Allie POV
We walked with a renewed spring in our step and optimism shining, but after several hours, the usual Josh and Allie arguments surfaced again.
“But we can follow this path and see where it goes. We don’t need to leave and enter the thick woods if we don’t have to,” argued Josh.
“The path veers west. How long do you want to follow it? We could get lost even more. No, we take the most direct route south to the border, even if it means going over rougher terrain.”
“Allie, the Ivory Court said they’d spotted the Obsidian King heading south. I know that was over a week ago, but I think we should stop and reassess this plan a bit more. You’re always accusing me of jumping into things. I thought your plan was good to begin with, but now I’ve thought about it more,
Allie POV Up ahead was a ring of large stones in a tiny clearing. I walked over and took a seat on one of the lower rocks while I caught my breath. Moss covered most of the stones, and a gap in the tree canopy overhead cast rays of green sunlight into the centre of the circle. It was stunning, but I made sure to avoid touching the standing stones. The entire scene looked like something from a movie; knowing my luck, I’d end up time travelling or something if I dared touch them. My lungs were on fire, my left arm throbbed, my right shoulder was even more painful, my head was pounding, and my heart just… ached. Josh. Annoying, impulsive, chaotic, wonderful Josh. I’d never thought he would deliberately hur
Josh POV I walked back from the bushes and saw Allie’s satchel lying on the ground where we’d been sitting, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was unlike her to leave her bag unattended, even if she was just going to pee. After what happened with her shoes, we were both conscious of leaving our things out in the open, especially when she was the one with the compass in her bag. I lay down next to her bag, staring up at the green sky and clouds. Their swirling, spiral pattern was mesmerising. It was easy to lose track of time just watching their patterns. I pulled out a handful of nuts and ate while I daydreamed. ‘Something’s not right,’ said Aster. ‘What do you mean?’
Allie POV My feet ached, my legs ached, everything ached. After being on the move all day with Josh, I’d now been walking through the night without rest, too. I wasn’t tied or chained, but there was also no room for escape. The trolls had encircled me as we walked, and they looked like giant walking boulders. I was in a walking prison. The only distraction I had from the pain my body was in was my thoughts. And they were just as painful, if not more. The trolls spoke their own language, and it was unlike anything I’d heard before. Their voices were deep and gravelly. They chatted among themselves and pretended not to understand me when I spoke, but I knew very well that they could. The smallest one was on my
Allie POV Raised voices and clanging metal stirred me from my sleep. I felt like I’d only just put my head on the pillow. However long it was, it wasn’t anywhere near enough time to recover from the previous day’s events. My eyelids felt heavy and refused to stay open, and my entire body ached with fatigue. “Get up! Time to work!” came a shout from outside the cell, as the key turned in the lock and the door swung open. I struggled into a sitting position on the bed and slowly tried to focus my eyes. I suddenly wished I’d kept them closed, so I didn’t have to see my prison for the first time. The floor was hard, compacted, reddish-coloured dirt that seemed to cling to my boots, which I hadn’t taken off to sleep. My bed was a bundle of cut logs, with a very thin
Allie POV **Trigger Warning: Briefly mentions pregnancy loss. Skip chapter if you do not wish to read.** “We’re going to deliver these,” said Gladys, holding up a stack of clean linen. “We’ll be back soon.” It was just Mulberry and me, and in the silence, I slowly managed to calm my breathing. It wasn’t as quick as when Josh was helping me through it, but I did it on my own. “How were you captured?” I asked quietly. Mulberry took a deep breath before replying. “I was out hunting with my father and grandfather. My father is the chieftain of the Ivory elves and my grandfather is one of the elders of the elf community,” she said, lifting her head as she said it, the pride showing in her voice.
Allie POV There was a noticeable change in the air the following morning as the guards released us from our cells. They were much more formal, standing to attention and barking orders in an almost professional manner. Mulberry and I exited the prison building and made our way to the laundry, but were stopped at the door by two more guards. “The Obsidian King has ordered us to bring you to him,” one of them said, looking directly at me. My whole body tensed. I wasn’t ready for this. “Good luck,” said Mulberry, trying her best to sound reassuring, but I noticed she didn’t meet my gaze. I quietly followed the guards out into the village towards a large, open area just past the animal enclosures. My eyes darted around the wh
Allie POV Mulberry and I were in a dangerous predicament. We needed people to help us when the time came to break free, but we also couldn’t risk telling the wrong people–people who might dob us in. For now, we’d decided to stick with the Ivory elves, as most of them had already established a sense of respect for Mulberry because of her lineage to the chieftain. We had let some of the men tending the gardens and animals in on our plan. They were nervous and a little sceptical at first, but eventually our determination and enthusiasm won them over. So far, over the last couple of days, they had managed to stow away some broken tools to use as weapons. They were also finding branches and pieces of wood to sharpen secretly and hide around the place.
