done that. Either way, her hand was now holding tightly onto mine, and I knew by the feelings she was projecting to me now, she was here because she wanted to be by my side. The room now filled with growls of anger, as Trina was put on display
Mila’s POV My heart fluttered to life in my chest, as he turned to look at me with those piercing blue eyes of his, that I dreamt of seeing again. “Mila.” Softly whispered from his lips, making my breath hitch, hearing my name so gently spoken from him, as I watched him move to stand up. Knowing that the councilman’s eyes were on us, I try and pull myself together, finding my voice, before I can say to him, “I am sorry to keep you waiting.” “Don’t be sorry.” He said, as he moved now to pull a chair out for me to take a seat, while his eyes remained on me, holding me with his gaze, as I slowly sat down, not able to look away from him. As he pushes my chair in, the tips of his fingers graze against the bare flesh of my collar bone, and my breath hitches at the mere touch, as my heart begins to race in my chest, now being so close to him after so long. My head remained looking up at him, unable to look away, as those captiva
Gunner’s POV It was killing me being away from her, but I had promised her, her freedom, and if that was what she chose, then I had to respect her choice. I couldn’t take back the pain that I had caused her, but I prayed each night to the Moon Goddess that she would forgive me and one day come back to me. The pack house no longer felt like a home, but like purgatory to me, as it reminded me of all the losses I had endured at the hands of Trina. Now knowing that my parents’ deaths were caused by hatred by the person that they had taken in, killed me, especially knowing how much they cared for her, making me wonder if all these years the love she showed them had been an act on her behalf towards them. Looking back, I tried to piece together where I had gone wrong to give her the thought that my love towards her was more than just for a sibling, but I couldn't recounter anything that I would have done to insinuate that. It was hard on me to
Mila’s POV A few weeks passed, and even though I was technically home, it didn’t feel like home anymore. Everyone I had ever loved or knew was gone, and the walls to the house felt like they were closing in on me with each day that passed. Seth was my only means to human interaction, and I was thankful that he had stayed with me, but something told me that he had his orders too. Even though Alpha Gunner was leaving me alone per my wishes, he was still taking care of me from afar, as daily deliveries of food and supplies were delivered, along with bouquets of flowers. It was clear that he was trying his hardest to give me the space that I needed to heal, but he also was trying to show me the love that he had for me. It was almost a month that had passed before a letter accompanied the delivery, and I hesitated to open it, in fear of what it would say. As I sat there at the dining room table with it in my hand, recognizing his handwriting