Josh POV Damn it all to hell. Yet again, I’d fucked up. My brother told me not to go. Dad had warned me not to go. And what did I do? Snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to join the battle. I hadn’t even taken my phone. Where did it get me? To the Jade Willow Forest. Almost to the brink of death, twice. To Allie. Unlike last time, she wasn’t with me when I opened my eyes again. I remembered how worried I was when she disappeared. I remembered the shock and disbelief when she stabbed me. That could never be Allie, and it wasn’t. I remembered the blast of water as Tatiana knocked the imposter backwards and the boggart’s disgusting face was revealed. Running, swimming, Tatiana, the waterfall, the rocks b
Allie POV Six years later… The jade green clouds were high in the sky and the sun shone brightly in Olive’s glade, as my family rained utter chaos on the poor unsuspecting forest. Really. Just pure chaos. But in the most lovely of ways. These picnics started off with just the Tanners, but had eventually expanded to include all four of the Alpha families from the packs bordering the forest, plus our fae friends. Bringing us all together as friends and allies. They quickly escalated into events of epic proportions as each of our young families expanded rapidly. Leo sat with Zac and Zoe’s youngest son in his arms. He was the newest grandchild, and number fifteen in total for the Tanners. Julie held a wriggling blonde toddler who was screaming for snacks. Josh and I named her Bree; he calls her Breezy, but really Stormy would be a more accurate nickname. What could I say? She was a girl who knew what she wanted. Queen Neva and King Roman sat alongside them with their new little pr
Allie POV One month later… My favourite moment had fast become Olivia’s late night feed. Sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery with just a dim lamp on in the dead of night, the packhouse completely silent, just me and her. She would look up at me with her big blue eyes, her perfect little hand curled around my finger. And her smell, oh man, her smell. We were all addicted to her. She had everyone captivated. Her dad especially. She couldn’t so much as whimper before he was picking her up, fussing over her. I’d found myself blubbering an extraordinary amount of times in these past few weeks, just from pure happiness, in total bliss, and drunk on love. “Hey, I didn’t hear you get up,” whispered Josh from the doorway. “Do you need anything? Snacks? Water?” He really was the best. “Yes to both, please.” He returned five minutes later and sat next to me, feeding me and holding the water for me, while I fed our daughter. “Can you believe we actually made her?” he asked, soun
Josh POV Several months later… “Have you seen Mum?” asked Allie, standing in the office doorway frowning. “She’s gone with Samson to visit Queen Neva.” “Again?” she snapped. Uh oh. I hopped out of my chair and put my arms around her. “What did you need her for? Is it anything I can help with?” “No, it’s ok. She was going to help me organise all the baby’s clothes.” I swept her feet up, picking her up bridal style. “Let’s go then.” “Josh, you don’t have to.” “I want to. You and Maggie have done almost everything else, I can help with this. Let’s go get snacks first.” That made her smile. She kissed me and snuggled her head into my neck. Her belly was now huge, and she was often tired, grumpy, and completely over being pregnant, but she’d never looked more beautiful. Watching our pup roll and kick around in there was the highlight of every day. I sat her down in the rocking chair, handed her the slice of banana bread we picked up in the kitchen, and she put me to work. I stac
Allie POV I’d spent all day with Mulberry and Spidey helping in the village gardens, and my eardrums still felt like they were bleeding after the moment I’d told her I was pregnant. Her squeal almost rivalled the ones Mum and Julie made when we told them. Aunty Mulberry was just as ridiculously excited as our family were. This baby was definitely one lucky and loved pup. On the way home, I stopped at Olive’s glade. The new saplings were thriving thanks to the extra care of the elves tending to them, and a little magic. It would take some time, but eventually these trees would be full grown, and the cocoons of the new dryad spirits would form. I couldn’t wait to meet them. I filled the watering can up at the lake and watered the saplings and pulled a few weeds. Sitting down, I looked up at the light green clouds and gave my tiny little baby bump a rub. My whole life had changed so quickly. I was still trying to adjust to having a life outside of the packhouse walls, yet here I was
Josh POV“Alpha?” I glanced up from the computer to find the head housekeeper standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you have a moment?”“Come in, Laura,” I replied, gesturing to the seat across from me. “What can I help with?”“I don’t want to bother you or Alpha Allie, but the kitchen staff reported that trays of croissants had been made overnight and were left cooling on the benches this morning. Croissants that none of them prepared or baked. And the wait staff said all the forks in the main dining room have gone missing.”“Was the kitchen locked overnight?”“Yes, Alpha.”I let out a breath and ran a hand through my hair. These little incidents had started happening across the pack the moment Allie became Alpha, but they were now increasing in frequency, and a lot of pack members were now on edge. It wasn’t normal for the fae to be on our territory.Most instances were harmless. Some were good deeds, like the croissants, or doing housework tasks, and some were pl
Allie POV “Baby, sit still,” laughed Josh as I bounced up and down in the passenger seat of the car. “I can’t help it. Drive faster,” I whined. His wide smile told me he was equally excited as I was, he was just doing a better job of holding it in. It was the first time we’d ventured this far into the Jade Willow Forest since balance had been restored, and it was a completely different experience travelling by car. Most of the old highways and dirt paths had grown over after years of abandonment, the forest swallowing them whole, so it had taken some work from each of the four bordering packs to get them cleaned up and usable again. For now, it was just the main roads open, but over time, the rest would be unearthed again. The news from the fae closest to the Viridian Creek border, was that the fae were just as excited to have visitors again as the packs were to visit. Trades of supplies and products were already underway, and for the most part, the Obsidian Court was keeping
Josh POV The cold and damp conditions of the underground cells mingled with a fetid stench in the air that had my gut churning. This place was miserable, and pretty much summed up what I’d expect from Maurice Everett. I wasn’t unhappy with the fact he was now locked up in this hell he’d created. I squeezed Allie’s hand as we approached his cell and the guards nodded and moved to give us privacy. I pulled over two chairs and we sat, staring at Maurice, who was perched on the end of his bed. “Have you come to gloat?” he asked with a slight scoff. “I’ve come to find out what I need to know about the pack,” replied Allie firmly. “No one can recall seeing Beta Kyan in the last few days, and he’s missing from the pack mind-link, so I’m assuming he’s gone rogue–” “He is dead. He started sticking his nose in where it wasn’t necessary and made Ellis question some of my methods, so I got rid of him.” This guy was unhinged. A complete mastermind who managed to get away with his corrupt mo
Allie POVAs the life faded from Ellis’ eyes, I felt a surge of power run through Stella, right before the howls rang out from all around the pack, recognising the death of their Alpha.Stella raised her head to the sky and let out an almighty howl in response, answering their call and staking her claim as their new Alpha.Slowly, more and more wolves appeared on the packhouse lawn surrounding us. Those in wolf form continued to howl their loyalty to their new Alpha, and those in human form took a knee before Stella. A maid ran out of the packhouse with a dress for me to slip on as I shifted back.I felt his eyes on me before I spotted him pushing his way through the crowd and raced towards him, throwing myself into his outstretched and still bloodied arms. He burrowed his face into my neck as I clung to him tightly, kissing the side of his head.“You fucking did it, baby.” His voice was hoarse and littered with raw emotion. I needed to address the pack that had assembled, but I didn’
Allie POVEllis and my father were similar people. They liked control, and they liked to hold all the knowledge and power. For that reason, I knew Ellis was not happy at being blindsided by the fact that not only did I have a wolf, I was the Jade Wolf… and I was challenging him. I was certain it would be affecting every part of his being.He lunged at me, starting the battle, but I easily dodged. Nate said my best strategy would be to let him lead, watch his moves carefully, and try to spot any weaknesses that I could take advantage of later. Stella was light on her feet, so it was a simple task.Ellis’ overconfidence began to show. His wolf growled and snarled as it snapped its jaws at me, and his moves became sloppy as he interpreted my hesitation for fear rather than observation. He lunged again for my flank and Stella finally made her move, dodging left, then pouncing on his exposed neck. He evaded the hit to the neck, but couldn’t move quick enough to avoid Stella’s teeth as the